Panko Shrimp Rice Bowl Recipe with Honey Orange Sauce

Let's make weeknight dinners exciting again with our Panko Shrimp Bowl Recipe with Honey Orange Sauce! Imagine plump, juicy shrimp coated in crispy panko breadcrumbs, over fluffy rice and paired with a bright honey orange sauce that does double duty as a marinade and a dressing.

It's a citrus flavor explosion that'll have you putting this on repeat, guaranteed to turn any ordinary evening into a culinary adventure for two!

Pam's Best Tips

Why make a marinade and a dressing when you can make one sauce that works as both?   For this honey orange sauce we will use half the dressing to marinade the shrimp before breading it with panko bread crumbs.  Then, reserving the other half to drizzle over the fried panko shrimp, citrus salad, avocado and rice for even more citrus flavor.   It’s so Good!

To me, the perfect shrimp are extra crispy, and to do this I use Japanese panko breadcrumbs.  Panko breadcrumbs differ from your regular breadcrumbs due to their light and flaky texture. You can find them at your local grocery store.  I promise this recipe will rival those of your favorite restaurant shrimp rice bowl.

If you like this rice bowl recipe be sure to try my spring roll in a bowl. 

Let’s get started!

What you'll need

While the list may look a bit long, the good news is the honey orange sauce will be used as a marinade and as the dressing.  Here are the ingredients to make this Panko Shrimp Rice Bowl Recipe with Honey Orange Sauce. 

Honey orange sauce ingredients

• Fresh orange juice
• Sriracha
• Honey
• Tamari or soy sauce – I prefer Tamari for its richer flavor which tends to taste less salty than soy.
• Vegetable oil
• Sesame seeds – toasted

Panko shrimp ingredients

• Panko- I use Japanese panko breadcrumbs. Panko breadcrumbs differ from your regular breadcrumbs due to their light and flaky texture.
• Cornstarch
• Shrimp – For this recipe, I opt for extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 pieces per pound).  For more helpful tips on buying and making sense of shrimp sizes jump to the sections below.
• Vegetable or canola oil for frying.

Citrus Salad and Rice

• Sliced oranges - such as Cara Cara or Valencia or a mix to add color to your rice bowl.
• Persian cucumber or mini cucumbers, quarted lengthwise, sliced cross wise into ½ thick
• Scallions
• Sliced Avocado (optional)
• Cilantro (optional)
• Sesame seeds, toasted - I usually toast sesame seeds by putting them in a dry pan on medium-low heat. Shake the pan every few seconds. And, be sure to keep an eye on them as once they start toasting they go fast.
• Cooked short grain rice

See recipe card for quantities.

How to make a panko shrimp rice bowl

• Make the honey orange dressing and cook your rice. Reserve half of the dressing in a small bowl to drizzle over the rice and citrus salad as a finishing touch.

• Marinate shrimp. Using the other half of the dressing, let the shrimp marinate, while making the citrus salad and setting up your dredging station.

Citrus Salad

• Toss together the citrus salad. The first step is to prep the salad ingredients. Start by removing the white pith from the oranges using a paring knife. Next up, cut the orange slices into ½ inch thick rounds, then cut each slice into 1" pieces.

• Moving on to the mini cucumbers, we will quarter them lengthwise and slice each quarter crosswise into ½ inch thick pieces. Thinly slice the scallions and chop the cilantro. For the finishing touches, combine all the salad ingredients in a medium bowl and toss with some lime juice, seasoning lightly with salt.

Cooking panko shrimp

1. Prep your dredging station.  Once you start, this recipe will come together very quickly! Set up your station with three bowls.  One with cornstarch, a second with beaten eggs and the last with panko.  I like to use a shallow bowl like a pie plate.
2. Remove Shrimp from marinade and pat it dry! It is so important to make sure to remove as much moisture as possible from the outside of the shrimp. This is one trick to help the batter stick to the shrimp when frying!
3. Dip shrimp in the egg and let any excess drip off. Make sure your shrimp is completely coated.
4. Dredge shrimp in panko breadcrumbs. Coat the shrimp completely with the panko, using your hands if necessary. Let the shrimp rest on a tray or rack , place in the refrigerator, while you heat up your oil.  Letting your shrimp rest is a second trick to help your panko stick during frying.

