Shrimp Orzo Salad is one of my favorite Mediterranean-inspired dishes. Not only is this fresh and herby pasta a breeze to make, but it’s also based on a classic Ina Garten shrimp orzo recipe. In other words, you know it’s going to be a fan favorite.
Can’t get enough of protein-packed shrimp recipes like this? Try out my Garlic Shrimp Skewers, Skinny Shrimp Pasta, Shrimp Shish Kabob, Shrimp Avocado Corn Salad, and Ina Garten’s Roasted Shrimp Salad for even more shrimp dishes to enjoy. And if you need more recipes, be sure to check out my collection of Easy Seafood Recipes.
Why You Should Make This Recipe
This Barefoot Contessa roasted shrimp salad will have any cook whipping up authentic Mediterranean food in no time. Whether you make this recipe for a neighborhood potluck or a light dinner at home, you’ll find a million reasons to love it:
- A guaranteed crowd-pleaser, this lemon shrimp orzo salad will be a hit at any summer get-together. The bold, zesty Mediterranean flavors coming from salty feta, crunchy cucumbers, and fresh parsley will make everyone ask for seconds.
- Protein-packed shrimp and carb-fueled orzo ensure that this flavorsome meal is both satisfying and filling.
- Ready in 20-30 minutes and make-ahead friendly, this shrimp and orzo pasta salad recipe is a godsend for multitaskers who are short on time.
- This easy salad recipe is a fantastic way to use fresh herbs from your garden—just like my Tabouli Salad!
Ingredient Checklist
Because this lemon orzo salad uses so many fresh ingredients, nothing in your garden will go to waste. The following three sets of ingredients will prove just how simple this pasta salad is.
Salad Dressing
Using only four basic ingredients, this zesty lemon blend is bound to be one of the easiest homemade salad dressings you’ll ever make. Inspired by my go-to lemon vinaigrette, it comes together in minutes.
Just gather the following: freshly squeezed lemon juice (plus, optional lemon zest), extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt, and ground black pepper.
Roasted Shrimp
For this part, all you need is deveined shrimp, olive oil, kosher salt, and ground black pepper. However, if you want to make your shrimp extra delish, this Quick Shrimp Marinade will have your tastebuds begging for another bite.
Salad Ingredients
For the salad, gather together orzo, kosher salt, green onions, fresh dill, Italian parsley, English cucumber, red onion, and feta cheese.
Feel free to use gluten-free orzo if you are following a celiac-friendly diet.
How To Make Shrimp and Orzo Salad?
Because this shrimp orzo salad recipe takes less than 30 minutes to prepare, you don’t have to worry about spending hours in the kitchen.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Cook Orzo: Fill a large pot with water and mix in 3 tablespoons of kosher salt. Bring the water to a boil and then add the uncooked orzo. Cook it according to the package directions. Stir the pasta occasionally as the water simmers. When the pasta is al dente (9-12 minutes), drain it and set it in a large salad bowl.
- Make the salad dressing: As the orzo cooks, whisk together fresh lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Pour the salad dressing over the warm pasta. Set the mixture aside so that the orzo can soak up the dressing’s flavor.
- Roast the shrimp: Toss shrimp with olive oil, salt, and pepper in a separate bowl. In a single layer, line the shrimp on a sheet pan and roast in the oven for 5-6 minutes. Remove the pan when the shrimp are cooked through.
- Assemble the salad: Toss together the orzo, cooked juicy shrimp, green onions, dill, parsley, cucumber, and red onion in the large salad bowl. Crumble feta over the mixture and add any necessary additional seasoning.
- Cover and refrigerate the salad for at least an hour to let the mixture marinate.
- Serve!
PRO TIP: Because orzo is such a small shape pasta, it can be hard to give it flavor. To make your orzo as savory as possible, make sure you add enough salt to the pasta water. In fact, adding proper amounts of salt to every ingredient is essential to bringing their flavors to life.
Make-Ahead & Storage Instructions
If you’re like me, then you know meal prep is a weekday must. Making meals ahead of time saves you stress, money, and energy, which is why I adore this Mediterranean Orzo Salad with shrimp.
- Make it a day ahead: Not only can this shrimp orzo pasta be made ahead of time, but I even recommend it! Letting the flavors mix and marinate overnight adds depth, richness, and complexity to this already tasty dish the next day when you are ready to serve it.
- Serving: Before serving, remove the shrimp orzo from the fridge for about 30 minutes. This way, the pasta will have enough time to return to room temperature.
