Shrimp in fresh tomato sauce with feta. 46 g protein and 9 g net carbs at 523 kcal, ready in 25 minutes.
By Frixos Dimitriadis · Published November 7, 2026 · Updated November 7, 2026
1 serving · Prep 10 min · Cook 15 min · Total 25 min · Per serving: 523 kcal, 46.2 g protein, 10.9 g carbs, 33.9 g fat
Most Greek classics need a swap or two to fit keto. Shrimp saganaki doesn't. Shrimp, fresh tomato, garlic, olive oil and feta are all low in carbs as they are, so the only thing you leave out is the bread for dipping. The result is one of the fastest and most satisfying keto dinners you can make: one pan, 25 minutes, and it tastes like a summer evening by the sea.
One serving gives 523 kcal, 46.2 g of protein, 33.9 g of fat and 8.7 g of net carbs (10.9 g of total carbs minus 2.2 g of fibre). The numbers come from the DietSync app, where every ingredient is weighed in grams.
The 170 g of shrimp give about 34.5 g of protein and very little fat. The 70 g of feta add almost 10 g more, plus most of the fat along with the olive oil. That makes this one of the leanest ways to get a big portion of protein on a keto day: shrimp are almost pure protein, so the fat comes only from what you add.
The carbs come from the tomato, the garlic and the herbs. 150 g of fresh tomato adds about 4 g of net carbs, which is why the sauce can be generous without any worry.
In the DietSync app
The real saganaki is made with fresh tomato, and it makes a difference. Cut a ripe tomato in half and grate it on a box grater, cut side first, until only the skin is left in your hand. It cooks into a fresh, bright sauce in 8 minutes. Tinned chopped tomatoes work in winter, when fresh ones have no flavour, but avoid ready-made pasta sauces, which often have added sugar. If your tomatoes are watery, simmer the sauce a couple of minutes longer: it should coat a spoon before the shrimp go in. The pinch of chilli is there for warmth, not heat, so double it if you like it spicy.
Shrimp go from perfect to rubbery in a minute. Add them only after the sauce has thickened, and give them 3–4 minutes, turning once. They are done when they turn pink and curl into a loose C shape. If they curl into a tight O, they are overcooked. Remember that they keep cooking under the lid while the feta softens, so take them off the heat on time.
Raw, peeled shrimp are the easiest choice, and frozen ones work just as well as fresh. Thaw them in the fridge, pat them dry with kitchen paper and weigh them after thawing, so the 170 g matches the numbers above. Avoid pre-cooked shrimp: they turn tough when they cook again in the sauce. If you buy whole shrimp, with heads and shells, for more flavour, you will need roughly twice the weight to end up with 170 g of meat.
Crumble the feta over the shrimp in big pieces, put the lid on and leave it for 2 minutes. It softens and starts to melt at the edges, but it keeps its shape and its salty bite. Don't stir it in, or the sauce turns cloudy. A good barrel-aged feta makes a real difference here, and a little fresh parsley on top finishes the dish.
In a taverna, saganaki comes with bread for the sauce. On keto, serve it over 150 g of cauliflower rice, which adds about 38 kcal and 4.5 g of net carbs and soaks up the sauce just as well. A green salad or some grilled courgette on the side works too. On a day when you are less strict with carbs, a small slice of sourdough is the classic choice; just log it, because one slice can double the carbs of the meal.
Saganaki is made for sharing. For friends or family, multiply the recipe by the number of people, cook it in a wide pan so the shrimp sit in one layer, and bring the pan straight to the table. Put it next to other low-carb meze, such as olives, grilled halloumi, tzatziki and a big village salad, and nobody will notice that the table is keto. Keep a basket of bread for those who want it; your plate doesn't need it.
At 8.7 g of net carbs and 46 g of protein, one serving leaves plenty of room in a strict 25 g keto day. Build the rest of the day around the meals in our 7-day keto meal plan.
More Greek classics made keto: keto moussaka with cauliflower topping, keto keftedes with tzatziki and beef stifado over cauliflower mash.
The recipe is in the DietSync app, in the Keto Main Meals book. Log it in one tap and the app keeps count of your net carbs, protein and fat for the day.
Halve the tomato and grate it, cut side first, on a box grater. You get a fresh sauce in minutes and the skin stays behind.
Shrimp are done when they turn pink and curl into a C. An O shape means overcooked.
Two minutes under a lid softens the feta without melting it away. Don't stir it in.
Yes, as it is. Shrimp and feta are almost carb-free, and the tomato, garlic and herbs bring the total to 8.7 g of net carbs per serving. Just leave out the bread on the side.
Yes. Thaw them in the fridge, pat them dry and weigh them after thawing, so the 170 g matches the macros. Raw frozen shrimp work best; cooked ones turn rubbery in the sauce.
From the sagani, the small two-handled frying pan the dish is cooked and served in. Anything cooked in one is called saganaki, which is why there is also cheese saganaki and mussels saganaki.
Yes. Multiply everything by the number of people and use a wide pan, so the shrimp cook in one layer. The cooking times stay the same.