• Heat frying oil to 350F. Fry for 2-3 minutes and remove. I highly recommend you use a thermometer to keep an eye on the temperature. Frying at a lower temperature will result in too much moisture (read:  SOGGY panko shrimp!) Make sure your oil stays between 325-350F; if needed, cook your shrimp in batches.

Assemble

Assemble the Rice bowl. Start by dividing the rice between the bowls. Top with shrimp, citrus salad, and avocado, drizzling the reserved dressing (not the marinade but the dressing we set aside) over the rice bowl.  Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Enjoy!

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Deep frying vs pan frying

Deep frying is a cooking process that involves completely submerging food in hot oil. For a crispy and crunchy panko coating this is your best bet. The advantages of deep frying include the following:

• Panko shrimp coating becomes much crispier as it’s submerged in hot oil, ensuring that it’s cooked evenly and thoroughly.
• Has a shorter cooking time as the shrimp is fully submerged in oil at a high heat temperature, with no air present.
• Hot fat seals the panko shrimp surface, meaning flavor and juices are locked in.
• Adds flavor and attractive toasted panko color.

While pan-frying is healthier using only a fraction of the oil, your panko shrimp will not achieve the extra crispy and crunch of a deep fry. The advantages of pan frying include:

• Needs only a fraction of the oil to fry in the hot pan.
• As a result of the above, there’s nearly zero waste oil, making it a more environmentally friendly option.
• It’s healthier as less oil is required. Cooking oils contain trans fats, which are known to contribute toward an increased risk of heart disease.

Bottom line - either method will work for this recipe.

Buying Shrimp

Virtually all the shrimp sold in supermarkets today have been previously frozen, either in large blocks of ice or by a method called “individually quick-frozen,” or IQF for short.  I will be honest, I had to pause a bit when I saw IQF on the package – but now we both know what it stands for but why is it important?

Most supermarkets simply defrost the shrimp before displaying them on ice at the fish counter.  Your best bet is to purchase bags of still-frozen shrimp and defrosting them as needed at home, since there is no telling how long “fresh” shrimp may have been kept on ice. 

Back to IQF shrimp.  They have a better flavor and texture than shrimp frozen in blocks, and they are convenient for two because it’s easy to defrost just the amount you need!  Another tip is to buy shrimp with the shell-on, as they are more firm and sweeter. 

Check the label to make sure shrimp is the only ingredient listed on the bag.   Sometimes, you may find preservatives have been added, I find treated shrimp to have a more rubbery texture and an off flavor.

Shrimp Sizes

Making sense out of shrimp sizes can be a bit overwhelming. Let's start with some facts.

Shrimp is sold both by size (medium, Large, Jumbo) and by the number typical to make 1 pound.  You will often see this listed in a range, using the numerical rating is more accurate when buying shrimp.

For this recipe, I purchase IQF extra-large shrimp (where the size means there will be 21 to 25 pieces per pound).  While you won’t need a pound when cooking for two, I target about 6 - 8 pieces per rice bowl - but you know your household appetites best. Take a look at what 6-8 pieces per person looks like and follow your instinct.

Defrosting shrimp

Now that we have talked about the benefits of buying frozen fish.  Let’s move to the best way to defrost shrimp.  You can thaw frozen shrimp overnight in the refrigerator in a covered bowl. 

For a quicker thaw, place them in a colander under cold running water; they will be ready in a few minutes. 

This is a reminder that you will want to pat your shrimp dry before cooking.  Otherwise, the texture of the shrimp may become rubbery and the panko will not stick! 

Peeling shrimp

Once the shrimp is thawed, it is quite easy to peel.  To peel shrimp, break the shell under the swimming legs; the legs will come off as the shell is removed.

For this recipe, I tug the tail to remove it and the shell.  This way you can dig right into the rice bowl without needing to remove the tails.

Deveining shrimp

That dark vein that runs along the back of the shrimp will not affect the flavor, it just is not very appealing.  To remove, use a paring knife to make a shallow cut along the back of the shrimp to expose the vein, then use the tip of the knife to lift the vein out.  Discard the vein by wiping the blade against a paper towel.

This is also a great idea to link out to another blogger with a similar recipe that fits a different diet.

Related

Looking for other shrimp and seafood recipes for two like this? Try these:

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with panko shrimp bowls with honey orange vinaigrette: