Prawn Saganaki (Greek Prawns With Feta)

If you haven’t been to Greece yet or would like to savour some of the best flavours of Greek cuisine, we are here to take you on a journey! King Prawn Saganaki is one of the most delicious seafood recipes we’ve tried! Made with a rich, slightly sweet and tangy tomato sauce and succulent prawns, and topped with salty feta, this recipe makes an irresistible appetizer or a light main course in its own right!

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What Is Prawn Saganaki and What Does It Taste Like?

Saganaki refers to the pan the dish is typically made in. It is usually a small ovenproof frying pan with a handle on each side. You have probably heard of cheese saganaki too – a wonderful Greek appetizer of fried/ grilled cheese.

Prawn Saganaki is typically prepared in the same pan, by first reducing a rich tomato sauce, then adding prawns and topping everything with feta cheese. The dish is on the lighter side and is typically served as an appetizer with some crusty bread (or flatbreads) to mop up that delicious sauce. However, it can also be served as a main course with some steamed/ boiled white rice.

Other Greek Cuisine-Inspired Recipes

We have been in love with Greek food ever since we visited Zakynthos island a few years ago. If you are too longing to go back on holiday to Greece, try some of our other recipes inspired by delicious Greek cooking, including:

• Greek Quesadilla
• Traditional Spanakopita Spiral
• Spinach Filo Pastries with Goats Cheese
• Slow Cooker Moussaka (recipe coming soon)

Ingredients and Substitutes

• olive oil: or other oil suitable for cooking on medium heat, like sunflower, vegetable or avocado oil.
• brown onion: can be substituted with a large shallot or red onion.
• garlic cloves: you may use ready-made garlic paste, but note that it is usually salted already, so don’t overseason the dish.
• sugar: caster sugar or brown sugar will work. Alternatively use some honey or agave nectar to sweeten the sauce.
• dried herbs: like thyme or oregano or a mixture.
• salt.
• red chilli: can be substituted with dried chilli flakes or skip it altogether if you don’t like spicy food. You can also add some sweet paprika to the sauce instead.
• tomato paste: rich concentrated tomato puree that typically comes in a tube.
• tinned chopped tomatoes: or you can make your own by squishing very ripe juicy tomatoes by hand.
• dry white wine: can be substituted with water, stock or water mixed with a tablespoon of lemon or white wine vinegar (this replicates the sharpness of the wine).
• king prawns: cooked or raw, defrosted if frozen, we like to use fully prepared prawns that have been deveined and tailed.
• feta: can be substituted with Cotija cheese or a cheaper salad cheese alternative.
• parsley: finely chopped, used to garnish.

But Wait: Isn’t Saganaki Meant To Have Ouzo In It?

This one is up for debate! I asked my Greek friend for an opinion, and he wasn’t very clear. I am told that Greek home cooking is just like anywhere else in the world, if you have something at home, you may add it, and if you don’t, you substitute it with something else that’s available at a time.

Since ouzo is not an ingredient that most people have at home, we opted for some dry white wine. And if you fancy adding a bit of that aniseed flavour to your sauce, simply put one piece of star anise at the beginning of cooking the sauce and it will infuse with a similar aniseedy flavour.

Method

If you’re using frozen prawns (cooked or raw) in this recipe, make sure to fully defrost them before you start. Adding frozen prawns to the sauce will not only prolong the cooking time but will also water down the rich tomato sauce.

Heat the olive oil in a medium oven-proof pan (like a cast iron skillet) over low-medium heat. Add the finely chopped onions and saute for 5 minutes until softened, but not browned.

Add the garlic, salt, sugar, dried herbs and chilli and stir for a minute.

Tip in a tin of chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, and white wine and stir. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and carry on cooking for 20 minutes until the sauce has reduced by about half.

Add the prawns: if you’re using cooked prawns, only cook them in the sauce for 1-2 minutes, if you’re using raw prawns, increase the time to 3-4 minutes, until fully cooked through. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Preheat the grill (broiler). Take the saganaki dish off of the heat and crumble the feta cheese on top. Place the dish under a hot grill for 1-2 minutes until the feta starts browning on top.

Scatter the parsley on top and serve with rice or crusty sourdough bread!

Recipe FAQs

What Goes Well With Greek Prawns With Feta?

If you are serving these Greek Prawns as an appetizer (starter), pair them with some crusty bread slices. There is nothing better than mopping up any leftover sauce with a slice of fresh homemade bread.

If you are serving Saganaki Prawns as the main course, serve them on a bed of simple white rice. Some greens as a side dish will not go amiss as well (as the dish itself isn’t too high in calories). We love Tenderstem Broccoli with Lemon and Garlic or Courgette Ribbon Salad alongside these prawns.

Other Delicious Seafood Recipes

Don’t you just love cooking with seafood? We certainly do! Seafood cooks quickly and makes a wonderful easy but luxurious dinner within minutes. Some of our favourite recipes include:

• Squid Ink Pasta With Seafood and White Wine Sauce
• Gambas Pil Pil (Spanish Chilli Garlic Prawns)
• Risotto al Nero | Squid Ink Risotto
• Prawn Pasta with Herbs From the Garden

Recipe Card

Prawn Saganaki (Greek Prawns With Feta)

If you haven't been to Greece yet or would like to savour some of the best flavours of Greek cuisine, we are here to take you on a journey! King Prawn Saganaki is one of the most delicious seafood recipes we've tried! Made with a rich, slightly sweet and tangy tomato sauce and succulent prawns, and topped with salty feta, this recipe makes an irresistable appetizer or a light main course in its own right!

5 from 10 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 35 mins

Total Time 40 mins

Course Appetizer, Dinner, Main Course, Starter

Cuisine Greek

Servings 2 as a main, 4 as a starter

Calories 327 kcal

Equipment

• Ovenproof (Frying) Pan or Cast Iron Skillet

Ingredients

 

MetricUS Customary

 

1x2x3x

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small brown onion finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon dried herbs like thyme or oregano
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ red chilli finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes
• 60 ml dry white wine
• 200 g king prawns cooked or raw, defrosted if frozen
• 100 g feta crumbled
• 1 tablespoon parsley finely chopped

Instructions

 

• Heat the olive oil in a medium oven-proof pan (like cast iron skillet) over low-medium heat. Add the finely chopped onions and saute for 5 minutes until softened, but not browned.
• Add the garlic, salt, sugar, dried herbs and chilli and stir for a minute.
• Tip in a tin of chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, white wine and stir. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and carry on cooking for 20 minutes until the sauce has reduced by about half.
• Add the prawns: if you're using cooked prawns, only cook them in the sauce for 1-2 minutes, if you're using raw prawns, increase the time to 3-4 minutes, until fully cooked through. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning if needed.
• Preheat the grill (broiler). Take the saganaki dish off of the heat and crumble the feta cheese on top. Place the dish under a hot grill for 1-2 minutes until feta starts browning on top.
• Scatter the parsley on top and serve with rice or crusty sourdough bread!

Notes

You can make individual portions of this flavoursome dish by spooning the prawn saganaki into individual ramekins, topping them with feta and grilling. Serve them with crusty bread as a starter (appetizer). 

To have these Greek Prawns as the main course, we recommend serving them with white rice. 

Nutrition

Calories: 327kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 12gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 1195mgPotassium: 864mgFiber: 6gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 1059IUVitamin C: 44mgCalcium: 352mgIron: 4mg

Keyword Greek Prawn Saganaki, Greek Prawns, King Prawn Saganaki, Prawn Saganaki Recipe, Prawns in Tomato Sauce, Prawns With Feta, Saganaki Prawns

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