Shrimp Oreganata is an Italian-American dish consisting of shrimp topped with moistened breadcrumbs, white wine, lemon juice, parsley, and butter. This classic dish is wonderful to serve with pasta or crusty bread to mop up the sauce and while perfect for any night of the week, it’s especially good for Christmas Eve!
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Editor’s Note: Originally published on December 17, 2018. Updated with full process shots and expanded info.
Shrimp oreganata is a dish I grew up eating and can be found at almost every Italian-American restaurant in the New York area.
It’s loaded with outrageous flavor from the garlic, breadcrumbs, oregano, and white wine which happens to pair particularly well with seafood in general, like salmon oreganata, lobster oreganata, and clams oreganata.
And the beauty of shrimp oreganata is that the recipe is totally customizable. If you want more garlic, add it; don’t want wine, omit it.
Our goal here is to give you a great recipe that you can use to adjust to your own tastes and needs.
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How to make it
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Preheat your oven to 425f and set one rack in the middle and the other near the top. Mince 2 tablespoons of parsley and 6 cloves of garlic. Grate 2 tablespoons of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
- Heat a large pan to medium-low and saute the minced garlic in 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil until fragrant (about 2 minutes).
- Add 1/3 cup of plain breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, the parsley, 2 teaspoons of dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, and the grated Parmigiano Reggiano and mix well. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Pat dry 1 1/2 pounds of colossal peeled and deveined shrimp with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper to taste. In an oven-safe baking dish or large pan, arrange the shrimp with the tails pointing up. Top the shrimp with the breadcrumb mixture and pour 3/4 cup of low-sodium chicken stock and 1/4 cup of dry white wine around the shrimp. Note: Use whatever baking dish you like. A cast iron or stainless steel pan works well too. We used two smaller dishes in the pic above.
- Top the shrimp with 6 tablespoons of cubed cold butter and drizzle a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil on top of the breadcrumbs.
- Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until the shrimp are cooked through. After 10 minutes, move the baking dish to the top rack and broil for 1-2 minutes or until brown but watch carefully to prevent burning. Remove the shrimp from the oven and serve on plates with lemon wedges and a spoonful of the garlicky pan sauce. Serve with crusty bread to mop up the sauce and enjoy!
Top tips
- Shrimp. Buying cleaned shrimp that’s already been peeled and deveined is a huge time saver and I recommend it. That being said, it’s always good to look over the shrimp to double-check before you start prepping. For recipes like shrimp oreganata or shrimp cocktail, I suggest using colossal shrimp, sized U12-15 (that means 12-15 shrimp per pound). You can definitely use smaller shrimp but note that your cooking time may be lessened by a few minutes if doing so.
- Wine. I usually use a dry white wine when cooking, such as a sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio. If you cannot have wine, you can omit it here.
- The breadcrumbs. The breadcrumbs in this dish should be well moistened and there’s no need to overdo it with them as the sauce may become too thick or dry out. If that happens, add some water to loosen it up before serving.
- Broiling. Broiling at the end isn’t mandatory, but suggested as it will give a wonderful toasty top to the breadcrumbs. When broiling, watch carefully to prevent burning.
More shrimp recipes
If you came here looking for shrimp recipes, you’re in the right place!
- Lemon garlic shrimp pasta – one of our most popular recipes, this pasta is a must for any shrimp lover!
- Shrimp Francese – colossal shrimp are lightly battered, fried, then simmered in a buttery lemon sauce.
- Shrimp scampi rolls – buttery rolls loaded with shrimp scampi and topped with sauteed cherry tomatoes.
- Shrimp Saganaki – one-pan Greek shrimp dish with feta, olives, and tomatoes.
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Shrimp Oreganata
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds (680g) colossal shrimp cleaned, shells removed, and deveined – size 12-15ct
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons (45g) extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 cup (180g) low sodium chicken stock
- 1/4 cup (60g) dry white wine
- 1 large lemon cut into wedges
- 6 tablespoons (84g) unsalted butter cubed
For the seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup (33g) breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoons (45g) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon (15g) lemon juice
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons (16g) grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- 2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf Italian parsley
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
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Instructions
For the seasoned breadcrumbs
- In a large pan saute the garlic in the extra virgin olive oil over medium-low heat for 2 minutes or until fragrant. Add all of the remaining breadcrumb ingredients and mix well. Turn off the heat and set aside.
For the shrimp
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Set a rack in the middle and the other rack near the top of the oven.
- Pat the shrimp very dry then season with salt and pepper to taste.
- In an oven safe baking dish or large pan arrange shrimp with tails pointing up. Distribute the breadcrumbs on top of the shrimp.
- Pour the wine and chicken stock around the shrimp. Sprinkle the cubed butter all over the shrimp and into the sauce. Drizzle 1-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil all over the breadcrumbs.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until the shrimp are cooked through.
- After ten minutes, move the baking dish to the top rack and broil for 1-2 more minutes or until nice and brown. Remove shrimp from the oven and plate with lemon wedges. Spoon the sauce onto plates and serve with crusty bread to mop up all of the butter sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
- The recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.