- Storage: This pasta salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
What To Serve with This Recipe?
While this Mediterranean Shrimp Orzo Salad makes a perfect meal on its own, you can make it a part of your summertime menu (perfect for your Memorial Day menu) along with:
- Seasonal vegetables: Try it as a side dish with baked eggplant slices, roasted asparagus, baked shiitake mushrooms, and air fried green beans.
- Green Salads: Serve it along with Spring Mix Salad, Asparagus Salad, and Bibb Lettuce Salad.
- Your Other Seafood dishes: Breaded fish, grilled mahi-mahi, and your favorite fish tacos would make a delicious side dish with this summer salad.
Helpful Tips:
Shrimp orzo is a cinch to put together, and there are countless ways to make it your own. Cook this recipe flawlessly every time with these handy tips.
- Don’t skimp on the salt in your pasta water. Because orzo is such a small pasta, adding enough salt ensures that every bite bursts with flavor.
- Taste-test your seasoning as you go along. Feta cheese, especially, can vary in how much extra salt it needs. Tasting your ingredients as you go is key to getting the perfect flavor balance.
- Shrimp can overcook easily, so keep an eye on it. Only 5-6 minutes are necessary to fully cook this shellfish. Also, be sure to dry them thoroughly with paper towels before roasting them.
- Though orzo is a traditional choice for this Mediterranean dish, other kinds of pasta—like elbow macaroni or ditalini—are just as delicious.
- Be prepared to multitask while making this dish. Because some steps are completed while other ingredients are cooking, this recipe comes together in a snap for practiced multitaskers.
- Let the dish sit for at least 30 minutes before serving. This step adds richness and depth by giving flavors time to marinate.
- You can easily double or halve this recipe depending on how much you want to make.
- During the summertime, give this recipe a smoky note by using grilled shrimp instead of baked shrimp.
- Not a fan of dill? You can do away with dill entirely or substitute it with fresh basil or fresh mint for a Mediterranean flavor, or a smaller amount of oregano for an Italian twist.
- If you prefer fewer herbs, substitute them for finely chopped romaine.
- Try it with goat cheese: I think the shrimp feta orzo combination is great but you can try it with crumbled goat cheese.
- During the summer months, if I have them, I also add a cup of sweet cherry tomatoes for extra flavor.
FAQs
Yes, you can. Be sure to thaw the shrimp before roasting it in the oven and follow the recipe as written.
I would not recommend freezing this pasta salad as when thawed, it will become mushy and lose its shape.
Yes, you can. Other types of pasta, such as bow tie, rotini, or orecchiette, would also work.
Yes, you can. Simply use leftover cubed baked chicken breasts or leftover rotisserie chicken in place of baked shrimp.
Other Seafood Recipes You Might Also Like:
If you enjoyed this flavorful Greek Orzo Salad I suspect you might like the shrimp recipes below:
- Salmon Nicoise
- Tuna and Chickpea Salad
- Tuna Melt Sandwich Recipe
- Ahi Tuna Salad Recipe
- Thai Salmon Soup
- Linguini with Shrimp Scampi
- Need more inspiration? Check out all our Seafood Recipes.
If you try this Mediterranean Shrimp Orzo Salad recipe or any other salad recipes on Foolproof Living, please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It is a great help to others who are thinking of making the recipe. And if you took some pictures, be sure to share them on Instagram using #foolproofeats so I can share them on my stories.
Shrimp Orzo Salad Recipe
Ingredients
For The Pasta:
- ¾ pound orzo, (~2 cups)
- Kosher salt
For The Dressing:
- ½ cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed (You’ll need 3-4 lemons depending on their size)
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
For The Shrimp:
- 1 ½ lbs large shrimp, peeled and deveined (16-18 count)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
For The Salad:
- 5-6 green onions, scallions, both white and green parts
- 1 cup fresh dill, chopped
- 1 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
- 1 English cucumber, medium diced – no need to peel
- ½ cup red onion, small diced
- 1 cup feta cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- To Cook the Orzo: Fill a large pot with water and 3 tablespoons of Kosher salt and bring it to a boil. Add the orzo and let it simmer, stirring occasionally, until it is al dente, about 9-12 minutes. Drain and place into a large salad bowl.
- Make the salad dressing: While the orzo is cooking, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl.
- Pour dressing over the cooked orzo and set it aside.
- To roast the shrimp: Place shrimp, olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl and give it a gentle toss. Transfer the shrimp onto a sheet pan in a single layer. Roast in the oven until it is cooked through, 5-6 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the oven.
