These fried shrimp sliders hold a special place in my heart. Crispy, golden, with a touch of heat…​I could eat all eight.–Sam Zien

Shrimp Slider FAQs

How do I select the best shrimp?

If you’re fortunate enough to be in an area where you’ve got access to fresh shrimp, there are a few things to remember.

Make sure there is no “fishy” smell. Like any other seafood, your shrimp should smell clean, like saltwater. If you can, press the body of the shrimp with your finger. If that poke leaves an indentation, the shrimp isn’t fresh. The eyes should be glossy and the legs still firmly attached. For frozen shrimp (which is perfectly fine in most recipes), look for IQF, or ‘Individually Quick Frozen’ shrimp, head-off, but peel-on.

What’s the best way to thaw frozen shrimp?

You have a couple of options. You can let it thaw overnight in its original package in the refrigerator (we recommend putting the bag in a bowl to collect any water from the melting process), or if you’re in a rush, remove the shrimp from its package, put it in a bowl of cold water in your kitchen sink, and let a trickle of cold water continuously run into the bowl, allowing the overflow to go down the drain.

Can I make these as regular-sized burgers instead of sliders?

Sure thing, but remember to adjust your cooking time to accommodate the larger patties.

Can I use precooked shrimp for these sliders?

We don’t recommend it. The precooked shrimp will end up overcooked and rubbery. Stick with fresh or frozen raw shrimp here.

Three fried shrimp sliders with coleslaw and toasted Hawaiian rolls on a wooden board.

Fried Shrimp Sliders on Hawaiian Rolls

5 / 2 votes
These mini sandwiches have so many things going for them. A crispy shrimp patty, spicy creamy coleslaw, and a toasted bun.
David Leite
CourseEntree
CuisineAmerican
Servings8 sliders
Calories264 kcal
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time1 hour 40 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 4 scallions, white and light green parts, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
  • One (1/2-inch) piece fresh ginger, roughly chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed with the side of a knife
  • 1 pound uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 6 tablespoons mayonnaise, divided
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce
  • 2 cups thinly shredded cabbage
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons Sriracha
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil
  • 8 Hawaiian rolls or any slider roll, toasted

Instructions 

  • In a food processor, combine the scallions, bell pepper, ginger, and garlic and pulse a couple of times.
  • Toss in the shrimp, panko, 3 tablespoons of the mayo, and the soy sauce and pulse until the shrimp are just coarsely chopped and combined—don’t turn it into mush. You should only need about 10 pulses for this to come together.
  • Using wet hands, form the shrimp mixture into eight small patties the size of your roll, set them on a tray lined with parchment or waxed paper, and chill them in the refrigerator for about an hour or so.

    ☞ TESTER TIP: If you like your shrimp extra crispy, coat the patties in extra panko.

  • In a medium bowl, combine the cabbage, remaining 3 tablespoons of mayo, Sriracha, and rice vinegar and mix well.
  • In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Add the shrimp slider patties in a single layer, and cook until golden brown and gorgeous, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
  • To assemble your sliders, pile some slaw on each bun bottom, and then set a patty on top and add the top bun.
Sam the Cooking Guy: Between the Buns Cookbook

Adapted From

Sam the Cooking Guy: Between the Buns

Buy On Amazon

Nutrition

Serving: 1 sliderCalories: 264 kcalCarbohydrates: 22 gProtein: 12 gFat: 14 gSaturated Fat: 3 gMonounsaturated Fat: 3 gTrans Fat: 0.05 gCholesterol: 86 mgSodium: 589 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 5 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe?Mention @leitesculinaria or tag #leitesculinaria!
Recipe © 2022 Sam Zien. Photo © 2022 Countryman Press. All rights reserved.

Recipe Testers’ Reviews

What a great way to stretch a pound of shrimp. Everyone loves hand held food, and everyone who loves shrimp will love these.

The fried shrimp sliders themselves have a taste reminiscent of deviled crab with the finely chopped peppers and onion. They cook super quick and the slaw needs no other “doctoring up” other than what is called for.

It is a bit spicy with a full tablespoon of sriracha for such a small amount, so if you aren’t into hot things maybe try half that at first. I did dust the outside of the shrimp cakes again with plain panko before frying and think it’s worth doing for the crunch factor.

Otherwise, these could even be made with just a smear of oil on a flat-top and be equally delicious. The recipe made 8 sliders that completely fill a standard slider bun.

