Shrimp Saganaki (Greek Shrimp with Tomatoes & Feta)

Shrimp Saganaki – Now we are talking some serious flavors in this Greek favorite. Some incredible flavor combo happens when you cook plump shrimp in a garlicky savory tomato sauce and finish it off with salty feta. Saganaki is something you will see in every little Greek taverna, and it brings joy to everyone’s faces when it comes to the table.

Now you can do the same in your very own home. People are going to be amazed when you take this sizzling skillet right to the table. Jumbo sized shrimp all covered in a little melty feta, sprinkled with fresh parsley and a dash of extra virgin olive oil. All sizzling… all inviting!

If you’re looking for some one skillet shrimp recipe that is jam packed with flavors and super easy to whip up, try these amazing Greek flavors for a very special meal. This is the dish to serve if you’re having some Mediterranean themed get together.

This is a great dish to be a part of a spread of mezedes with plenty of pita breads, tzatziki, hummus, olives and some freshly chopped veggies and cheeses. Whatever the occasion, I promise you are going to come back to this again and again.

What is Shrimp Saganaki?

Locally known as “Garides Saganaki”, this is one shrimp dish you will find all over Greece. Mostly served as an appetizer along with crusty bread to mop up the sauce, it’s a great main too. Saganaki is named after the pan in which various small appetizer dishes are prepared.

Saganaki is a small, heavy bottomed frying pan, usually two handled for easy handling. There are various popular saganaki dishes like cheese saganaki, which is basically fambe cheese pan seared first and then flamed before it arrives sizzling to your table.

There is mussel saganaki, and of course there is this shrimp sagankai. Here the shrimp is cooked in thick tomato sauce along with their beloved feta and typically served straight right from skillet, aka saganaki to the table.

There are many versions and methods to cook saganaki. Some cooked are right on stove top, and some are to finished it off by broiling in the oven. Traditionally, this dish has a good dose of the Greek drink Ouzo (it’s anis flavored drink, very popular locally). In its absence, we used white wine. Whichever way you choose to make you saganaki, you are in for an awesome tasting shrimp meal.

This is what you need to get Shrimp Saganaki started

• Shrimp – We suggest using jumbo sized or colossal shrimp for this special dish. You can either use fresh or frozen. We kept the tails intact. Some people even prefer heads intact for added flavors.
• Olive oil and extra virgin oil oil
• Onion – Diced.
• Garlic
• Tomatoes – Using good quality canned tomatoes is common. You can use either diced or crushed. If you are lucky to have some fresh ripe, juicy garden tomatoes, feel free to use them instead of canned.
• Herbs and spices – Dried oregano, red chili flakes, black pepper, fresh parsley.
• Honey
• White wine
• Feta cheese

How to make Shrimp Saganaki

Start by seasoning your cleaned shrimp with olive oil, finely chopped garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl. Toss well and set aside.

In a skillet or pan, heat up olive oil on medium high heat and sauté the onions for 5-6 minutes until they start turning golden brown. Add in sliced garlic along with red chili flakes and oregano and sauté for a minute. Add in white wine, deglaze the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add in tomatoes along with honey and parsley. Stir well and cook for 15 minutes to develop a thick sauce. Taste and adjust any seasoning to your liking.

Add in shrimp. Combine well with the sauce. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.

Sprinkle feta all over the dish.

You can finish the dish two ways. Continue cooking on stovetop for 5-6 minutes with the cover on till the cheese gets soft and kinda melty and the shrimp is cooked through. Or, like us, after adding the feta cheese, broil it in preheated oven on high for 5 minutes.

The feta wont be completely melted, but soft and mushy so you can smoosh it around while enjoying it with some crusty bread. Garnish it with some more fresh parsley. You can add a drizzle of extra virgin oil all over for added Mediterranean flavors. Take this sizzling skillet straight from oven to the table and serve it as an appetizer or main meal.

What to serve Shrimp Saganaki with

1. Our first choice to serve with this Greek Shrimp drenched in tomatoes and feta is warm crusty bread. Try some artisan style bread like my no knead bread. It’s excellent and so easy to make. You can try any sourdough or French baguette, too.
2. Serving it along with warm pitas is another great option.
3. Serve it over a bed or orzo or any of your favorite pastas.
4. Other non traditional options that we think would be excellent with this dish is grits or polenta or even rice.
5. If you happen to lay your hands on Ouzo, that beloved anis flavored aperitif, save a few shots to go along with this Greek classic.

Some Variations

1. While cooking the onions, you can add a little anis seeds for a little different flavor.
2. Adding Kalamata olives to the sauce will enhance the Mediterranean flavors.

How to store leftovers

Chances are, this dish is going to get polished off in one sitting. But in case you make a giant batch, the shrimp would be great refrigerated for the next day. Keep it in an air tight container. We don’t recommend freezing seafood and prefer to make it fresh every time the craving hits.

Bring these Mediterranean flavors in your life. They go so great with seafood. One of our favorites is Psari Plaki, a Greek fish dish you absolutely have to try!

Mixing cheese with seafood isn’t very common, but somehow it works just prefect. Something magic happens with salty, tangy and savory feta goes with shrimp.

Try this Shrimp Saganaki on some great weekend and share the love of GypsyPlate all over your social media platforms. Dishes like saganaki need to get viral, so many many people can enjoy these great unique flavors from all over the world.

Shrimp Saganaki, on my Gypsy Plate… enjoy!

Try these other great shrimp dishes from around the world!
Cajun Shrimp and Grits
Spanish Garlic Shrimp
Hunan Shrimp
Shrimp Remoulade
Pesto Shrimp and Grits
Shrimp de Jonghe
Cajun Shrimp Scampi
Shrimp Tacos with Mango Salsa