Ditch the fork and make these perfectly portioned Shrimp Fried Rice Cups! Gluten-free and full of flavor, these rice cups are a cinch to make. Your family will be loving on these!
Rice is practically a staple in Asian food. But, what do you do with all of that leftover rice? Please don't throw it away! Grab your muffin tin because you can make these easy, gluten-free Shrimp Fried Rice Cups with lots of shortcut options!
Also, you can use the ingredients for these rice cups from my other fried rice recipes, like my tasty, healthy Cauliflower Kimchi Fried Rice.
In This Article:
Ingredients you'll need for these fried rice cups
You can get creative with the ingredients in this muffin tin fried rice. So, there's no need to make a classic fried rice recipe when you have veggies in your fridge that are about to expire. Use them up! Here's what I used:
- White rice. (Pre-cooked.) The best rice will be day-old rice, because it holds together better. If you're a fan of brown rice, feel free to use that as well. Honestly, I love picking up frozen white or brown rice from Trader Joe's and popping it in the microwave. It's such a time-saver!
- Red onion, bell peppers, scallions, and frozen shelled edamame. I decided not to use frozen peas and use edamame instead. But, I accidentally left the edamame in the microwave, which is why it's not in the ingredients photo! Oops!
- Ginger. Grated, fresh ginger gives this fried rice a nice punch!
- Large shrimp. (Uncooked.) You'll need some chopped shrimp for the fried rice mixture, and 12 whole shrimp for the tops of the rice cups.
- Tamari (or gluten-free soy sauce). This recipe is great even if you don't follow a gluten-free lifestyle. However, you don't have to make this gluten-free. Just use regular soy sauce.
- Sesame oil. Gives it a nutty, toasty flavor.
- Eggs. To help bind the rice cups, and, fried rice always has fried eggs!
- Coconut flour. This also helps to bind the rice cups. Again, you can use all-purpose flour as a substitute if you don't need this recipe to be gluten free.
- Red pepper flakes. For some heat!
[*See recipe card for exact quantities.]
How to make this awesome recipe
1. Heat the oven. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a heavy wok or frying pan, heat the oil to medium-high on the stove. Add in your veggies and ginger. Stir-fry until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and let cool. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, toss the whole shrimp with a dash of sesame oil, salt and pepper, and set aside.
Heat the canola oil in a wok or frying pan on medium-high heat.
Stir-fry the veggies until crisp-tender.
4. To the veggies, mix in your cooked rice, tamari, sesame oil, eggs, coconut flour, red pepper flakes, and chopped shrimp.
5. Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, spoon the fried rice mixture into each muffin cup to almost the top. Then, pat it down for a flat surface.
6. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove and top each rice cup with one whole shrimp. Sprinkle with extra red pepper flakes.
7. Bake an additional 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and gently lift each cup out of the tin with a small rubber spatula. Sprinkle each rice cup with sesame seeds and chopped scallions.
8. Serve with a side of tamari or soy sauce for drizzling.
[*See recipe card for detailed instructions.]
This easy, homemade Shrimp Fried Rice Cups recipe is sure to become a family fave! Pop any leftovers in the freezer, and reheat for a great grab-and-go snack!
Shortcuts and substitutions
- Make it super easy and use frozen mixed veggies instead of chopping up fresh veggies.
- I used frozen, shelled edamame, but traditionally, fried rice is made with frozen peas. Either one is fine!
- This recipe is great even if you don't follow a gluten-free lifestyle. Just use regular soy sauce instead of tamari.
- White rice is best, but you can use brown rice to keep it a bit healthier.
- Again, you can use all-purpose flour as a substitute if you don't want this recipe to be gluten free.
Other delicious shrimp recipes
If you liked these Shrimp Fried Rice Cups, you're going to want these other shrimp recipes too!
- Grilled Miso Shrimp Garden Salad
- Gluten-Free Baked Coconut Shrimp
- Air Fryer Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos
- Shrimp Sambal with Roasted Cauliflower, Chickpeas and Ginger
Storage
- You can store these Shrimp Fried Rice Cups in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Separate the rice cups from the whole shrimp, and reheat the rice cups in microwave for 30-40 seconds. Then, reheat the whole shrimp for 10-20 seconds.
- You can freeze these rice cups in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Reheat individual rice cups for 40 seconds in the microwave.
FAQ's
Use cold, leftover cooked rice. Left in the fridge overnight, the rice grains will firm up, making it easier to separate and decreasing the chances of your fried rice turning out mushy. If you can't wait, air freshly cooked rice to remove moisture and refrigerate the rice for a few hours before cooking.
Long-grain white rice is perfect for fried rice. It cooks up fluffy and not sticky, with individual grains remaining firm and distinct. It all comes down to two starch molecules: amylose and amylopectin.
Shrimp Fried Rice Cups (Gluten-Free)
Ditch the fork and make these perfectly portioned Shrimp Fried Rice Cups! Gluten-free and full of flavor, these rice cups are a cinch to make. Your family will be loving on these!
- Total Time: 35 min
- Yield: 6 1x
Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- ½ red onion, finely chopped
- 1 red or yellow pepper, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- ½ cup frozen, shelled edamame (thawed)
- 3 green scallions, sliced
- 3 cups pre-cooked white rice
- 8 ounces peeled and cleaned shrimp, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 12 whole, cleaned shrimp, peeled
- ¼ cup tamari
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- ½ cup coconut flour
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Garnishes and dipping:
- scallions, finely chopped
- sesame seeds
- red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup tamari sauce for drizzling
Instructions
- Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- In a heavy wok or skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat and sauté the chopped onions, bell peppers, and ginger for approximately 5 minutes, until crisp tender. Stir in the edamame pods, transfer to a large bowl, and set aside to cool.
- To the bowl, mix in your cooked rice, tamari, sesame oil, eggs, coconut flour, red pepper flakes, and chopped shrimp. Stir until well-combined.
- Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, spoon the fried rice mixture into each muffin cup to almost the top. Then, pat it down for a flat surface. Bake for 15 minutes and remove from the oven.
- Top each rice cup with one whole shrimp. Sprinkle with extra red pepper flakes if desired, and bake an additional 5 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and gently lift each cup out of the tin with a small rubber spatula. Sprinkle each rice cup with sesame seeds and chopped scallions.
- Serve with a side of tamari or soy sauce for drizzling.
Notes
- Make it super easy and use frozen mixed veggies instead of chopping up fresh veggies.
- I used frozen, shelled edamame, but traditionally, fried rice is made with frozen peas. Either one is fine!
- This recipe is great even if you don't follow a gluten-free lifestyle. Just use regular soy sauce instead of tamari.
- White rice is best, but you can use brown rice to keep it a bit healthier.
- Again, you can use all-purpose flour as a substitute if you don't want this recipe to be gluten free.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove top / Oven
- Cuisine: Asian Fusion
- Diet: Gluten Free
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 2.8 g
- Sodium: 1091.4 mg
- Fat: 4.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Protein: 27.9 g
- Cholesterol: 214.1 mg
Carol Berring says
These rice cups are so clever! I happen to have all of the ingredients so I’m making these tonight. My kids are going to love these!
Asian Caucasian says
Yay! I can't wait for you to make these! Please send me a picture of your shrimp fried rice cups and I'll put them on my Insta feed! Enjoy!