This combination of spicy tomato, fresh oregano, succulent shrimp all topped with creamy salty feta is irresistible!
I love Greek food! The dishes are always packed full of flavor that is so fresh and satisfying.
Tonight I’m cooking up one of our all time favorite dinners. Every time I serve this, my better half comments after just about every bite.
“Man! That is so good!”
“Gees, this is awesome!”
“Man! MMM!”
He can’t help himself because it really is that tasty!
My quick and simple version of Shrimp Saganaki is so surprisingly easy to cook that I usually feel like I’ve left something out as I’m making it. The flavor is so complex for such uncomplicated ingredients.
Saganaki is a traditional Greek preparation named after the two handled heavy bottom skillet in which it’s prepared. It is best served straight from the pan. I have cooked this in my oven proof skillet and my dutch oven pot. I also like to transfer the dish to smaller baking ramekins for another experience. Whatever way you choose, just make sure you use something that can go from oven to table to get the best experience.
I start by sautéing my onion in some olive oil. I then add a heaping mound of fresh chopped garlic. Oh yeah!
And because we like it hot, I add in a teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
After this sautés for a few minutes, I toss in some fresh chopped juicy tomatoes. 
I prefer the texture and combo of fresh chopped tomatoes with canned tomatoes. I’m using two cans of my fave…the Sweet Onion flavored tomatoes that Hunts makes. If you can’t find these, just use a can of regular diced tomatoes and try a pinch of sugar.
I give them a chance to sweat a bit and then I do this.
I like to give those tomatoes a little squeeze in the pan to release more juices and to soften them a bit more.
Now it is time to add in all that wonderful aromatic fresh chopped oregano! I love love love it!
I’m going to allow this to simmer for a few minutes and come together.
Then it is time to start the party in the pot! Ouzo!
Ouzo is a Greek anise flavored liqueur that elevates this dish to something extraordinary! It is full of lip-smacking flavors and gives quite a taste punch. Pow! (But it will mellow out in the dish so don’t be too concerned.)
Ouzo. Is. Awesome.
Once it is added to the dish, I let it simmer and allow the sauce to thicken. It smells so good in the kitchen and we are all getting excited!!
Now it is time to toss in the raw peeled shrimp. Be sure to leave those tails on because they add a lot of flavor to the sauce. I want to stir and combine the shrimp with the tomatoes until they become opaque, but not overcooked.
Time to pop the pan in the oven or transfer to a baking dish. I am using small personal baking dishes tonight that I got at TJ Maxx. I spotted these and thought they would be a perfect little imitation of the two-handle saganaki.
The dish is topped with feta and ready to broil in the oven until the sauce is bubbling and the feta is melted and beginning to brown.
With a little fresh parsley garnish, this hot, bubbly, melty, delectable meal is ready to feast on!
Crusty bread is not an option here. Trust me. Every last bit of the spicy savory sauce and that briny creamy feta cheese should be sopped and mopped up with fresh warm bread!
We are doing a happy dance!
The only way this dish could get any better is if I was enjoying it on a tranquil Greek isle listening to the waves crash while soaking up some rays. One can only dream, I suppose.
What is your favorite baked dish?
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 sweet onion finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes adjust to heat preference
- 2 cups fresh tomatoes chopped
- 2 cans Hunts Sweet Onion Diced tomatoes 14.5 ounce can
- 1 tbsp fresh oregano finely chopped
- 1/4 cup ouzo
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 lbs fresh shrimp peeled and deveined with the tails left on (I used jumbo shrimp)
- crumbled feta desired amount
- 1 handful parsley roughly chopped
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Heat the oil in an oven proof pan or dutch oven at medium-high heat.
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Add the onion and saute until soft, about 5 minutes.
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Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute for 2-3 more minutes.
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Add the fresh tomatoes. Stir to combine and let simmer for 5 minutes to release some of the juices.
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Add the 2 cans of diced tomatoes and stir again to combine.
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Using a potato smasher, give the tomatoes a light smash in the pan to soften even more.
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Add the oregano and stir. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
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Pour in the ouzo, and continue to simmer until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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Add the shrimp. Stir occasionally until the shrimp is just turning opaque but not overcooked.
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Leave in oven proof pan or transfer to a baking dish and top with the feta cheese.
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Broil in the oven until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is beginning to melt and brown.
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Remove and top with fresh chopped parsley.
Leaving the tails on the shrimp adds to the flavor of the sauce.
Use crispy bread to dip in the sauce.
If you love the flavor of the ouzo, you can add another splash or two. We do!
Making it right now. No Ouzo so am using anise seeds.
We arrived back home from Greece yesterday. Fell in love with shrimps saganaki. Today I found your recipe and I had to try it immediately. I fell in love again. It was so yummy ❤️ Thank you for sharing this!
