Shrimp simmered in a flavorful white wine and tomato broth and topped with plenty of feta makes for a delightful savory dish. Shrimp Saganaki, traditionally served as an appetizer, but hearty enough for a main dish is a quick, one pan recipe you’re going to love.
Table of Contents
One Pan Shrimp Saganaki
I too, used to think Saganaki was just the flaming cheese you can get at restaurants. But a little research and I learned that Saganaki is a term for a variety of dishes cooked in a frying pan. Although the flaming cheese is the most popular appetizer, Shrimp Saganaki and Mussels Saganaki are two fairly common recipes as well, made with tomato sauce and feta.
This Shrimp Saganaki is a combination of bell pepper, onion, garlic and campari tomatoes simmered together in a white wine sauce. Feta and shrimp get added toward the end of cooking to give a restaurant worthy meal.
This recipe is super simple, but feels so sophisticated. It comes together in just one pot, and in under 30 minutes you’ve got an amazingly flavorful dish. Although traditionally served in Greece as an appetizer, I find serving with rice or orzo and grilled veggies makes for an amazing meal.
And if you love shrimp, also check out these Honey Teriyaki Shrimp Lettuce Wraps, this Avocado Shrimp Ceviche Salad, these Shrimp Jalapeño Poppers, these Chile Lime Shrimp Bowls, or this Crunchy Edamame Shrimp Asian Salad that I know you'll love, too!
Recipe Ingredients
- Shrimp - I used raw, fresh shrimp. See below for shrimp buying tips.
- Campari Tomatoes - Tomatoes cook down and add to the sauce of the Saganaki. You can instead use diced, canned tomatoes, too.
- White Onion - The onions will caramelize a bit when cooked down. I suggest white over red.
- Gyro Seasoning - A mixture of salt, oregano, thyme, and garlic. You can instead make your own spice mixture or use another greek seasoning.
- White Wine - I used a dry Sauvignon Blanc. I wouldn't recommend a sweet white as we want the wine to emphasize the savory flavors here.
- Feta - This gets cooked in the pan with the shrimp and sauce for creamy, tanginess throughout the dish.
- Dill & Parsley - Fresh herbs are everything! And provide quite a bit of flavor to the dish.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to Make This Recipe
1. First prepare the ingredients: Use a vegetable chopper to dice the onion and red pepper. Dice the campari tomatoes into small pieces and set aside. Rinse the shrimp and prep them for cooking (peeled, deveined, tail removed).
2. Heat a skillet to medium heat. Add avocado oil, minced garlic, diced onion, and red bell pepper. Sauté for 5-6 minutes or until the onions become translucent and peppers have softened.
3. Then, stir in tomatoes and gyro seasoning. Cook for another 6-8 minutes. The tomatoes will shrink when cooking.
4. Add the white white, vegetable broth, and shrimp. Then add the crumbled feta cheese in the center of the pan.
5. Cover with a lid and cook for 4-5 minutes. Carefully watch the shrimp so it doesn’t overcook. We want the internal temperature of the shrimp to be 145°F and light pink in color. Once the shrimp is done cooking, serve it over cooked rice or grilled vegetables. There will be extra sauce in the pan and it’s delicious mixed with rice.
Helpful Tips
Buying Shrimp
There’s multiple options when it comes to buying shrimp. I go for convenience: peeled, tails removed, deveined. Whether I buy raw or cooked depends on the recipe.
- Peeled: The shell covers the entire shrimp. You’ll need to peel the shrimp before cooking them. Buying peeled shrimp significantly cuts down on prep time.
- Tails removed: Peeled shrimp doesn’t necessarily mean the tail is removed. With tails removed too, you can eat the entire thing.
- Deveined: If your shrimp have a little brown string down the middle of their bodies, it needs to be deveined. Watch this short video on deveining shrimp if you need help.
- Frozen vs. Fresh: Either will work. To quickly thaw frozen shrimp, submerged in a bowl of warm water. It should only take about 20 minutes or so, change the water out once to speed up the process.
- Raw vs. Cooked: For this recipe I like to use raw shrimp. The shrimp gets cooked in the brothy tomato sauce and I find it much tastier when their added raw to pan and can soak up all of the sauce flavors.
- To make with pre-cooked shrimp, save to add the seafood until the last minute or so of cooking. Let the sauce + feta mixture simmer with the lid on, then add the shrimp and cook for just one minute longer to heat them. You don’t want to overcook the shrimp as they’ll become super tough.
Recipe FAQs
Store Shrimp Saganaki in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave for 60-90 seconds until warm throughout.
Wine adds complexity to the flavors in the sauce and I highly recommend it. When it simmers, the alcohol is cooked off and the result emphasizes the savoriness of the Saganaki. If you choose not to use wine, however, you can substitute in for more vegetable broth.
I like Shrimp Sagankai over rice, orzo, or quinoa with grilled veggies. Grilled Zucchini is so tasty and my favorite with this dish. If I’m skipping the rice, I like to instead serve with toasted garlic bread or pita to dip into the saganaki and soak up all of the delicious tomato sauce.
More Recipes You'll Love
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Recipe
Shrimp Saganaki
Equipment
- skillet
- Rubber Spatula
- Measuring cups and spoons
- vegetable chopper optional
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- strainer
- Meat Thermometer
Ingredients
- 1 lbs raw shrimp
- 3 tbsp minced garlic
- ½ tbsp avocado oil
- 7-8 campari tomatoes, or 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
- ½ cup red bell pepper
- 1/ tbsp gyro seasoning, or another greek seasoning
- ½ cup white wine
- ¼ cup vegetable broth
- 1 container crumbled mediterranean feta, (5 oz)
- 4-5 stalks fresh dill
- 1 tbsp parsley
For serving
- 2 cups cooked rice
- vegetable of choice
Instructions
- First prepare the ingredients: Use a vegetable chopper to dice the onion and red pepper. Dice the campari tomatoes into small pieces and set aside. Rinse the shrimp and prep them for cooking (peeled, deveined, tail removed).
- Heat a skillet to medium heat. Add avocado oil, minced garlic, diced onion, and red bell pepper. Saute for 5-6 minutes or until the onions become translucent and peppers have softened.
- Stir in tomatoes and gyro seasoning. Cook for another 6-8 minutes. The tomatoes should shrink when cooking.
- Add the white white, vegetable broth, and shrimp. Add the crumbled feta cheese in the center of the pan. Cover with a lid and cook for 4-5 minutes. Carefully watch the shrimp so it doesn’t overcook. We want the internal temperature of the shrimp to be 145°F and light pink in color.
- Once the shrimp is done cooking, serve it over cooked rice or grilled vegetables. There will be extra sauce in the pan and it’s delicious mixed with rice.
Nutrition
Notes
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I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. It’s my passion to create dishes that can be shared with others. Tell me something you loved or just say hi!
Courtney Paige says
love the flavors in the sauce! I always serve it over white rice and steamed broccoli. So delicious!
Sydney Van Acker says
reminds me of shakshuka!!! i love shrimp x tomato x feta combo