This classic Greek-inspired Shrimp Saganaki is the perfect weeknight dinner. Fresh shrimp, tomatoes, and feta come together for a creamy, healthy meal. This would pair SO well with a grain like rice or quinoa!
If you remember the viral tomato and feta pasta trend on TikTok from, like 2020, this will be even better than that. This greek-inspired shrimp saganaki is a delicious mix of chopped tomatoes, good Greek feta cheese, and shrimp! It comes together so well and would be great served over pasta or rice.
Table of Contents:
🍚 Recipe Origins
This dish comes from Greece, but it gets it's name from the vessel that it is cooked and served in (which I did not use). Greek Saganaki, or σαγανάκι, can be one of many dishes that are prepared in a special type of small frying pan with two handles – called sagani. The most common saganaki is a fried cheese dish.
Shrimp saganaki, mostly called prawn saganaki in Greece, could technically be any shrimp dish prepared in a sagani, but it most commonly refers to the dish of shrimp served in a tomato and feta sauce.
🎥 Watch the video of this recipe
🍤 Why you'll love Shrimp Saganaki
- Full of flavor & slightly spicy! Delicious and flavorful and you can make it as spicy as you like!
- Really easy to prepare. Especially if you buy peeled & deveined shrimp, this recipe will be done in no time.
- Anyone will love it! I truly can't imagine why someone wouldn't like this, unless they just don't enjoy good food!
🥘 What you need for this recipe
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Shrimp - Fresh large shrimp, I prefer to buy them already peeled and deveined, but you can do it yourself too. I left the tails on for this recipe, but you can take them off if you prefer.
- Tomatoes - Most recipes will say that any large and juicy tomato is fine, but I found that Campari tomatoes work really well in this recipe, and they're usually not hard to find year-round.
- Calabrian Chilies - This is optional, if you don't want spice you can omit entirely. You can also use red pepper flakes, but I love the flavor of Calabrian chilies.
- Onion - White or yellow onion is fine.
- Garlic - Fresh garlic only, please. The pre-minced stuff works in a lot of applications, but I don't recommend it in this one.
- White wine - Traditionally, this recipe calls for Ouzo, which is an anise-flavored liqueur consumed in Greece. I wasn't able to find that, so white wine worked fine.
- Feta Cheese - Don't skimp on quality here. Try to find a good Greek feta cheese, preferably one that is stored in brine.
Tools and Equipment
- Sharp Knife
- Small Sauce pot
- Large nonstick pan
📋 How to make Shrimp Saganaki
Step 1: Prepare Ingredients
If necessary, peel and devein the shrimp.
Dice the onion and slice the garlic. You can mince it if you want, but I like to use sliced in this recipe!
Dice the tomatoes and also dice the block of feta cheese into medium squares.
Step 2: Make the Sauce
In a medium sauce-pot, add 2 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.
Once warm, add the onions and allow them to sweat until translucent. Then, add the garlic slices and stir to combine until fragrant.
Stir in the calabrian chili paste until thoroughly combined. Then, add the diced tomatoes.
Stir to combine and cook until the tomatoes begin to break down. Keep over medium-low heat while cooking the shrimp.
Step 3: Cook the Shrimp
In a separate pan, preferably non-stick, add the remaining 2 tablespoon of olive oil.
Heat over medium to high heat, then add the shrimp once hot. Season with salt and pepper and continue to saute until the shrimp are pink and cooked about 80% of the way through.
To the still hot pan, add the white wine or Ouzo and toss until it is nearly evaporated.
Then, add the tomato sauce from the other pot and toss to combine.
Once combined, sprinkle the cubed feta across the pan. Cover with a lid and let it steam on low heat until the feta is warmed through and slightly softened.
Scoop out the amount you wish to serve and serve hot in a bowl. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and more fresh cracked pepper and, if necessary, more salt.
💭 Expert Tips & Tricks
- Add the tomato sauce to the shrimp when the shrimp is cooked 80% (or less) of the way through. It will finish cooking in the sauce, then you don't risk overcooking your shrimp!
- Instead of calabrian chili sauce, you can use red pepper flakes, or any kind of spicy pepper you prefer. You can also just omit it entirely.
- Most recipes will say that any large and juicy tomato is fine, but I found that Campari tomatoes work really well in this recipe, and they're usually not hard to find year-round.
- Traditionally, shrimp saganaki recipes calls for Ouzo, which is an anise-flavored liqueur consumed in Greece. I wasn't able to find that, so white wine worked fine.
Recipe FAQs
Greek Saganaki, or σαγανάκι, can be one of many dishes that are prepared in a special type of small frying pan with two handles – called sagani. The most common saganaki is a fried cheese dish
One serving of my shrimp saganaki recipe is only 287 calories, making this a great healthy meal!
If you can't find Ouzo, you can use any anise-flavored liqueur, or just a dry white wine.
Related Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Greek Shrimp Saganaki (with Tomatoes & Feta)
Equipment
- Sharp Knife
- Small Sauce Pot
- Large nonstick pan
Ingredients
- 25 Shrimp peeled, deveined
- 4-5 Campari tomatoes chopped
- ½ teaspoon Calabrian chilies or other hot pepper
- ½ Onion white or yellow, diced
- 2 cloves Garlic minced or sliced
- ¼ cup White wine or Ouzo if you have it
- 8 oz Feta cheese cubed or crumbled
- 4 tablespoon Olive oil
- Parsley
Instructions
- If necessary, peel and devein the shrimp.
- Dice the onion and slice the garlic. You can mince it if you want, but I like to use sliced in this recipe!
- Dice the tomatoes and also dice the block of feta cheese into medium squares.
- In a medium sauce-pot, add 2 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.
- Once warm, add the onions and allow them to sweat until translucent. Then, add the garlic slices and stir to combine until fragrant.
- Stir in the calabrian chili paste until thoroughly combined. Then, add the diced tomatoes.
- Stir to combine and cook until the tomatoes begin to break down. Keep over medium-low heat while cooking the shrimp.
- In a separate pan, preferably non-stick, add the remaining 2 tablespoon of olive oil.
- Heat over medium to high heat, then add the shrimp once hot. Season with salt and pepper and continue to saute until the shrimp are pink and cooked about 80% of the way through.
- To the still hot pan, add the white wine or Ouzo and toss until it is nearly evaporated.
- Then, add the tomato sauce from the other pot and toss to combine.
- Once combined, sprinkle the cubed feta across the pan. Cover with a lid and let it steam on low heat until the feta is warmed through and slightly softened.
- Scoop out the amount you wish to serve and serve hot in a bowl. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and more fresh cracked pepper and, if necessary, more salt.
Video
Notes
- Add the tomato sauce to the shrimp when the shrimp is cooked 80% (or less) of the way through. It will finish cooking in the sauce, then you don't risk overcooking your shrimp!
- Instead of calabrian chili sauce, you can use red pepper flakes, or any kind of spicy pepper you prefer. You can also just omit it entirely.
- Most recipes will say that any large and juicy tomato is fine, but I found that Campari tomatoes work really well in this recipe, and they're usually not hard to find year-round.
- Traditionally, this recipe calls for Ouzo, which is an anise-flavored liqueur consumed in Greece. I wasn't able to find that, so white wine worked fine.
Louanne Craft
This looks yummy!!! Always up for a new shrimp recipe idea!!!
Laura
I just made the shrimp Saganaki tonight with Lowcountry shrimp. It was delicious and very easy. I served it over pasta. I will definitely make again!