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A shrimp burger with tartar sauce, topped with lettuce in a white bun on a piece of parchment paper.
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4.75 / 4 votes

Shrimp Burgers

These shrimp burgers get their crisp coating from finely ground panko that's pan-seared until golden and served with tartar sauce. Better than any seafood burger you'll find on any menu.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Mains
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 494

Ingredients

  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1 1/2 pounds large or medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1/2 teaspoon table salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more, if desired
  • 4 scallions, finely chopped
  • Mild olive or vegetable oil, for frying
  • 1 cup store-bought or homemade tartar sauce
  • 4 store-bought or homemade hamburger buns, toasted if desired
  • 4 leaves Bibb lettuce
US - Metric

Instructions

  • In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, pulse the panko until finely ground, about 15 pulses. Transfer the panko to a shallow dish.
  • In the now-empty bowl of the processor, combine 1 cup of the shrimp (about 1/3 of the total shrimp), mayonnaise, salt, and black and cayenne peppers. Pulse until the shrimp are finely chopped and combined with the mayonnaise, about 8 pulses, depending on the size of your shrimp.
  • Add the remaining shrimp and pulse until coarsely but evenly chopped, 4 to 6 pulses, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

    ☞ TESTER TIP: If you don’t want to sacrifice the lovely consistency of shrimp in your burgers, consider instead chopping the remaining shrimp by hand rather than processing them. Then simply stir them into the pulsed shrimp mixture. Your burgers will retain a little more of that true shrimp-ness.

  • Transfer the coarsely ground shrimp to a large bowl and stir in the scallions.
  • Using lightly moistened hands, divvy the shrimp mixture into 4 equal portions. Gently shape each portion into a patty about 3/4 inch (18-mm) thick.
  • Dredge each shrimp patty in the panko, turning to coat both sides and pressing lightly so the panko stays put. Transfer the shrimp patties to a large plate.
  • Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Pour in a little oil, just enough to slick the bottom of the skillet. Heat the oil until shimmering, about 2 minutes.

    ☞ TESTER TIP: If you prefer to save a little time and cook all the burgers at once rather than in batches, instead use 2 skillets at the same time. Of course, that’s one more thing to clean. Choose your battle.

  • Place the shrimp patties in the hot oil, being careful not to crowd the skillet. Cook, flipping once, until they’re golden brown and register 140°F (60°C) on an instant read thermometer, 3 to 5 minutes per side.
  • Transfer the shrimp burgers to a paper towel-lined plate. If you cooked the burgers in batches, it’ll be necessary to add a little more oil to the skillet.
  • Spread the tartar sauce evenly among the bun bottoms and then place the burgers and lettuce on top. Sandwich with the tops of the buns and serve pronto.

Nutrition

Serving: 1burger | Calories: 494kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 281mg | Sodium: 1232mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g