This shrimp oreganata recipe features juicy baked shrimp topped with crunchy, garlicky breadcrumbs. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice, minced parsley, and oregano adds lots of bright flavor. Enjoy this classic Italian-American dish that’s sure to be a crowd pleaser!
I love a dish that satisfies multiple occasions, and this shrimp recipe checks all the boxes! It’s simple enough to serve as an easy weeknight meal yet elegant enough for a dinner party alongside my burrata bruschetta, whipped ricotta, or Samin Nosrat’s focaccia.
Looking for more seafood dishes? Try my shrimp scampi without wine, shrimp cacciatore, salmon crudo, or mussels marinara.
Recipe Inspiration
Shrimp oreganata is a popular variant of clams oreganata, a traditional Italian-American dish featuring baked clams stuffed with breadcrumbs, oregano, garlic, and fresh herbs. It’s commonly enjoyed on Christmas Eve as part of the Feast of the Seven Fishes.
While living in Boston, I’ve tried many versions of oreganata, from clams to salmon to lobster, at my favorite Italian restaurants in the North End. I love the shrimp version because it feels less intimidating than clams while still being super tasty!
Here, I’ve included many of the same Italian flavors as the traditional version, like oregano and garlic. In developing the recipe, I consulted two sources for inspiration: (1) Italian American by Angie Rito and Scott Tacinelli and (2) Ina Garten’s Baked Shrimp Scampi.
Ingredient Notes
- Colossal shrimp: Colossal varieties are large (even larger than jumbo!) shrimp, usually about 12 – 15 count. It’s important to get the large size so that they’re easy to stuff and easy to eat! TIP: Look for shell-on, deveined shrimp to minimize prep work.
- Oregano: To achieve the best flavor for this “oreganata style” dish, you’ll want to use a good quality dried oregano. You can also use 1 ½ tablespoons fresh oregano if you can find it.
- White wine: Look for a drinkable dry white wine such as pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc.
- Panko Breadcrumbs: I absolutely love the crunchy texture of panko here!
Note: Some oreganata recipes add some grated parmesan cheese to the breadcrumb mixture. You’re welcome to add a bit if you’d like.
For a full list of ingredients and quantities, please refer to the recipe card.
How to Butterfly Shrimp
Step 1: Peel the shrimp, leaving the tail intact. Run a sharp knife through the back of the shrimp, cutting deep enough so that the body splays open like a book, but not enough to slice it in half.
Step 2: Repeat with the remaining shrimp.
TIP: To test if you’ve made a deep enough incision, firmly place the shrimp on a plate, splayed side down. It should be able to stand upright without falling down (it’s okay if the tail flails a little bit).
How to Make This Recipe
Step 1 – Season: In a large bowl, combine shrimp with olive oil, grated garlic, salt, and a pinch of black pepper. Set aside and allow to marinate for a couple of minutes while you make the breadcrumb topping.
Step 2 – Prepare the breadcrumbs: In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs, fresh parsley, and the zest of 1 lemon. Melt butter in a small saucepan with olive oil over medium heat. Stir in the red pepper flakes and oregano, and saute for a minute or two until the spices begin to sizzle. Remove from the heat and stir oil into the breadcrumb mixture until thoroughly coated.
Step 3 – Assemble: Arrange shrimp in a single layer in an oval baking pan (or casserole dish), starting around the edges of the pan and making your way in.
To do so, place each piece, butterflied side down, in the pan until it’s standing up (it’s okay if the tails are flailing from side-to-side a bit). Drizzle the wine all over the pan, then sprinkle breadcrumbs on top of the shrimp.
Step 4 – Bake: Bake in a preheated oven (425°F / 218°C) for 10 minutes, or until shrimp are fully pink and opaque. Make sure to check any areas under the breadcrumbs, as those will take the longest to cook.
Finish by broiling the top for 1 – 2 minutes until the breadcrumbs are nicely golden brown. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving with fresh lemon wedges.
