Grilled Shrimp Grain Bowl with Citrus Herb Vinaigrette

This sweet and savory grilled shrimp grain bowl is just the thing for your next backyard gathering, and with skewer-grilled shrimp and vegetables, making it is even easier than ever. Each element, shrimp, vegetables, even the pineapple, gets threaded onto its own skewer before taking its own turn on the grill. Serve it all warm over grains dressed in a citrus herb vinaigrette. It’s dinner with a little fire in it, built for a crowd or just the two of us on a Tuesday.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Safeway. All opinions are 100% mine.

Grill on Skewers, Serve Over the Grains

Shrimp, vegetables, and even the pineapple come straight off the grill here, piled warm over grains dressed in a citrus herb vinaigrette. It’s built for backyard celebrations like Father’s Day, a Fourth of July cookout, or just a Tuesday when you want an excuse to use the grill.

What sets this apart from a standard grain bowl is the skewers. Shrimp, veggies, and fruit all cook separately and quickly, so nothing turns to mush on the grates.

If you like the grilled-plus-fruit combination, it’s the same idea behind my grilled steak with peaches and onions or grilled rockfish tacos. And if shrimp’s your favorite part of this bowl, my shrimp asparagus risotto is worth a look too.

What You’ll Need: Shrimp, Grains, and a Few Grill-Ready Vegetables

This grain bowl breaks down to three components: the grill, the grains, and the dressing. On the grill you are working with shrimp, zucchini, mini bell peppers, pineapple, and avocado. Buy the shrimp fresh if your grocery store’s seafood counter is decent; thawed frozen works fine too. You’ll need a grain of your choice, like rice, farro, quinoa, or whatever you’ve got knocking around your pantry. The vinaigrette comes together separately with olive oil, dijon, a shallot, and fresh citrus.

How to Make This Grilled Shrimp Grain Bowl

Start the grains first since they take the longest, then thread and season your skewers while they cook. Everything on this list grills fast, so the real work is in the timing: get the vinaigrette together, get the grill hot, and cook the skewers last so they land on the table straight off the grates.

A Few Things That Make or Break the Skewers

Working with skewers can feel a bit over the top and I’ll be the first to agree that it’s easier to just throw a slab of meat on the grill and call everyone to come eat. But! When done right, the extra effort pays off. Here are a few things to keep in mind while working with skewers.

• Keep shrimp and vegetables on separate skewers. They cook at different rates, and you’ll overcook one bite while waiting on the other to cook through.
• Soak wooden skewers in water for at least an hour before grilling, or use metal ones you can reuse all season.
• Brush every skewer with high-heat oil before seasoning, starting with the produce and finishing with the shrimp, to avoid cross-contamination.
• Shrimp cooks fast: 2 to 5 minutes per side depending on size. Pull it the moment it turns pink and opaque.

How to Serve: Buffet-Style, Family-Style, or on the Couch

How you serve this really comes down to the occasion. For a relaxed gathering, lay the skewers out buffet style and let everyone build their own bowl. For a sit-down dinner, serve it family style: put each component in its own dish and pass them around the table. And if it’s just the two of us, I skip the serving dishes and plate each bowl directly, sometimes at the table, sometimes on the couch.

What Keeps (and What Doesn’t)

Assemble as you eat, especially if you’re planning on leftovers. The avocado won’t keep once it’s been sliced, so leave it off anything you’re saving and add it fresh when you serve the bowl again. Shrimp keeps for a day at most, so store it separately from the rest in the fridge, in an airtight container. The grains and grilled vegetables hold up well on their own for about 3 days, also in an airtight container.