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

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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,  to our  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:

Shrimp Cakes with Lemon Aioli (VIDEO)

4.98 from 327 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:

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
Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

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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 😉

4.98 from 327 votes (90 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Rebecca P
    December 13, 2019

    I made this according to the instructions with the exception of not having fresh lemon on hand. So with no zest in the sauce and bottled lemon juice it was still very good. It made much more than I expected. I will definitely make these again. Nice crunch with moist flavorful center and the sauce really does set it off nicely.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      December 13, 2019

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Rebecca! Thank you for the wonderful review!

      Reply

  • Glen
    December 8, 2019

    I made these shrimp cakes for dinner tonight. What a nice, simple recipe. Both my wife and I thought they were great. And, you’re right: don’t skip the aoili!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      December 9, 2019

      That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review

      Reply

  • Patti
    December 2, 2019

    Hi Natasha…made these for dinner tonight…delicious! What a great recipe. I didn’t have fresh shrimp but cooked frozen shrimp, thawed them out and followed the recipe and it turned out great! Thank you!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      December 2, 2019

      I’m happy to hear you enjoyed that, Patti! Thank you for sharing & I’m so glad to know it worked with that frozen shrimp!

      Reply

      • Michele Avarino
        December 29, 2019

        How many cakes does this recipe make? Looking to double the batch for 10 people

        Reply

        • Natashas Kitchen
          December 30, 2019

          Hi Michele, we have that listed in the recipe, this makes 12 cakes (2 per serving for 6 people).

          Reply

  • Nicole
    December 1, 2019

    This is my absolute favorite recipe!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      December 2, 2019

      That’s just awesome, Nicole!!

      Reply

  • Sheree Wheelock
    November 3, 2019

    made this tonight and they are fantastic. made a double batch and just like your chicken fritters they disappeared as fast as I made them. I would of taken a picture but the only thing left were crumbs. love them

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      November 4, 2019

      I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!

      Reply

  • Carol Soppeland
    November 1, 2019

    Any tips for trying in an airfryer

    Reply

    • Natasha
      November 1, 2019

      Hi Carol, I haven’t tested these baked or air fried but my best guess comes from another reader who happens to be named Carol also! She said she sprayed the baking sheet, placed patties on the sheet and refrigerated 20 minutes then baked at 400˚F for 20 minutes per side. For an air fryer, they will bake twice as fast or even faster. I would flip after 10 minutes and then check after another 5 min for doneness. If you experiment, please let me know how it goes.

      Reply

  • David Morris
    October 12, 2019

    This is a very good recipe. I substituted yellow lake perch tonight and it was outstanding. Thank you for this gift.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      October 12, 2019

      You’re welcome, David! Thank you for the great feedback.

      Reply

  • Mammie
    September 18, 2019

    These look delicious. I found these on your keto.plus IG. I can’t figure out how they can only have 4 carbs though using the 1/4 cup of all purpose flour.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      September 18, 2019

      Hi, just pulling up some quick math from googling. 1/4 cup flour has about 23 carbs divided by 6 servings = 4

      Reply

      • Mammie
        September 19, 2019

        Excellent. Thank you, i can’t wait to make these.

        Reply

      • Stacey
        December 30, 2019

        Love your recipes! I’m making these With almond flour tomorrow night for A New Year’s Eve Party. Do these need to be refrigerated a few hours, like the chicken fritters?

        Reply

        • Natashas Kitchen
          December 30, 2019

          Hi Stacey, there is no need to marinate them in the refrigerator prior to cooking.

          Reply

    • Lisa
      August 23, 2022

      Curious…has anyone used cornbread mix instead of flour? I think it would be a good taste combo, but thought I’d check with the masses first! LOL

      Reply

  • Frances Knighton
    September 17, 2019

    I made these for dinner tonight and we loved them. I did add some paprika and Old Bay seasoning to the mix. Also, I used almond flour instead of the regular flour and fried them in avocado oil (which has a higher smoke point). My husband couldn’t stop eating them.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      September 18, 2019

      That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Frances!

      Reply

    • dwayne
      November 20, 2019

      I’m doing Keto now so I will be using Almond flour…can’t wait to try…they are Delicious with regular flour

      Reply

      • Natashas Kitchen
        November 20, 2019

        I hope you love this recipe! We look forward to your feedback, Dwayne!

