This Mediterranean Shrimp Skillet is a restaurant quality dinner you can make at home, in about 30 minutes in one pan! Orzo and shrimp are cooked in a mixture of tomatoes, capers, shallots, spices and herbs, then served with kalamata olives, fresh basil and feta over top. Just add some warm crusty bread and it’s time to eat!
Some other easy shrimp recipes to check out are Cajun Shrimp, Shrimp Carbonara, or Garlic Butter Shrimp.
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Why This Recipe Works
- The orzo cooks perfectly in the diced tomato juices and chicken broth, yet is flavored by the shallots, garlic and herbs.
- The shrimp is quick cooking, making this a fast and simple dinner.
- Capers, Kalamata olives, and fresh feta give this dish a tangy taste that pairs well with the orzo and shrimp.
- The sugar balances the acid of the tomatoes.
- Fresh basil sprinkled on at the end ensures it stays fresh and bright.
Ingredients
Just a few ingredients make this dish come together perfectly.
Feta Cheese – Use block feta instead of pre-crumbled. It will be creamier and fresher.
Shrimp – Use a medium to large sized shrimp that is raw, peeled, and deveined. Medium to large shrimp may also be called 36/40 or 31/35, which means there will be anywhere from 31-40 shrimp per pound.
Frozen Shrimp
If you buy frozen shrimp you can thaw in the fridge overnight. Or for a quick thaw you can place them in a bowl of cool water (in their original packaging), changing the water every 10 minutes, until they are thawed.
Orzo – is a rice shaped pasta that cooks up quickly. It is perfect for this Mediterranean Skillet!
Diced Tomatoes – use a high quality diced tomato and make sure you don’t drain the tomatoes, you want the liquid to help cook the orzo and shrimp.
Shallot – if you don’t have shallots or can’t find them, a yellow onion will work in it’s place. Shallots are a smaller, milder, and sweeter onion.
Capers – are very traditional in Mediterranean cooking. They have an earthy pickled flavor. You can find them in the grocery store by the olives.
How To Make Mediterranean Shrimp Skillet
In a large non-stick skillet over medium heat add the oil and sauté the shallots for about 2-3 minutes.
Add in the garlic, oregano, salt, sugar, red pepper flakes, and black pepper, stir around the pan for about 30 seconds.
Pour in the tomatoes, broth and capers. Bring to a simmer.
Add the orzo and stir it into the broth. Simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes.
Pro Tip: You will want to stir occasionally so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
Nestle the shrimp into the sauce and cook covered for about 4 minutes. If you don’t have a lid for your pan just cover with foil or a sheet pan.
Finally remove the pan from the heat and sprinkle in the olives, feta cheese and basil. Cover and let sit for about 2 minutes.
Time to eat!!
Serving
This Mediterranean Shrimp is a complete meal as is, but it is great served with some warm crusty toasted bread, pita or naan.
Recipe Tips
- Use the block feta, not the pre-crumbled, it is way creamier and fresher.
- Kalamata olives and black olives are not the same thing. Kalamata olives have a nice briny and tangy flavor. Also get the pitted olives for easier prep!
- Use fresh basil, not dried, for a great finish to the dish.
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Mediterranean Shrimp Skillet Recipe + Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup shallots - finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves - chopped/minced
- 1 ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 28 oz can diced tomatoes - do not drain
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoon capers
- 1 cup orzo
- 1 lb medium to large sized shrimp - raw, peeled and deveined
- ½ cup Kalamata olives - pitted, lightly chopped
- ⅓ cup fresh basil - chopped
- 6 oz block feta cheese - cut into ¼ inch dice
Serving
- crusty French loaf, warm Ciabatta, pita or naan
Instructions
- In a large non-stick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Add the shallot and sauté for 2-3 minutes, do not brown. Add the garlic, sugar, salt, oregano, black pepper, red pepper flakes, stir around the pan for another 30 seconds.½ cup shallots, 3 garlic cloves, 1 ½ teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Pour in the tomatoes, chicken broth and capers, bring to a simmer.28 oz can diced tomatoes, 1 cup chicken broth, 2 tablespoon capers
- Add the orzo and stir it in so that it is mixed into the liquids. let it simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.1 cup orzo
- Nestle the shrimp into the sauce and cook covered for 4 minutes, until the shrimp are turned pink. Pro Tip: If your pan doesn't have a lid just cover it with a baking sheet or foil.1 lb medium to large sized shrimp
- Remove the pan from the heat and sprinkle on the Kalamata olives, basil and feta cheese. Cover the pan and let it sit for about 2 minutes.½ cup Kalamata olives, ⅓ cup fresh basil, 6 oz block feta cheese
- Serve in bowls with crusty warmed bread!crusty French loaf, warm Ciabatta, pita or naan
Recipe Tips and Notes:
- Use the block feta, not the pre-crumbled, it is way creamier and fresher.
- Kalamata olives and black olives are not the same thing. Kalamata olives have a nice briny and tangy flavor. Also get the pitted olives for easier prep!
- Use fresh basil, not dried, for a great finish to the dish.
Shelly says
This was amazing! It was so easy to put together after coming home from work and easy clean up. The taste was incredible.
Mark Chess says
Tasty, but more like 20 minutes prep.
Lois says
I’m making this tonight and I love how the ingredient quantities are repeated in the directions!!
Susie Weinrich says
I love it too. I hate scrolling up and down!
Cindy Burzynski says
This was a quick meal that was restaurant quality. My family loved it and I’ll definitely be making it again. I appreciate the fact that most of the ingredients were pantry staples I had on hand. Thanks!
Suzanne Bonamo says
Easy – delicious – great combination of flavors – can be prepared with previously cooked frozen (and thawed) shrimp – a hit with my group!
Miriam Ward says
Made for dinner. All the flavors we love. Absolutely delicious!
Yvonne says
Love this recipe, so easy to follow especially love how you group the ingredients in order.
This is always a great hit, full of great flavour combinations. It’s my favourite go to recipe for hot summer days here in Spain .
Sarah says
Delicious. All the flavors work together, just the right amount of spice and heat. I did not put in capers, and I used vegetable broth. Definitely a keeper recipe.
Elizabeth says
The dish looks amazing and I can’t wait for dinner tonight. My five star rating is for you listing the ingredients as you go to the steps of cooking. Amazingly helpful! I’ve been waiting for that all of my cooking life.
Susie Weinrich says
I love that !!! You get comment of the week in the newsletter this week : )
Mary says
Absolutely easy and delicious. I added the orzo to the spices before adding the tomatoes to brown them up for about 2 minutes. I also used Rotel tomatoes with chilies. BIG MISTAKE! The finished product was way too spicy. I won’t make that mistake again. But we enjoyed it nonetheless. I also added frozen peas before the shrimp. Excellent recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Pat says
This was so easy and delicious! I added about a cup of frozen baby peas right before adding the shrimp. They added color and some extra nutrition!
Pam says
Glad I made! Husband asked to add it to the rotation. Quick and easy to make.
Robert says
Amazing dish worthy of a restaurant! Great instructions and beautiful photos made this dish a breeze to make. Thanks for all your great advice!
Karen says
This recipe is amazing! Made it for my foodie friends…. And they wanted a goodie bag to take home. This recipe was so easy. I’m glad I have Susie’s recipes to lean on… I didn’t cook much… until I started using momsdinner.net. I have a HAPPY FAMILY!
Jean says
Can this be made a day aheaf?
Susie Weinrich says
I haven’t made this a day ahead but I think it should work just fine. Leftovers always reheat well. I would maybe wait and add the feta when you reheat for serving.