Safety first: Lower in added sugar, not sugar-free. Not medical or nutrition advice; check with your doctor about your own diet. Please read our editorial guidelines before you start.
Key takeaways
- Pull the shrimp out as soon as they turn pink and opaque. They finish in the sauce and are done when they read 145°F, the USDA safe temperature for shrimp.
- Stir the orzo often while it simmers in the broth. The starch it releases is what makes the sauce creamy.
- Melt the soft cheese, cream and Parmesan on low heat and do not let the pan boil, or the sauce can turn grainy.
In this post4 sections
What we found, and what we are guessing
We read five shrimp orzo recipes all the way through (three are under Sources) and saw a few more in search results. They agree on a pound of large shrimp, about 1 cup of dry orzo, spinach stirred in at the end, Parmesan and one skillet. They differ on the liquid (2 to 2 1/2 cups of broth or water), on what makes it creamy (half and half, heavy cream, soft cheese or Parmesan alone) and on the shrimp (seared first and set aside, or stirred in to cook for the last 3 to 4 minutes). The advice that came up most: pat the shrimp dry, do not overcook them, stir the orzo often, add the cheese off the heat or on low so it stays smooth, and expect the sauce to thicken as it stands. We could not read reader comments on most pages, so these fixes come from the authors' own tips. We kept the ingredient list from our reel. The dry-pan top-up of broth, the 145°F check and the one-minute rest are our additions.
Watch the reel by @stephdinnerathome on Instagram
Tested recipe
Creamy Shrimp Orzo with Spinach
Seared shrimp, orzo cooked right in the broth, and a creamy garlic-herb finish with spinach. One skillet, serves 4.
Ingredients
Shrimp
- 1 lb large shrimp, raw, peeled and deveined; thaw first if frozen, then pat very dry
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt, Diamond Crystal; use half as much table salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 Tbsp olive oil, or butter
Orzo and sauce
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup orzo, dry
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, plus up to 1/4 cup more if the pan dries out
- 1 package garlic and herb soft cheese, 5.2 oz, cut into chunks
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, freshly grated melts smoothest
- 2 cups baby spinach, about 2 packed handfuls
Steps
Step pictures are AI illustrations, not our dish. Our photos are coming after we cook it.
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Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels. Toss them with the paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
AI illustration -
Warm the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp in one layer and sear 1 to 2 minutes per side, until pink and opaque on the outside. Move them to a plate right away, even if the center is a little under; they finish warming in the sauce.
AI illustration -
Turn the heat to medium. Cook the garlic 30 seconds, until fragrant, then stir in the orzo and toast it 1 minute, stirring.
AI illustration -
Pour in the broth, scrape up the browned bits and bring to a simmer. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often so the orzo does not stick, until it is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. If the pan looks dry before the orzo is tender, add 1/4 cup more broth or water.
AI illustration -
Turn the heat to low. Stir in the soft cheese, cream and Parmesan for 1 to 2 minutes, until melted and creamy. Do not let it boil, which can make the sauce grainy.
AI illustration -
Fold in the spinach for about 1 minute, until it wilts. Return the shrimp and any juices from the plate and warm 1 minute, until they are pink and opaque all the way through and read 145°F on an instant-read thermometer. Take the pan off the heat and let it sit 1 minute so the sauce thickens; stir in a splash of broth if it is too thick.
AI illustration
Notes
- Contains shellfish, milk and wheat (orzo is a pasta).
- Shrimp are done when they are pink and opaque all the way through. The USDA safe temperature for shrimp is 145°F.
- Use raw shrimp. Cooked shrimp turn rubbery when heated again. Frozen shrimp should be thawed in the fridge overnight, or in a sealed bag in cold water, and patted dry, or they steam instead of sear.
- The soft cheese, Parmesan and broth all carry salt. Taste before adding any more.
- Orzo keeps absorbing liquid, so the sauce thickens as it stands. Serve right away.
- No sugar is added to this recipe: 0 g of added sugar. The shrimp orzo recipes we read add none either, so we make no lower-sugar claim. Worked by hand from the ingredient lists; no online calculator was used. The card total sugar (2 g a serving) is natural sugar in the orzo, spinach, cream and cheeses.
- Every amount and time here is our estimate.
Swaps
- Use half and half in place of the heavy cream; untested.
- Use vegetable broth in place of the chicken broth; untested.
- A squeeze of lemon juice and some zest at the end brightens the sauce (the lemon versions we read use 1/2 to 1 whole lemon); untested.
Storage and reheating
Storage: Cool, then refrigerate in a covered container within 2 hours of cooking. Leftovers keep 3 days. We have not tested freezing and do not recommend it, because a cream sauce can separate and the orzo turns soft.
Reheating: Reheat gently on the stove over low heat with a splash of broth or milk, stirring, or in the microwave in a covered dish in 30 second bursts, until steaming hot (165°F). Reheating toughens shrimp, so heat only until hot.
Nutrition (1 serving (one quarter of the skillet))
- Calories: 553 calories
- Carbs: 37 g
- Sugar: 2 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 37 g
- Fat: 29 g
- Sodium: 771 mg
Estimates only, summed from standard USDA SR Legacy values per ingredient. Not medical or nutrition advice.
Where this recipe comes from
- Inspired by Shrimp Orzo with Lemon from Bites with Bri, which we used for the sear time and for adding the cheese on low heat so it does not turn grainy, by Lemon Garlic Shrimp Orzo from Jo Cooks, which we used for the stir-often orzo timing and the one-minute rest, and by Shrimp Orzo from Julia's Album, which we used for the raw-shrimp advice and the leftover time.
- The idea came from this reel by @stephdinnerathome.
How to serve it
Serve it right away in shallow bowls with extra Parmesan on top. It is a full dinner on its own, and a green salad or roasted broccoli goes well on the side.
Every recipe from Diane's reels in one printable book: the Healthy Recipes Cookbook.
Frequently asked questions
Why did my orzo turn mushy or dry?
Orzo cooks fast and keeps absorbing liquid. Stir often, start checking at 8 minutes, and take the pan off the heat while the orzo still has a slight bite. Add 1/4 cup of broth if the pan looks dry, and loosen leftovers with a splash of broth.
How do I keep the shrimp from getting tough?
Sear them 1 to 2 minutes per side, take them out, and add them back for 1 minute at the end. They are done when they are pink and opaque all the way through. The USDA safe temperature for shrimp is 145°F.
Can I use frozen shrimp?
Yes. Use raw shrimp, thaw them in the fridge overnight or in a sealed bag in cold water, and pat them very dry so they sear instead of steam. Cooked shrimp turn rubbery when heated again.
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