These easy shrimp cakes are a wonderful way to transform shrimp into a delicious meal the whole family will love! These shrimp cakes come together in just 20 minutes too!
Seafood is a weakness of mine and shrimp is up there as one of my favourite things to eat! We always, ALWAYS have shrimp in the freezer and incorporating it into our meals is a frequent occurrence. Among of our favourite shrimp dishes are these tender, flavourful shrimp cakes!
If you have never experienced a shrimp cake before, you need to change that asap! You have likely heard of (and eaten) crab cakes before, but shrimp cakes are just as wonderful and as their crab cake cousins. They are also a more affordable option.
To make these, chopped shrimp is mixed with panko breadcrumbs, eggs, veggies, lemon zest and seasonings. After forming the patties, they are pan-fried till they are wonderfully golden-brown. The result is a delicious cake that is delicate and flavourful.
These shrimp cakes are delicious as they are, but the recipe lends itself well to tweaks based on your own preferences. Feel like adding more veggies? I’ve made these with corn and even chopped kale before and they taste wonderful. You can also add herbs or even jalapenos to switch up the flavours. They always come out tender and delicious every time we have made them!
What kind of shrimp should you use for shrimp cakes?
While fresh, raw shrimp would be the best choice, I often use frozen raw shrimp that has been thawed. Raw shrimp will give you the best texture. The shrimp will cook when it is being fried in the shrimp cake and be nice, juicy and tender.
Can you use cooked shrimp? Yes you can. While raw shrimp always makes the most tender, soft shrimp cakes, you could use cooked shrimp for this recipe. In fact, I sometimes do (and did in the process shots I took for this recipe) since its all I had on hand. This is a great way to use up cooked shrimp! So if you are wondering what to do with that bag of cooked shrimp, shrimp cakes are definitely a good option! While shrimp cakes made with cooked shrimp are delicious and make for a great last minute meal, because the shrimp get cooked twice with this method, they aren’t as tender.
Whether you are using raw or cooked shrimp, you can follow the recipe as stated.
What do you need to make shrimp cakes?
To make this recipe, you will need:
- 1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (in a pinch you can use cooked shrimp but raw will give you a more tender shrimp cake)
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 red pepper, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons green onion, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- zest of 1 lemon
- 2 large eggs, whisked
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
How to make Easy Shrimp Cakes
- Chop the shrimp. First, gently pulse shrimp in a food processor until coarsely chopped, but not pureed. Alternatively, you can finely chop them.
- Mix all the ingredients together. In a large bowl, combine the shrimp with all of the remaining ingredients. Use a fork to combine everything.
- Form the shrimp cakes. Divide mixture into 6-8 portions (depending on how big you would like to make them) and form each into a patty.
- Cook them! Heat cooking oil in a large pan, over medium high heat. Cook the shrimp patties for approximately 4 minutes on each side or until they are cooked through. You will likely have to do this in batches. [If the shrimp cakes are browning too quickly on the outside, lower the temperature to ensure they cook through evenly]
Serve with lemon wedges, sour cream or your favourite dipping sauce, if desired.
I hope you enjoy this recipe!
-Cathy
You may like these other shrimp recipes:
Air Fryer Shrimp
Shrimp & Corn Chowder
Teriyaki Shrimp and Asparagus
Easy Shrimp Cakes
Ingredients
- 1 lb raw shrimp peeled and deveined
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 red pepper finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons green onion finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 large eggs whisked
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Gently pulse shrimp in a food processor until coarsely chopped, but not pureed. Alternatively, you can finely chop them.
- In a large bowl, combine the shrimp with all of the remaining ingredients. Use a fork to combine everything.
- Divide mixture into 6-8 portions (depending on how big you would like to make them) and form each into a patty.
- Heat cooking oil in a large pan, over medium high heat. Cook the shrimp patties for approximately 4 minutes on each side or until they are cooked through. You will likely have to do this in batches. [If the shrimp cakes are browning too quickly on the outside, lower the temperature to ensure they cook through evenly]
- Serve with lemon wedges, sour cream or your favourite dipping sauce, if desired.
