Crispy Shrimp Burgers are a twist on a delicious Cajun snack popular in Louisiana. Those snacks are shaped like small round balls and usually eaten without utensils. For these Shrimp Burgers, turning shrimp and an assortment of finely chopped peppers, onions and herbs into a weeknight meal is as simple as giving the ingredients a quick spin in the food processor. While a bag of shrimp may seem like a splurge, often you can find them on sale and just one pound goes a long way. Watch how easy it is to take some bland and boring frozen shrimp and turn them into such a creative burger you will want to serve to your family on a regular basis.
What is the Inspiration for this Recipe
Shrimp Boulettes are a traditional Cajun deep fried snack made of Louisiana’s world famous seafood. Usually made in a ball shape (the “boulette”), they are usually served with creamy remoulade sauce as an appetizer.
These Shrimp Burgers feature the same flavourful ingredients as the traditional Cajun snack but are shaped into a flat patty and sauteed rather than deep fried.
What Ingredients Make these Burgers so Flavorful?
First, we start with the best frozen raw, peeled and deveined shrimp we can find. I usually buy Simple Truth Jumbo Shrimp at Kroger. Make sure the shrimp don’t have freezer burn or appear to be discolored. They should be evenly colored all over and should look pink or white.
Thaw the frozen shrimp in the refrigerator the night before you are going to make the shrimp cakes. Never thaw shrimp at room temperature (or any other protein for that matter) on the kitchen counter. Some people recommend thawing shrimp in a sink filled with cold water for 45 minutes to save time (weight the bag down with a heavy plate so the bag doesn’t float) and that’s fine from the safety standpoint. The shrimp can be chopped by hand or pulsed in the food processor. We don’t want the shrimp to be a paste. They should still have a nice texture with plenty of small chunks of shrimp.
Second, you will need to chop, chop, chop either by hand, with a food processor or by using my new favorite tool, the multi-blade vegetable slicer, mincer and chopper which I found at Amazon. The chopper makes quick work of getting even pieces of onion, and colorful bell peppers (red, green and yellow) and a very finely chopped jalapeno. The small, even dice of the vegetables will give your Crispy Shrimp Burgers a great texture.
Third, you can’t beat chives, parsley, basil and thyme for flavor, color, texture and an all-around attractive burger. You know how people get so excited about the whole range of colors in a Funfetti cake? Well, it’s not exactly the same but imagine a funfetti shrimp burger and you’ll see what I mean.
How to Get the Shrimp Burger Nice and Crispy
It is important to balance a crispy outside with a tender and juicy burger on the inside. The way to do this is to use a two step process to cook the burgers. Before I talk about the cooking steps, it is important to note that the shrimp after thawing must be completely dry before you chop them. Make sure to dry them on paper towels until they are not wet at all.
Once the shrimp are chopped, you will fold in the onion, peppers and all the herbs. All of these ingredients must also be completely dry or you will have soggy burgers. Do not try to dry the shrimp once they are chopped or everything will stick to the paper towel.
The burgers are cooked on the stove in a non-stick pan over medium high heat in a little peanut or canola oil. The pan must be very hot before the burgers go in so be very patient. Add the burgers and leave them alone for 5-6 minutes. No cheating. No lifting them or moving them around. Again, patience. After the first side is brown you flip them over and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes.
Next they go in a preheated 375 degree oven (preheating is essential) for 5 minutes until cooked through. That’s it.
Can I make the Crispy Shrimp Burgers Ahead?
Yes. You can chop and saute all the vegetables and herbs and refrigerate them ahead of time for a day or two.
On the day you are going to make the Shrimp Burgers you can chop the shrimp, mix them with the vegetables form them into patties and refrigerate them for 4-6 hours with waxed paper or parchment between the layers so they don’t stick together.
What to Serve with a Crispy Shrimp Burger
Let’s talk about the bread. I love a crispy buttered French baguette sliced into a hoagy-type shape. If you are going to use a baguette, you are going to want to form the burgers into rectangles instead of rounds. Alternatively, you can put your burger on a buttered and toasted bun (I like a brioche bun).
No matter what vehicle you choose for enveloping your Crispy Shrimp Burger, it is best lightly slathered with Lemon Caper Aioli.
I am a purist and I am not a fan of “garnishes” such as lettuce, tomato, onion or avocado. But if you like your burgers slipping and sliding off of your bun, by all means enjoy yourself.
Crispy Shrimp Burgers Recipe
Ingredients
For the Shrimp Burgers:
- 2 tablespoons peanut or canola oil divided
- ½ cup minced onions
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1/3 cup each finely diced red bell peppers, green bell peppers and yellow bell peppers
- 1 small jalapeño chili seeded and finally chopped
- 1 ½ pound medium raw shrimp peeled, deveined and dried well with paper towels
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
- 2 tablespoons finally chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 6 brioche hamburger buns or 18 -inch French baguette
- 6 tablespoons butter divided
For the Lemon Caper Aioli
- Grated peel of 1 lemon
- Juice of 1 lemon
- ¾ cup mayonnaise Duke’s or Hellmann’s
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 ½ tablespoon small capers well drained
Instructions
For the Shrimp Burgers:
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Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. When hot, add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are just translucent, about four minutes. Add the red green and yellow peppers and the jalapeño and sauté for five more minutes. Remove pan from heat and transfer the vegetable mixture to a large plate and place in the refrigerator to cool. No need to wash the pan as you will use it for the Shrimp Burgers.
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Put the thawed shrimp and salt and pepper in the bowl of a medium or large food processor and pulse until the shrimp are just chopped but not pureed or blended into a paste. Transfer the shrimp to the plate with the chilled vegetable mixture. Add the chives, parsley and thyme and fold the mixture together. Put the mixture back in the refrigerator for 15 minutes or up to one day so that it is easier to form into patties.
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When ready to cook, form the mixture into 6 round patties (for the brioche buns) or into 6 rectangular patties if using French bread. Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter and brush it on the buns (or French bread). Broil the buns or bread for a few minutes until browned. Watch carefully so they don’t burn. Remove bread from oven, set aside, and turn the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
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Over medium high heat, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and 4 tablespoons of butter to the pan in which you sauteed the vegetables. When it is hot and bubbling, sauté the shrimp burgers for 5 to 6 minutes on it on a side until crispy and brown. The shrimp burgers should not be touching in the pan so they will get crispy and not steam. Do not overcook them as they will finish cooking in the oven. Remove the Shrimp Burgers from the heat and put the pan in the preheated oven for 5-6 minutes.
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When the Shrimp Burgers are cooked, put them on the buns or bread and serve with the Lemon Caper Aioli.
For the Lemon Caper Aioli:
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Combine all ingredients in a medium serving bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes so that flavors will blend.
Recipe Notes
