One pan creamy shrimp and orzo features succulent shrimp, tender orzo, and fresh vegetables in a creamy sauce with bright flavors.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This creamy orzo dish is perfect for busy weeknights as it all comes together in 30 minutes! If you are looking for ways to make it even faster to pull together, check out our recipe notes to save time. Check out some of our other 30 minute meals!
- This recipe is great for simple weeknight dinners but also fits the bill for a fun date night meal.
- The fresh garlic, spices, and fresh lemon all bring great flavors that complement the shrimp and orzo.
- This is also a one pot meal which makes clean up after dinner so much easier.
Looking for other easy clean up, one pot meals? Try our one pan sweet potato ground turkey skillet, one pan creamy chicken broccoli skillet, or our one pan chicken thighs and rice.
Ingredient Notes
- Raw Shrimp - we prefer deveined shrimp with the tails removed for this recipe. Make sure the shrimp is also thawed prior to cooking. If you are running short on time, you could use pre-cooked shrimp as well (see the recipe notes for more details).
- Chicken broth - can be swapped with vegetable broth if preferred.
- Coconut milk - we love using coconut milk for this recipe (which also makes it perfect for our dairy-free friends) but you can use half and half to achieve a similar result. If you want it to be even creamier, you can try heavy cream too.
- Orzo - orzo is typically available at most grocery stores and even comes in a gluten-free option if that is needed. If you can't find orzo, you can replace it with another small pasta shape.
Try some of our other orzo recipes!
See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and measurements.
Recipe Tips & Variations
- To incorporate an even brighter flavor to the dish, you could add a little bit of lemon zest, a fresh squeeze of lemon, or serve with lemon slices. You may also like our lemon shrimp asparagus pasta.
- Fresh herbs are a great way to bring a fresh flavor to the dish. We love using fresh basil for this recipe, but you could also use fresh parsley if you prefer its flavor.
- This one pan meal would be great to serve with crusty bread and a fresh salad.
How to Make This Shrimp Orzo Recipe
For the full recipe instructions, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Step 1: Salt and pepper the shrimp. Place a large skillet on the stove over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil. Once the oil is hot, place the shrimp in the pan in an even layer. Let each side cook for 1-2 minutes, until the shrimp is no longer opaque and fully cooked. Once the shrimp is cooked, set it aside on a plate.
Step 2: Place the skillet back on the stove over medium heat. Add the garlic, white onion, broccoli, salt, paprika, pepper, oregano, red pepper flakes, and sun-dried tomatoes. Stir until combined and let the veggies begin to soften for 1-2 minutes.
Step 3: Add the chicken broth, coconut milk, and orzo and stir until combined. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook for about 10-12 minutes (or follow the cooking time according to the orzo package directions), stirring occasionally to ensure the orzo does not stick to the bottom of the pan as the liquid is absorbed.
Step 4: Once the orzo is cooked al dente, add the cooked shrimp, fresh spinach, and lemon juice. Stir until combined and let the spinach soften.
Step 5: Top with fresh parmesan and basil if desired.
Creamy Shrimp and Orzo FAQs
We recommend storing leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eating within 2-3 days.
This dish can be made gluten-free with the use of gluten-free orzo. It is dairy-free with the use of coconut milk and not topping with parmesan cheese. It can be vegetarian and vegan with the omission of shrimp and use of vegetable broth in place of chicken broth.
Other Shrimp Recipes
If you make this shrimp orzo recipe, please let us know how it turns out in the comments below and/or rate the recipe! Don’t forget to tag us on Instagram to show us your finished product—it makes our day every time we see you trying the recipes we love!
One Pan Creamy Shrimp and Orzo
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 ½ pounds raw shrimp (thawed, deveined, tail-off)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ white onion, finely diced
- 3 cups chopped broccoli
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper chili flakes (optional)
- ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes, removed from oil and chopped
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup light coconut milk or half and half
- 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
- 2 cups baby spinach, loosely chopped
- Juice from ½ of a lemon
- 2 tablespoons fresh grated parmesan, optional
- ¼ cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Salt and pepper the shrimp. Place a large skillet on the stove over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil. Once the oil is hot, place the shrimp in the pan in an even layer. Let each side cook for 1-2 minutes, until the shrimp is no longer opaque and fully cooked. Once the shrimp is cooked, set it aside on a plate.
- Place the skillet back on the stove over medium heat. Add the garlic, white onion, broccoli, salt, paprika, pepper, oregano, red pepper flakes, and sun-dried tomatoes. Stir until combined and let the veggies begin to soften for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the chicken broth, coconut milk, and orzo and stir until combined. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook for about 10-12 minutes (or follow the cooking time according to the orzo package directions), stirring occasionally to ensure the orzo does not stick to the bottom of the pan as the liquid is absorbed.
- Once the orzo is cooked al dente, add the cooked shrimp, spinach, and lemon juice. Stir until combined and let the spinach soften.
- Top with fresh parmesan and basil if desired.
Notes
- Save Time:
- Buy pre-chopped broccoli.
- Use pre-cooked shrimp! Skip the steps for cooking the shrimp and add it into the dish when directed to reheat the pre-cooked shrimp.
- This dish can be made gluten-free with the use of gluten-free orzo. It is dairy-free with the use of coconut milk and not topping with parmesan cheese. It can be vegetarian and vegan with the omission of shrimp and use of vegetable broth in place of chicken broth.
- The recipe can be found on My Fitness Pal by searching "BWB Creamy Orzo and Shrimp." The nutrition content provided for each recipe is an estimate created through the My Fitness Pal database. Please be aware that the nutritional content of each recipe may vary based on the products you use, the precision of your measurements, and the source you use to obtain nutrition data. While we try to provide accurate information, we give no guarantee regarding the accuracy of the nutritional information provided.
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