This shrimp saganaki bake with feta cheese (garides saganaki) is a traditional Greek appetizer served at every little taverna in Greece. Those who have travelled to Greece know that is hard to pass up this savory appetizer, typically served straight from the skillet it was cooked in with plenty of crusty bread to sop up the delicious tomato sauce.
What is Saganaki
Saganaki refers to the kind of heavy-bottomed skillet in which this dish is cooked, usually one with two handles for easy carrying. Most people are more familiar with the more common cheese saganaki, the pan-seared melting cheese prepared in the same kind of skillet and then flamed before it arrives, sizzling, to your table.
How to make it
The preparation of this one-pan Greek appetizer could not be easier: the shrimp are added to the same skillet in which the savory tomato sauce is cooked, it is then topped with crumbled feta cheese and finished in the oven. The balance of flavors of this dish is truly incredible; if you can use fresh, sweet, ripe summer tomatoes, the flavor will be even better. If fresh tomatoes are not available, good quality canned ones are an acceptable substitute for year-’round enjoyment of this dish.
Why Greek Feta is a must!
The one ingredient that you should not substitute for in this dish, is the cheese: Greek feta is a must! Traditionally made from sheep’s milk, Greek Feta has a rich and tangy flavor and a wonderful creamy and crumbly texture. It stays fresh for months in the refrigerator; all you have to do is keep it in its brine in the container.
How to Serve it
You can serve the Greek shrimp Saganaki as an appetizer, or, as part of a spread of mezedes in small portions. A favorite way to serve this dish in Greece, is over cooked orzo pasta, for a very satisfying main course. It would also go well with steamy rice or creamy mashed potatoes. Enjoy it with some crusty bread, and maybe a few shots of ouzo too!
- 4 TBSP. olive oil
- ½ med. onion, finely chopped
- 3 med. cloves of garlic, minced
- 3 med. very ripe, fresh tomatoes, seeded & chopped
- ¾ tsp. sea salt
- ¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper (or more)
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 2 TBSP. tomato paste
- 3 TBSP. flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 lb. large raw shrimp, tails on, shelled & deveined (about 30 shrimp/lb.)
- 3-4 oz. Greek feta cheese, crumbled (this comes to about ¾ of a cup)
- Preheat oven to 400˚F.
- Heat an ovenproof skillet, (cast iron pan would work great here) over medium heat. Add the olive oil and then stir in the onion. Cook for about 4 minutes and then add the garlic and cook for another minute or so, until the garlic is soft. Next, stir in the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and cook for another 5 minutes, crushing them with the back of a wooden spoon. Stir in the wine and tomato paste (if using--see note) and cook for 5 minutes more, until sauce is reduced and the alcohol has evaporated. Add the shrimp and the parsley and continue to cook, stirring from time to time, until the shrimp just begins to turn pink, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- If you do not use an ovenproof skillet, transfer the mixture to a casserole dish and crumble the Feta cheese over the top. Place in the hot oven on the medium rack. Bake until the cheese has melted and the sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Serve with plenty of crusty bread to sop up the sauce!
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The Easy Greek Shrimp Saganaki with Feta Cheese (Γαριδες Γιουβετσι) is one of my all time favorite recipes. The whole family loves it.
So glad to know that the whole family loves it Deborah! It is such an easy recipe too, and I often serve it with orzo. Dinner in thirty minutes! ?
Wow this was incredible. We loved it. Any chance you know the nutritional facts on it?
I am so glad you liked my recipe! I am sorry but I don’t have the nutritional facts.
Hello. I recently visited Greece and loved both the country and the shrimp saganaki. Your recipe seems fabulous. Is there any way to make it ahead?
Thanks so much!
Hi Barb,
Yes, you can make it ahead of time and gently heat it up again…… However, it is such a quick recipe to make any time – it won’t take time at all!
I think your recipe title is not correct Greek. Rather than the word ΓΙΟΥΒΕΤΣΙ (youvetsi), I think you want σαγανάκι (saganaki). See definitions of both words in Wikipedia.
Thank you for your comment, but, “γαρίδες γιουβέτσι” is precisely what this dish is called in Greek. “Youvetsi“, in the Greek language, refers to a whole category of oven-baked, tomato-based dishes, and this is one of them. “Saganaki” on the other hand, simply refers to dishes prepared in a small frying pan. This is one of my favorite dishes I had growing up in Greece and one that I make all the time!
One of my favorite summer dishes! I might just make it for dinner tonight, too. 5 stars!
Thank you very much! I really appreciate your feedback!
