Grilled shrimp corn feta orzo is a summer bowl that works warm, at room temperature, or cold from the fridge. Two pounds of jumbo shrimp seasoned with smoked paprika and garlic, grilled on the highest setting for two to four minutes total, tossed with orzo, sweet corn, crumbled feta, cilantro, and chives, and dressed in a chili lime vinaigrette with honey and chili oil. Forty-five minutes, serves four to six, and leftovers are genuinely better the next day once the dressing has had time to work through everything.
The chili lime dressing is the element that ties the whole bowl together. It’s bright from the lime, slightly sweet from the honey, and has a background heat from the chili oil that plays well against the smokiness of the paprika shrimp and the saltiness of the feta. Make it first so it’s ready when everything else is done.
The chili lime dressing
A tablespoon of red wine vinegar, the juice and zest of one lime, one and a half tablespoons of honey, two teaspoons of chili oil, and a third of a cup of extra-virgin olive oil. Whisk the vinegar, lime juice, lime zest, honey, and chili oil together, then stream in the olive oil while whisking continuously until the dressing emulsifies. The emulsified version coats the orzo evenly rather than pooling at the bottom of the bowl. This makes enough dressing for the bowl with some left over, and it keeps in the fridge for a few days; shake or whisk before using.
Orzo
One pound of orzo cooked in well-salted boiling water according to package directions, drained, and placed in a large bowl. A drizzle of olive oil tossed through the hot orzo prevents it from sticking together as it cools. Orzo sticky from sitting is hard to coat evenly with dressing, so the olive oil step is worth taking even if you’re tossing everything immediately.
The shrimp
Two pounds of jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined, tossed in two tablespoons of olive oil, a teaspoon of smoked paprika, half a teaspoon of garlic powder, salt, and pepper until every shrimp is coated. Spread on a grill pan. Preheat the grill to the highest setting before the shrimp go on; high heat gives you char and color in the short window before shrimp overcook.
One to two minutes with the lid closed, then flip and another one to two minutes until the shrimp are pink and opaque throughout. The window is short because shrimp are small and cook fast; the moment they’re opaque through to the center, they’re done. Continued cooking after that point makes them rubbery. Pull them the second they look right.
Smoked paprika on shrimp is a reliable combination because the smoky note amplifies the char from the grill and adds depth that sweet paprika doesn’t. The garlic powder gives a background savory note without the risk of burning that fresh garlic on a grill pan at maximum heat would bring.
Assembly
Toss the orzo with a few tablespoons of the dressing first, then add the shrimp, corn, feta, cilantro, and chives and toss again. Drizzle more dressing over the top and toss once more. The corn can be fresh from the cob, grilled, canned, or frozen and thawed; fresh sweet corn in summer is excellent but any form works. The feta adds the salt and creaminess that keeps this from being just a pasta salad with protein; don’t reduce the quantity.
Warm, room temperature, or cold
The bowl is good immediately after assembly while the shrimp are still warm and the orzo is at room temperature. It’s equally good served cold from the fridge as a next-day lunch, where the dressing has fully permeated the orzo and the flavors are more integrated. If serving cold, hold some dressing in reserve and toss it through again just before serving to freshen everything up.
This is summer food in the sense that it uses the season’s best things, corn, fresh herbs, lime, grilled shrimp, and assembles them into something that works both as a dinner and as something you’d bring to a gathering. It scales easily: the dressing and orzo double without difficulty, and the shrimp can be grilled in batches. Serves 4 to 6.
Make-ahead notes
The dressing keeps refrigerated for several days. The orzo can be cooked and dressed lightly up to a day ahead. Grill the shrimp close to serving and add them warm or at room temperature. If assembling fully ahead, hold some dressing out and add it fresh before serving so the orzo doesn’t absorb everything and go dry. Leftovers with the dressing already mixed in are good for two days refrigerated.
Grilled Shrimp Corn Feta Orzo
Description
Grilled shrimp with smoked paprika tossed with orzo, corn, feta, and fresh herbs in a chili lime vinaigrette. Serves 4 to 6. Good warm or cold.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Make the dressing: whisk together the red wine vinegar, lime juice, lime zest, honey, and chili oil. Stream in the olive oil while whisking until emulsified. Set aside.
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Cook the orzo in well-salted boiling water according to package directions. Drain and place in a large bowl. Drizzle with a little olive oil and toss to prevent sticking.
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Preheat the grill to the highest setting.
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Toss the shrimp with the olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until evenly coated. Spread on a grill pan.
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Grill with the lid closed for 1 to 2 minutes, flip, and grill another 1 to 2 minutes until pink and opaque. Remove from the grill.
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Toss the orzo with a few tablespoons of dressing. Add the shrimp, corn, feta, cilantro, and chives. Toss, drizzle with more dressing, and toss again. Serve warm or cold..
Note
Toss cooked orzo with olive oil immediately after draining to prevent sticking. Pull shrimp from the grill the moment they are opaque; they continue cooking off the heat. Hold back some dressing if serving cold or making ahead. No nutrition data was provided for this recipe.