Mediterranean Shrimp Sauté
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If you love lemon, capers, olives, garlic, herbs, and sea food, then you’ll love this fragrant, piquant, tangy Mediterranean Shrimp Sauté! It’s paleo, big on flavory, and ready in about 45 minutes. A one-pan recipe, this sauté is ideal for a dinner that is a little out of the ordinary! {Paleo}
Spiriteds, there is something about olives + capers that revitalizes a boring dinner routine. And then throw in lemon + garlic + shrimp, and all I’m gonna say is, we’re heading into restaurant-at-home territory. FOUR OUT OF FOUR in our family love this combo. Or at least in bits and pieces. While one of us doesn’t love shrimp, that same one of us will sit and eat the olive-caper-lemon-garlic sauce like it’s a meal unto itself. Because of course AND OBVIOUSLY it is.
Oh, and the second born bellowed, “WHY DOES IT SMELL LIKE PIZZA IN HERE?” Completely pleased by the smell but also confused by the lack of pizza nearby, she was ready to jump in for a bite. To answer her question, all we have to say is oregano + basil. Done and done. This Mediterranean Shrimp Sauté is a treat for the tastebuds that works just as well for family dinners as it does date night in.
Change this dish up each time you make it, too. Switch out the olives with other varieties. For a milder version, stick with black olives. For an even tangier flavor, add more green olives. And capers may be tiny, but they pack a punch in any meal.
So, Spiriteds, are you ready to shake up your dinner game and throw some new flavor combinations into the mix? If you are, then grab a skillet and let’s get our sauté ON!
Mediterranean Shrimp Sauté is
- Gluten-free and paleo-friendly
- Herbaceous, briny, and tangy
- Easy to customize for different palates
- A one-pan recipe that’s ready in about 30-ish minutes
Side note: We’ve changed a few recipe elements over the years. What we missed from the original recipe was a savory sauce to hold everything together. Ingredients lacked cohesiveness as the olives ran around our plates. But we’ve since added tomatoes, and that change made all the difference. But do be careful because they get hot as they cook and spit and crackle, much the way bacon does. You can adapt the consistency of your sauce by how long you cook it. We LOVE a thicker sauce, so we let the tomatoes simmer long enough to disintegrate and morph into savory, saucy goodness. And that’s what you see in these photos.
Mediterranean Shrimp Sauté ingredients:
- Coconut oil. Enough to cover the bottom of the pan.
- Juice of one lemon. A small-to-medium lemon will do. If it’s on the larger side, then juice away and measure about two tablespoons.
- Grape tomatoes. Leave them whole and let them simmer. They’ll gradually soften, and as you press on them and sauté the ingredients, they’ll release their juices and create the sauce that will hold the recipe flavors together. PLEASE NOTE: the tomato juices will be VERY HOT. Work with them carefully as the sauté heats up. When I press on them, I make sure to wear an apron and stand back so if any renegade juices fly, they won’t hit me.
- Black olives. Sliced into halves or thirds.
- Green olives. I go with large green olives because they hold their shape and size throughout the cooking process, and I slice them into thirds.
- Fresh garlic. Pressed garlic is perfect here because it’s easily distributed throughout the recipe. You can also mince the garlic or slice them into tiny slivers.
- Dried oregano, dried basil, and sea salt. These dried herbs and mineral enhance the flavor of the dish and complement the brininess. If the olives and capers are particularly salty, then you might back off the sea salt amount and only gradually add more as needed once the sauté is done and ready to serve. Additionally, we use dried herbs in this recipe to thicken the tomato juices into a sauce. You are free to throw in fresh herbs if you’d like.
- Cooked shrimp. If frozen, then thaw according to package instructions and remove the tails.
- Capers. This briny addition packs a punch, so add in small increments to get the desired flavor.
- Coarse black pepper and dried parsley. For garnishing.
How to make Mediterranean Shrimp Sauté
- To a large skillet, add the coconut oil and lemon juice. Then add the tomatoes, olives, garlic, dried oregano, dried basil, and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. Cook on a MEDIUM-HIGH temperature, stirring regularly until the tomatoes begin to soften and release their juices, about 15-20 minutes.
- Then add the shrimp and capers. Reduce heat to MEDIUM and simmer uncovered for another 10-15 minutes, during which time the tomato juices will form a sauce. The shrimp will also release juices. The sauce may be runny at first but continue to simmer until the liquid is reduced by about 1/3 to 1/2 in amount and thickens. Remove from heat and let stand a few minutes to let the tomato sauce thicken even more.
