If you love shrimp recipes, these shrimp cakes are for YOU! They are juicy, tender and so flavorful. These shrimp fritters always disappear fast! P.S. DO NOT skip the lemon aioli sauce.

Shrimp recipe for Cheesy shrimp cakes recipe on platter with lemon aioli

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

This is a surprising way to use shrimp but it’s also the best way to make a pound of shrimp go a long way. Biting into juicy shrimp, fritter style, is a real treat. The cheese creates an irresistible cheese pull inside and forms a golden crust on the outside. Watch the Video tutorial and you will just know; these are GOOD!

Sauteed Shrimp cakes in pan garnished with parsley

Shrimp Calories / Shrimp Nutrition:

  • Purchase wild-caught shrimp whenever possible.
  • Avoid “Farm Raised Shrimp” or anything marked “Farmed,” especially coming from overseas where they may be produced in unsafe or unhealthy conditions and could lead to health problems.
  • There are about 99 calories in 100 grams of cooked shrimp.

How to Devein Shrimp:

Deveining larger sized shrimp is especially important. Check out our video tutorial on how to peel and devein shrimp. You can use a small pairing knife or a deveining tool like this one from OXO.

Ingredients for Shrimp Cakes Recipe:

The ingredients here are so simple and come together quickly for an easy appetizer or side with dinner or lunch. Combining raw diced shrimp with a batter creates an irresistibly good shrimp fritter. I hesitate to call them ‘fritters’ because fritters are often deep fried but you don’t need much oil at all in this recipe. I usually use 1 to 2 Tbsp for the entire batch. Seriously though, don’t skip the lemon aioli sauce – it is everything with these shrimp cakes; dunk after dunk.

Ingredients for shrimp cakes and lemon aioli sauce for how to make shrimp fritters

how to make lemon aioli recipe

Watch How to Make Sauteed Shrimp Patties:

Watch Natasha make these cheesy shrimp cakes. You will be surprised by how easy this recipe is! If you haven’t already, click to subscribe to our Youtube Cooking Channel and click the bell icon so you’ll be the first to know when we post a new video.

Cook’s Tips: Here are our favorite measuring spoons that I bragged about in the video. Also, a trigger release ice cream scoop makes it so easy to portion and and sauté these while keeping your hands clean. Also, a non-stick pan works best to keep the patties from falling apart while cooking.

How to make sauteed shrimp patties

Easy Shrimp Recipes to Explore:

Print-Friendly Sauteed Shrimp Cakes Recipe:

Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

Shrimp Cakes with Lemon Aioli (VIDEO)

4.98 from 309 votes
Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com
Cheesy Shrimp Cakes aka Shrimp Fritters with irresistible lemon aioli sauce. One of our favorite shrimp recipes! Biting into juicy shrimp, fritter style, is a real treat. The cheese creates an irresistible cheese pull inside and forms a golden crust on the outside. Watch the Video tutorial and you will just know; this recipe is GOOD | natashaskitchen.com
If you love shrimp recipes, these shrimp cakes are for YOU! The cheesy crust creates a juicy, tender and flavorful center. P.S. DO NOT skip the lemon aioli sauce
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 6 people (2 fritters per serving)

For the Shrimp Cakes/ Fritters:

  • 1 lb large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 4 oz mozzarella cheese, (1 1/2 cups shredded)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped, plus more to garnish
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt, or to taste
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, or gluten free flour
  • 2 Tbsp light olive oil, or high heat cooking oil of choice

For the Lemon Aioli Sauce:

  • 1/2 cup mayo
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 garlic clove, pressed or finely minced

Instructions

How to Make Shrimp Cakes:

  • Pat dry shrimp with paper towels then dice into pea-sized pieces.*
  • Transfer chopped shrimp to a large mixing bowl. Add 4 oz shredded mozzarella, 1 egg, 1/4 cup mayo, 2 Tbsp parsley, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper. Stir together then add 1/4 cup flour and mix until batter is creamy and well combined.
  • Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat and add 1 Tbsp olive oil. Add 1 heaping Tablespoon at a time (or a level ice cream scoop) and flatten out the tops of your fritters as you go so they are about 1/2" thick patties. Saute about 3 minutes per side or until golden brown on the edges and cooked through.

How to Make Lemon Aioli Sauce:

  • In a small bowl, add mayo and stir to remove any lumps. Add 1 tsp lemon zest, 2 Tbsp lemon juice and pressed garlic clove and stir to combine. 

Notes

*You can use a food processor to chop the shrimp, but pulse carefully so you don't turn it into ground shrimp meat.
Nutrition for Lemon Aioli Sauce is not included in the recipe since we usually don't consume the full amount with 1 batch of shrimp cakes. Based on 8 servings for the sauce, each serving has 96 calories, 89 mg sodium, 0 g sugars, 5 mg cholesterol (2%), 10 g total fat with 1 g saturated fat (5%). 

