Shrimp perloo is a Southern specialty made of veggie-speckled, seasoned rice topped with tender shrimp and crumbled bacon. Bonus being it comes together all in one pan for easy clean-up.
The first thing you do is cook the bacon, remove it and then make the base for the flavorful rice by sautéing bell pepper, onion, carrot, and celery then adding corn, salsa and chicken broth.
The broth is slowly simmered for 10 minutes then Minute rice is mixed in and left to plump up in the pan with the lid on to soak up all the flavors.
The shrimp are set on top of the rice to steam with a sprinkling of smoked paprika or chili powder and crumbled bacon is sprinkled on top to serve.
It’s ridiculously delicious! The salsa gives it a spicy kick and the little cubes of diced veggies remind me of fried rice. You’ll want to make it again and again.
Shrimp Perloo
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup diced bell pepper
- ½ cup diced red or yellow onion
- ½ cup diced carrot
- ⅓ cup diced celery
- 1 bay leaf
- sea or kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 cup corn
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 + ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 + ¼ cups Minute rice
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
- 1 pound medium to large shrimp deveined, tails off
- smoked paprika or chili powder for sprinkling
Instructions
- In a large frying pan cook the bacon until crispy. Remove to a paper-towel lined plate.
- Drain off almost all the bacon grease leaving about 1 tablespoon behind.
- Add the tablespoon olive oil to the pan over medium heat with the bell pepper, onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf and a couple dashes each of salt and pepper. Cook about 10 minutes, stirring often.
- Stir in the corn, salsa and chicken broth with about ½ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper. Turn the heat up and bring to a simmer, put a lid on the pan and simmer slowly 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes stir in the rice and parsley, put the lid on the pan 5 - 10 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
- Place the shrimp over top of the rice and sprinkle smoked paprika or chili powder and a little salt and pepper on them. Put the lid back on the pan until the shrimp curl up 5 - 10 minutes.
- Remove and discard the bay leaf. Crumble the bacon and sprinkle it over the top before serving.
Nutrition