- Season with remaining sea salt, if needed, and garnish with coarse black pepper and dried parsley. \ Serve as is, with pasta, or crusty bread.
- For tastiest results, consume within 24 hours.
Recipe notes and best practices
- For a milder flavor, use only black olives or consider starting with just a half cup of green olives.
- Sometimes capers are packed in super-salty brine, which can overpower the dish. Taste-test the capers first, and if they seem excessively salty, then gently rinse the 1-2 tablespoons you’ll need for the recipe and drain. This should reduce the salt without losing the flavor.
- SAFETY NOTE: the tomato juices will be VERY HOT. Work with them carefully as the sauté heats up. When I press on them, I make sure to wear an apron and stand a ways away so if any renegade juices fly, they won’t hit me. You can also wait out the tomatoes and see if they break apart on their own. If you choose to leave them whole, then please be careful when you bite into them. Again, they’ll be very hot. We don’t slice them ahead of time because they’ll turn to mush during the sautéing process.
How to serve this deliciousness
Mediterranean Shrimp Sauté can be enjoyed as a stand-alone dish. Additionally, you can serve it with pasta (grain, legume, or vegetable), crusty bread, or rice (cauliflower or grain). You can also try it atop quinoa. If the quinoa tastes too earthy, then sprinkle it with sea salt, drizzle with olive oil, and add a pinch or two of coarse black pepper.
More tangy recipes to savor!
Who says dinnertime has to be boring? Whether you need inspo for two or the whole fam damily, here are three of our favorite BIG FLAVOR™️ dinners.
Spiriteds, stay well and stay wild. Jump into the fun when you can, and always remember I’m glad you’re here. ❤️
Mediterranean Shrimp Sauté
This Mediterranean Shrimp Sauté is flavored with lemon, garlic, olives, capers, oregano, and parsley for an to-of-this world paleo dinner recipe! ready to go in a matter of minutes, you can enjoy this dish by itself or with cauliflower rice, veggies, or veggie noodles! {Paleo}
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dishes
- Method: Sauté
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- Coconut oil, enough to cover pan
- Juice of one medium lemon
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, rinsed and drained
- 1 (6 ounce) can black olives, sliced
- 1/2 – 1 cup large green olives, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, pressed
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1/2 tablespoon dried basil
- 1/2 – 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 pound cooked shrimp, fresh or thawed and deveined
- 2 tablespoons capers, drained (and rinsed if very salty)
- Coarse black pepper and dried parsley for garnishing
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
- Dash of dried parsley
- Coarse black pepper, for garnishing
Helpful equipment:
Instructions
- To a large skillet, add the coconut oil and lemon juice. Then add the tomatoes, olives, garlic, dried oregano, dried basil, and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. Cook on a MEDIUM-HIGH temperature, stirring regularly until the tomatoes begin to soften and release their juices, about 15-20 minutes.
- Then add the shrimp and capers. Reduce heat to MEDIUM and simmer uncovered for another 10-15 minutes, during which time the tomato juices will form a sauce. The shrimp will also release juices. The sauce may be runny at first but continue to simmer until the liquid is reduced by about 1/3 to 1/2 in amount and thickens. Remove from heat and let stand a few minutes to let the tomato sauce thicken even more.
- Season with remaining sea salt, if needed, and garnish with coarse black pepper and dried parsley. Serve as is, with pasta, or crusty bread.
- For tastiest results, consume within 24 hours.
Notes
- For a milder flavor, use only black olives or consider starting with just a half cup of green olives.
- Sometimes capers are packed in super-salty brine, which can overpower the dish. Taste-test the capers first, and if they seem excessively salty, then gently rinse the 1-2 tablespoons you’ll need for the recipe and drain. This should reduce the salt without losing the flavor.
- SAFETY NOTE: the tomato juices will be VERY HOT. Work with them carefully as the sauté heats up. When I press on them, I make sure to wear an apron and stand a ways away so if any renegade juices fly, they won’t hit me. You can also wait out the tomatoes and see if they break apart on their own. If you choose to leave them whole, then please be careful when you bite into them. Again, they’ll be very hot. We don’t slice the tomatoes ahead of time because they’ll turn to mush during the sautéing process.
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