I’ve been trying to lighten things up at our house a bit lately. We ate a lot of comfort food-type meals this winter, and my pants definitely aren’t fitting as well as I’d like 🙂 Shane has the world’s fastest metabolism, so he can pretty much eat whatever he wants without gaining an ounce, but I don’t have that same good fortune. I’m not interested in cooking two separate meals for dinner, though, so I’m working to find healthier recipes we both enjoy.
These shrimp burgers definitely fall into that category. They’re sort of reminiscent of crab cakes, but I think the shrimp flavor is stronger in these than the crab usually is in crab cakes. It probably goes without saying, but if you don’t like shrimp, these burgers aren’t for you. There isn’t a ton of filler, so the shrimp shines. I’ve had issues in the past with crab cakes that were fragile and fell apart while cooking, but these held their shape perfectly. They develop a crispy, golden crust in the pan too, which made them feel decadent. The leftovers even reheated fairly well for lunch the next day – total bonus!
I was tempted to serve these without rolls in an effort to really keep this meal light, but neither Shane nor I was excited about the prospect. In our house, a burger needs a roll! So, instead, I adapted my very favorite homemade burger roll to incorporate some whole grains. I substituted whole wheat flour for half of the all-purpose and they were just as delicious as usual. If I’m going to bake with whole grains, I always use white whole wheat flour – I much prefer its milder flavor over traditional whole wheat. I know it doesn’t sound as healthy, but it has ALL the same nutritional benefits (you can read more here) of traditional whole wheat without that bitter taste I often notice. It’s totally made me a whole wheat convert! 🙂
Shrimp Burgers
from America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook
1 slice high quality whole wheat sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
1 lb extra large shrimp (raw, not precooked, I used the 26-30/lb size), peeled and deveined
3 tablespoons mayonnaise (the original recipe called for light mayo, so you can use that if you have it)
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
pinch cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons canola oil
Add the bread to the bowl of your food processor and pulse until you have coarse crumbs. Transfer to a measuring cup – you should have about 3/4 cup of crumbs. Wipe the bowl of the food processor out, then add the shrimp. Carefully pulse just until you have a mixture of finely minced and coarsely chopped pieces, about 7 pulses. Add the breadcrumbs and shrimp to a large bowl but do not mix yet.
In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, scallions, parsley, lemon zest, salt, pepper and cayenne together until well combined. Pour this mixture over the shrimp and breadcrumbs, and use a rubber spatula to gently fold everything together.
Transfer the shrimp mixture onto a small baking sheet. Divide the mixture into 4 portions, and loosely pack each into a 1-inch thick burger. You want to be gentle here – don’t try to pick up the mixture and shape it the way you might with a traditional burger. Cover the burgers with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 24 hours).
Set a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. When it shimmers, carefully transfer the burgers to the pan. Cook until golden brown and crisp on both sides, about 8-10 minutes total. Serve on toasted buns with your favorite toppings.
Makes 4 burgers
I’ve never seen shrimp burgers! Salmon and crab, yes, but not shrimp! Fun twist 🙂
That’s a great idea and it looks really delicious!
Ana
Since I am not a seafood lover I will pass on the burger, but definitely going to try making my own rolls soon. Love that you used some whole wheat in there.
I am the world’s most enthusiastic advocates for seafood burgers. Nice photography.
I’ve never seen shrimp made into a patty like this – how creative!
What a great idea!
It’s about to be shrimp season here, so I’m always looking for new spins to put on those tender little morsels. Bookmarking this one, Tracey!
I want to make these tonight!! They look amazing!
These look FABULOUS, Tracey! I’ve Pinned them … I’ll definitely be giving them a try.
Tracey @ The Kitchen is My Playground
These were really great! A fun twist on burgers and a new way to prepare shrimp. Thanks for making them!
Very cool, I definitely want to try these. I like shrimp, but I haven’t been inspired to cook it lately. This sounds like a great way to do it!
This looks so great! Can’t wait to try it!
I am already totally on board with these. The flavors are amazing and they look so hearty! I love crab cakes, I’m sure these would be right up my alley!
I need a light appetizer for tonight – we’re doing the St. Paddy’s pub crawl and I don’t want to drink on an empty stomach – these will do the trick, plus I have all the ingredients on hand. To minimize the carbs, I will sub out the bread and use some chick pea flour instead, and I will make them into small bite-sized balls. Thanks Tracey for the inspiration!
What a creative twist to the more traditional burger! Perfect for the burger’s season. Thanks for sharing Tracey!
I love shrimp, and I think these sound fabulous!
It’s so funny. My couple is the same. My husband never gains an ounce while I do go up and down on the scale.
I love how well these stayed together! I’ve tried making burgers like this, and they kind of fall apart–this will have to go on my list to try 🙂
I was wondering if you’d be willing to share what kind of camera and lighting setup you have. I desperately want to improve the pictures I take for my blog, but I’m not sure how to upgrade my equipment.
Thanks! 🙂
@Tiffany – Hope you enjoy if you give them a shot!
All of the photos on my blog since January 2010 have been taken with a Canon Rebel XS and either the 18-55 lens or a 50mm/f1.8. I try to shoot in natural light when possible, but when it’s not I also use my Speedlite, which is an external flash. If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend checking out Plate to Pixel – it’s a great book full of tips to help improve your food photography!
Thanks for your help! 🙂
making these tonight, wondering if you used precooked shrimp or raw shrimp? thanks!!
@Anon – Use raw shrimp. I probably should have been more specific in the recipe, I’ll update it 🙂
Thanks Tracey! the blender seemed to work just fine on the raw shrimp and the bread. The burgers are formed and chilling in the fridge. I can’t wait to try one. Thanks for sharing. Lauri
These look great! I’ve been trying to eat better too but haven’t been very successful…
Good morning, I featured this recipe on my blog today, it looks great! Thanks for allowing me to share. Here is the link http://carriesexperimentalkitchen.blogspot.com/2012/03/week-12-seafood-frenzy-friday.html
Hi Tracey!
I finally got a chance to post about these DELICIOUS burgers!!! I cannot stop bragging about them! I have a feeling that this will be a much requested treat out of my kitchen!
Thank you thank you thank you!!!
Heather
http://adventuresofthecanegirl.blogspot.ca/2012/06/shrimp-burgers.html
Tracey! This is the first recipe of yours that I’ve tried and I’m only getting around to leaving a comment now – I just got into cooking a few months ago…(and have gone on to try a LOT more since) and I gotta tell you they were such a freaking hit! I have to keep dishing this out to keep everybody satisfied and it’s not really a secret that I REALLY enjoyed them too. Thanks for posting this – your blog is a gem!
I can’t imagine that it matters what size shrimp you use, since you are chopping/pulsing them up!