Tired of the same old burger routine? Here’s a super-simple idea to add to your burger repertoire. Just a few simple additions changes shrimp into an irresistible supper. The burgers are rich with shrimp, thick, and juicy, with just a touch of lemon and green onion. After they come off the stove, they get slathered with a homemade tartar sauce to jazz up the whole works. Add the bun of your choice, a fresh tomato, and go to town.
This really is easy, especially if you have a food processor for all of that chopping work. If not, get out a stout kitchen knife and do the chopping by hand and all will be well. When you cook the burgers, they should be a nice, golden brown and kind of crispy on top. It’s OK to peek once in awhile, but probably not a grand idea to walk too far away from the skillet – or barbecue if you are grilling. These guys cook fast, and you would be much better off without a tough bunch of shrimp on your hands. I use the ‘touch test’ to see when they’re done. Once you’ve flipped them over, let them cook for a few minutes and then gently touch the top. It should feel firm to your touch if it’s done. Then I take them off the heat, cover them and let them continue cooking in residual heat for a minute or two.
Get your buns toasted, grab your tartar sauce, and get ready… A nice side salad is a good way to go with these, but I wouldn’t say no to a big pile of fries, either.
Enough talking already – let’s eat!!
Happy summer everyone! Thanks so much for taking time to stop in today – I really appreciate it. xoxoxo
Shrimp Burgers with Tartar Sauce
Ingredients
- FOR THE SHRIMP BURGERS
- 1 cup fresh bread crumbs Note: it’s important to use fresh crumbs, not dried crumbs like Panko. Fresh crumbs will do a better job of absorbing any liquid from the shrimp and hold your burgers together better.
- 2 pounds shrimp peeled, deveined, rinsed and patted dry – it doesn’t matter what size of shrimp you use.
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup thinly sliced green onion
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- Salt and pepper to taste
- FOR THE TARTAR SAUCE
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour low-fat or full-fat sour cream
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped capers
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons finely chopped dill pickle
- ¼ cup thinly sliced green onion
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- ½ -1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ - 1 tablespoon brine from the jar of capers
- Salt and pepper to taste start with about ½ teaspoon of salt
Instructions
- FOR THE SHRIMP BURGERS
- In a food processor, pulse the fresh bread until crumbs form. (Note: I usually buy a loaf of something like Italian Bread from the supermarket, then cut off the crust and make crumbs out of the whole thing. I freeze what I don’t need at the moment, so always have a supply of crumbs handy when the need arises).
- Add the green onion and lemon zest and pulse a couple of more times until everything is well mixed.
- Remove the crumb mixture from the food processor and place in a medium bowl.
- Put the shrimp in the food processor and pulse only until roughly chopped. Some pieces will be bigger than others, and that’s just fine.
- Remove shrimp from processor and place in the bowl with the bread crumbs.
- Add the mayonnaise, salt and pepper, and stir gently until just blended together.
- Form the mixture into patties. I usually put the patties on foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Allow to set up in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, but you can also form these the day ahead – just be sure you cover them with plastic wrap.
- Note: This recipe makes between 7-8 burgers, each taking about ½ cup of the shrimp mixture. I use an ice cream scoop to measure it out since that seems easiest for me but do what works best for you.
- When ready to cook: A nonstick skillet works best for these guys. I add some oil just as a double precaution though. Heat the skillet to medium high, and add the burgers, usually four at a time. Keep your eyes open and cook on one side until crispy and lightly browned, then flip them over and finish cooking. Shrimp just takes a few minutes, so don’t walk away too far. You can tell when they’re done by gently pushing down on the top of the burger. If it feels firm to the touch, it’s probably done. I like to let them sit, covered, in the skillet for a few minutes just to set up and finish cooking.
- You can also cook these guys on the grill over medium high heat.
- FOR THE TARTAR SAUCE
- In a medium sized bowl, stir together the mayonnaise and sour cream.
- Stir in the capers, dill pickle, green onion, lemon zest, and fresh dill, salt and pepper.
- NOTE: Here’s where it gets interesting – you will want to rely on your own sense of taste to finish this sauce off. I like tartar sauce to be, well, tart. If you don’t, start slowly. Try ½ tablespoon lemon juice – now tastes it. OK? Then quit right where you are. I also really like the briny taste of caper brine. Feel daring? Add half a tablespoon. Taste again. OK? Then stop right there. It’s really a matter of trusting your own likes and sense of taste at this point, so go for what you want. Need more heat? Try some sriracha or other hot sauce. Play with it until it becomes YOUR sauce. Don’t forget to write down what you did at the end so you can repeat it any time you please.