Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: This Greek baked orzo is a one skillet recipe packed with shrimp, chickpeas, orzo pasta, and vibrant vegetables, with bright lemon juice, feta, and herbs for those Mediterranean vibes.
How long it takes: 1 hour 10 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: oven-safe skillet
Servings: 6
Yes, I Actually Love Shrimp Now
It’s no secret that years ago, I did not like shrimp. However, I know a lot of people do, so I kept adding recipes to my site that included shrimp. And I don’t put a recipe on here without testing it and tasting it. And now, guess what? I actually love shrimp.
This is yet another one pan pasta, and it’s light, bright, and full of flavor and protein.
What makes it special:
- Full of Mediterranean flavor. Briny feta, bright lemon, buttery artichoke hearts, and aromatic oregano bring Greek flair to your dinner table. (This Greek orzo salad with shrimp has similar flavors in a different form.)
- Super satisfying. This dish is loaded with protein from shrimp and chickpeas, and fiber-rich veggies make it filling. The feta gives it a touch of indulgence.
- One pan meal. Of course it is—I wouldn’t make it any other way!
- Customizable. There’s a lot of room to put your own spin on the recipe. I’ll share some ideas later in this post.
Ingredient Notes
The complete ingredient list is below, but here you’ll find important notes on a few key players.
- Red bell pepper: Orange or yellow peppers have a similar sweet flavor and can be substituted. Green bell peppers are a bit tangier and not as sweet but could be used if you like them better.
- Zucchini: Yellow squash also works. There’s no need to peel tender-skinned summer squash.
- Oregano: Dried oregano gives the dish its signature Greek flavor. While testing this recipe, we really enjoyed the dish with a generous full tablespoon of oregano, but you can adjust the amount if you’re not as much of an oregano fan.
- Fire-roasted diced tomatoes: These canned tomatoes add a hint of smoky flavor, but regular diced tomatoes also work just fine.
- Chickpeas: Garbanzo beans are the same thing as chickpeas. You can swap in white beans if you’d like. Drain the beans, rinse them well, and drain again.
- Broth: Use low-sodium broth; as the orzo cooks, the broth concentrates, so starting with a heavily salted broth will result in an overly salty finished dish.
- Orzo: Don’t substitute another pasta variety! Orzo cooks more quickly than larger pasta shapes.
- Shrimp: If your shrimp is frozen, you’ll need to thaw it first. You can do this ahead of time in the fridge or place the shrimp in a bowl of cool (not warm! not ice cold!) water and swish them around until they thaw.
How to Make Greek Baked Orzo
Prepare. Start preheating your oven to 400ºF and warm the oil in an oven-safe skillet set over medium heat. You’ll be adding everything to the skillet, so a large one is a must! A small dutch oven also works.
Cook the vegetables. Stir the onion, bell pepper, and zucchini into the oil in the skillet, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until they just start to soften, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and oregano, and cook, stirring constantly, for about a minute, or until the garlic is fragrant.
Bring to a simmer. Add the diced tomatoes, chickpeas, and broth, followed by the orzo. Stir to mix everything together and bring to a simmer, continuing to stir every so often to keep the orzo from sticking to the pan.
Bake. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake uncovered for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven. Be careful, the handle is hot!
Bake again. Stir the artichoke hearts and spinach into the orzo, then add the shrimp on top. Season the shrimp with black pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice, then sprinkle the feta on top. Bake for 15 minutes more, or until the shrimp are curled into a C-shape and their color turns opaque. The time will depend a little bit on the size of the shrimp that you use.
Serve. Let the baked Greek orzo rest for 5 minutes to cool and thicken up a bit, then serve with fresh dill or parsley.
Recipe Tip
Don’t have an oven-proof skillet? You can use a Dutch oven for this recipe, or if you don’t have that either, simply transfer the orzo mixture to a deep square or oval casserole dish coated with cooking spray.
Recipe Variations
- Make it vegetarian. Omit the shrimp and make the rest of the recipe as written.