Nutrition Per Serving

258kcal Calories4g Carbs21g Protein16g Fat4g Saturated Fat233mg Cholesterol968mg Sodium93mg Potassium235IU Vitamin A4.8mg Vitamin C263mg Calcium2.1mg Iron
Nutrition Facts
Shrimp Cakes with Lemon Aioli (VIDEO)
Amount per Serving
Calories
258
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
16
g
25
%
Saturated Fat
 
4
g
25
%
Cholesterol
 
233
mg
78
%
Sodium
 
968
mg
42
%
Potassium
 
93
mg
3
%
Carbohydrates
 
4
g
1
%
Protein
 
21
g
42
%
Vitamin A
 
235
IU
5
%
Vitamin C
 
4.8
mg
6
%
Calcium
 
263
mg
26
%
Iron
 
2.1
mg
12
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Shrimp Cakes
Skill Level: Easy
Cost to Make: $$
Calories: 258

If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen

sautéed shrimp fritters or shrimp patties on a plate with lemon aioli sauce

Would YOU try these sauteed shrimp fritters? We think you will be impressed 😉

Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.

Read more posts by Natasha

Leave a Comment

Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Tessi
    March 27, 2024

    Hi Natasha, these sound yummy, what do you think of subbing motza cheese and parsley for Parmesan and coriander, would that work for the ratio. Also what would be a suggestion to serve these up for a meal , was thinking salad and home made chips with the lemon aioli. Your thoughts would welcomed.💕

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      March 28, 2024

      Hi Tessi! I haven’t tried that combination so I can’t say, but feel free to experiment with different cheeses and spices.
      These can definitely be served alongside chips, fries, salads, coleslaw, veggies. Let us know how they turn out.

      Reply

  • frances
    March 16, 2024

    I am a bit confused. 4 ounces of cheese is 1/2 cup – not 1 and 1/2 cup

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      March 16, 2024

      Hi Frances, there are different styles of measurements. The cheese is measured by weight. It will weigh 4oz. The volume is 1 and 1/2 cups.

      Reply

  • Anne
    March 8, 2024

    This was phenomenal! It was delicious, easy and plated beautifully. I’ll make it again and again!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      March 8, 2024

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Anne!

      Reply

  • Tanya
    January 29, 2024

    I only have a Mexican blend cheese. Do you think it will work for these?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      January 29, 2024

      Hi Tanya, we prefer it with mozzarella, but if you don’t have any on hand you can try it with Mexican cheese, I’d love to know how it turns out with that cheese.

      Reply

  • Judy Rice
    January 15, 2024

    I have made these once and Loved! Want to make for a party. How early in day could I make? Do I need to refrigerate if it is a few hours early??

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      January 15, 2024

      Hi Judy, making them ahead will work. Some of my readers serve this at room temp. In my opinion, it is best eaten fresh but making it ahead should be alright. You can also reheat in the microwave just until warmed through if you make them way in advance and want to refrigerate them. I hope it becomes a hit!

      Reply

  • Kristin
    December 23, 2023

    It saddens me to ask, but would this recipe work without the mozzarella or would it not hold together? My brother is tragically dairy free.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      December 23, 2023

      Hi Kristin, I honestly have not tried it without the cheese. I wonder if this could be better with a little bit of bread crumbs mixed in instead of the cheese. It may just work to remove the cheese but make sure you use a non-stick skillet for easier flipping.

      Reply

  • Cheri
    December 23, 2023

    Absolutely love these! Has anyone tried air frying them instead of in a pan with oil – just curious.

    Reply

  • Lyuda
    November 29, 2023

    I just realized I don’t have fresh parsley, do you think dry parsley will work?

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      November 29, 2023

      Hi Lyuda! That should work. You may need to experiment with the amount but a general rule of conversion for using dried herbs is to use 1/3 of the original quantity of fresh herbs.

      Reply

  • Carol
    November 5, 2023

    Can’t tell you how many times I’ve made this recipe! Everyone loves it! Thank you 🥰

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      November 6, 2023

      That’s wonderful, Carol. Thanks so much for sharing!

      Reply

  • Susan
    October 27, 2023

    These are so good! When the cost of crab went up so high, I decided to try these instead of crab cakes for my Christmas Eve contribution to my family’s holiday appetizer menu. Everyone raved about them. Thank you!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      October 28, 2023

      You’re welcome, Susan! I’m so glad they were a hit!

      Reply

  • Sharon Toki
    September 21, 2023

    was wondering if you could add a small amount of crab meat with the prawns? or maybe chicken?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      September 21, 2023

      Hi Sharon, I haven’t tried that mix, but I imagine it will work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.

      Reply

      • Linda
        March 21, 2024

        I have added crabmeat and dice onions real small ad actually bake them as crab cake sandwich size! Awesome!

        Reply

As Featured On

Never Go "Hangry" Again!

Get weekly updates on new recipes, exclusive giveaways plus behind the scenes photos.