- To assemble the salad: Into the bowl with orzo, add cooked shrimp, green onions, dill, parsley, cucumber, and red onion. Give it a toss. Add feta on top. Taste for seasoning and add in if necessary.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour for flavors to blend. Serve.
Video
Notes
- Make it a day ahead: Not only can this shrimp orzo pasta be made ahead of time, but I even recommend it! Letting the flavors mix and marinate overnight adds depth, richness, and complexity to this already tasty dish the next day when you are ready to serve it.
- Serving: Before serving, remove the shrimp orzo from the fridge for about 30 minutes. This way, the pasta will have enough time to return to room temperature.
- Storage: This pasta salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Taste as you go: The amount of salad you use depends on the saltiness coming from your feta. Be sure to taste it as you put the salad together and add more if necessary.
- You can easily double or halve this recipe depending on how much you want to make.
- During the summertime, give this recipe a smoky note by using grilled shrimp instead of baked shrimp.
- Not a fan of dill? You can do away with dill entirely or substitute it with fresh basil for a Mediterranean flavor, or a smaller amount of oregano for an Italian twist.
- If you prefer fewer herbs, substitute them for finely chopped romaine.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe was originally published in May 2014. It has been update with new photos and helpful information in June 2021.
I loved this salad, just as is, but I made some modifications this time. Used some garlic when roasting the shrimp, added a cup of chopped fresh spinach to the partly cooled orzo…just enough to wilt it, and a splash of dry white wine at the end. Served with sautéed fresh Parmesan topped green beans and a slice of Red Hen Kitchen sour dough bread broiled to crusty! Absolutely delicious!! And of course, a glass of Chardonnay!
Hello,
I am so happy to hear that you liked this recipe. I truly appreciate you coming back and sharing your experience.
Your version sounds delicious.
Cheers,
Aysegul
This was delicious! We ate it with shrimp the first day and then with chicken the second. Will go in our regular rotation, especially now that the weather is breaking 😊
Oh I love the chicken version. I am thrilled to hear that you enjoyed this recipe Carrie. Thanks for coming by and taking the time to leave a review.
How many cups is “3/4 pounds” of orzo? (I don’t have a kitchen scale)
Hi Mel,
3/4 pound of dry orzo is just under 2 cups. So, if you use 2 cups of orzo, you should be good to go.
Hope this helps.
You had me at ORZO! What a fabulous salad, Ayse! Full of flavor, texture and that lemony dressing gave me heart eyes.
Thanks so much my friend. I am so happy to hear that you liked it.
I make this salad on a regular basis and it never disappoints. So SO good. Thank you for sharing.
So happy to hear that Carol. I make it often as well. It is a great salad for any gathering.
Thanks for letting me know. Cheers!
dear ice, we met when you and your husband, dwight, and friends of yours from atlanta sailed with me on Bravura last fall. since then i have followed your blog to obtain ideas, new receipts, and new approaches for the lunch service i do as part of our charter daysail experience. i must say, so many of your receipts are spot on for my purposes. preparing a 3 course lunch for 6 people in a boat’s galley requires receipts which are not time consuming and which can be served immediately after they are completed. this particular receipt looks especially good, as does the shrimp, pea and spinach salad. my guests have enjoyed new dishes this season thanks to you and i can say they have to person enjoyed them. thank you for the help and the insight to do more we our local products. my best, bob, skipper s/y Bravura
Hi Captain Bob,
It is so great to hear from you. I am so glad to hear that my recipes are working for you.
I will keep you in mind as I post more recipes on the blog.
Many more to come.
Thank you so much for your kind word.
Hope to see you around!
Cheers..
Ice
What a delicious looking summer salad. I like the addition of dill- an herb I often forget to utilize! How fun to have a helper in the kitchen! I’m sure she is learning lots of good tricks 🙂
Hi Caitlin,
I love dill. I guess it is my second favorite herb after basil. It has so much flavor and goes so well with feta cheese, which is my favorite cheese.
Thank you so much for your kind words about the salad. :))
Cheers!
Ice
“Wait 15 minutes and the weather will change” is also the unofficial motto of Michigan! Although here, it’s totally true – we can wake up one day when it’s 40, and it could be 80 by the end of the evening. It is just totally insane (and hard on my sinuses).
I would eat this beautiful, bright salad at ANY temperature, Ice!
Oh Lori.. aren’t you so sweet…
As crazy as it has been I am enjoying a little bit of cool temperatures. Especially because summer here could be brutal.
Thank you! 🙂