- The sauce in the center can be loosened up before serving with a couple of ounces of water or chicken stock if needed.
- The shrimp used in this recipe are 12-15ct which means 12-15 per pound. Cooking time will be up to a few minutes less if using smaller shrimp.
- Leftovers can be saved in the fridge for up to 3 days and can be reheated in the microwave, though this dish is best eaten right away.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This recipe was originally published on December 17, 2018. It was completely updated on December 13, 2022.
Made this for dinner tonight. It is amazing!! Highly recommend ❤️❤️❤️!
So happy you enjoyed, Kelli!
This was the most amazing shrimp recipe I’ve ever made. I used giant shrimp… 7 to the pound. I used the cooking time in the recipe and it was perfect. I reduce the amount of butter in the sauce to 4 tablespoons, just because it looked like enough. The amount served two of us with 2 shrimp left over. I heated the leftovers in the oven instead of the microwave because I wanted the breadcrumbs to be crispy. Equally fantastic as the first feed.
Hi Lenore, we are thrilled you enjoyed the shrimp and appreciate your comment!
GARLIC?????
Hi Elizabeth, I don’t understand your question. If you’re asking if there is garlic in the recipe, yes, there are 6 cloves of garlic, minced (see the ingredient list for the seasoned breadcrumbs).
I made this for dinner last night. It is absolutely delicious!! I cut the recipe in half since it was only two of us eating, but it worked out great. I LOVE THIS WEBSITE and all the recipes I’ve watched on You Tube. I am an Italian American and appreciate all these recipes!!
We’re so happy you enjoyed the recipe, Christine!
This is awesome!! I love everything you share!! Looking forward to Spring and Summer ideas to prepare this year!!! Brunch ideas would help. Live on the lake and everyone loves to eat brunch and late dinner. Once again , thank you for sharing your amazing recipes!
Hi Linda, we’re so happy you enjoyed this recipe! We have a breakfast and brunch category here on the website and will be sending an email shortly before Easter with our favorite brunch ideas as well.
I just made this for dinner- arguably the BEST shrimp dish I have ever made! I paired it with tri-color rotini with left over lemon juice, olive oil and fresh parsley. I might have added an extra clove of garlic, but I will be licking my chops for days to come!!!!
We’re so happy you enjoyed, Diane!
Can I use cooked frozen shrimp? Thanks
Hi Sandra, you can although the recipe will be much better with shrimp that are not previously cooked.
This perfect “10” dish is a keeper!!!
The flavors really compliment the shrimp and makes a delicious sauce!
Thank you James & Tara for another AWESOME recipe!!!
We’re so happy to hear that, Maryann!
Help !! Im hosting a party this weekend and would like to know how far in advance i can prepare the shrimp oraganata
Shrimp doesn’t reheat well. You could make it a few hours before and tent with foil, then gently heat it back up covered for a few minutes before serving.
So delicious I served it over angel hair pasta. It was outstanding.
Love to hear that, Marlene!
A winner for sure! Made this last night and it rivaled any restaurant! Thanks James and Tara! I miss your podcast !
We’re so happy you enjoyed, Stephanie! Sorry you’re missing the podcast!
Absolutely delicious! Served over polenta with roasted tomatoes garlic spinach and parm! Add some wine and a perfect meal!
We’re so happy you enjoyed!
Recently made this recipe, exactly as written, and it is great. Shrimp which were not consumed at dinner made a good breakfast the next day. Next time I make it I think I will reduce the amount of breadcrumbs so the delicious sauce is more liquid – it was definitely made to be absorbed by a piece of hot, crusty garlic bread.
We’re so happy you enjoyed, Franklin!
Just made your Shrimp Oreganata this evening. Absolutely delicious. So happy there was plenty of sauce to dip the crusty bread in!
So happy you enjoyed, Helen!
This is the kinda food we’ll all be eating in heaven one day!!!!
Delicious! New family favorite.
We’re so happy you enjoyed, Molly!
Super tasty sauce and breadcrumbs make this dish, good amount of sauce too. Makes the fish extra moist. I used filet of seabass, totaling 2 lbs, so I increased some measurements to cover the surface area of fish. My only complaint was that the ingredients were sometimes in wrong order, they should be listed in order that they are used following the prep and cooking instructions. So I had to rewrite it so it was better organized, as I would like to make this again. I would make this again with shrimp and clams. Great make-ahead company dish. I used Sicilian dried oregano on branches, makes a big flavor difference rather than using supermarket oregano in a plastic container. As the video states, use the amount of garlic you like, and I like a lot. I even made the mistake of grating the garlic directly into breadcrumbs, w/o sautéing it first, and it was fine. Try this one. DELISH. I am a Brooklyn-born, Italian/Long Island girl, too, clamming here in summer is a given. Thanks for an excellent oreganata recipe.
We’re happy you enjoyed this one, Jovanna!
I sure did enjoy it! Am looking forward to trying it with lobster and clams too, yum. I just recently found you and your recipes online, and I am so happy I did. You present recipes so clearly, with many good tips–clearly you also enjoy the recipes that you make for us, it comes through! I’ll be looking forward to many more recipes to come.
Thanks for the feedback, Jovanna!