        Reply

  • Heather Simmons
    September 15, 2019

    I made these for a small dinner party and they got rave reviews. I used mexican blend cheese because I was out of mozzarella and I tossed in just few panko crumbs because I was making them into burger sized patties and was worried about flipping them. Everyone wanted the recipe. I did refrigerate the mixture for about an hour before forming and making them. I will definitely use this recipe again. Everything was perfect!

    Reply

  • David Morris
    September 14, 2019

    I printed out the recipe for shrimp-cakes w/ lemon aioli sauce and decided to make this for dinner tonight. It was simple but excellent. We will have this again with quests. I thought about subbing yellow perch or walleye into this recipe. Thank you!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      September 14, 2019

      I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!

      Reply

  • Barbara McDonald
    September 9, 2019

    OMG! This looks “out of this world” delicious! I was looking for new recipes for shrimp that are quick and easy…and who doesn’t love fritters! Going out now to get ingredients!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      September 9, 2019

      I hope you love this recipe, Barbara!! Thank you for that awesome feedback!

      Reply

  • Jessica
    September 8, 2019

    Are these best served hot or can they be served room temperature. I would like to make a large batch of these for an anniversary party, however it is on a boat, so they would have to be made ahead of time.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      September 9, 2019

      Hi Jessica, I love this warm but they are still enjoyable cold.

      Reply

  • Cheryl
    September 2, 2019

    These were so easy to make and very impressive to serve. “Keto-ized” them by using coconut flour and spiced them up with a little Old Bay seasoning. Served with homemade coleslaw. Thanks for a great keeper recipe!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      September 2, 2019

      That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Cheryl!

      Reply

  • Amura-An
    August 29, 2019

    Thank you for this wonderful recipe, Wonderful , I can’t wait until tomorrow to make this shrimp cake. Although I really would like to replace mayo dip with something else and not so keen on cream or cream cheese either , I find them sickly. What else I can make a nice creamy dip with , any advice ?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      August 29, 2019

      Hi Amura-An, I had one reader report making a dip with sour cream and garlic with great results. Another mentioned greek yogurt instead of mayo.

      Reply

  • Luc Lalancette
    August 28, 2019

    Made this for my daughter’s birthday and it was a hit with all my difficult kids as well. It will be a repeat for sure.
    Thank you for sharing

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      August 28, 2019

      Sounds like you found a new party favorite! Thank you for that awesome review Luc!

      Reply

  • Lori Bradford
    August 24, 2019

    I HAVE EVERYTHING EXCEPT THE MOZZARELLA, CAN IT BE REPLACED WITH A SHREDDED CHEDDAR? I’M DYING TO MAKE THIS,AND I HAD PLANNED ON DOING SO TONIGHT!!!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      August 24, 2019

      Hi Loria, yes that should work with cheddar also! I hope you love this recipe!

      Reply

      • kburke
        December 3, 2019

        Could you make this ahead of time and then reheat to serve at a party?

        Reply

        • Natashas Kitchen
          December 3, 2019

          Hi, yes you definitely can reheat them! Our readers have reported reheating them in the oven is much better than the microwave If you re-cook them in the microwave on too high of heat, the shrimp will get tough.

          Reply

  • Linda Chittick
    August 22, 2019

    Natasha, I made these last night and they are truly a winner! Delicious! I was so anxious to eat them, I didn’t get a picture taken. I used a 3″ ring mold to form them and got 8 cakes out of the recipe. I also froze the remaining cakes before frying and they came out fine. Love your website and recipes.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      August 22, 2019

      That’s so great Linda and sounds beautiful! Thank you for sharing that with me!

      Reply

  • Deja M.
    August 20, 2019

    I’m going to make these tonight!! They look SOOOOOO good what woukd you consider a serving size, 1 or 2 cakes? Thank you!!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      August 20, 2019

      I’m so glad you enjoyed that Deja! I have the servings towards the top of the recipe card: Servings: 6 people (2 fritters per serving) It honestly depends on how big you make them.

      Reply

    • Pamela Woolley
      August 20, 2019

      Oh definitely 2 they look so yummy

      Reply

  • Jill
    August 17, 2019

    Big hit with everyone… already shared the recipe with 4 people…

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      August 18, 2019

      That’s so awesome! Sounds like you found a new favorite Jill!

      Reply

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