Roasted Shrimp With Okra and Tomatoes

By Kia Damon

Published July 23, 2024

Roasted Shrimp With Okra and Tomatoes
Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Greg Lofts.
Total Time
25 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Rating
4(195)
Comments
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In the South, okra and tomatoes are the crown jewels of the summer. Frying is the most common preparation for okra but roasting also brings the best out of these two favorites; tomatoes become sweeter and okra softens, developing a deeper savoriness brought forward by a simple seasoning of salt and pepper. Shrimp brings the dish to a new level: The smoked paprika and oregano are a perfect foil to the shrimp's own natural, delicate flavor, and, swirled together with the olive oil and tomato juice in the pan, the result is a meal with the makings of a stew with a fraction of the time and effort. It truly tastes like a warm, summer, Sunday evening. When choosing okra, go for the smaller to medium sized pods. The bigger the okra, the more likely it is to be stringy and tough. Serve with cooked rice or atop angel hair pasta.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1pound (21 to 30 count) peeled and deveined shrimp (tails on)
  • 2tablespoons dried oregano
  • ½tablespoon smoked paprika
  • Salt and black pepper
  • ¼cup olive oil
  • 1pound small to medium okra, trimmed
  • 1pint cherry tomatoes
  • Lemon wedges, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

278 calories; 15 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 14 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 26 grams protein; 774 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 450 degrees and line a sheet pan with aluminum foil. In a medium bowl, combine the shrimp, oregano, smoked paprika, a few pinches of salt and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Mix well and set aside.

  2. Step 2

    Add the okra and tomatoes to the pan, season with salt and several cracks of black pepper, then drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over top. Mix well, spread evenly then place on the top rack of the oven. Roast until the okra is softened and the tomatoes are soft and have released their juices, about 15 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Take the pan out of the oven, put the tomatoes and okra in a large bowl, then spread the shrimp evenly on the same pan and toss to coat in the pan juices. Return the pan to the oven and roast until the shrimp are cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Remove the shrimp from the oven, then toss with the okra and tomatoes, along with any pan juices. Taste for salt. Serve on a large platter and finish with a squeeze of lemon.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
195 user ratings
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Comments

Peg H

I grew up eating okra roasted instead of fried so this looked like a great recipe. I sliced the okra in half and added fresh corn to make it more like a southern succotash. That being said, my tomatoes were a bit too dry to give a lot of juice so I added drained diced canned ones. Even better the next day!

pam

It would be great to have recommendations for the grill. Those of us in the South hate to turn on the oven during the dog days of summer...

Jackie

Delicious over angel hair pasta. Do try to buy small tender okra, and I used Hirros tomatoes which were excellent. I plan to try frozen okra and possibly fresh San Marzano tomatoes when available. Regular (not smoked) paprika is fine. For convenience, I roasted the vegetables for 10 minutes, then added the shrimp and cooked it all 8 to 10 minutes more.

Cookin in Nyack

This was a ‘good’ recipe but a few tweaks would make it great. Based on other comments, I made a number of modifications off the bat- also partially because I had to substitute a few ingredients I didn’t have on hand. I agree with other readers comments to add garlic- this is a must! I used a small amount of fresh oregano from our garden but it was a little too perfumey. I think I would skip it next time or just use dry oregano as directed:-) I didn’t have smoked paprika so I substituted chipotle chili powder. I think that was a good choice. I used heirloom tomatoes and they were delightful and made a great broth. The big miss for me was the okra- but it may be personal preference- I am not a fan of mushy okra. Next time, I would add the okra to a hot pan- with salt and pepper and let them char on the hot dry pan for a few minutes and add olive oil to crisp them up. I would remove them from the pan and set aside and add back just before serving to create a bit of texture. Lastly, I added hot pepper flakes at the end for a bit of heat. It was a good tweak.

Laith

This needs garliiiiic yumm

Cheryl

Easiest dinner I’ve made in a long time. Most time- consuming part was peeling and de-veining the shrimp. Used some chopped garden tomatoes along with cherry tomatoes. My Spanish paprika jar was empty, so I substituted Hungarian half-sweet paprika. Added Penzeys Italian Herb Blend along with the oregano ( we like spicy). Other thsn those substitues, cooked as directed. My husband did a rice pilaf. Delicious…and under 30 minutes. Will cook this again..sharing to our family’s text feed.

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Credits

By Kia Damon

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