Feta Shrimp Skillet

Whether recalling memories of a Greek island getaway or planning a Mediterranean adventure, a feta shrimp skillet adds flavor to your daydreams. This vacation recipe starts with onion, garlic, oregano and juicy tomatoes, which provide a classic regional flavor base. If you like, let them simmer in white wine before adding briny shrimp, fresh parsley, and salty feta.

The slightly acidic sauce poaches jumbo shrimp evenly, so you can feel confident that you’ve fully cooked the raw shellfish without overdoing it. The feta and tomato contrast and support each other, yet neither smothers the taste of the shrimp. Serve this shrimp feta recipe as an appetizer or as a one-dish skillet meal on a busy night, with slices of crusty bread to mop up the sauce.

Feta Shrimp Skillet Ingredients

• Olive oil: You need a smidge of olive oil to cook the vegetables.
• Onion and garlic: For the most flavor, saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until they turn golden; they’ll continue to soften but won’t caramelize once you add the tomatoes. Yellow onion holds up well to the medium-high heat, but other types of onions also soften easily.
• Seasoning: Dried oregano, salt and pepper deepen the flavor of this sauce. Oregano is one of several types of herbs used heavily in Mediterranean cooking; it gives the tomato sauce an earthy savoriness.
• Diced tomatoes: When you add the chopped tomatoes, pour in all the juices. The sauce may look watery and thin initially, but those juices will thicken quickly and give the mixture a richer flavor. Even though shrimp with feta has a Greek flair, seek out the best San Marzano tomatoes, whether grown in Italy or canned in that style, and dice them for the freshest-tasting sauce.
• White wine: A few tablespoons of white wine give the sauce complexity. When you cook with wine, some alcohol remains, so skip it if you wish or substitute 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar.
• Shrimp: Raw shrimp are a must here; it’s the only way to infuse them fully with the tomato-and-herb sauce. Jumbo shrimp (16-20 per pound) show off the simple elegance of this shrimp feta recipe and cook most evenly when simmered in the sauce. If you use a smaller size, check them often and take the pan off the heat as soon as the shrimp turn opaque pink and curl into a C shape.
• Fresh parsley: Fresh parsley gives the brilliant red sauce a burst of color. The green leaves turn yellow and wilt as they age, so store parsley in a glass of water to keep it looking fresh.
• Feta cheese: Feta softens when heated but doesn’t melt completely, leaving tangy bursts in the sauce. A block of feta you crumble yourself softens better than a container of crumbled cheese, which usually has an anti-caking agent. For the most traditional flavor, buy Greek sheep’s milk feta from a specialty market or cheesemonger.

Directions

Step 1: Saute the aromatics

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for four to six minutes or until it’s tender. Add the garlic, oregano, pepper and salt and cook for one minute longer.

Step 2: Make the sauce

Stir in the tomatoes with their juices and, if desired, the white wine. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for five to seven minutes or until the sauce is slightly thickened.

Step 3: Cook the shrimp

Add the shrimp and the parsley. Cook for five to six minutes or until the shrimp turn pink, stirring occasionally.

Step 4: Sprinkle with cheese

Remove the pan from the heat and sprinkle the saucy shrimp with the feta cheese. Cover and let the mixture stand until the cheese has softened.

ELLIE CROWLEY FOR TASTE OF HOME

Feta Shrimp Skillet Variations

• Make it bolder: Double down on the garlic, or increase the spiciness with extra coarsely ground black pepper or a pinch of chili flakes. Brined kalamata olives and capers (the pickled unripened flower buds of the caper bush), add zing. Let minced anchovies dissolve into the oil and use red pepper flakes to spice it up in the style of puttanesca, a type of pasta sauce everyone needs to know.
• Mellow the sauce: Coarsely chop regular spinach (rather than baby spinach) and stir it in with the shrimp so it practically dissolves into the sauce. Balance the bite of the tomatoes with chopped asparagus or summer squash. Feta cheeses made from goat’s milk or cow’s milk taste milder than sheep’s milk versions, and French feta is often creamier than Greek feta.
• Make it the topping: Serve shrimp with feta as a pasta sauce over tiny orzo, larger gemelli or long bucatini. For a lower-carb base, use zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash. To make it gluten-free, serve it over creamy polenta sliced into squares and grilled. When serving this shrimp feta recipe with crusty bread, place a slice in the bottom of the bowl to soak up the tomato juices.

How to Store Feta Shrimp Skillet

Store the shrimp and sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If you plan on making it ahead, skip the feta until you’re ready to reheat and serve.

How long does feta shrimp skillet last?

Feta shrimp skillet lasts up to four days, but you risk overcooking the shrimp if you save and reheat it. For the best shrimp texture, follow the first two steps of the recipe to make the sauce, and then set aside what you don’t plan to eat before continuing with an appropriately downsized version of the recipe. When you reheat the tomato sauce, thaw and peel the rest of the raw shrimp to cook as it simmers.

How do you reheat shrimp and feta?

Reheat this feta shrimp skillet on the stovetop over medium-low heat. Stir and check the shrimp often to keep them from becoming chewy. If you packed away the leftover sauce without the shrimp, bump the heat to medium-high and add the shellfish once it simmers. Sprinkle extra fresh parsley and crumbled feta over the dish to refresh its appearance.

Feta Shrimp Skillet Tips

ELLIE CROWLEY FOR TASTE OF HOME

What’s the best way to clean and devein shrimp?

Frozen shell-on shrimp usually comes with the head and legs removed. If you splurged on live jumbo shrimp to toss with the tomatoes and feta, clean the shrimp by twisting off their heads and legs, then decide whether to remove the rest of the shell. You don’t have to; cooking shrimp in their shells adds flavor, but means messier fingers at the table. Whenever you clean them, peel back the body shell from head to tail while gripping the meat with the fingers of your opposite hand and wiggling it free. Dislodge the vein, a dark line down the backside of the shrimp, with your fingertips or a paring knife.

What kind of white wine should you use for this recipe?

Choose a fruity, unoaked chardonnay to counterbalance the acidity of the tomatoes and highlight the sweet shrimp. If you like the slightly sharp taste of tomato and feta, bring it out further with a dry sauvignon blanc. A crisp but neutral pinot grigio complements all of the ingredients. Avoid cooking wine, which has its place in some dishes but contains salt, sweeteners and preservatives.

What should you serve with shrimp with feta?

Serve shrimp with feta as a topper for angel hair pasta or brown rice, and add vegetable side dishes. Mediterranean salad complements the shrimp feta recipe with torn romaine and olive halves. Fresh green bean salad does the same with its raw cherry tomatoes and another handful of feta. Or serve it alongside roasted artichokes with lemon aioli.