Orzo with Shrimp and Feta is easy to make and bursting with Mediterranean flavor! This one-pot dish combines crumbled feta, oil-cured olives, lemon, and succulent shrimp with orzo and fresh parsley and can be ready in about 30 minutes!
Orzo with shrimp and feta cheese is a dish I make regularly for my family, especially on busy weeknights.
Shrimp cooks very quickly which makes it an ideal ingredient for weeknight dinners and the flavors of the olives, feta, and lemon complement it perfectly.
Serve this alongside a simple broccoli salad, greek salad, or sauteed spinach with garlic.
Recipe Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Shrimp. Look for shrimp that are U26-sized or larger. This means there are roughly 26 shrimp per pound. Buying shrimp that are already peeled and deveined will save you time.
- Baking soda and salt. This combination serves as a dry brine for the shrimp and helps to keep them plump while cooking.
- Orzo. This rice-shaped pasta is wonderful in dishes with Mediterranean flavors.
- Feta. Block feta is better than pre-crumbled feta.
- Olives. I used pitted oil-cured olives for this recipe but you can also use pitted kalamata olives.
- Lemons. The juice and zest are used.
- Stock. Since many ingredients in this dish are salty, it’s best to use a low-sodium chicken, seafood, or vegetable stock.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make it
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Place 1 1/2 pounds of large peeled and deveined shrimp in a medium bowl with 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil and mix gently. Set aside for at least 10 minutes before sauteing. Dice 1 medium onion, and mince 6 cloves of garlic. Rinse 1/2 cup of oil-cured pitted olives and give them a rough chop. Zest 1 tablespoon of lemon and juice 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. Mince 1/2 cup of flat-leaf parsley and crumble 1 cup worth of feta cheese. (Photo #1)
- Heat a large pan to medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once shimmering, add the shrimp and cook for 1-2 minutes per side or until almost cooked through, then place the shrimp on a plate and tent with foil. (Photo #2)
- To the same pan, add 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, and once shimmering, add the onions and a pinch of salt. (Photo #3)
- Once the onions are soft and translucent (about 5-7 minutes) add the garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. (Photo #4)
- Add 1 1/2 cups of orzo and mix well to coat with the olive oil. Toast the orzo for 3 minutes, then add 3 1/2 cups of low-sodium chicken stock. (Photo #5)
- Bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, cover the pan, turn the heat down to low, and cook until the orzo is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 12-15 minutes. (Photo #6)
- Uncover the pan and add the olives, lemon juice, lemon zest, and the cooked shrimp. (Photo #7)
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the parsley and crumbled feta. If the orzo is dry, add a touch more chicken stock and olive oil, if needed. Taste test and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve the shrimp and feta orzo immediately and enjoy! (Photo #8)
Top tips
- Brine the shrimp. The first few steps of the recipe include instructions to brine the shrimp. If you’re in a rush, you can skip this step, but in my decades of cooking I’ve found that taking the extra 10 minutes to brine them makes for more succulent and plump shrimp.
- Sodium. There are several salty ingredients in this recipe, such as the olives, and feta. For this reason, you’re better off waiting until the end of the dish to make any adjustments to salt. I also recommend using homemade chicken stock which has no salt, or reduced-sodium chicken base.
- Roll your lemons and slice if you like. Apply pressure to the lemons as you roll them on a flat surface to yield maximum juice. This works like a charm! If you want a showstopper, simply thinly slice a lemon and mix it into the orzo before serving.
More Mediterranean-inspired recipes
If you enjoy the flavors in this orzo with shrimp and feta, I think you’ll love these other Mediterranean recipes!
If you’ve enjoyed this Orzo with Shrimp and Feta Recipe or any recipe on this site, give it a 5-star rating and tell us about it in the comments below.
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Orzo with Shrimp and Feta
Orzo with shrimp and feta is a simple but delicious one-pot dish that combines olives, feta, and succulent shrimp with orzo and fresh lemon zest and juice. It's perfect for weeknights and so easy to make!
Ingredients
For the shrimp
- 1 1/2 pounds shrimp u26 or larger
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
For the orzo
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 cups orzo
- 3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 1/2 cup oil-cured black olives pitted, rinsed, and chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 cup feta crumbled
- 1/2 cup flat-leaf Italian parsley minced
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
For the shrimp
- Place the shrimp, baking soda, red pepper flakes, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and salt into a bowl and mix well. Cover with plastic and set aside for at least 10 minutes before sauteing.
- Heat a large pan to medium heat and add the remaining olive oil. Once shimmering, add the shrimp and cook for 1-2 minutes per side or until almost cooked through. Place the shrimp onto a plate and cover with foil.
