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Greek Blackened Shrimp Orzo Skillet

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Crispy blackened shrimp, extra garlicky caramelized onion, and creamy feta-y orzo all melted down in a white wine tomato sauce: this Greek Blackened Shrimp Orzo Skillet is an all time favorite fresh meal!

Crispy blackened shrimp, extra garlicky caramelized onion, and creamy feta orzo all melted down in a white wine tomato sauce: this Greek Blackened Shrimp Orzo Skillet is an all time favorite fresh meal!

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If you know me, you know I’ve never been big on shrimp. I love just about every other seafood… a cooked fish, sushi, shellfish… you name it, I love it. Still, shrimp’s just never done it for me. Maybe it’s a textural thing, or maybe I’ve just had some not-so-great shrimp. Either way, as I continue to learn to cook, I’ve made it my mission to make shrimp that ~actually~ tastes good to me — especially given that it’s some of my friends and family members favorite food. Given that Greek flavors are seriously the best, and I absolutely adore a good blackened fish, it felt only right to try making shrimp with those tried and true favorites. Hence, this Greek Blackened Shrimp Orzo Skillet was born. Healthy and hearty, yet still super flavorful with a melty feta orzo tomato sauce: this is truly the best weeknight dinner. You have to try it!

This Greek Blackened Shrimp Orzo Skillet is a weekly staple in my house for a reason: it’s so easy and comes together incredibly fast! Plus, it can be made entirely in one skillet. Less dishes is always a win in my book. Start off by getting that shrimp going. While you *could* cook your shrimp down in the sauce, I like to give it a quick sear by itself before tossing it back into the sauce in the end. This way, you get a super crisp, harshly blackened shrimp that is just perfect with those Greek flavors. 

all the spices…

As with any blackening seasoning, you have to mix A TON of spices together to get that perfect charred finish. Still, this blackening is by no means super spicy if you don’t want it to be. Rather, I go in with all the good greek flavors of oregano, garlic, dill, and smoked paprika. Then, with a little chili powder for a mild kick, this seasoning is really taken over the top. Most chili powders are not spicy, but, if you’re especially prone to cooking with spice, you could easily omit it. Toss your shrimp generously with this mixture before sending them to the stove and they will seriously get that restaurant-finish look that’s out of this world.

Crispy blackened shrimp, extra garlicky caramelized onion, and creamy feta-y orzo all melted down in a white wine tomato sauce: this Greek Blackened Shrimp Orzo Skillet is an all time favorite fresh meal!

Oh, and speaking of cooking that shrimp, here’s a few things I’ve learned. First and foremost, as with any seared meat or fish, you want your oil to get super hot before you even touch it to the surface. This will allow the exterior of whatever you’re working with to get super crisp and golden. Nobody wants soggy shrimp! Then, you have to be very careful to not overcook your shrimp — especially because we’ll be nestling it back into that hot sauce later. My rule of thumb is that a “c” shaped shrimp stands for perfectly “cooked,” a “u” shape means “undercooked,” and an “o” shape means overcooked. Easy enough to remember, right? When in doubt, though, err on the side of undercooking as you can always finish them later a bit in the sauce.

onto the skillet…

Next up, it’s time to get that tomato feta skillet going. Start off by doing a quick saute of some red onion and cauliflower rice, if you would like that little extra addition of veggie. A sweet onion, yellow onion, or shallot would also work here, but I love the aggressive bite from the red onion, personally. Likewise, you could use fresh or frozen cauliflower rice for this recipe. That being said, I wouldn’t recommend using the homemade kind, as that is likely too soft and would lead to a mushy mess. You’re looking for something to add a nice bite and some crunch, so the store-bought variety is best. Once that is nice and softened, go in with a good amount of garlic (bc… I mean, is there anything better than garlic and shrimp?!) and all the flavor. I’m talking more dried oregano, paprika, dried dill weed, salt, and pepper. Simple enough, yet really packs a nice Mediterranean punch. 

Crispy blackened shrimp, extra garlicky caramelized onion, and creamy feta-y orzo all melted down in a white wine tomato sauce: this Greek Blackened Shrimp Orzo Skillet is an all time favorite fresh meal!

super saucy!!

With all those spices, you want to stir in some tomato paste. This is a nice way to thicken your “sauce” a bit, without it getting too thick. You’re not looking for a pasta-sauce type of consistency. Rather, by mashing up some stewed tomatoes with the back of a spoon, you get an amazing consistency of slightly thick/ slightly liquidy tomatoes. Then, what really takes this Greek Blackened Shrimp Orzo Skillet above and beyond is boiling some orzo in white wine. I find orzo to be a nice middle-ground between rice and pasta. It’s delicious and filling, yet it’s still light and brings a nice texture to the dish. Once it is all nice and cooked through, though, you should still have enough liquid to help that spinach wilt down, the white wine also brings in an amazing flavor that really rounds everything out. Pretty much any white wine will work for this as long as it’s on the dry side. 

