Lemon Feta Orzo
on May 09, 2023, Updated Apr 17, 2025
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My lemon feta orzo will blow you away. I served this dish to my mom and she said it’s one of the best recipes I have ever made. Although this is not a traditional 🇬🇷 Greek dish, it uses ingredients that are prominent in Greek cuisine, such as dill, olive oil, feta, and 🍋 lemon juice; the flavors bring me back home!
Why You’ll Love Lemon Feta Orzo
This recipe is perfect topped with any protein, such as grilled chicken, kebabs, or 🦐 shrimp (which is what I use). I reserved a few tablespoons of my incredible dressing and tossed it with shrimp before throwing them on the grill. You can prepare this recipe for meal prep and make it the night before. Every bite transports me to my childhood in Crete, so I hope it makes it to your table too.
Of course, as with all simple dishes, it’s important to use the best quality ingredients you can find and afford. A rich, buttery 🫒 olive oil, super fresh dill, feta purchased in brine (and never pre-crumbled), and fresh juice from plump lemons will make all the difference in this creamy, light, and bright Mediterranean pasta dish. Orzo is the perfect pasta shape here because it cooks quickly and, when combined with this simple dressing, it soaks up all the flavors and creates a silky, smooth texture that slides right off the spoon.
How to Prepare
🔥 Cook orzo in salted water until al dente; salt the water after boiling, stir, and then add orzo.
🍋 While the orzo is cooking, make the dressing by adding olive oil, lemon juice/zest, dill, mustard, salt, and pepper in a glass measuring cup. Reserve some of the dressing for the shrimp if you’re using them.
🥣 Add cooked orzo to a large bowl. While warm, pour the dressing over the orzo and stir. Crumble in feta to taste and stir again.
🦐 Thaw, pat dry, and toss jumbo black tiger shrimp in reserved dressing.
♨️ Heat a pan over medium-high heat. Ensure it’s hot before adding the shrimp spaced apart from each other. Cook for 1-2 minutes per side until pink and curled. Avoid overcooking.
⭐ Toss cooked shrimp with lemon orzo. Enjoy!
Nonna’s Tip
The water to cook the orzo should be as salty as the sea 🌊 as it’s your only chance to flavor the orzo!
Variations and Substitutions for Lemon Feta Orzo
Remember to cook with your heart! These variations and substitutions can be adjusted based on your personal preferences and dietary restrictions. Feel free to get creative and make the recipe to suit your taste!
- For a vegetarian version, you could omit the shrimp and add roasted vegetables such as cherry 🍅 tomatoes, bell peppers, or asparagus to the orzo.
- Add a pinch of 🌶️ red pepper flakes or minced garlic to the dressing.
- If you don’t have orzo on hand, you could use pastina, couscous, quinoa, or farro for a different grain texture. Be sure to follow the package directions for your choice.
- You can certainly substitute shrimp with grilled 🐔 chicken, salmon, or even tofu for a different protein option.
- Experiment with different 🌿 herbs such as parsley, basil, or cilantro could add unique flavors to the dressing.
- Enhance the Mediterranean flavors by adding chopped 🫒 olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh basil to the orzo.
More Seafood Recipes
Whether you’re celebrating the Feast of the Seven Fishes or you just love seafood, I have you covered!
Best Served With
- Serve the orzo alongside a medley of grilled or roasted vegetables such as zucchini, bell peppers, and eggplant.
- A simple green salad with mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and a light vinaigrette can add freshness and crunch to the meal.
- A side of crusty bread (like my no-knead peasant bread) or breadsticks is perfect for soaking up the flavorful dressing from the orzo.
- You could serve the orzo with a refreshing cucumber tzatziki sauce on the side.
Common Questions
This dish is best served warm, but you can make it the night before and enjoy it as cold or at room temperature the next day.
I use Redmond Real Salt, please note that depending on the salt you use, your dish may be less or more salty. Salt is to taste, so please always taste and adjust as you cook.
Feel free to use any protein of choice, such as chicken or any other seafood.
You can use other types of pastina (rice-sized pasta shapes) if you don’t have orzo on hand. Couscous would be lovely as well.
You can certainly swap the feta for parmesan if you don’t like feta. You can also leave the feta out completely if you’re dairy-free.
If you’re gluten-free, you will have to find a gluten-free pastina alternative that you prefer.
Yes, if you don’t have honey Dijon, use regular Dijon and mix some honey into it.
You can serve this as a pasta salad, but make sure to cool the orzo down completely before adding in the dressing; otherwise, it’s served as a hot dish.
Lemon Feta Orzo
Ingredients
- 1 cup orzo, 8 ounces
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup lemon juice, + zest from one lemon
- ¼ cup dill, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons honey Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- feta, measured with your heart, (good quality feta sold in brine; not pre-crumbled please)
- 10 jumbo tiger shrimp , optional
Instructions
For the Orzo
- Cook the orzo in salted water until al dente. Note: the water should be as salty as the sea as it's your only chance to flavor the orzo. Salt the water after it comes to a boil, stir, and add in the orzo.
- In the meantime, work on the dressing by adding olive oil, lemon juice and zest, dill, mustard, salt, and pepper to a glass measuring cup. Stir until fully combined. If you're making shrimp, reserve a few tablespoons of this dressing to coat the shrimp.
- Add the cooked orzo to a large bowl, and, while still warm, pour the dressing on top and stir. Crumble in some feta (measure with your heart) and stir again.
For the Shrimp
- I thawed peeled and deveined jumbo black tiger shrimp and patted them dry. I added some of the reserved dressing and tossed them into that dressing.
- Heat a pan over medium-high heat. The pan should be hot before adding in the shrimp.
- Add the shrimp making sure to space them apart. Cook on each side for 1 to 2 minutes. You do not want to overcook them so be sure to take them off the heat as soon as they turn pink and curl up.
- Toss the shrimp in with the lemon orzo and enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was absolutely delicious! Good with chicken or shrimp. Have made it numerous times and it’s a crowd pleaser!
Thank you, Jan! ❤️
This is one of the BEST recipes I have ever found online. I make it all the time! I usually have chicken on hand, so I use that in place of shrimp!
Thank you! Chicken sounds yummy with this! ❤️