Greek Shrimp with Lemon Rice and Tzatziki (Shrimp Rice Bowl)

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This vibrant Mediterranean dinner features pan-seared Greek shrimp, lemon rice, and creamy tzatziki. Easy, healthy, fresh, and gluten-free weeknight meal packed with veggies and protein. This Greek shrimp recipe can also be served as a Mediterranean shrimp rice bowl.

Healthy Mediterranean Meal

I love creating well-balanced, colorful meals that are not only visually appealing but also very tasty, healthy, high in protein, and packed with veggies. This Greek shrimp with lemon rice falls exactly into this category! It's also easily adaptable to a dairy-free diet (just skip the tzatziki or use a dairy-free yogurt) and naturally gluten-free. Perfect for meal prep, casual dinners, or serving guests - just like my Lemon Chicken Orzo, one-pot Greek Chicken Orzo, 25-minute Salmon Piccata, and Mediterranean Shrimp Pasta.

The Best Greek Shrimp Bowl You'll Ever Make

I like to serve this easy recipe as a Mediterranean shrimp bowl since it comes together with four distinct key components:

• Pan-seared shrimp seasoned with smoked paprika, chili powder, and Italian seasoning
• Fluffy turmeric lemon rice, toasted first and then cooked in chicken broth
• A quick marinated vegetable mix with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, green olives, roasted bell peppers, and fresh basil
• Thick, garlicky homemade tzatziki with Greek yogurt, fresh dill, and cucumber

I assemble everything together and finish it with a drizzle of tzatziki. It's a high-protein, Mediterranean-style meal that works just as well for a weeknight dinner as it does for entertaining.

Ingredients You Need & Why

• Shrimp: Large shrimp work best here because they sear quickly at high heat without overcooking. Peel and devein them, with tails removed, before you start, so the bowl is easy to eat. Frozen shrimp is perfectly fine - just thaw fully and pat dry. 
• Greek yogurt (for tzatziki): I use full-fat Greek yogurt. It's thick, tangy, and holds up well without becoming runny.
• Cucumber. Use grated English cucumber for tzatziki and thinly sliced for marinated veggies. You can also use Persian cucumber or regular cucumber as a substitution.
• Veggies. Use halved cherry tomatoes, sliced green olives, canned roasted bell peppers, and chopped green onions to make marinated veggie salad.
• Lemon. Freshly squeezed lemon juice only!
• Dill. Use only fresh dill (chopped) for tzatziki. You can also add a fresh mint.
• Garlic. Minced garlic enhances both the shrimp seasoning and the tzatziki.
• Fresh basil. Use chopped basil in the marinade for veggies.
• Olive oil. Use extra virgin olive oil or any neutral oil (avocado oil, grapeseed oil).
• Spices. I used smoked paprika, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, chili powder, and red pepper flakes to season this Greek-inspired shrimp. This blend adds smokiness, herb flavor, and just the right amount of heat.
• Rice. Use long-grain white rice like jasmine or basmati for a fluffy texture that soaks up the lemon flavor.
• Ground turmeric. I add it to the lemon rice for the yellow color and earthy notes.
• Chicken broth. I use low-sodium chicken broth for cooking rice to add savory flavor. 
• This photo shows all the ingredients you need:

Let Me Walk You Through The Cooking Process (Step-by-Step Photos)

This is a recipe overview. Scroll down to find the complete instructions + ingredient amounts in the recipe card below.

• MAKE TZATZIKI: Grate and squeeze the cucumber dry. Mix with Greek yogurt, lemon juice, dill, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

• MARINATE VEGGIES: Whisk olive oil, basil, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Add tomatoes, cucumber, olives, roasted peppers, and green onions; toss and set aside.
• PREPARE SEASONINGS FOR SHRIMP: In a bowl, combine smoked paprika, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, chili powder, red pepper flakes, and salt.

• SEAR SHRIMP: Toss the shrimp with the seasonings to coat evenly. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear shrimp for 2-3 minutes per side, until pink and lightly charred. Finish with lemon juice.

• COOK RICE: In the same skillet, toast rice with olive oil and turmeric for 1-2 minutes. Add broth and salt, bring to a boil, cover, and simmer on low for 15 minutes, or until tender.

• ASSEMBLE: Stir lemon juice and zest into the rice. Top with seared shrimp, marinated veggies, tzatziki, fresh herbs, and lemon wedges.

How to Serve It

Serve it in a bowl. That's my favorite way to eat this Greek shrimp with lemon rice! Rice on the bottom, shrimp on top, marinated veggies spooned over, tzatziki drizzled across everything, fresh herbs, and a lemon wedge on the side. As an alternative, you can also use my cilantro-lime black bean rice as a base and my Greek salad instead of marinated veggies.

Serve it as a platter for entertaining. Spread the rice on a large shallow platter, arrange the shrimp on top, scatter the marinated veggies across the whole thing, and put the tzatziki in a bowl on the side with a spoon. This is a great way to serve it when you're feeding four or more people.

Pair it with warm pita or flatbread. This is my top recommendation for rounding out the meal. Warm pita is great for scooping up the tzatziki and marinated veggies. If you make my homemade garlic butter dinner rolls or my spinach ricotta flatbread, serve those alongside.

If you need more sides, I recommend my Greek pasta salad, fresh tomato-cucumber-avocado-mozzarella basil pesto salad, or orzo salad.

More Mediterranean Dinners

From my kitchen to yours, enjoy this Greek shrimp with lemon rice! And if you're looking for more Mediterranean meals to add to your dinner rotation, here are my favorites:

• Tomato Spinach Chicken Spaghetti
• Mediterranean Salmon and Rice
• Greek Chicken and Lemon Rice
• Greek Shrimp Orzo
• Chicken Pasta with Burrata Cheese, Cherry Tomatoes, and Pine Nuts
• Mediterranean Chicken Stir-Fry
• Lemon Shrimp Orzo with Asparagus
• Mediterranean Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Artichokes, and Capers
• Shrimp Pasta with Tomatoes, Burrata Cheese, and toasted Pine Nuts