For the orzo
- Add the extra virgin olive oil to the same pan and turn the heat to medium. Once the oil is shimmering add the onion and a pinch of salt. Once the onions are soft and translucent (about 5-7 minutes) add the garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add the orzo and mix well to coat with the olive oil. Toast the orzo for 3 minutes then add the chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and turn the heat down to low. Cook until the orzo is tender and most of the liquid has absorbed (about 12-15 minutes).
- Uncover the pot and mix in the olives, lemon juice, zest, and cooked shrimp. Remove the pan from the heat and add the parsley and feta. If the orzo is too dry add a touch more chicken stock and olive oil if needed. Taste test and adjust salt and pepper if required. Enjoy!
Notes
- This recipe easily doubles.
- Oil-cured olives are very salty. Rinsing them through a strainer can help remove some of the salt.
- Leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days and reheated in the microwave. Though, I recommend eating all the shrimp on the same day. Shrimp do not reheat too well.
Nutrition
Calories: 707kcal | Carbohydrates: 40.8g | Protein: 49.7g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 8.2g | Cholesterol: 380mg | Sodium: 1407mg | Potassium: 340mg | Fiber: 2.1g | Sugar: 4.4g | Calcium: 283mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Made this tonight. It was scrumptious-however I was not thrilled with the addition of the Kalamata olives which tasted like bitter bites eventhough I rinsed them. Additionally added roasted cherry tomatoes with garlic to add to the pot and that stepped it up a notch. Wonderful recipe and will definitely make again without the olives.
Hi Christine, we used oil-cured olives for this recipe which are different from kalamata olives. Either way, glad you enjoyed the recipe!
This was so good! I loved all the different flavors and the fact that it was pasta but not with a red or cream sauce for a nice change. As always with your recipes l learned a few new things like using block Feta cheese instead of crumbled – a totally different taste.
Made this for the first time yesterday, and my wife loved it. One of the best no-fuss dinners I’ve made in a while . I’m writing this review since she just asked to make it again for tomorrow’s dinner! It’s hard to beat a recipe that’s both easy and delicious!
We’re so happy you and your wife enjoyed this one, Craig!
Made this dish tonight,it was very flavorful and delicious. I did not plan on brining the shrimp but I’m glad I did. They were plump and moist, it was worth the extra time. James keep up the great work, I love your recipes and I love your style. Good job. 👍
Just a wonderful dish, delicious!
Outstanding! Another perfect recipe.
Need a substitute for oil curd olive ,wife hates them but one of my favorites
You can use any olives you’d like, they don’t need to be oil-cured. Or if the issue is with olives in general, you can either omit or replace with cherry tomatoes.
I am going to make this dish tomorrow 03.04.2024, sounds delicious.
Thanks for the recipe.
This dish is delicious. The flavors are so nicely balanced. It’s a keeper for sure.
Do you think this dish could work as a “room temp” buffet item. I am doing a variety of Italian dishes for a group but would like to have done before quests arrive.
Yes, definitely.
This recipe is fantastic, Jim and Tara! I honestly don’t think of seafood and cheese ever going together but I guess the exception is shrimp and feta! I love Orzo and buy the whole wheat version, which worked out beautifully in this recipe. I also used Kalamata olives instead of the oil cured which, unlike NY, are challenging to find here in CA. This will be a staple in our home. Thanks for another hit!
We’re so happy you loved this one, Deb!
Made this tonight.
It was great
I did not brine the shrimp.
When you use the brine, should you rinse the shrimp before cooking ?
Hi Steven, so happy you enjoyed. No need to rinse the brine off the shrimp before cooking.
Could I substitute chicken for the shrimp ?
Yes, definitely!
I am planning to make this this week. I am having trouble finding the pitted black olives. The link that you provided have pits even though it says pitted on your website. Do you have another link to pitted oil cured black olives? I would love to try those. I do have the Kalamata olives just in case
Hi Cathy, the ones we buy in the olive bar at our grocery store are pitted, but the ones in the jar in the shop do contain pits. You can easily pit them yourself – use a small knife to cut a slit, and use your fingers to remove the meat from the pit.
Really appreciate your attention to detail with your recipes and will try this one!
I have made similar with diced tomatoes and white wine
We made this for dinner last night. It was so good! And easy to cook. I’d give it 10 stars but that’s not a choice…
We’re so happy you enjoyed, John! Thanks for the comment!
I am definitely making this recipe!
Really a delicious recipe Jim. Thank you for sharing this. the flavors were fantastic.
I made this for dinner and it turned out fantastic! I didn’t have oil cured olives so I substituted chopped italian green olives and some pepperoncini and I used vegetable stock. My husband loved it and had two helpings. I definitely will make again. A Good Friday lenten dish!
We’re so happy you enjoyed, Roseann!
Jim another great recipe!!!!
We’re so happy you enjoyed this one, Angela!
thank you for this great recipe, especially since it Lent!
I hope you and Tara are well!