The inspiration for Shrimp and Wild Rice Skillet comes from one of my husband’s and my favorite local restaurants. They’ve been around for over two decades and my most memorable visit was my sophomore year of high school when my girlfriends and I ate there prior to our school’s Valentine’s Day dance. None of us had dates so we gussied ourselves up, put on matching t-shirts from The Limited Too, then had our parents drop us off for dinner where an hour later we were supposed to be picked up by a limo then driven to the dance in all our girl power glory! Two hours later we started the long walk home with sagging curls and egos because our limo never showed up, then proceeded to eat our feelings by way of banana cream pies and buttered popcorn while watching the Spice Girls Movie on repeat. Good times (and thank God for even better girlfriends!)
Anyway, I recently I ordered their Shrimp Charleston — aka, sauteed shrimp served over a bed of rice tossed with green onions, bacon, tomatoes, and garlic butter and was so heavenly that I had to immediately recreate at home with a bit of a healthy boost! A brown-wild rice blend serves as the base of this easy skillet recipe that includes healthy veggies like baby spinach and chopped tomatoes, big flavors from garlic and bacon, and staying power from sauteed shrimp. This dish is one of the most flavorful I’ve eaten in ages, and the active cooking time is like, less than 15 minutes. Super, super easy. I also love that this skillet dish is a complete meal in one – healthy whole grains and vegetables, filling protein…and of course, a little bit of bacon.
Start by cooking a wild rice blend in chicken broth. You could do this one or even two days ahead of time, or get it going on the stove while you prep the rest of the ingredients, which is what I did.
While the rice is cooking, add jumbo shrimp to brown sugar and salt stirred into cold water then refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. This quick brining step will make the shrimp extra snappy and delicious once sauteed. I don’t always brine my shrimp, but it really makes a big difference in taste and texture when I do. After the quick brine, drain then rinse the shrimp, and then pat them very dry with paper towels.
Ok – skillet time! Heat extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add half the shrimp, season with seasoned salt and pepper, and then saute until the shrimp are cooked through, 1-2 minutes per side. Remove the shrimp to a plate then repeat with another Tablespoon oil and the remaining shrimp.
Turn the heat down to medium then melt butter in the skillet. Add chopped green onions then saute until tender, 1-2 minutes, and then add minced garlic cloves and saute for 30 seconds.
Next add chopped vine-ripened tomato and baby spinach that’s been roughly chopped. Season with more seasoned salt and pepper then saute for about a minute, just until the spinach is slightly wilted.
Finally add the cooked wild rice, chopped bacon (which I cooked in the microwave to keep things easy!) and chicken broth, and then simmer until the broth has been nearly absorbed by the rice. This makes the dish nice and creamy, without having to add cream!
Last step is to drizzle in a little lemon juice which makes every flavor pop (trust me, don’t leave it out!) then scoop onto plates and top with the sauteed shrimp. Just like that, a delicious, restaurant-worthy dinner is served. Enjoy, enjoy!
More Seafood Dinner Recipes
Smoked Salmon Shrimp and Asparagus Garlic Herb Butter Pasta with Roasted Shrimp Salmon Provencal Spicy Shrimp Soup Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup
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