Marilena,
This is one of those star recipes that should be in everyone’s repertoire! It is so delicious and really very easy. From the first time I tasted it at your house, I knew that it would be a ‘go to’ appetizer –or main,, for that matter–for me and our family. Thank you for sharing this gem and for making it accessible to everyone!
xxxx Ratatouille
Your comment makes me so happy, Dianne – thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts! This recipe is so easy to make, really foolproof and the most delicious way to enjoy shrimp! Each time I make it, I am transported back to Greece!
This was my favorite thing to eat when we were in Greece. We had it with octopus too. Love it! Can you use Ouzo instead of wine or in addition to? Thank you for your recipes!
Absolutely, you can, it will give it a very nice flavor! Thank you for your comment, Melissa.
Wow just absolutely delicious! My hubby turned his nose up.at the onions and tomatoes, but the smell after coming out of the oven gave him incentive to try it. Well he’s on his 3rd helping! Thank you for an amazing recipe we will definitely be having often.
So happy to know that you and your husband liked this dish so much, especially since he doesn’t care for onions and tomatoes:) It is such a simple and comforting Greek dish, for sure. This recipe is one of the most popular recipes on my blog!
I made this tonight for my husband’s birthday, simply because it sounded good. We had no idea what to expect. Well, it was a huge win! Easy to make, quick to prepare, and absolutely delicious. I followed your recipe exactly and it turned out perfect. I know this will become a go-to recipe for us. Thank you!
Thank you for your comment, Becky. I am so glad you tried my recipe and you liked it so much! It is a family favorite and my whole family loves it too!
This was so delicious I could lick my plate. I made it just now and doubled recipe. I did use ouzo instead of the wine, as I had it open, on hand. Also used San Marzano tomatoes as a substitute for the fresh tomatoes. My 12-year-old son devoured it. I know my husband and older son will love it, too. Fingers crossed on the daughter. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much Lisa for sharing this! I am so happy to know that you had success with this recipe – it is really such a delicious and easy meal and everybody loves it!
This was an amazing dish! I added fresh rosemary, a little dried thyme, oregano and dried fennel. My aunt who only eats 1 serving of anything jumped up to get seconds. Thank you for this fabulously delicious yet simple recipe!
That’s great! So glad you all liked this recipe, it is so good, especially at this time of the year!
My sweet guy is Greek. I love to surprise him with Greek dishes and this one was a huge hit! He kept going after more. Actually, I did too! Cant wait to try more recipes from your website.
Thank you very much for your comment, Abbie! I am so glad to know that you liked this dish and that you plan to cook more recipes from my site!
Tried this recipe for the first time at home and absolutely loved it. Perfect recipe, easy to follow and very simple. The only edit i made was to add 2 or 3 more cloves of garlic. But it was so so so good.
That’s great, Nadia! Thank you for sharing this, I am so glad you loved this favorite recipe!
So delicious! Can’t wait for lunch leftovers. Live in Florida and didn’t put it in the oven, just covered TBE pan to melt the feta.
Thank you so much for sharing this, Marie! So happy to know you liked this favorite recipe!
Hi Marilena,
I went to Greece with my daughter in 2018 and after travelling from Australia for over 30hours our first meal on arrival in Athens was Prawn Saganaki. To this day it was a meal highlight and an amazing memory. I have tried a couple of recipes and yours is by far the best!! I do have one question, I’m certain the saganaki in Athens had prawns which were coated in the feta and fried before adding to the dish. Have you heard of or cooked saganaki this way or is my memory incorrect?
Hi Kerry, thank you for your kind note!
The prawns are typically sautéed briefly in a skillet, before they are topped with the feta and then briefly baked, until the feta is melted! Depending on the amount of feta you add, they might look like “coated” with feta when they come out of the oven:)
I hope this helps!
What size can of tomatoes should I use if fresh tomatoes are not available?
Hi Ann,
As you will notice in the notes of the recipe, I substitute fresh tomatoes with one cup canned crushed plum tomatoes! I hope this helps 🙂
Wondering what I can substitute the wine for that’s non-alcoholic? Thanks!
Hi Kathryn, the alcohol of the wine will evaporate during cooking, but if you prefer not to use it, just add some water instead!
Love this Greek Saganaki!!
Can you suggest a salad to go alongside?
Would a Greek salad be too much of the same thing?
What type of bread wold go well?
Hi Jan, so glad you like the Greek saganaki! Any green salad would go very well with this dish. The Greek salad is a classic and you can’t go wrong serving that!