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Home » Quick and Easy

Harissa Shrimp with Black Rice

Published: Aug 25, 2021 · Last Modified: Aug 20, 2022 by Anecia

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Harissa Shrimp with Black Rice is an easy and delicious combination of flavor, texture and color and ready in less than 30-minutes!

This semi-spicy shrimp and rice dish is perfect for summer night when it's too hot to cook! 

The black Forbidden rice cooks in pineapple juice and coconut milk, offering a sweet contrast to the Tunisian/ Moroccan Harissa red pepper sauce!

Harissa shrimp and black rice in colorful bowl

You'll love the "sweet 'n spicy" flavor profile of this shrimp and rice dish and you can make it as mild or spicy as you like!

Buy either fresh or frozen shrimp and if you have any leftover, reserve it for Cold Dill Shrimp Salad! Another summer favorite!

Jump to:
  • Why you'll love this recipe
  • What you'll need
  • How to make Harissa Shrimp with Black Rice
  • What is Harissa?
  • Where can I find it in the store?
  • What is Black or Forbidden rice?
  • What does black rice taste like?
  • Related recipes:
  • 📋 Recipe

Why you'll love this recipe

  • Quick and Easy - marinate then bake the shrimp; serve over black rice; ready in minutes!
  • Use fresh or frozen shrimp
  • Great flavor - perfect complementary flavors : semi-spicy shrimp in pineapple/coconut infused black rice

Use fresh or frozen shrimp for this recipe. If you use fresh, peel and devein them first.

If you use frozen shrimp, rinse them and allow them to thaw before marinating in the Harissa sauce.

What you'll need

Ingredients for harissa shrimp labeled on counter

How to make Harissa Shrimp with Black Rice

Once shrimp are prepped and/or thawed, marinate them in Harissa, oil, lime and salt; refrigerate for 10-minutes and make the rice. 

After the shrimp have marinated for 10-minutes, place them in a baking dish and bake 8-10-minutes.

Bake marinated Harissa shrimp for 8-10 minutes

Shrimp coated with Harissa in baking dish

Cook the rice in coconut milk

Black rice and coconut milk in saucepan
Black rice, when cooked in coconut milk, turns the milk purple--but don't freak out! It's due to the anthocyanin pigmentation of the rice...totally safe to eat!

What is Harissa?

Harissa, pronounced "ha-ree'-sa," is a red pepper sauce and is the most prominent condiment in North African cuisine.

This red Moroccan condiment has a paste-like texture and consists of ground chili peppers, oil, garlic and seasonings such as coriander, cumin and caraway.

Where can I find it in the store?

You may find Harissa chili paste on the International aisle, near the Indian foods and sauces, or perhaps in the condiment section.

There are several different brands available, but the one I like is Mina Brand, made by Casablanca Foods.

It comes in spicy and mild versions; however, this recipe uses the mild Mina Harissa, but I have used the spicy before, too!

If some people in your family can't tolerate a lot of heat, use the mild. It's just as flavorful as the spicy version.

What is Black or Forbidden rice?

This dark grained heirloom rice is called "black rice" because of the anthocyanin pigmentation-it's what gives the rice it's dark purple color--like eggplant. 

It is called "Forbidden" because centuies ago in ancient China, it was reserved for the emperor and royalty--forbidden to anyone else. 

What does black rice taste like?

The flavor is a mild, semi-sweet nutty flavor, which allows it to pair beautifully with the spicy Harissa sauce and sweet chunks of pineapple. 

 

Spicy Harissa Shrimp with Black Rice garnished with cilantro.
Spicy Harissa sauce is a quick and easy marinade for shrimp!

I usually reserve this dish for a quick "one bowl" dinner in the summer, due to the minimal amount of actual cooking time!

Plus that, the combination of sweet pineapple and spicy Harissa is ideal for a hot summer day!

Related recipes:

  • Louisiana Seafood Gumbo
  • Shrimp Etouffee
  • Louisiana Shrimp Creole Pasta

If you make this recipe, please scroll down and leave a comment and rating! I love to hear from you!

📋 Recipe

Harissa shrimp and black rice in colorful bowl

Harissa Shrimp with Pineapple Black Rice

Gulf shrimp coated with mild Harissa sauce served over a sweet and fluffy black rice infused with coconut milk and pineapple.
5 from 5 votes
Print Rate
Course: Entree
Cuisine: North African
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Author: Anecia Hero
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Ingredients 

Shrimp Ingredients

  • 1 lb. fresh shrimp peeled and deveined
  • 10 ounces Harissa Red Pepper Sauce , mild or spicy
  • 1 tablespoon oil , for marinade
  • 1 lime juice
  • pinch of salt

Pineapple Rice Ingredients

  • 1 cup black rice
  • 8 ounces diced pineapple , reserve the juice
  • 10 ounces unsweetened coconut milk

Instructions 

  • Peel and devein shrimp; place shrimp in plastic storage bag
    1 lb. fresh shrimp
  • In a medium bowl, combine Harissa, oil, lime juice and salt; combine well
    10 ounces Harissa Red Pepper Sauce, 1 lime, pinch of salt, 1 tablespoon oil
  • Pour mixture over shrimp; massage until all shrimp are coated well
  • Place in refrigerator for 10 min
  • Make the rice:
  • Strain the juice from the pineapple and set aside
    8 ounces diced pineapple
  • In a medium pan, add the reserved pineapple juice and 8 oz. (one cup) of coconut milk; bring to boil; add black rice
    8 ounces diced pineapple, 10 ounces unsweetened coconut milk, 1 cup black rice
  • Stir in black rice; boil for 2 minutes, reduce heat to simmer (Note: it turns purple; don't worry!)
  • Cover and allow to simmer for 30 minutes
  • After the rice has cooked for about 15 minutes, preheat oven to 350ºF
  • Pour shrimp and Harissa mixture into an oven-proof baking dish; place dish on middle rack
  • Bake shrimp 8 - 10 minutes, flipping once until they are pink
  • Plate rice, top with shrimp and garnish with diced pineapple
    8 ounces diced pineapple

Notes

Where to find Harissa in the grocery store
  • You may find Harissa chili paste on the International aisle, near the Indian foods and sauces, or perhaps in the condiment section. There are several different brands available, but the one I like is Mina Brand, made by Casablanca Foods.
  • It comes in a spicy and mild version; this recipe uses the mild Mina Harissa, but I have used the spicy before, too! If some people in your family can't tolerate a lot of heat, use the mild. It's just as flavorful as the spicy version.
Black Rice
  • Black rice when cooked in coconut milk turns purple; do not freak out; this is normal
  • Don't have black rice? No problem! Use white or brown, basmati or jasmine!

Nutrition Estimate

Serving: 1cupCalories: 591kcalCarbohydrates: 64gProtein: 31gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 286mgSodium: 1844mgPotassium: 730mgFiber: 9gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 519IUVitamin C: 28mgCalcium: 215mgIron: 5mg
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Anecia Hero, Food Blogger

About SmartyPantsKitchen

I'm Anecia, a native Texan, author, cook and photographer for SmartyPantsKitchen where I'm sharing Traditional and Contemporary Southern recipes for cooks of all levels. There's nothing fancy or gourmet about my recipes-just easy, simple, delicious and memorable! Take a tour and check out delicious recipes! 

Learn more about me →

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