Can I freeze this shrimp quinoa bowl?

Freezing the whole dish is not recommended. The avocado slices will be soft and unappetizing when defrosted. Shrimp, quinoa, and beans are the best components of this dish to freeze if you choose to do so. Leave out avocado and lime juice when freezing the dish. Package and freeze other components separately to prevent over-defrosting for individual servings.

How do I reheat meal-prep portions?

Reheat shrimp, quinoa, beans, and other roasted vegetables but not avocado and lime. As stated by the recipe author, the recipe's creator does not want to reheat lime and avocado with other foods. Place fresh ingredients on top of reheated ingredients. This will help keep the avocado from heating and breaking down before serving.

Can I double the recipe?

Yes, ingredient amounts are given for one-, two-, and three-times serving sizes, suggesting that the bowl size is ideal for preparing a large batch of food. Use those amounts or adjust other ingredients, such as lime juice or other shrimp seasonings, and grill shrimp in multiple batches if desired to prevent overcrowding on the grill pan. Overcrowding can interfere with judging shrimp doneness by color, cooked shrimp are bright pink.

Can I sauté the shrimp instead?

Yes, the article says that shrimp can be cooked in a pan on the stovetop instead of on a grill. The article recommends using lime, soy sauce, cilantro, and other flavorings for shrimp cooked on the stovetop and on a grill. A similar pink color indicator for doneness, as described in the article, can be used for shrimp cooked in a stovetop pan. The article gives cooking times for a grill pan but not for a stovetop pan.

Can I use frozen quinoa?

Yes, Trader Joe's Frozen Organic quinoa is used in the recipe and says it cooks in 3 1/2 minutes in the microwave. The recipe uses 2 cups cooked quinoa in the bowl with shrimp and beans. Follow package instructions to cook prepared quinoa. Precook quinoa to use as an ingredient at the end with avocado.

Cilantro Lime Shrimp Quinoa Bowl with Black Beans and Avocado

By Emma CollinsOct 6, 2026

Prep

15 min

Cook

15 min

Total

30 min

Servings

Level

Easy

Jump to recipe

Plan and prepare four meals in advance using cooked shrimp, quinoa, and black beans. Purchase avocados and limes to serve with these planned meals. This cilantro lime shrimp and quinoa recipe features cooked shrimp marinated in lime juice and topped with sliced avocado when served, along with quinoa and black beans.

Cilantro Lime Shrimp Quinoa Bowl with Black Beans and Avocado

Freshly squeezed lime juice, low-sodium soy sauce, lemon pepper seasoning, Grill Mates BBQ seasoning mix, cilantro, and salt and pepper are mixed with peeled and deveined shrimp in a resealable bag. Allow shrimp to marinate 30 to 45 minutes before cooking to pick up flavor. Quinoa and canned black beans are filling base ingredients for the meal. Sliced avocado is a cool, soft topping. This meal is simple to prepare in advance for the week.

Shrimp take about 3 to 4 minutes to turn pink on a medium-sized griddle. Warm the beans in a separate pan over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes before serving over quinoa. Tips for preparing shrimp include looking for a pink color as a sign that the shrimp are cooked, not grill marks. Reheated overcooked shrimp will be tough to eat later.

For meal planning with lunches, keep avocado and lime separate, as suggested in the original item, from other lunch ingredients, including reheated shrimp, quinoa, beans, and vegetables. Consider adding roasted cauliflower and broccoli to your meal plan. Prepare fresh ingredients for your lunch when eating or planning ahead for lunch.

Why this recipe works

The four servings indicate other ways to use this recipe for lunch over four days.
Quinoa, beans, and shrimp are complete meal bases that can be prepared ahead of time and ready to add other ingredients to each day.
Packing the avocado and additional lime juice separately from the shrimp, beans, and quinoa, as suggested in the recipe for meal preparation, prevents the avocado.
A 30- to 45-minute shrimp marinade can be prepared in advance along with other meal prep tasks.
Lime and cilantro or other shrimp seasonings can be prepared in advance and set aside before grilling on a pan.
Cooked quinoa and canned black beans save preparation time by being portioned into serving bowls along with shrimp and the beans after they are cooked.
Each portion can be served with optional avocado slices on the side to preserve their fresh sliced texture instead of mixing them through every stored bowl.
The recipe provides information about cooking shrimp in a skillet.