- Add different veggies. Try sliced mushrooms or eggplant, or use roasted red pepper instead of fresh red bell pepper.
- Make it spicy. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a little bit of harissa for heat.
- Add olives or capers. Kalamata olives add extra briny flavor. (Full disclosure: I’m not a fan of olives, but they are a key ingredient in a lot of Greek recipes!) Capers will add little pops of briny-brightness.
Serving Ideas
This dish is a complete meal on its own, but if you want to stretch it out a little further, you can serve it with a simple side dish.
- Greek salad. This is a natural pairing! My Greek salad recipe is a crisp and fresh contrast to the baked orzo, or make my chopped Greek salad for a variation on the classic.
- Bread. Scoop up the saucy orzo with warm pita bread or naan. My family always loves Texas toast garlic bread with pasta too!
- Green beans. There are LOTS of veggies in this Greek baked orzo already, but I always find green beans pair well with Greek dishes. Try my roasted green beans or air fryer green beans. For a fancier occasion, this Mediterranean green bean salad would go perfectly (it’s one my favorites!).
Refrigerator: Store leftover Greek baked orzo in an airtight container for up to 4 days. I don’t recommend freezing this recipe, as the shrimp will likely be rubbery after cooking, freezing, thawing, and reheating.
Reheat: You can reheat this dish in a 350ºF oven; I recommend removing the shrimp and heating the orzo until it’s warm, then adding the shrimp during the last few minutes of cooking time to try to prevent over-cooking. The microwave also works, but again, the orzo will take longer to heat through than the shrimp, so add the shrimp near the end of the cooking time.
More One Skillet Recipes
Greek Baked Orzo
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely diced (about ½ cup)
- 1 red bell pepper, diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 small (8 ounces) zucchini, diced (about 1 ½ cups)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic (minced or pressed)
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) fire-roasted diced tomatoes (undrained)
- 1 can (15.5 ounces) chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
- 2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
- 12 ounces uncooked orzo (about 1 ¾ cups)
- 1 can (14 ounces) quartered artichoke hearts (drained and patted dry)
- 2 cups loosely packed baby spinach (roughly chopped)
- 16 ounces peeled raw shrimp, size 20/30 (tail off, deveined, thawed if frozen, patted dry)
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (½ lemon)
- 6 ounces crumbled feta cheese
- ¼ cup chopped fresh dill or parsley (for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. .
- Heat the oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and zucchini, season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 small onion, finely diced, 1 red bell pepper, diced, 1 small (8 ounces) zucchini, diced, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- Stir in the garlic and dried oregano, cook for 1 minute.3 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- Pour in the diced tomatoes, chickpeas, and broth, then stir in the orzo. Bring the mixture to a simmer, scraping the bottom to make sure the orzo isn’t sticking.1 can (14.5 ounces) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, 1 can (15.5 ounces) chickpeas, 2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth, 12 ounces uncooked orzo
- Once the orzo mixture has come to a simmer, carefully transfer the skillet to the oven and bake uncovered for 15 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven, stir, and fold in the artichoke hearts, and spinach. Nestle the shrimp evenly over the top, season with black pepper and squeeze the lemon half over the shrimp. Sprinkle the feta evenly over the top of the shrimp.1 can (14 ounces) quartered artichoke hearts, 2 cups loosely packed baby spinach, 16 ounces peeled raw shrimp, size 20/30, ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, 6 ounces crumbled feta cheese
- Return the skillet to the oven and bake, uncovered, about 15 minutes, or until the shrimp are curled and opaque.
- Let the dish rest 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh dill or fresh parsley.
Notes
- Shrimp: If you use smaller or larger shrimp, the baking time will have to be adjusted accordingly. If you use shrimp that’s already cooked, the second baking time can be reduced; bake just until the shrimp is heated through and the cheese has melted.
- Vegetarian: The recipe can easily be made without shrimp if you prefer. The chickpeas, feta cheese, and vegetables make it a very satisfying main dish.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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