Shrimp Burgers
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Crispy, golden patties with all the coastal flavor you crave—these Southern-style shrimp burgers with tartar sauce make a quick and easy dinner.
Photo by America’s Test Kitchen
A Southern coastal favorite, shrimp burgers are made with just a few simple ingredients: chopped raw shrimp, mayonnaise, scallions, salt, pepper, and cayenne. To give the patties that irresistible crunch reminiscent of fried seafood, they’re coated in panko and sautéed until golden and crisp. The recipe comes straight from one of my favorite cookbooks, Foolproof Fish by America’s Test Kitchen.
These shrimp burgers come together in under 30 minutes, making them perfect for an easy summer dinner. And if burgers aren’t calling your name, skip the buns—the patties make delicious shrimp cakes, too. Serve them with tartar sauce and a fresh corn salad for a light summer dinner.
“These are just delicious! Everyone loved them.rnrn”
What You’ll Need To Make Shrimp Burgers
- Panko bread crumbs: A Japanese-style bread crumb that’s larger much crunchier than standard bread crumbs. It gives the shrimp burger patties a crispy, golden crunch.
- Large shrimp: The base for the burgers. Unless you live near the coast, I recommend buying frozen shrimp for convenience and quality—just thaw them before using!
- Mayonnaise: Adds moisture and richness to the shrimp mixture, helping bind everything together. Always use good-quality mayo, like Hellmann’s or Duke’s.
- Cayenne pepper and fresh scallions: The cayenne adds a subtle kick of heat to balance the flavors while the scallions contribute a mild fresh onion flavor.
- Vegetable oil: Used for sautéing the patties and getting them crispy and golden.
- Tartar sauce: A tangy, creamy topping for the burgers. You can use store-bought or make homemade tartar sauce depending on your preference.
- Hamburger buns: Serve as the base and top for the shrimp burgers. I highly recommend toasting them for added texture. If you want to take things up a notch, use brioche burgers for their tasty buttery sweet flavor.
- Bibb lettuce: A fresh, crisp topping to add crunch and balance the richness of the shrimp burgers. You can swap it out with type of lettuce you have on hand.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How to Make shrimp burgers
Step 1: Pulse the Panko. Add the panko to your food processor and pulse until it’s finely ground. Transfer to a shallow dish.
Step 2: Chop the Shrimp. Add one-third of the shrimp, the mayonnaise, salt, pepper, and cayenne to the now-empty food processor. Pulse about 8 times until the shrimp are finely chopped.
Step 3: Finish Chopping. Add the rest of the shrimp and pulse 4 times just to coarsely chop. Don’t forget to scrape down the sides as needed.
Step 4: Make the Shrimp Patty Mixture. Transfer the chopped shrimp to a bowl and stir in the scallions.
Step 5: Shape the Burgers. Lightly moisten your hands and divide the mixture into 4 equal portions. Gently shape each into a ¾-inch-thick patty.
Step 6: Coat the Burgers. Dredge each patty in the crushed panko one at a time. Flip it over to completely coat both sides and the edges.
Step 7: Cook. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until it’s shimmering. Add the patties and cook for 3-5 minutes.
Step 8: Flip and Finish. Flip the patties over and cook another 3 to 5 minutes, until they’re golden brown and reach 140°F. Transfer the cooked shrimp burgers to a paper towel-lined plate to drain for about 30 seconds on each side.
Step 9: Assemble and Serve. Spread the tartar sauce evenly among the bun bottoms, add the burgers and the lettuce on top. Cover with the bun tops and serve.
Variations For the best Shrimp burgers
- Experiment With Shrimp Burger Toppings. Keep it classic with the Bibb lettuce and tartar sauce or get creative with your favorites. You can swap the tartar for cocktail sauce, green sauce, or even a spicy mayo, and add picked red onions or citrus slaw.
- Other Ways to Enjoy. If you want to skip the bun, these shrimp burgers work great as a shrimp patties on their own, added to lettuce wraps, or served atop a salad or bowl. Shape them into smaller portions and use mini buns for shrimp sliders, or skip the bun for to make mini shrimp cakes.
More Seafood recipes you’ll love
Shrimp Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1½ lb large shrimp (26 to 30/lb), peeled, deveined, and tails removed, divided
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 scallions, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 cup tartar sauce
- 4 hamburger buns, toasted if desired
- 4 leaves Bibb lettuce
Instructions
- Pulse panko in food processor until finely ground, about 15 pulses; transfer to shallow dish. Place one-third of shrimp (about 1 cup), mayonnaise, salt, pepper, and cayenne in now-empty processor and pulse until shrimp are finely chopped, about 8 pulses. Add remaining shrimp and pulse until coarsely chopped, about 4 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Transfer to bowl and stir in scallions.
- Using your lightly moistened hands, divide shrimp mixture into 4 equal portions, then gently shape each portion into a ¾-in (2-cm)-thick patty.
- Working with 1 patty at a time, dredge in panko, pressing lightly to adhere; transfer to plate.
- Heat oil in a 12-in (30-cm) nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering.
- Cook until patties are golden brown and register 140°F (60°C), 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer burgers to paper towel–lined plate and let drain, about 30 seconds per side. Spread tartar sauce evenly among bun bottoms, then place burgers and lettuce on top. Cover with bun tops. Serve.
Notes
- Nutritional information does not include tartar sauce.
- Make-Ahead/Freezing Instructions: The shrimp burgers can be assembled ahead and refrigerated overnight. To freeze them, place the patties on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze until solid, 1 to 2 hours. Then transfer them to a resealable plastic bag or airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to cook, thaw the frozen patties in the fridge overnight and follow the cooking instructions.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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A family favorite! My husband requests this meal all the time.