Easy One Pot Meal: Lemon Shrimp with Orzo & Spinach

Easy One Pot Meal: Lemon Shrimp with Orzo & Spinach

Why You Should Give This Recipe a Try

At this freezing time of year, I start looking for meals that are an alternative to the heavy dishes we eat in winter, something with a bright flavor profile that is still filling and that I can make without a fuss. Easy One Pot Meal: Lemon Shrimp with Orzo & Spinach is one of those easy weeknight dinners that comes together quickly while tasting absolutely great.

With lemon zest, lemon juice, shrimp, garlic, tender orzo, fresh baby spinach, and just a hint of white wine, it is a truly flavorful dish you can cook up in one pan in under 30 minutes. It really checks all the boxes of a delicious and easy recipe that is destined to be a family favorite, especially on those super busy weeknights.

Some of the best features of this recipe:

Flavor! Lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, butter, and a touch of white wine work together to create incredible buttery, garlicky shrimp with a pop of brightness.

Speed! This meal comes together in under 30 minutes from start to finish. I’m not sure you could get food delivered in that time.

A complete meal in one delicious dish – seafood, pasta, spinach – means no making side dishes. Serve with some crusty bread or a bit of focaccia and you are set. If you’re feeling ambitious, try this Crusty Country French Bread or Easy Focaccia Bread with Homemade Italian Seasoning.

An easy dinner without a stack of dishes? No one needs to be washing a bunch of dishes at the end of a long day! Everything gets cooked in one large pan. I even serve it straight out of the skillet.

Like all my recipes, this Easy One Pot Meal: Lemon Shrimp with Orzo & Spinach is super simple with no complex cooking techniques, no weird equipment, and with simple ingredients you can easily find in the grocery store.

Recipe Ingredients

1 lb large shrimp, uncooked, cleaned, peeled, and without tails

4 cloves minced fresh garlic

1 tbsp olive oil

lemon zest from one lemon

​lemon juice from one lemon

2 tbsp butter

1 cup orzo pasta (uncooked)

2 cups low sodium chicken broth

3 cups chopped fresh baby spinach

4 tbsp white cooking wine

​1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Salt

Helpful Tools

• Sharp knife
• Cutting board
• Colander 
• ​Zester
• Lemon squeezer
• Measuring spoons
• Large Ziploc bag (gallon size)
• Liquid measuring cup
• Wooden spoon or heat resistant rubber spatula
• Large skillet

Ingredient Notes

I live a few minutes drive from the ocean, but my shrimp is straight out of the supermarket freezer case. I also buy shrimp that is cleaned, peeled, and has had the tails removed just because it’s easier. Shrimp fresh from the seafood case is ideal, of course, but there’s a lot to be said for a shortcut. The only kind of shrimp you should avoid is precooked. Shrimp cook really quickly and over cook just as fast. Using raw shrimp, fresh or frozen, is definitely the way to go.

I use chicken broth in this recipe, but feel free to replace it with vegetable broth. 

Make sure to use fresh lemon juice and do not skimp on the zest. The lemon is an important part of the flavor profile.

A touch of white wine added near the end of the cooking time is an easy way to add flavor. If you are into spice, you can also add a small amount of  red pepper flakes -1/4 tsp works for us.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. If using frozen shrimp, defrost it according to package directions. Be sure to drain the shrimp thoroughly before using.

2. Mince 4 cloves of garlic. Set aside.

3. Chop the baby spinach and set aside.

4. Zest the lemon. Set aside.

5. Place the shrimp into a large Ziploc bag. You can use a bowl if necessary.

6. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to the shrimp.

7. Sprinkle 1/2 of the minced garlic over the shrimp.

8. Add the lemon zest.

9. Add a pinch of salt to the shrimp.

10. Seal the bag and shake it back and forth to coat in the oil, garlic, and lemon zest. 

11. Let rest 5 minutes.

12. Melt 2 tbsp butter in a large skillet on medium high heat.

13. Add the rest of the garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes. If the garlic begins to brown too quickly, lower the temperature to medium heat.

14. Pour the shrimp, along with the entire contents of the bag, into the skillet. 

15. Squeeze the juice of the lemon you zested over the shrimp.

16. Cook the shrimp, flipping from time-to-time, until they are uniformly pink, about 4-5 minutes. Do not over cook.

17. Remove the cooked shrimp, along with the garlic, to a bowl and set aside.

18. Add the 1 cup dry orzo to the skillet.

19. Pour two cups of chicken broth over the orzo and stir to combine.

20. Bring the orzo and broth mixture to a vigorous simmer and cover. Be sure to stir the mixture regularly to avoid sticking.

21. Cook the orzo until the broth is almost entirely absorbed, about 8 minutes.

22. Sprinkle 4 tbsp of white wine, if using, over the orzo and stir.

23. Top the orzo with the chopped spinach and cover the pan. Lower the temperature to medium heat.

24. Let the spinach wilt, about 3-4 minutes.

25. Stir the spinach into the orzo.

26. Sprinkle 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan evenly over the orzo and spinach and stir.

27. Top with the cooked shrimp, stirring to incorporate into the orzo mixture.

Check out the recipe card for Easy One Pot Meal: Lemon Shrimp with Orzo & Spinach, below, for easy and printable step-by-step directions.

Storage

Store the leftover shrimp and orzo in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days. 

Reheat leftovers by adding a very small amount of broth or a tiny splash of water and cooking over medium heat until warm. You can also microwave the leftovers.

Tips & Tricks

If you have extra time, you can let the shrimp mixture marinate in the Ziploc in the fridge for an hour. 

A microplane zester is a great tool to have on hand. It takes just the right amount of zest while leaving the bitter white layer behind. If you don’t own one, however, you can use a vegetable peeler or sharp knife to remove the outer layer. Cut the peel into very small pieces. Be careful to avoid that white layer behind!

Want to get more lemon juice from your lemon? Try rolling it on the counter before squeezing or pop it into the microwave for about 15 seconds.

Next time you are looking for one-pot dinners/sheet pan meals, try one of these simple recipes delicious enough to please even the picky eaters in your life:

Easy One Pot Coq au Vin

Easy One Skillet Creamy Tuscan Chicken Dinner

Easy One Pot Creamy Chicken Marsala

Sheet Pan Steak Fajitas and Chicken Fajitas

Sheet Pan BBQ Chicken Thighs with Sweet Potatoes