Crispy blackened shrimp, extra garlicky caramelized onion, and creamy feta-y orzo all melted down in a white wine tomato sauce: this Greek Blackened Shrimp Orzo Skillet is an all time favorite fresh meal!

how to serve it up…

Once your sauce is creamy and cooked down, you should be ready to stir some spinach and feta into. I love spinach in this recipe, but you could also leave it out and top everything off with arugula or fresh basil. Both would be delicious options. Really, though, I wouldn’t recommend skipping the feta. The salty, creamy, and slightly melty cheese really pulls this dish together. Then, when you serve it up with some crusty bread, fresh parsley, and a bit of toasted slivered almonds? It really doesn’t get much better. 

This Greek Blackened Shrimp Orzo Skillet is truly my secret weapon on a busy weeknight. With minimal ingredients, a single skillet, and super healthy ingredients, you’ll be incredibly surprised with just how good this tastes. Like, for real, I make this one non-stop… everyone loves it! Plus, this can easily be made with just about any veggie you have on hand, and could even be made with an orzo or any grain of choice. It’s seriously a winner, in my book. 

I hope you love this Greek Blackened Shrimp Orzo Skillet as much as I do! Let me know what you think in the comments below:))

Greek Blackened Shrimp Orzo Skillet

Recipe by Annie PatrickCourse: Main CourseCuisine: American, Greek, MediterraneanDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

15

minutes
Cooking time

15

minutes
Total time

30

minutes

Crispy blackened shrimp, extra garlicky caramelized onion, and creamy feta-y orzo all melted down in a white wine tomato sauce: this Greek Blackened Shrimp Orzo Skillet is an all time favorite fresh meal!

Ingredients

  • blackened shrimp:
  • 1 tsp dried oregano

  • 1 tsp garlic powder

  • ½ tsp dried dill weed

  • ½ tsp chili powder

  • ½ tsp smoked paprika

  • ½ tsp salt

  • Freshly ground pepper

  • 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

  • 2 tbsp olive oil or butter

  • 1 lemon, juiced

  • tomato feta orzo skillet:
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

  • 1 red onion, diced

  • 1 cup cauliflower rice, optional

  • 5 cloves garlic, finely diced

  • 1 tsp dried oregano

  • 1 tsp paprika

  • ½ tsp dried dill weed

  • Salt and pepper, to taste

  • Red pepper flakes, to taste

  • 2 tbsp tomato paste

  • 2 15 oz cans stewed tomatoes

  • 1 cup white wine (or a broth)

  • 1 cup water

  • ¾ cup dried orzo

  • 2 cups spinach

  • 1 large lemon, juiced

  • 1 8oz block feta cheese, cubed

  • to serve:
  • Fresh parsley, to serve

  • Toasted slivered almonds, to serve

  • grilled crostini, to serve

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, whisk the dried oregano, garlic powder, dried dill weed, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper until combined. Pat the shrimp dry, then generously coat each piece with some of the blackening seasoning.
  • In a large skillet, heat the olive oil or butter over medium-high heat. Once hot, carefully place each shrimp into the hot oil and sear for about 1 minute and 30 seconds on each side. (The shrimps should just barely be a “c” shape, not “u” or “o” shaped). Remove the shrimp from the skillet and squeeze the lemon juice over top. Set aside for now.
  • In that same, now empty, skillet, heat the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, toss in the red onion and cauliflower rice (if using) and sauté for 4-5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent and the cauliflower has softened. Toss in the garlic, oregano, paprika, dill weed, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and tomato paste. Mix to combine.
  • Pour in the stewed tomatoes. With the back of a wooden spoon, mash the tomatoes until they are almost fully crushed. Then, pour in the water, white wine, and orzo. Bring the liquids to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until your orzo is cooked through. Stir occasionally to prevent the orzo from sticking.
  • Stir in the spinach, lemon juice, and feta cheese so that the spinach wilts. Turn off the heat and nestle the shrimp back into the skillet.
  • Divide your shrimp and some of the saucy skillet into your bowls. Top with fresh parsley and toasted slivered almonds and serve with some grilled crostini. Enjoy!

Notes

  • You could also cook your shrimps on skewers, as shown in the picture. The process is the same, except make sure your skewers have been soaked in water for at least 30 minutes before going over the heat.
  • You could also stir in some Kalamata olives or capers for a bit of brine.
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