For a more homemade look I made some of these with frozen roll dough thawed individually, brushed with egg wash and sprinkled with everything but the bagel seasoning. We are big eaters, but two sliders each made for a filling dinner with sweet potato fries and Asian pickled cucumbers.

Select a Tester

These fried shrimp sliders on Hawaiian rolls were a big hit. There was a lick of heat from the Sriracha, the crunchy fried outside, and the fun of eating burgers that aren’t meat, shrimp that don’t look like shrimp, and of course, mini food. With a food processor in the house, it was a speedy dinner.

These fried shrimp sliders on Hawaiian rolls were good but they weren’t as great as they could have been. The shrimp mixture ended up a strange texture because I think I somewhat over processed it.

The sliders did look like the photo but in real life weren’t very pretty because I only had plain green cabbage on hand; some shredded carrot and purple cabbage would have made the slaw more visually appealing.

This recipe has a lot of potential though and I will make these again. Next time I will add some Thai basil or cilantro, some lime zest/juice, some chili crisp or chili garlic sauce, and a little pinch of salt and I will grill them instead of pan-frying them.

I would also make extra sriracha mayo for dipping or drizzling instead of just using in the slaw because it’s delicious – you could put that on a shoe and I’d eat it! I think these would be good summer party make-ahead-and-then-throw-them-on-the-grill food.

Delicious! These will appear on my table often. The shrimp flavor and texture shine through and are nicely accompanied by the crunch of the cabbage and the touch of heat from the Sriracha.

This recipe comes together quickly but do be aware that once the patties are made, they need to go into the refrigerator for 1 hour. But if you didn’t read the recipe carefully enough, like me, and did not leave enough time to do this before dinner needs to be on the table, you could do what I did: put them in the freezer while you make the cabbage condiment and get your pan ready for cooking and they will be just fine.

These made a great casual dinner, but they would be great for lunch with friends, or when having friends over for cocktails.

Simple, scrumptious, satisfying and wanting oh just one more, sums up my experience with these special little fried shrimp sliders.

I used fresh deveined black tiger shrimp then simply removed each peel and tail. After 7 short pulses in the food processor, the coarsely chopped shrimp mixture easily formed into 8 equal patties, which ultimately fit perfectly in a slider bun.

First bite yielded a brief moment of unplanned silence followed by an audible groan! Wow, a plump, juicy, shrimpy tasting slider with a wonderful Asian flavor from the ginger, garlic, scallions and red bell pepper along with heat, sweetness/acidity, and crunch from the slaw. The Hawaiian bun just gilded the lily with its slightly sweet taste and fluffy texture.

I served these 8 sliders to company as appetizers (2 per person) but would not hesitate to make them into 4 actual full-sized burgers.

These fried shrimp sliders on Hawaiian rolls are a tasty, easy dish. They require some chilling time so you do need to plan ahead a bit, but that also allows you to prepare them ahead of time and cook them up just in time to serve them.

The ginger and garlic add just the right amount of “zing” to the patties. The sandwiches are a nice size, two of them being a perfect serving.

The slaw is also quite tasty. The Sriracha is an unusual, but tasty, ingredient in the slaw.

I serve these with oven-baked fries and some fresh fruit.

We had leftover patties, which were equally good warmed in the convection oven the next day. As is often the case, the flavor was intensified the next day. These sliders will definitely be a regular item for us.




About David Leite

I count myself lucky to have received three James Beard Awards for my writing as well as for Leite’s Culinaria. My work has also appeared in The New York Times, Martha Stewart Living, Saveur, Bon Appétit, Gourmet, Food & Wine, Yankee, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, and more.


Hungry For More?

Grilled Pork Burgers

Smoky grilled pork burgers, crunchy coleslaw, and creamy yum yum sauce, all in one unbelievably good handheld package. You’re welcome.

1 hr 15 mins

Shrimp Burgers

Know that bag of forgotten shrimp you bought on sale that’s languishing in your freezer? Start defrosting it. Here’s the ideal use for it.

40 mins


Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




10 Comments

  1. We enjoyed these a lot. We did dredge the slider in panko before chilling, I’d definitely do that again. Also, a little sprinkle of salt as they came out of the pan. I used smaller shrimp, 31-40 size and only pulsed three times in the food processor, I have a large, powerful food processor, not sure if that’s why it only needed a few pulses or if it was the size of the shrimp but I’d advise to be careful not to over process, some larger pieces of shrimp are nice. Very delicious meal, thank you.

    1. You’re welcome, Mom24. It looks delicious! Thanks for the tip on not over-processing.