Mini Sherry Shrimp & Tarragon Phyllo Bites

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These bite-sized phyllo appetizers may have fancy (and wonderful!) flavors, but they are a breeze to put together! Thank you to Athens Foods for helping me to share this recipe with you.
Mini Sherry Shrimp & Tarragon Phyllo Bites...Wonderful, savory flavors in one little bite. | cookincanuck.com #appetizer #recipe

The line-up for the healthy holiday appetizer table continues! We have everything from Mini Hummus & Roasted Pepper Phyllo Bites to Skinny Pesto Pizza Crostini and Mini Brie & Pear Quesadillas. But where are the shrimp?!

In my crustacean-loving mind, a cocktail or holiday party just isn’t complete without some sort of shrimp dish. Of course, we could do the classic shrimp and cocktail sauce hors d’oeuvres. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s even more fun to think outside of the box.

Mini Sherry Shrimp & Tarragon Phyllo Bites...Wonderful, savory flavors in one little bite. | cookincanuck.com #appetizer #recipe

When my husband and I spent our 15th wedding anniversary at Deer Valley Resort, we had dinner at their new restaurant, The Brass Tag. While there are so many amazing dishes to choose from, one that stands out in my mind is the tarragon and white wine butter brick oven shrimp skillet. Whew, that’s a long name. But let me tell you, it earns it because the flavors are fantastic!

I decided to re-create the flavors of that dish at home, putting a healthy spin on it and turning it into a bite-sized appetizer.

Mini Sherry Shrimp & Tarragon Phyllo Bites...Wonderful, savory flavors in one little bite. | cookincanuck.com #appetizer #recipe

I pulled out a couple of boxes of Athens Mini Fillo Shells from my freezer, which are fantastic for both hors d’oeuvres and desserts. It only takes 10 minutes for the shells to defrost at room temperature, so they were more than ready by the time I finished making the shrimp filling.

In this recipe, I served the shells at room temperature, but if you prefer that the pre-baked shells are warm, just pop them in the oven for a few minutes.

Mini Sherry Shrimp & Tarragon Phyllo Bites...Wonderful, savory flavors in one little bite. | cookincanuck.com #appetizer #recipe

To start, I replaced the butter with a little olive oil. To me, this dish is mostly about the shrimp, sherry and tarragon, so I didn’t lose any flavor by making that substitution. Even though fat is still being added, it’s a healthy fat, rather than the saturated fats found in butter.

One trick with shrimp is to resist the urge to overcook them. Particularly when chopped, the shrimp take no more than a couple of minutes to become opaque. Say “no” to overcooked, rubbery shrimp!

Mini Sherry Shrimp & Tarragon Phyllo Bites...Wonderful, savory flavors in one little bite. | cookincanuck.com #appetizer #recipe

Be sure to strain out the extra liquid as you are transferring the filling from the skillet to the fillo shells. The extra liquid, while good enough to drink (seriously), could cause the shells to turn soggy. The light, crisp layers of the fillo shells are so wonderful to sink your teeth into and you don’t want anything to ruin that experience!

For more details on the mini fillo shells and other Athens Foods products, be sure to follow them on Facebook, on Pinterest and Twitter.

Other light appetizer recipes:

Cookin’ Canuck’s Cinnamon Apple & Goat Cheese Crostini
Cookin’ Canuck’s Smoked Salmon & Cucumber Appetizer with Caper Yogurt
A Side of Sweet’s Lightened Up Mini Twice Baked Potato Appetizers
Fit, Fun & Delish’s Cilantro Jalapeño Hummus

Mini Sherry Shrimp & Tarragon Phyllo Bites Recipe

Wonderful, savory flavors in one little bite.
4.67 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizers
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Healthy Appetizers, Healthy Hors D'Oeuvres
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Total Time: 22 minutes
Servings: 30 Bites
Calories: 37kcal
Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil divided
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1 1/4 pounds raw shrimp peeled, deveined & chopped
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon dry sherry
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon + more for garnish
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 30 Athens mini fillo shells 2 boxes, defrosted

Instructions

  • Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the shrimp and garlic, and sauté until the shrimp is almost cooked through, about 2 minutes.
  • Stir in the sherry, tarragon, salt and pepper, and stir to coat the shrimp.
  • Draining the excess liquid, scoop 2 teaspoons of the shrimp mixture into each fillo shell. Garnish with minced tarragon. Serve.

Notes

Weight Watcher Points: 2 (Points+), 2 (Old Points)

Nutrition

Serving: 2Filled Bites | Calories: 37kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 193mg | Potassium: 33mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 20IU | Vitamin C: 1.2mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 0.6mg
Tried this recipe?If you make this recipe, I'd love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I'll be sure to find it.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Athens Foods. All opinions are my own. This post contains links to my Amazon affiliate page. Any revenue made from sales through these links helps to support this blog. Thank you!

 

Comments

  13. Amy @Very Culinary says

    We love shrimp too, Dara. I use the Athens phyllo cups every year at Thanksgiving for Pumpkin Pecan Strudel, so I am already a fan. These phyllo bites are such a great idea instead of the usual shrimp cocktail – and they’re beautiful!

    Reply

  18. Debbue says

    I don’t cook alcohol. Could you possibly recommend a substitute for the sherry? It looks absolutely delicious and I would love to try it. Thanks!

    Reply

    • Dara says

      That’s a tough one for this particular recipe because the sherry flavor is so prominent and it really is a distinctive taste. You could use something like orange juice, but the flavor will be different than in the original recipe.

      Reply

  19. Ginny+McMeans says

    I love Athens Mini Fillo Shells! They make parties so much more fancier. Your photos are beautiful too!

    Reply

  23. missymops says

    After your hummus phyllo shell recipe, I went out and bought some of the shells. I mixed Boursin cheese with roasted red peppers and olives and used that as a filling. My friends and family loved them!

    Reply

  28. Irvin says

    Say no to overcooked! Ha! I love these. They look easy to make and awesome to serve at a party. My issue, of course, would be that I’d just continually pop them in my mouth while plating them….

    Reply

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