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Honey-Gochujang Shrimp Bowls with pickled cucumbers and avocado come together in just 30 minutes. These simple, delicious bowls are packed with flavor and perfect for busy weeknights.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love this Gochujang Shrimp
- Quick + Easy. All you need is 30 minutes and a handful of ingredients to make the magic happen.
- Minimal Ingredients. Since we’re using a few high-impact ingredients like gochujang, rice vinegar, and sesame oil, they’re really the workhorses of this recipe.
- Healthy. Shrimp is a great source of lean protein, and avocado packs a one-two punch of healthy fats and fiber. All of the ingredients in these bowls create a well-balanced meal.
- Versatile. If you’re not a fan of shrimp, you can use cubes of salmon, tofu, or chicken instead.
- Gluten Free + Dairy Free. Not to mention nut-free!
The sticky-sweet honey-gochujang sauce is the real MVP of this recipe. It’s only 4 ingredients and has become a new favorite in our house.
You can also drizzle it over roasted carrots or cauliflower, baked fish (it’s SO tasty on salmon!) or even chicken wings.
The Ingredients
- Shrimp: Quick-cooking and a great source of lean protein. Look for peeled, deveined shrimp to save you some prep time.
- Gochujang: Gochujang is a staple in Korean cooking. If you’re not familiar with this versatile condiment, it’s a thick and spicy crimson-red paste made from red chile peppers, fermented soybeans, and salt.
- Rice Vinegar: Look for unseasoned rice vinegar, which is simply rice and vinegar.
- Sesame Oil: Regular sesame oil (not toasted) lends subtle sesame notes to the sauce.
- Honey: To balance the spice of the gochujang, and create a thick, viscous sauce.
- Sushi Rice: Short grain rice has a short, plump, almost round kernel, and is ideal for Asian-inspired dishes. I love the sticky, springy texture of sushi rice in these bowls, and the way it absorbs the gochujang sauce.
- Cucumber: Look for Persian or English cucumbers, which are seedless. They may also be labeled as “snacking cucumbers”.
- Avocado: A little creaminess to counter the crunch of the cucumbers is lovely in these bowls.
For a complete list of ingredients and quantities, see the recipe card below.
Step-by-Step Directions
Step 1: Prepare Sushi Rice. Add rice to a saucepan with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook, covered, until the rice is tender and all the water has been absorbed.
Step 2: Marinate Cucumbers. Place cucumbers, rice vinegar, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Let sit, tossing occasionally, until ready to assemble bowls.
Step 3: Prepare Gochujang Sauce by combining gochujang, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and honey in a small bowl; whisk to combine.
Step 4: Cook Shrimp in a large skillet for 3 to 4 minutes, until no longer opaque. Add gochujang sauce and cook 2 to 3 more minutes, until the sauce bubbles and thickens and coats shrimp.
Step 5: Assemble Bowls by dividing rice evenly between 4 bowls. Top evenly with gochujang shrimp, pickled cucumbers, and avocado. Garnish with sesame seeds.
Storage Tips
- To Store. If possible, store rice and shrimp separate from cucumber and avocado. This way, you can rewarm the rice and shrimp together, and add the fresh additions after.
- To Reheat: Rewarm the rice and shrimp either in a skillet or the microwave until heated through.
More 30 Minute Shrimp Recipes
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Honey-Gochujang Shrimp Bowls
Equipment
- Medium Saucepan with Lid
- Large skillet
- Mixing bowls
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups short-grain white rice (sushi rice), rinsed
- 4 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 Tbsp. rice vinegar, divided
- Kosher salt
- 2 Tbsp. gochujang paste
- 1 Tbsp. sesame oil (not toasted)
- 1 Tbsp. honey
- 1 lb. medium peeled and deveined shrimp*
- 2 Tbsp. neutral cooking oil
- 1 large (or 2 medium) avocados, thinly sliced
- Toasted sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Bring rice, a pinch of salt, and 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Cook until water is absorbed and rice is fluffy, about 20 minutes. Gently fluff rice with a fork.
- Meanwhile, toss cucumbers with 1/4 cup rice vinegar and a generous pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Let sit, tossing occasionally, until ready to use.
- In a small bowl, combine gochujang, remaining 1 1/2 Tbsp. rice vinegar, sesame oil, and honey; whisk well.
- Heat 2 Tbsp. neutral cooking oil in a large skillet over medium. Add shrimp, and cook for 3 minutes, until no longer opaque. Season with salt.Add gochujang sauce and cook 2 to 3 more minutes, until the sauce thickens and coats shrimp.
- To serve, scoop rice into bowls. Divide honey-gochujang shrimp, drained pickled cucumbers, and avocado slices evenly among bowls. Spoon any residual cucumber pickling liquid over the cucumbers and avocado slices. Drizzle any remaining gochujang sauce from the pan over shrimp, and garnish with toasted sesame seeds.
Notes
- For the shrimp, you can either remove the tails before or after cooking. I find it easier to remove them before.
- To Store. If possible, store rice and shrimp separate from cucumber and avocado. This way, you can rewarm the rice and shrimp together, and add the fresh additions after.
- To Reheat: Rewarm the rice and shrimp either in a skillet or the microwave until heated through.
Nutrition
I calculate these values by hand to ensure accuracy, however expect up to a 10% variable depending on food brands.
Just made this ! Super good. I used maple instead of honey because my honey is all crystallized and impossible to squeeze. Thanks so much
Maple syrup is a great back up. Hate when the honey does that. Here might be some help.
https://rootsy.org/how-to-decrystallize-honey-raw/