Name: Barbecued Shrimp with Spicy Rice
Ingredients: 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined; 4 wooden* or metal skewers; Vegetable cooking spray; 1/3 cup prepared barbecue sauce; Spicy Rice; Spicy Rice:; 1/2 cup sliced green onions; 1/2 cup minced carrots; 1/2 cup minced red pepper; 1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, minced; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 2 cups cooked rice (cooked in chicken broth); 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro; 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice; 1 teaspoon soy sauce; Hot pepper sauce to taste

Why it works: Rice and chicken are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 4,769 recipes. Both carry (e,e)-2,4-decadienal, which smells fatty, deep fried. The science ↓

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Rice + chickentop 5% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together4,769 recipes

Shared aroma: (e,e)-2,4-decadienal (fatty, deep fried).
Carrot + peppertop 6% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together14,555 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Onion + carrottop 6% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together21,601 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Rice + carrottop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together2,477 recipes

Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
Onion + chickentop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together17,814 recipes

Shared aroma: gamma-nonanolactone (coconut, sweet).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Large shrimp: Provide the main protein, which turns opaque and firm when cooked through.
Barbecue sauce: Adds sweetness and caramelizes on the shrimp surface as it cooks, building flavor and color.
Cooked rice: Forms the base of the side dish, absorbing the flavors of the vegetables and seasonings.
Jalapeno or serrano pepper: Adds heat and sharpness to the rice.
Carrots: Add sweetness and a tender-crisp texture to the rice.

The step that matters

Broil or grill until the shrimp are just done. Shrimp turn from translucent to opaque and firm when cooked through. Overcooking makes them tough and rubbery, while the sugars in the barbecue sauce can scorch quickly over high heat, so watch them closely during the final minutes.

Swap the jalapeno

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (shrimp, sauce, rice, onion, carrot, pepper, chicken):

Garlicfits better
Celeryfits better
Parsleyfits better
Jalapenothe original

Fit is the average pairing score against shrimp, sauce, rice, onion, carrot, pepper, chicken. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Rice	1 cup cooked (158g) white	206
Chicken	100g cooked	165
Vegetable	1 tbsp (14g)	120
Olive Oil	1 tbsp (14g)	119
Shrimp	100g cooked	99
Onion	1 medium (110g)	44
Carrot	1 medium (61g)	25
Lime	juice of 1 lime (44ml)	11
Soy Sauce	1 tbsp (15ml)	9
Chili	1 tsp (2.7g)	8
Black Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Cilantro	1 tbsp chopped fresh (1g)	1
Sauce	not in our table	0

Barbecued Shrimp with Spicy Rice