Garlic Butter Shrimp and Orzo with Spinach
See it adapt to allergies, servings & swaps.
Per serving 538 kcal · 67g protein · 22g carbs · 21g fat
Ingredients
- 300 g shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 150 g orzo (about ¾ cup)
- 100 g fresh spinach (about 3 packed cups)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 30 g butter (2 tbsp)
- 30 ml olive oil (2 tbsp), divided
- 180 ml chicken broth (¾ cup), divided
- 1¾ tsp salt, divided
- ½ tsp black pepper, divided
- ½ tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp chopped fresh parsley
- 400 ml water, for the orzo
Steps
- Bring the 400 ml water to a boil in a large pot. Add the 150 g orzo and 1 tsp salt. Cook until tender, about 9 minutes, then drain and set aside.
- While the orzo cooks, pat the 300 g shrimp dry with paper towels. Season with ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper.
- Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high. Once it shimmers, add the shrimp in a single layer. Sear 90 seconds per side until just opaque, then transfer to a plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and the 4 minced garlic cloves to the same skillet. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant but not browned.
- Pour in 60 ml of the chicken broth, scraping the bottom to release the browned bits. Simmer 1 minute to reduce slightly.
- Stir in the 30 g butter and the remaining 120 ml chicken broth. Once the butter melts, add the 100 g spinach and stir until wilted, about 1 minute.
- Return the shrimp to the skillet. Add the cooked orzo and toss gently to combine. Season with ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, and the ½ tsp lemon juice. Cook 1 minute to warm through.
- Divide between two bowls. Finish with the chopped parsley and a pinch of red pepper flakes, if you like. Serve right away.
That is the whole thing.
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Shrimp seared hard for ninety seconds a side, then a quick garlic butter pan sauce built in the same skillet — broth, butter, a handful of spinach wilted in — with the cooked orzo tossed through to soak it all up. Twenty minutes, two bowls, one pan besides the orzo pot.
It moves fast once the shrimp hit the pan, so mince the garlic and measure the broth before you start. A little lemon and cracked pepper at the end keep the butter from feeling heavy. No preamble — sear, build the sauce, toss.
On the plate
Pull the shrimp the moment they turn opaque — ninety seconds a side is enough, and they finish warming through when they go back in at the end. Overcooked shrimp turn rubbery, and there is no coming back from that. A pinch of red pepper flakes over the top cuts the butter, and a little grated parmesan would not be wrong either.
Leftovers
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Reheat gently in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of chicken broth to loosen the sauce; keep the heat low so the shrimp do not toughen.
- Do not freeze it — the shrimp and the sauce do not hold up.
This is the kind of dinner Eatsë hands you without the hunting: it suggests the week's meals, scales each recipe to your household, and builds the grocery list by aisle. This one came in shared straight from an Eatsë kitchen — good enough to write down.
More from the recipe library — the cast iron shrimp pasta is a good next make.
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