You made my day! So thrilled you enjoyed it! This is one of our favorite dishes and it always surprises me how easy it is to make. Thanks so much for trying it!
I’ve never had something like this! It looks SO delicious!
looks really good. I need to try it!
I can literally smell the sauce in my head. This looks amazing. I feel like people are so wary of shrimp or any seafood and cheese but like what could be wrong about that since both ingredients are amazing in and of themselves?!
I’m with you, Stephanie!
Oh yum this dish looks so yummy. I’ve never tried Saganki before but love greek food so would love to try! Thanks for the recipe.
You’ll love this!
This sounds amazing!!! I love shrimp paired with a spicy tomato sauce.
Oh my goodness!! That looks so good!
This looks amazing! Perfect for a date night in 🙂
Yes! My husband and I often share it in a big pot and some warm bread.
Oh my gosh yum! This looks incredible!
It really is! Hope you’ll try it sometime.
Why am I reading this early in the morning?! I love shrimp! THanks for the step by step pics. really helpful.
My mouth is actually watering too. lol
Greek food is my fav! This looks so good and perfect for dinner. We’ve been stuck in a dinner rut so I’m looking for different recipes and tastes.
This is awesome! I’ve made it for friends and everyone always loves it. And it is so easy to make.
Yum this looks amazing and my family would love it.
Thank you!
This was my dinner tonight! Outstanding!!
Wow! So happy to hear this! Thank you!
I’ve never had Greek before but this dish looks yummy so it may be time to add this or similar into my meal plan. Thanks for the inspiration.
You’re welcome, Karen! I hope you love it like we do!
So I’ve never had Greek before but seeing the shrimp in that tomato sauce is just tingling my fantasies. I screen shot this to try hopefully soon. I know I’ll love it.
Great! I hope you enjoy it!
This looks so yum with the fresh ingredients! I need that utensil you used for pressing the tomatoes in the pot!
Thank you, Natasha! My good ol’ fashioned potato smasher-works everytime!
Wow, that look delicious!! This would be a great one to try!!
Thanks, Jessica! I hope you do try it and you love it as much as we do!
My hubby and I are big lovers of good Greek food! There’s a little community near us that serves authentic Greek food and we drive down them to get our fill of gyros, kebabs and baklavas! This recipe looks so delicious and that liquer is interesting addition! I’ll definitely let the hubby recreate this,
Mae | http://www.thegospelofbeauty.org
That community sounds wonderful! I love Greek food so finding authentic nearby would be amazing! I hope you and your hubby try this and love it!
This look so delicious! I’ve never cooked with ouzo before but I’d love to try this recipe!
Thanks, Danasia! The ouzo in this dish is outstanding!
Thanks for the stepwise recipe. Looks tempting. I’ll look for its vegetarian alternative. 😉
I made this for a friend and left out the shrimp. She was just as happy to enjoy it that way!
Ohmygoodness, it is NOT often I find a recipe I can actually eat and enjoy but I am salivating over here. When I got to the end I thought shes gonna put a ton of cheese on it and totally ruin it for me but you put feta (and I can sub with goats cheese, its all good). I love shrimp and cooked tomotoes and now I am so hungry 😀 I’d probably eat that entire dish you made :O
Anita, I feel the same way about shrimp and tomatoes! The bubbly feta on this was out of this world but I would also love goat cheese on it too. I hope you enjoy it!
What a nice found. The dish looks delicious. I love shrimp so it will be on my “to-try” list.
Thanks, Lorna! I hope you enjoy…don’t forget the crusty bread!
Thanks for the reminder. Do you also have a good recipe for crusty bread that I can follow? Sorry for asking for so much–I am not that good at baking.
I don’t make my own bread but I do prefer an olive oil based ciabatta bread grilled up on a pan. I’m not too picky though as long as it is a fresh baked loaf from the store.
I’ve never had this before, I can’t wait to try it!!
I hope you love it as much as we do!
Ouzo is so strong! It must taste fabulous in the sauce.
It is wonderful in this sauce! Just the right touch without being overwhelming.
This looks sooooo yummy!
Thanks, Abi!
We really enjoyed this too! We ate all of the shrimp but couldn’t finish the saucy tomatoes and feta so we used the leftovers the next morning on our avocado toast. So. Good. What kind of bread did you use for dipping? I’m obsessed with sourdough right now so we tried it with that.
Happy to hear you liked it! You can’t go wrong with sourdough! That is usually Bill’s first choice but I’m pretty thrilled with just about any warm, crusty bread for dipping. For another kick of Greek flavor, I also love using a good Olive Bread with this dish! It is such a treat!
Love this tasty dish! Thanks so much for introducing it to me!
Thank you, friend! Glad you liked it! OPA!