Prawn saganaki is a popular Greek dish my version features large shelled shrimp cooked in tinned cherry tomatoes & finished with feta cheese.
This quick and easy recipe will come together in well under 30 minutes, and it is superb served with a big hunk of bread.
Greek-Inspired Shrimp Saganaki
I've been on a bit of a Greek-inspired run in recent months with dishes like chicken souvlaki, youvetsi, kokkinisto and Greek lamb chops all making debuts on my site.
My latest offering is some delicious and stupidly quick and easy saganaki prawns in a cherry tomato sauce topped with feta cheese.
That tomato sauce gets a little bit of spice from chipotle chilli flakes, oregano and smoked paprika.
Just like many tomato sauces, a dash of sweetness and acidity also helps out. In this case, that means a little bit of sugar and red wine vinegar.
Saganaki is named after the pan that the dish traditionally cooks in, but I use a regular small frying pan and serve it in the middle of the table for my wife and me to fight over!
King prawns or shrimp have got be be right at the top of my favourite types of protein to cook for a quick meal.
This recipe takes about 20 minutes to prepare and cook, and the prawns take just 5 minutes of that time.
Delicious, easy and blisteringly quick to make, what's not to love?
Frequently Asked Questions
What size prawns do you use?
I think that you should go as big as you can with this recipe, and accordingly, I use size 8-12 prawns.
You could step down to size 12-20, and these will take around 45-60 seconds less time to cook.
Can I use frozen prawns?
Yes absolutely. They are the only prawns I use in all of my cooking, despite having a wonderful fishmonger a 20-minute walk from home.
Can I use regular tinned tomatoes?
Yes, but be sure to get good quality tomatoes because there is not a lot of hiding room in this very simple recipe.
Why do you use chipotle chilli flakes?
They add a wonderful but subtle smoky vibe to the tomato sauce, which mirrors that of the smoked paprika.
Can I omit the chilli altogether?
Yes, if spicy isn't your thing, feel free to skip the chilli flakes.
Can I make this in advance?
No, this recipe really does not reheat very well at all because the prawns become very tough. However, the dish cooks in just 15 minutes, so you are not saving a great deal of time.
Serving Suggestions
I've served my prawn saganaki with some crispy air-fried potato scallops, I love the combination of the salty, crispy spuds with the shrimp in tomato sauce.
You could get a similar vibe from everything from my air fryer chips to my crispy fried new potatoes.
I've also added a simple bitter leaf salad and more cherry tomatoes in a simple dressing.
However, this prawn saganaki recipe is just as good with a good hunk of bread. I'm not much of a baker and would usually pick up whatever looks good in the supermarket.
Although I have been known to serve this with some simple garlic baguette on occasion!
Equipment Used
I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/Stovetop.
- 25cm or 10" frying pan.
- Stirring and serving spoons.
- Sieve or colander (if you need to defrost the prawns).
- Kitchen knife.
- Chopping board.
- A combination of weighing scales and measuring spoons.
Prawn (Shrimp) Saganaki Recipe with Feta Cheese
Ingredients
- 12-14 Large King Prawns 350g
- 1 Medium Shallot 35g
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 400 g Tinned Cherry Tomatoes 14oz
- 1 tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Oregano
- ½ teaspoon Chipotle or Other Chilli Flakes
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ⅛ teaspoon Sugar
- ⅛ Black Pepper
- Handful Fresh Parsley
- 100 g Feta Cheese 1 Cup
Instructions
- If your prawns are frozen place them in a colander and run cold water over them for 5 minutes.
- Cut the shallot in half, peel it and then dice it as finely as you can.
- Peel and chop the garlic as finely as you can.
- Heat a 25cm or 10" frying pan over a medium high heat and add the olive oil.
- Toss in the garlic and shallots and soften for 60 seconds stirring constantly to stop them burning.
- Add the tinned tomatoes, red wine vinegar, paprika, oregano, chilli flakes, salt, sugar, black pepper and cook for 5-7 minutes or until the tomato sauce begins to thicken.
- Toss in the defrosted prawns and cook for 5 minutes tossing or stirring occasionally.
- Whilst the prawns are cooking, crumble the feta cheese and finely chop the parsley.
- When the prawns are cooked, remove the pan from the heat and finish them with the crumbled feta cheese and the chopped parsley. You can slide the pan under the grill to melt the feta if you wish, I prefer not to.
