Share something tropical tonight with Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp Over Pineapple Rice!
Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp Over Pineapple Rice
Thanks to HyVee for this Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp Over Pineapple Rice recipe, featured in their January Balance magazine. This flavorful concoction features shrimp marinated in lime, garlic and green onion. Then it’s sauteed with a drizzle of Sriracha and served over pineapple, coconut and basil-flecked brown rice. It’s a fun counterbalance of flavors that hits all the right notes. While the original recipe says that the Sriracha is optional, I think it’s essential. Just vary the amount of Sriracha you add, if you prefer less heat. Chopped macadamia nuts, fresh basil leaves and green onion strips provide tasty flourishes.
There are two other great things about this recipe. It is healthy (which is the primary focus of the recipes in the Balance magazine) and it’s easy to prepare. To make this recipe even easier, I used a few short cuts. I also made a few tweaks based on what I had on hand and my personal preferences.
Short Cuts & Tweaks
- The recipe called for jumbo prawns. I used smaller shrimp because that’s what I had on hand. Either works, just vary your saute time to ensure your shrimp is done, but not overcooked.
- Instead of 1/4 cup roasted minced garlic for the marinade, I used about 1 tablespoon minced garlic (from a jar) for the 1/2 lb of shrimp I made. I like garlic, but 1/4 cup for 1 lb of shrimp seemed like a lot. But embrace the garlic if that’s your style!
- As mentioned, I think it’s essential to add the Sriracha while the shrimp is sauteing. Just start with 1/2 – 1 tablespoon if you prefer, then add more if you’d like. I used about 2 teaspoons of Sriracha for my 1/2 lb of shrimp.
- Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice is my go-to for fast, great-tasting rice. 90 seconds and your done! They have a Brown Whole Grain version which I used for this recipe. Uncle Ben’s also has basmati and long grain rice options that would work well too.
- Canned pineapple tidbits (which I drained before adding to the rice) were an easy/fast short cut. You can opt for fresh pineapple, which is specified in the original recipe, if you have time.
- Because I had unsweetened coconut on hand, I decided to use that vs. purchasing sweetened coconut. I felt the pineapple provided enough sweetness, but I think either would be good.
Note – I doubled the recipe for the Pineapple Rice because the original recipe seemed a little skimpy for 4 people. Doubling the recipe is probably more than 4 servings, but this leftover rice would be great with chicken, fish or a variety of other options. Enjoy!
Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp Over Pineapple Rice
Ingredients
Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tbsp grated lime zest
- 1/4 c. lime juice about 1 lime
- 1/4 c. roasted minced garlic – I used about 1 tbsp. minced garlic from a jar for 1/2 lb shrimp
- 1/4 c. thinly sliced green onions
- 1/4 tsp. kosher salt plus more to taste
- 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1 lb. cleaned deveined, jumbo shrimp (remove or keep tails – your choice)
- 1 tbsp. Sriracha sauce optional (start with 1 tsp. then add more as desired)
- chopped macadamia nuts for garnish
- small basil leaves for garnish
- green onion strips for garnish
Pineapple Rice
- 2 packets Brown Basmati or Long Grain Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice
- 16 oz. pineapple tidbits drained (reserve a few tbsp. juice)
- 1/2 c. sweetened or unsweetened coconut depending on how much sweetness you prefer
- 2 tbsp. finely chopped basil
- pinch kosher salt
Instructions
- Place coconut oil in large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 30-45 seconds, or until melted. Whisk in olive oil, lime zest, lime juice, garlic, sliced green onions, salt, pepper and paprika. Add shrimp and toss to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally. Note – do not chill shrimp after cleaving. This process works better if the shrimp are near room temperature when they are place in the marinade.
- Take shrimp out of marinade and discard marinade. Heat large skillet sprayed with olive oil over medium heat and cook shrimp for 3-4 minutes or until opaque, turning once. Add desired amount of Sriracha sauce (start with 1-2 tsp.) and toss to combine. Add more if desired.
- While shrimp is cooking, microwave rice. Combine cooked rice, drained pineapple, a few tbsp. of reserved pineapple juice, coconut, chopped basil and a pinch of salt in bowl and toss to combine.
- Serve shrimp over rice and drizzle with remaining pan juices. Garnish with macadamia nuts, basil leaves and green onion strips.
This looks tasty!