These spicy prawn rice bowls are quick, easy and delicious – perfect for weeknights! This healthy, sushi-style bowl comes together in under 20 minutes and can be easily customised based on your tastes.
Looking for more rice bowls? Try this salmon and avocado rice bowl or these taco bowls next!
I first made a variation of this prawn and rice bowl after Christmas when I had some leftover prawns and was looking for a different way of using them. Combining the prawns with some kewpie mayo and serving over rice gave me flashbacks to eating shrimp and mayo onigiri in Japan.
It’s simple but it’s so good! It really is the perfect combination of flavours and textures, and it’s even better when made bowl-style as this meal becomes a healthy and balanced plate that is perfect for a quick lunch or dinner.
Prawns are an amazing protein to keep on hand for quick and easy meals. I always pick up a bag of frozen shelled and deveined prawns from the supermarket when they are on sale as they can be used in so many different recipes, including these garlic prawn noodles or creamy prawn pasta.
If you’re looking for something a little different for dinner this week but don’t want to spend too much time in the kitchen, this is the perfect recipe to put on the menu!
Key Ingredients
These spicy mayo prawn rice bowls follow my usual guidelines for a balanced bowl. We have the protein, a creamy sauce, crunch veg / salad and of course, a base of sticky sushi rice.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Raw prawns – I’ve mentioned this before, but I buy the big bags of frozen prawns when they are on sale as they are a great protein addition to so many meals. Just defrost them in a bowl of water before using them in this recipe.
- Kewpie mayonnaise – absolutely essential to the creaminess and also to the flavour is the kewpie mayo. Make sure it’s the good Japanese-style stuff as regular mayonnaise just doesn’t taste the same.
- Sriracha – a little bit adds some spicy balance to the prawns. Adjust the quantity based on your tastes.
- Soy sauce – kewpie can be quite sweet so I like to balance it with the saltiness of soy sauce. You can just add a pinch of salt to taste if you prefer.
- Sushi rice – the short grain rice gives the bowl that sushi taste and works really well for these bowls. You can keep the rice plain or season it with sushi rice seasoning.
- Salad – this is where you can get creative and use what you like, but I love to use edamame (I buy it frozen and shelled and let it defrost at room temperature before using), some avocado, and some cucumber for crunch.
Step-By-Step Instructions
I ALWAYS use a rice cooker to cook my rice. It’s just so simple to set it and forget and get on with the rest of the prep. I simply use a 1:2 ratio of rice and water in the rice cooker and that’s it. To get started, I’ll pop my rice on and then start gathering and preparing the rest of the ingredients.
For the prawns if you’re using frozen, you can get those out and place them in a small bowl with warm water for around 15 minutes to defrost. If you’re using frozen edamame, you can also get them out and allow them to defrost on a plate.
Once the prawns are defrosted, pat them dry with a paper towel. Heat a little avocado oil or olive oil in a frying pan and place in the prawns. These will cook super fast – just a minute or two on each side until they are pink and cooked through.
Remove the prawns and add them to a bowl with the kewpie mayo, sriracha and soy sauce and mix well to combine. From here, it’s time to assemble the bowls.
Start with your sushi rice, then layer on your edamame, cucumber and avocado. Top with the creamy prawns and drizzle with the remaining sauce. Finish the bowls with some furikake seasoning to give them that sushi-style taste or use sesame seeds for crunch.
👉Tip! You can serve the sushi rice plain or for extra flavour, season it before serving. To make a simple sushi rice seasoning, mix together 1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon of white sugar and ½ teaspoon of salt. Add it to the rice and mix through.
Recipe FAQs
Yes and this is what I generally recommend to keep this recipe super easy. If using frozen prawns, just make sure to fully thaw them first. You can do this by placing them in a bowl of water for 15-20 minutes. Pat them dry before cooking.
Yes, you can! Just swap out the soy sauce for tamari or gluten free soy sauce, and double-check that your furikake seasoning is gluten free.
Prawns cook very quickly so it’s important to watch them so they don’t overcook. They are done when they turn pink and opaque, and their flesh firms up. If they are still grey or translucent in the centre, they need a little more time. Cut one in half to check if you’re unsure.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More prawn recipes:
Egg Fried Rice with Prawns
Grilled Prawns
Prawn Wontons with Chilli Oil
BBQ Prawn Tacos
Quick and Easy Spicy Prawn Rice Bowls
Equipment
Ingredients
- 250-280 grams raw prawns peeled and deveined
- 1 teaspoon olive oil or avocado oil for cooking
- 3-4 tablespoons kewpie mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
For the rice bowls:
- 2 cups cooked sushi rice
- ½ cup shelled edamame
- ½ avocado sliced
- ½ cup diced cucumber
- Furikake seasoning or sesame seeds to garnish
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the prawns and cook for 1-2 minutes per side until they turn pink and opaque. Remove from heat.
- In a bowl, mix the kewpie mayo, sriracha, and soy sauce. Add the cooked prawns and toss to coat evenly.
- Divide the cooked sushi rice, edamame, avocado, and cucumber between two bowls. Top with the spicy mayo prawns.
- Drizzle any remaining spicy mayo over the top. Sprinkle with furikake or sesame seeds and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
Made this recipe? Leave a review!