Storage: This dish is best enjoyed day of, so I recommend making a smaller batch if you don’t think you can finish it all in one day! That said, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for 3 – 4 days. Reheat in the casserole dish, wrapped in foil, for about 8 – 10 minutes in the oven at 350°F.
Expert Tip
Uncooked shrimp are quite floppy and the tails can flail around a bit while you’re assembling. This is by far the hardest part of the recipe, but just be patient while you move them around the pan until you’re satisfied with the arrangement.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, the fastest way to defrost shrimp is to remove them from their packaging, place in a sealed Ziploc bag, and submerge in ice cold water. This should take about 20 – 30 minutes! For more details, check out this article on thawing shrimp from Southern Living.
Butterflied shrimp have more structure so they’ll stand upright in the baking dish! If you’re having trouble, I recommend checking out this how-to video from Emeril.
You can also make these in a baking sheet! To do so, line a sheet pan with foil, and pour the wine all over the pan. Arrange in an even layer, butterflied side up. Top each with a spoonful of breadcrumbs. Bake for 8 – 10 minutes until cooked through, then broil for 1 – 2 minutes until breadcrumbs are nicely golden brown.
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Easy Shrimp Oreganata
Equipment
- Oval baking dish, at least 11-inches in width
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds colossal shrimp, look for 12 – 15 count | deveined, tail-on
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt, or ½ teaspoon Morton Kosher Salt or sea salt | plus more for seasoning
- Black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, finely grated
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 lemon, zested
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, finely minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons dry white wine
For serving:
- Lemon wedges and crusty bread
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Arrange two racks in the bottom-third of the oven and the top-third of the oven. Preheat oven to 425℉ / 218℃.
- Butterfly the shrimp: Butterfly 1 ½ pounds colossal shrimp. To do so, use a sharp knife to make a deep incision lengthwise through abdomen of the shrimp (do not slice all the way through). Gently flatten and splay open, like a book, leaving the tails intact.TIP: To test if you've made a deep enough incision, firmly place the shrimp on a plate, splayed side down. It should be able to stand upright without falling down (it's okay if the tail flails a little bit).
- Season: Toss the shrimp with 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt, a pinch of black pepper, 2 cloves garlic (finely grated), and 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Set aside.
- Make the breadcrumbs: In a small bowl, grate the zest from 1 lemon. Add ½ cup panko breadcrumbs, ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, and stir to combine.Set a small saucepan with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and 2 tablespoons unsalted butter over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, and saute until sizzling about 1 minute. Toss with the breadcrumbs, and season with a pinch of salt, to taste.
- Arrange: Arrange the shrimp in a single layer in an oval baking pan (or casserole dish), starting around the edges of the pan and working your way towards the center.Place each shrimp with the cut side down in the pan, allowing the tails to curl upwards (it's okay if the tails flail a bit from side to side). Drizzle 2 tablespoons dry white wine evenly over the shrimp.TIP: Uncooked shrimp can be floppy, especially the tails, making assembly tricky. To help them stand up, pair two shrimp together by tucking one tail into the crevice of the other for support. Adjust them in the pan as needed until you're happy with the arrangement. The tails will firm up during cooking, making them more upright.
- Assemble: Sprinkle breadcrumbs evenly over the body of each shrimp, and add any extra breadcrumbs to the center of the pan as desired.TIP: Depending on the size of the shrimp (and your pan), you may not need to use all of the breadcrumbs.
- Bake: Bake on the bottom-third rack until the shrimp are firm, opaque, and pink, about 10 – 15 minutes. If desired, move the pan to the top rack and broil for 30 seconds – 1 minute until the breadcrumbs are golden brown. Keep a close eye during broiling to prevent burning.Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly for a few minutes before serving. Serve with lemon wedges and crusty bread.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Do I have to keep the tails on or can I take off then buterfly
Hi Lucyann,
If you take the tails off, they won’t hold up in the same way when you arrange them for baking. So you can definitely do it, but it won’t look as nice. Hope that helps!
I add roasted red peppers chopped finely everyone loved it!
Hi Julz, so happy to hear that! Sounds AMAZING with the peppers!