The Shrimp Burger

Tired of eating beef or chicken burger? It’s time to shake them up and enchant your taste buds with this delicious shrimp burger! Imagine sinking your teeth into a juicy seafood patty made with fresh shrimp. In this recipe, we’re not sacrificing flavour; we’re going all in and creating an incredible experience.

Since I’ve been watching Korean mukbangers, I’ve always longed to go to South Korea and try the shrimp burgers. On my most recent trip, I tried out the shrimp burger from a popular company and felt it was missing something. I’ve improvised and created something way more delicious.

Ingredients

Shrimp, Cucumber, Parsley, Garlic, Paprika, Salt, Black Pepper, Oyster Sauce, Fish Sauce, Slices of Bread, Garlic Powder, Egg, Breadcrumbs, Burger buns.

This is an easy recipe that uses simple ingredients. You can choose between frozen and fresh shrimp. In terms of the flavours, salt, pepper, garlic, and parsley are the main spices. Paprika adds mild heat. The egg and the slice of bread are binding agents. The breadcrumbs coat the outside of the patty. Cucumbers add crunch. You can also use lettuce, tomatoes and fried onions.

Instructions

Start with your shrimp: You want to clean your shrimp and remove the heads. Peel off the shells. If you’re using pre-peeled shrimp, clean the back of the shrimp; there is a gut lining. Avoid eating the gut lining of the shrimp. Reserve half of the shrimp meat and roughly chop it. Why is this important? If you grind up all the shrimp meat, it won’t have any texture. The roughly chopped chunks of shrimp will add to the structure of the patty. (This tip is courtesy of the many professionals who have created shrimp burgers with success)

It is important to note that pre-peeled frozen shrimp will have more water than freshly bought shrimp from the supermarket. After defrosting, squeeze the shrimp to extract as much water as possible.

Two types of breadcrumbs are used in this recipe. The first is two slices of white bread, with the eggs acting as a binding agent for the shrimp patty. The second type consists of store-bought breadcrumbs that coat the shrimp patty, adding a crunchy texture. You can use brown bread, whole wheat bread, and old rolls instead of white bread. When it comes to store-bought breadcrumbs, which will provide texture to the outside surface of the patty, you can choose fine breadcrumbs or slightly chunky breadcrumbs.

Choose flavoured breadcrumbs, if possible, such as Italian style, which comprises oregano, basil, and parsley flavour. Alternatively, other options include garlic and herbs or parmesan-flavoured breadcrumbs. If you purchase regular breadcrumbs such as panko, which have no flavour, you can add your favourite spices in small amounts of 1/4 tsp each.

Add the blended ingredients (Shrimp + Bread) with the roughly chopped shrimp and the egg. Thereafter, we move on to creating the herbaceous part of the recipe. Add the herbs to the bowl of shrimp-like paste and mix. Avoid over-mixing the ingredients—season with salt, pepper, and spices.

Take a small handful of the shrimp patty mixture and mould it in your hands into a circular shape. Its quite sticky and may appear as if it is not going to come together, however have faith as it will maintain its shape. Flatten it out as shown. Keep a small bowl of white flour at hand to dry your hands.

Add the shrimp patty to a bowl of breadcrumbs. Press down, then flip on the other side and do the same. It is essential to ensure that your patty is well-coated on both sides. Prepare a tray with a baking sheet, place your bread crumbed patties on it, and prepare for the frying process.

Add sunflower oil to a pan. Choose an oil that does not add too much flavour to the shrimp patty. Examples: sunflower oil, Canola oil, Grapeseed oil, or Vegetable oil. Set the stove to medium-high and wait until the oil is hot.

Throw in a small piece of the shrimp patty when the oil has tiny bubbles. If it fries up quickly, then it’s time to add your burger patty. To ensure that the shrimp patty cooks correctly, we recommend lowering the temperature to medium-low.

You must gently lift the shrimp patty and set it into the oil. Do not rough and tumble your patty. Test out one patty first. Check the consistency to ensure that it is firm when you are satisfied with the texture of your shrimp patty. You can add more patties to your pan. However, avoid over-cluttering the pan. After your patties are prepared, let them cool on some parchment paper on a tray.

Arrange the Shrimp Burger: Add butter to the buns and toast them. Then add cucumbers. Add tomatoes, then your shrimp burger patties. On one side, we used Gochuchang mayonnaise. Now, you can cover your prawn burger patty with the top of the bun.

And there you have it. Share this delicious burger with your family and loved ones. Shrimp burgers should be enjoyed with your favorite soda. Make a lovely side dish to accompany this burger. Consider Fried chips or tomato salsa.

Expert Tips

Use fresh shrimp for the best flavour. Make sure to keep your shrimp patty cold and chill before shaping it into patties. Medium-low heat is the right temperature to fry the patties, and it cooks fast, so watch it carefully. It’s two per side. You want to avoid overcooking your shrimp patty.

If you used frozen shrimp and did not squeeze out the water in the beginning, as mentioned, your patty consistency could be a little wet. You may need to add more binding agent, such as small pieces of bread.

What to Serve with Shrimp Burger?

These shrimp burgers are absolutely delightful with a number of side-dishes. Since it is asian-inspired, we recommend Smashed cucumbers, or a Crunchy cucumber salad. You can also serve it with Fried Chips, Kale Salad, or Greek Salad.

How to Store Shrimp Burger?

If you have leftover uncooked shrimp burger patties, store them in an airtight container in the freezer. Use parchment paper to separate each patty to ensure it does not stick to the others. If your shrimp patties are fried, place them in an airtight container in the fridge and store them for two to three days. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave. You can freeze your shrimp patties for up to three months.