Instructions

Add the shrimp to a Ziploc bag.

Drizzle the soy sauce and lime juice throughout the bag.

Sprinkle the seasonings and chopped cilantro throughout.

Seal the bag and refrigerate for 30 to 45 minutes.

Cook the quinoa. Trader Joe's Frozen Organic quinoa microwaves for 3 1/2 minutes.

Remove the shrimp from the Ziploc bag and add it to a grill pan.

Grill the shrimp over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until bright pink.

Add the black beans to a saucepan and cook over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the cooked shrimp, quinoa, sliced avocado, and black beans to a bowl.

Garnish with fresh lime.

Serve.

FAQ

Keep other ingredients in containers with lids, excluding the avocado and lime wedges. The article recommends against reheating shrimp, quinoa, beans, and vegetables with avocado and lime wedges. Dividing other ingredients among individual serving bowls will make it easier to serve them together later. Cut and serve avocado and add fresh lime wedges when you serve the meal.

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Lunch Dinner Fish Shrimp High Protein Quick Meals

Cilantro Lime Shrimp Quinoa Bowl with Black Beans and Avocado

Name: Cilantro Lime Shrimp Quinoa Bowl with Black Beans and Avocado
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 lb shrimp (peeled and deveined); 2 cups quinoa (cooked); 1 16.5 oz can black beans (drained); 1 lime (juiced); 1/2 cup cilantro (chopped); 1 avocado (sliced); 1 tsp low-sodium soy sauce; 1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning; 1 tsp McCormick's Grill Mates BBQ Seasoning; McCormick's Grill Mates Montreal Chicken Seasoning (to taste); salt (to taste); pepper (to taste)

By Emma CollinsOct 6, 2026

Prep

15 min

Cook

15 min

Total

30 min

Servings

Level

Easy

Jump to recipe

Why this recipe works

The four servings indicate other ways to use this recipe for lunch over four days.
Quinoa, beans, and shrimp are complete meal bases that can be prepared ahead of time and ready to add other ingredients to each day.
Packing the avocado and additional lime juice separately from the shrimp, beans, and quinoa, as suggested in the recipe for meal preparation, prevents the avocado.
A 30- to 45-minute shrimp marinade can be prepared in advance along with other meal prep tasks.
Lime and cilantro or other shrimp seasonings can be prepared in advance and set aside before grilling on a pan.
Cooked quinoa and canned black beans save preparation time by being portioned into serving bowls along with shrimp and the beans after they are cooked.
Each portion can be served with optional avocado slices on the side to preserve their fresh sliced texture instead of mixing them through every stored bowl.
The recipe provides information about cooking shrimp in a skillet.

Ingredients

Servings4

•1 lb shrimp (peeled and deveined)
•2 cups quinoa (cooked)
•1 16.5 oz can black beans (drained)
•1 lime (juiced)
•½ cup cilantro (chopped)
•1 avocado (sliced)
•1 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
•1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
•1 tsp McCormick's Grill Mates BBQ Seasoning
•McCormick's Grill Mates Montreal Chicken Seasoning (to taste)
•salt (to taste)
•pepper (to taste)

Instructions

1
Add the shrimp to a Ziploc bag.
2
Drizzle the soy sauce and lime juice throughout the bag.
3
Sprinkle the seasonings and chopped cilantro throughout.
4
Seal the bag and refrigerate for 30 to 45 minutes.
5
Cook the quinoa. Trader Joe's Frozen Organic quinoa microwaves for 3 1/2 minutes.
6
Remove the shrimp from the Ziploc bag and add it to a grill pan.
7
Grill the shrimp over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until bright pink.
8
Add the black beans to a saucepan and cook over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes.
9
Add the cooked shrimp, quinoa, sliced avocado, and black beans to a bowl.
10
Garnish with fresh lime.
11
Serve.