Grilled Shrimp Bowl with Avocado, Corn Salsa & Creamy Garlic Sauce

I believe weeknight dinners should feel like small rebellions against boring food. Also I believe you can and should grill things in January (fight me, thermostat). If you want a bowl that tastes like summer made a pact with your lazy self, this is it — and yes, it’s basically my less dramatic cousin of my grilled steak bowl with sauce, but lighter and somehow messier.

My Glorious Flops (and the smell I can’t stop apologizing for)

Oh God. The first time I tried this I made shrimp that sounded like hamsters being offended (you know, the little rubbery chirp when you overcook seafood?). The corn salsa went from "bright and sweet" to "caramelized regret" because I microwaved frozen corn like an idiot. The mayo in the sauce separated with the same emotional collapse I experience at 2 a.m. scrolling through online shopping carts. Embarrassing details: my kitchen smelled like burnt lime zest and disappointment for 48 hours. I even cried—over a bowl. Maybe more than once.

I say this because you deserve someone who’s honest: cooking this looked effortless in photos. It is not. Mostly because I rushed, then I panicked, then I used too much heat, and then I learned some things (but not before shrieking and blaming the grill).

Why I Finally Stopped Overcooking Everything

I got real quiet and listened to the shrimp. Not literally — that would be a problem — but I watched timing instead of trusting my instincts (which are dramatic and wrong). The tiny change that saved everything was respecting 2–3 minutes per side and not pretending shrimp is like a steak you can leave on to think about life. Also: the sauce got simpler (less drama, more garlic), and the corn stayed thawed, not scorched. That combination—timing + simplicity + fewer ingredients trying to be influencers—made this Grilled Shrimp Bowl with Avocado, Corn Salsa & Creamy Garlic Sauce actually work.

Emotionally? I stopped treating dinner like a performance. Practically? A bowl of confident shrimp is a much happier thing. Still, I’m half-expecting it to betray me. It probably will, tomorrow.

What You Need (and what you’ll definitely overbuy at the store)

• 1 lb. large shrimp (peeled and deveined)
• 1 avocado (sliced or mashed)
• 1 cup frozen corn (thawed)
• 1/2 cup red onion (diced)
• 1/4 cup cilantro (chopped)
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• Lime juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Budget, texture, availability: frozen corn is the unsung hero (cheap, reliable), and avocado mood will dictate whether you slice or smash (I do both sometimes, I am chaotic). Buy cilantro only if you love cilantro; otherwise buy parsley and lie to yourself.

Cooking Unit Converter

If you need to eyeball ingredient swaps or change servings, this little tool will save your life (or at least make you feel like an adult).

How This Actually Comes Together (chaotically but effectively)

• In a mixing bowl, toss shrimp with olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne if using.
• For the corn salsa, mix thawed corn, diced red onion, cilantro, lime juice, and salt in another bowl.
• Preheat grill to medium heat and grill shrimp for 2–3 minutes per side until cooked through.
• Whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, cilantro, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, and pepper for the creamy garlic sauce.
• Assemble bowls by layering corn salsa followed by grilled shrimp and avocado slices. Drizzle with creamy garlic sauce.

Also: do not be mad if you taste the sauce raw. It’s allowed. If your grill pan is taking a personality, move shrimp to a cooler spot and breathe. Yes, you can broil in the oven if your grill is dramatic. NO, do not add more garlic because garlic is not a cure-all (or is it?).

Is Your Kitchen a War Zone Too? Let’s Complain Together

Do you also have five spatulas but only one working brain? Same. Who here has served a bowl with the avocado still in the plastic wrap? (Me.) Do you think my neighbor judges me when I grill at 9 p.m.? Probably. Also: if you like garlic-forward sauces, I once turned that energy into a very different dinner with chicken shawarma with garlic sauce, which taught me to never fear bold flavors. Tell me your grill trauma. I will listen and then one-up you with a story about a mistaken herb (it was cilantro, which got thrown away and then found later. Long story).

I started this because I wanted something that made weekday life feel like a dinner out, and sometimes it does — and sometimes it tastes like the time I mistook cumin for cinnamon (no, really, I did that once; don’t ask). I keep making it because the failures teach me more than the successes, and I like the way shrimp yell at me from the grill when I forget to set a timer. Also, I think about lime a lot and could write an entire book about cilantro but would probably cancel it halfway through because I got distracted by tacos and then—

Daily Calorie Needs Calculator

If you’re curious how this fits into your day (totally normal), plug in your details and get a rough guide.

Grilled Shrimp Bowl

A refreshing grilled shrimp bowl featuring avocado, corn salsa, and a creamy garlic sauce, perfect for weeknight dinners.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 4 servings

Calories 450 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the Grilled Shrimp

• 1 lb large shrimp (peeled and deveined) Use fresh or thawed shrimp
• 1 tbsp olive oil For tossing the shrimp
• 1 tsp paprika For seasoning
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder For seasoning
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper Optional, for heat

For the Corn Salsa

• 1 cup frozen corn (thawed) Fresh corn can be used as a substitute
• 1/2 cup red onion (diced) Finely chop for a milder taste
• 1/4 cup cilantro (chopped) Substitute parsley if disliking cilantro
• 1 tbsp lime juice Freshly squeezed is best
• 1/4 tsp salt

For the Creamy Garlic Sauce

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 tbsp lime juice Can substitute lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic (minced) Add more for stronger flavor
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

For Serving

• 1 unit avocado (sliced or mashed) Based on personal preference

Instructions

 

Preparation

• In a mixing bowl, toss shrimp with olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne if using.
• For the corn salsa, mix thawed corn, diced red onion, cilantro, lime juice, and 1/4 tsp salt in another bowl.
• Preheat grill to medium heat.

Cooking

• Grill shrimp for 2-3 minutes per side until cooked through.
• Whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, cilantro, lime juice, minced garlic, salt, and pepper for the creamy garlic sauce.

Assembly

• Assemble bowls by layering corn salsa followed by grilled shrimp and avocado slices.
• Drizzle with creamy garlic sauce.

Notes

If using frozen corn, it can be thawed quickly in a microwave or in cold water. Allow sauce to reach room temperature before serving if prepared in advance.

Keyword Corn Salsa, Easy Dinner, Garlic Sauce, Grilled Shrimp Bowl, Shrimp Recipes