This shrimp orzo is bright, buttery, and on the table in 30 minutes. The orzo is toasted in butter and cooked in broth until tender, then topped with juicy shrimp in a lemon garlic white wine sauce. It’s quick enough for a weeknight and pretty enough for guests, and the sauce is the kind you’ll want to mop up with crusty bread.

If you love this shrimp orzo, you will also love my shrimp saganaki, Greek shrimp spaghetti (garidomakaronada), and chicken youvetsi with orzo.

Close-up of seared shrimp over orzo with lemon garlic sauce, parsley, and lemon zest.

Overview

Why you’ll love this shrimp orzo

Ready in 30 minutes. The shrimp cook in a few minutes while the orzo simmers.
A real pan sauce, not a cream sauce. Brown butter, white wine, lemon, and garlic. Nutty and bright, with nothing heavy.
Toasted orzo. Toasting the orzo in butter before adding broth gives it a nutty depth plain boiled orzo doesn’t have.
Made for bread. The sauce is the best part, so have crusty bread ready.
Easy to scale for guests. It looks impressive in a shallow bowl and needs only two pans.

What is orzo? (Kritharaki in Greek)

Orzo is a small, rice-shaped pasta made from wheat. In Greece we call it kritharaki (κριθαράκι), “little barley,” because of its shape — and it’s one of the most-used pastas in the Greek kitchen. It goes into baked dishes like youvetsi, into soups, and alongside seafood.

Shrimp and pasta are a natural pair in Greece, too. Island tavernas serve garidomakaronada, spaghetti with shrimp in tomato sauce, and shrimp saganaki is often served with orzo to catch the sauce. This lemon garlic version is lighter and brighter — the same love of shrimp and pasta, with lemon and wine in place of tomato.

Ingredients for shrimp orzo

Large shrimp. I used two kinds: extra jumbo royal red shrimp and jumbo white shrimp. Ask your fishmonger to peel and devein them for you. Frozen shrimp work well — thaw them overnight in the fridge and pat them dry.
Orzo pasta. Regular orzo. This dish also works with spaghetti.
Shallot. Or substitute a scallion or a small onion.
Garlic. I grate the cloves on a fine grater — quicker than mincing.
Dry white wine. Use a wine you’d drink, such as a Greek Assyrtiko or a Sauvignon Blanc. Substitute broth if you prefer no alcohol.
Stock. For cooking the orzo, vegetable or chicken. Or use water plus ½ teaspoon sea salt or a bouillon cube (go easy on the salt if you use bouillon).
Lemons. The juice and zest give the sauce its brightness.
Butter. Browned in the skillet for a nutty, velvety sauce. Salted or unsalted both work — see the recipe card notes.
Extra virgin olive oil. Just a tablespoon to marinate the shrimp.
Fresh parsley. For garnish and a fresh note.
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
Chili pepper flakes. Optional, for gentle heat.

Step by step

Raw shrimp marinating with olive oil, lemon zest, garlic, and red pepper flakes.

STEP 1. Marinate the shrimp. In a bowl, toss the shrimp with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, a pinch or two of red pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and 1 minced garlic clove. Set aside. (You can do this up to 1 hour ahead; keep it in the fridge.)

STEP 2. Toast and cook the orzo. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When it bubbles, add the orzo and stir often until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Stir in the broth, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until al dente, about 12 minutes.

STEP 3. Sear the shrimp. While the orzo cooks, heat a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add half the shrimp in one layer and cook undisturbed until they start turning pink, about 1 minute. Flip, cook 1 minute more, and transfer to a plate. Repeat with the rest. They’ll finish cooking in the sauce.

Brown butter foaming with garlic and shallot in a cast iron skillet.

STEP 4. Make the brown butter sauce. In the same skillet, melt the remaining 5 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Cook, swirling the pan, until it foams, turns golden brown, and smells nutty, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the shallot and remaining garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the wine, lemon juice, remaining zest, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and plenty of black pepper. Simmer until the sauce reduces by about half, 4 to 5 minutes.

Shrimp simmering in lemon garlic white wine sauce.

STEP 5. Finish the shrimp. Return the shrimp and any juices to the skillet and simmer just until the flesh is pearly and opaque throughout (145°F/63°C), 1 to 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt.

Shrimp in a skillet with lemon zest and garlic butter sauce.

STEP 6. Spoon the orzo into shallow bowls, top with the shrimp, and pour the sauce generously over everything. Finish with parsley and more lemon if you like. Serve right away, with crusty bread.

For more one-pan seafood dinners, see my Mediterranean diet dinner recipes.

Bowl of shrimp orzo finished with fresh lemon zest and parsley.

Tips for the best shrimp orzo

Pat the shrimp dry. Wet shrimp steam instead of searing.
Don’t crowd the pan. Searing in two batches keeps the skillet hot.
Pull the shrimp early. They go back into the sauce, so take them out while still slightly underdone.
Royal reds cook faster. Royal red shrimp are tender, sweet, and lobster-like, and they’re red even when raw — so color isn’t your cue. Watch for pearly, opaque flesh and give them a little less time.
Toast the orzo. Two minutes in butter makes a noticeable difference.
Watch the brown butter. Once it smells nutty and turns golden brown, add the shallot and garlic right away — they stop the browning. Dark brown or black butter tastes bitter.
Have the bread ready. Seriously.

Variations and substitutions

Spaghetti or linguine: cook according to the package and toss with the sauce. (For shrimp spaghetti in tomato sauce, see my garidomakaronada.)
Make it Greek-er: crumble feta over the top and swap the parsley for fresh dill.
Add greens: stir a couple of handfuls of baby spinach into the hot orzo before serving.
Less butter: replace half the butter in the sauce with extra virgin olive oil.
No wine: use broth plus an extra squeeze of lemon.

What to serve with shrimp orzo

Crusty bread or warm Greek pita for the sauce
A simple green salad or a Greek salad
Horta with olive oil and lemon
A glass of crisp white wine, the same one you cooked with

Storage and leftovers

Fridge: store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Reheat: warm gently in a skillet over low heat with a splash of broth or water, just until heated through. The shrimp toughen if reheated hard.
Freezing: not recommended — the shrimp turn rubbery and the orzo goes soft.

Crusty bread dipped in lemon garlic shrimp sauce with a fork.

Shrimp orzo FAQ

Yes. Thaw them overnight in the fridge (or in a colander under cold running water), then pat them very dry before marinating.

The flesh turns pearly and opaque throughout, and the shrimp curl into a loose C shape. For an exact reading, 145°F (63°C). A tight O shape means they’re overcooked.

You can marinate the shrimp up to 1 hour ahead in the fridge. The dish itself is best served right away, shrimp and orzo both suffer from sitting.

No, regular orzo is made from wheat. Gluten-free orzo is available and works here; follow the package cooking time.

If you prefer not to use alcohol, substitute with apple juice, white grape juice, or even a touch of balsamic glaze for similar depth and sweetness.