One Pan Mediterranean Shrimp Orzo is made completely in one pan, making it perfect for a quick, yet impressive weeknight dinner. Garlicky shrimp, lots of lemon, fresh herbs, briny olives, salty feta, and sweet grape tomatoes make up the addicting flavor profile of this incredible, flavor packed dish!

I am SO excited to share this dream of a weeknight meal with you guys: one-pan shrimp orzo! While I’m definitely not usually a one-pan kind of girl – I tend to use just about every pot, pan, bowl, and kitchen utensil to prepare any given meal, this one is an exception. It’s unbelievably flavor-packed, texture-filled, bright, herby, lemony, salty, savory, and just about every adjective you’d use to describe something really delicious. All you’d ever want in one pan. And it couldn’t be easier.

These flavors are something I never get sick of, and this dish is the kind of thing that always sounds good.

Give me pasta, cheese, shrimp, lemon, and fresh herbs, and I will never ever turn it down. The good thing about this shrimp orzo, is that it’s delicious when served hot, at room temperature, or even cold! I’ve done it all three ways and they’re all delicious. Making dinner leftovers perfect for a desk lunch the next day!

The first step of this one-pan shrimp orzo entails sautéing the shrimp in a little butter and olive oil.

Once they’re cooked, I like to stir in some lemon zest for some concentrated lemon flavor. If you’re not a shrimp fan, you could certainly make this dish with scallops, chicken, or even chickpeas for a plant based option.

You truly cannot mess this up, it’s very forgiving and customizable in just about every way.

The technique of cooking the orzo almost as you would risotto, makes the result a tad creamier than just boiling your orzo like you would pasta, which I really enjoy. It’s almost like you added a little butter or cream, without having to!

It all starts with a little onion and garlic, and I like to toast my orzo in the aromatics to infuse even more flavor into the pasta. I then deglaze with a little white wine, and cook the orzo in chicken broth for even MORE flavor. You can definitely use vegetable stock, or even water, but make sure you really season the dish if you’re not using stock, to make up for lost flavor.

With the toppings/mix-in’s here, the sky is the limit.

I like to add cherry tomatoes, Castelvetrano olives (if you don’t like olives, just wait – these are buttery, super mild, meaty, perfectly salty, and just delicious), cubed feta (I like to buy it in the block and cube/crumble it myself – it’s so much better!), mint, parsley, and lemon wedges.

In terms of olives, feel free to use whatever olives you love. If you don’t like them (I urge you to try Castelvetranos if you typically don’t!), you could omit or substitute with something like sundried tomatoes for extra flavor. If you need an extra reason to love/try the olives, make this pasta. It is unbelievably good, and one of my all-time favorite recipes in the world.

In terms of herbs, dill would also be amazing here, or even basil. Use what you’ve got! The more fresh herbs, the better.

The Ultimate Shrimp and Orzo Recipe

Here’s a quick run-down of how you make this colorful shrimp orzo:

• Sauté your shrimp. Olive oil, butter, garlic, lemon zest – what more could you want?
• Start the orzo. After removing your shrimp from the pan, sauté you onion/shallot, garlic, crushed red pepper, and oregano. Add the orzo, and toast it for a few minutes to develop and infuse the flavor into the pasta itself. Game changer!
• Deglaze with a little white wine. If you don’t want to use wine, you can substitute with extra chicken broth/stock. In terms of wine, I’d recommend something dry like a Chardonnay.
• Add the chicken broth. Like I mentioned earlier, we’re cooking the orzo similarly to how you’d cook risotto. It yields a creamier result, and you only need to dirty one pan! Instead of adding the broth gradually, you just add it all at once. Just be sure to stir the orzo frequently to prevent any sticking on the bottom of the pan. You’ll know it’s finished cooking when the orzo is al-dente, and the liquid is absorbed. If it seems like it needs more liquid, you can keep adding water or broth in 1/2 cup increments, until the orzo is cooked to your liking.
• Add your mix-ins. My favorite part! Grape or cherry tomatoes, Castelvetrano olives, mint, parsley, feta, and fresh lemon juice.
• Serve! Top it with the shrimp, extra lemon zest, and serve with lemon wedges. And, a crisp glass of white wine. 🙂

This shrimp orzo is a MAJOR crowd pleaser, and it can be stretched into multiple meals. Lunch leftovers, served by itself, or with a salad, on-the-go, cold, hot, or room temperature. It’s definitely one of those simple back pocket recipes, that seem fancy and exciting, but require minimal effort. The best kind!

Don’t forget to share a photo on Instagram and tag me @spicesinmydna if you make this recipe! Nothing makes me happier than seeing what you create in the kitchen!

5 from 2 votes

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One Pan Mediterranean Shrimp Orzo

One Pan Mediterranean Shrimp Orzo is made completely in one pan, making it perfect for a quick, yet impressive weeknight dinner. Garlicky shrimp, lots of lemon, fresh herbs, briny olives, salty feta, and sweet grape tomatoes make up the addicting flavor profile of this incredible, flavor packed dish!

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main, Main Course, Pasta

Cuisine Mediterranean

Keyword lemon shrimp orzo, mediterranean orzo side dish, one pan orzo, one pan orzo shrimp, one pan orzo with feta, orzo recipes, shrimp and orzo recipes, shrimp orzo, shrimp orzo feta

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Servings 4

Author Molly | Spices in My DNA

Ingredients

For the shrimp

• 1 tablespoon salted butter
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• zest of 1/2 a lemon

For the orzo

• 1 tablespoon salted butter
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 of a small yellow onion or 1 large shallot
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 cups orzo
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 4 cups (1 quart) low sodium chicken broth
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup Castelvetrano olives, pitted and halved
• 1/4 cup Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped, plus extra for serving
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, plus extra for serving
• 3-4 ounces block feta, cut into cubes
• zest of 1/2 a lemon
• lemon wedges for serving

Instructions

1. Heat a large nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the butter and olive oil. Once butter has melted and skillet is hot, add the shrimp. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, or until shrimp is opague and cooked through. Add the lemon zest and stir to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Remove shrimp from pan and set aside in a bowl.

2. Using the same skillet over medium heat, add the butter and olive oil. Add the onion/shallot, garlic, oregano, and crushed red pepper. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently to ensure the garlic doesn't burn. Add the orzo and salt, stir to combine, and let toast, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Add the white wine and increase to medium-high heat. Let the wine reduce for 1-2 minutes.

3. Once wine has reduced, add the chicken stock and raise heat to high. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and continue to cook the orzo, stirring frequently, to ensure that the orzo doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan, until all liquid is absorbed, and orzo is al dente, about 12-15 minutes. If it seems like it needs more liquid and pasta isn't quite cooked through, add an extra 1/2 cup of stock or water, until orzo is cooked to your liking.

4. Once orzo is cooked, let cool for a few minutes, then stir in lemon juice. Add the grape tomatoes and olives and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the chopped herbs. Add the shrimp back into the pan, and top with the feta. Finish with zest of 1/2 a lemon. Serve with extra chopped herbs and lemon wedges.

Recipe Notes

*Vegetable stock/broth or water can be substituted for the chicken broth, just be sure to season the dish appropriately to make up for lost flavor if using water. Stock can be used in place of the white wine as well.
*Scallops orzo chicken can be subbed for the shrimp, or chickpeas can be substituted for a plant-based option.