Shrimp Burgers with Horseradish Tartar Sauce
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While fish fries are all the rage during Lent, eating the same fishy dishes might get a little monotonous after several weeks. Don’t you worry though, I think I have a recipe for a perfect shrimp burger that’s actually pretty great any time of the year.
If you’ve been following my journey, you’ll know that I’m only slightly obsessed with making burgers out of anything but hamburger meat. From turkey to salmon, shrimp is no different! I had a shrimp burger at one of my favorite restaurants last year but it didn’t quite measure up to my expectations. I’ve been thinking about that burger ever since and decided it was high time for me to attempt it for myself.
The seasonings for this dish can vary for your personal preferences, but I made mine with some Old Bay seasoning and a cajun spice blend to add some heat. I’ve seen variations of this recipe with curry powder and other Asian spices that looked totally delicious – but that’s another recipe. I think the most important part of this burger, aside from the shrimp, is making sure to pile it high with fresh toppings like avocado, radicchio, and a homemade horseradish mayonnaise.
The most efficient way to prepare these burgers is to use a food processor to blend everything together and chop the shrimp into a consistent ground meat form. However, if you don’t have a food processor or blender to pulse the shrimp in, finely chopping the shrimp until it resembles ground meat works just as well, though it is more time consuming.
Once the shrimp, vegetables and spices are all mixed together, add in the bread crumbs. You might notice that without the breadcrumbs, the shrimp won’t hold together very well.
The breadcrumbs, in addition to an egg, will act as a glue to keep the shrimp patties together.
Form the ground shrimp into patties about a quarter pound in weight and about a half inch thick. This ensures that the shrimp patties will cook evenly throughout.
Probably one of the biggest benefits to these shrimp burgers is that they cook extremely fast, so dinner is on the table before you know it! If you are planning a BBQ, you can totally make these shrimp patties in advance and slap them on the grill when ready to cook. They only take about 2-3 minutes to cook through.
To make your horseradish tartar sauce, in a small bowl combine your favorite mayo with your favorite creamy horseradish sauce. I ended up using a garlic aioli for my mayonnaise the first night I ate these and then made a simple tartar sauce with regular mayonnaise. Both options tasted great and the mild tartar sauce might be a good backup choice for anyone who doesn’t like spicy sauces. Assemble your burger and top with fresh sliced avocado, tomatoes, red onions, and radicchio instead of lettuce to add some crazy colors to your meal. Don’t forget to slather it in the horseradish tartar sauce too!
Shrimp Burgers with Horseradish Tartar Sauce
Ingredients
- 16 oz shrimp peeled
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- ½ cup red bell pepper chopped
- ½ cup red onion chopped + more for topping
- 3 tablespoon green onion + more for topping
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 egg
- ½ tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons creamy horseradish
- 2 tablespoons pickle juice
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil for frying
- 1 raddicchio chopped for topping
- 1 tomato sliced for topping
- 4 burger buns for serving
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise and horseradish sauce. Add the pickle juice and chopped pickles. Stir in one tablespoon of lemon juice. Chill until ready to serve.
- Using a food processor, finely chop the shrimp, red onion, pepper, green onions and garlic then add the Old Bay seasoning and Cajun spices, and one tablespoon of lemon juice. Pulse well to combine and remove any large chunks.
- Transfer the ground shrimp to a bowl and add the breadcrumbs and egg. Stir to combine. Form the shrimp meat into quarter pound patties about a half inch thick.
- In a skillet over medium high heat, add the sesame oil and heat until shimmering. Add the shrimp burgers in batches and cook on both side for 1-2 minutes, or until the shrimp is cooked through (about three minutes total).
- Serve the shrimp burgers on thick buns and top with avocado, tomatoes, radicchio, and of course the horseradish tartar sauce. Serve hot and enjoy!
