Greek Shrimp Saganaki Recipe

shrimp saganaki with tomato sauce, feta, and Italian parsley in a black bowl.

5 from 1 vote

Shrimp saganaki is made with tender shrimp, tomato sauce, creamy feta cheese and fresh parsley. This simple one-pan recipe is a great option for an easy and comforting appetizer. Serve with rice, pasta or grilled vegetables for a more filling dinner idea!

Prep Time15

Cook Time40

Course: Greek Appetizers

Cuisine: Greek

Keyword: saganaki, shrimp, tomato sauce

Servings: servings

Calories: 300kcal

Author: Ria Mavrikos

Equipment

1 colander
1 large frying pan

Ingredients

1 pound fresh or frozen shrimp (peeled and deveined) medium or large shrimp (about 31-40 or 16-20 per bag)
3 tablespoons olive oil to sauté the onions and garlic
2 tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic finely diced
1/2 cup white onion peeled and diced
1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes optional
1/4 cup white wine
1 large can Italian whole peeled plum tomatoes San Marzano or Italissima (796 ml or 28 oz.)
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/4 cup warm water
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup finely diced parsley Fresh flat leaf Italian parsley

Instructions

Thaw and rinse the shrimp: Rinse the thawed shrimp really well with cold water using a colander or strainer. Cover the rinsed shrimp with saran wrap and set aside in the fridge until you can add them to the sauce.
Cook the tomato sauce: Heat up olive oil and butter in a large frying pan. Sauté the diced onion for a few minutes on medium heat until translucent, and then add in the diced garlic and chili flakes. Sauté for a few minutes and then pour in the white wine and cook over medium heat for a few minutes until reduced.
In a separate large bowl, pour in the can of tomatoes. Add the sugar and use your hands or a fork to crush the tomatoes together. Pour the tomatoes into the pan and cook together with the onions and garlic. Add the worcestershire sauce, seasoning salt, dried oregano, garlic powder, anchovy paste, and water. Simmer over medium-low heat, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes. The longer the sauce cooks, the sweeter and thicker it will become.
Add the shrimp to the sauce: Add the shrimp to the tomato sauce and continue to cook over gentle heat. Cook the shrimp for about 5-6 minutes, flipping halfway through or until the shrimp are opaque pink in colour.
Garnish: Once the shrimp is cooked, turn off the heat, remove the pan from the element and sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese and finely chopped parsley. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Stir to mix everything together. Enjoy with crusty bread, pita bread, pasta or grilled vegetables. Serve straight away and enjoy!

Notes

For best results, use fresh, medium or large-size shrimp or prawns. If you're using frozen shrimp, run the frozen shrimp under cold water to dethaw or place the frozen shrimp in your fridge to dethaw overnight. Rinse the shrimp really well with cold water before adding them to the pan with tomato sauce.
You can keep the tails on or remove them, but the shrimp should be peeled and deveined.
Make sure you have a large enough frying pan to hold the tomato sauce and the shrimp.
The shrimp should only need a few minutes to cook. If they're overcooked, they may turn rubbery. The amount of time it takes for shrimp to cook will depend on their size. Small to medium-sized prawns will cook in about 3-4 minutes, large prawns about 5-6 minutes, and jumbo prawns about 7-9 minutes.
Turn off the heat and remove the frying pan from the element once the shrimp are cooked and before adding in the fresh parsley and feta cheese. This will prevent the tomato sauce from curdling with the dairy.

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