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.

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!

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.


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.

Easy Shrimp Recipes to Explore:
- Coconut Shrimp with a ridiculously good 2-ingredient dip
- Shrimp Cucumber Bites – so easy and good. They fly off the plate!
- Shrimp Ceviche Salsa – we are obsessed with this shrimp salsa
- Creamy Shrimp Pasta (with our favorite Alfredo sauce!)
Print-Friendly Sauteed Shrimp Cakes Recipe:
Shrimp Cakes with Lemon Aioli (VIDEO)

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

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



Made these for my fiance and I tonight. He’s an EXTREMELY picky/basic eater, so this was really going “out there” with him. Well, he thought they were really good. I made the 1st batch, the way it’s written. But then I decided to add Panko and cook for an extra minute. WOW! What a difference! Ric & I agreed that they were much better. Thank you so much for the recipe. I started out to make Crab Cakes, but there is no fresh crab available. This was a great alternative!
I’m so happy you both enjoyed this recipe, Tanya! That’s so great!
Did you add Pablo to the mixture or did you coat them with Pablo before frying?
Hi Tanya, how much Panko did you add to how much of the recipe?
Hi Tanya,
How much Panko did you add to how much of the recipe?
Such a simple recipe, and it’s just delicious! This is one of those keepers. Thank you so much Natasha!
You’re welcome, Ed! I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe!
what can I say, these were delicious…the, lemon aioli was the icing in the cake(so to speak). My first time making this recipe, only thing I would change, is I would like to make them an appetizer size, using the ice cream scoop is fine if you want to make it more of a meal. Other than that, yummy!!!!
Thanks for your tip and for giving this recipe a great review. We appreciate it, Nancy!
I made these today and they were delicious! The recipe is not complicated, but the final result is gourmet!
Love it! Thank you for your awesome review, Sheri.
Made these last night and they were amazing! We made the Jalapeno ranch as well and Shrimp fajitas, so decided to skip the lemon aioli and use the Jalapeno ranch as a dip and that worked just great!
We used coriander instead of parsley and that worked. I also added some red chilli powder and mashed fresh garlic to the mixture.
Sounds perfect! Thank you so much for sharing your good comments with us.
Hi Natasha, can I use gram flour instead of all purpose flour pls?
Hi Akila, I haven’t tried that yet to advise. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
I love your recipes on the Shrimps cake with lemon Aioli can you freeze them ? And can you buy the wild caught Shrimps freeze?
Thank you! I haven’t tried freezing these shrimp patties but if I did, I would probably freeze them already cooked or they may not stay together well. If you experiment, let me know how it goes!
This is a favorite recipe in my household, so crispy and delicious. Thank you!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Cant wait to make it,thank you!😋
With the sauces. Try adding this:
Be generous and cut fresh dill and add it to your Mayo and fresh squeeze lemon Then add some dried dill too. Chill for around 15 minutes.
It’s fabulous with crab cakes and salmon. Imagine it will be great with the shrimp cakes too
Hello Hilary, thanks for sharing some tips with us. I should also try that next time! We appreciate it.
I have made these a few times, my boyfriend and I just love them.
I’m so happy you both enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Easy to make!!
Absolutely delish!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Laura!
Have made these twice recently and a BIG hit. Use them as appetizers but definitely could be a meal. LOVE them!!
Perfect! Thank you for sharing your good feedback with us, Barbara. We appreciate it!
Hi, I made these and used the sea salt as indicated. We thought they were very very salty. Wonder if the salt in the cheese was responsible? Would make them again and leave out 1/2 tsp of sea salt and maybe less cheese, too.
Hi Pat, if using less shrimp, you would want to cut the salt. Mozzarella is pretty mild, but if using a different saltier cheese, you could omit the salt.
Very yummy. I added small diced jalapeno. And the aioli was perfect with it.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I just finished preparing the shrimp cake batter. My hubby won’t be home for another hour so I placed it in the fridge until he arrives home. However, I couldn’t wait to taste one. I scooped enough batter for one in my cast iron skillet and when it was ready I ate that little baby up with some of that awesome dip/sauce. The recipe does not disappoint. I can’t wait to make the rest-there won’t be any leftovers because I know my hubby is going to love them also.
Hello Kim, I can understand the excitement! I’m glad you loved the recipe, I hope this becomes a family favorite for you.
Jam-up recipe – Excellent shrimp cakes!! Made this for my husband, who’s never even heard of a shrimp cake before, and he loved it. He used the leftovers to make himself a “shrimp cake” po-boy for lunch. The aioli is also delicious. Thanks for sharing!
Hello Jessie, thank you for your awesome comments and feedback. I’m happy to hear that your husband enjoyed this recipe! I hope you will both love every recipe that you will try.
These are fabulous as an appetizer or as a meal with a salad! I have doubled recipe, cooked and frozen half for quick app! Just warm in oven after defrosting in refrigerator!!!
Sounds awesome! Thanks for your great feedback, we appreciate it Janet!
Wow! These are so good. I’ve made two times now, both with precooked shrimp. This recipe has wonderful flavor and texture. I make a large patty at the end to make a shrimp po’boy sandwich for my husbands lunch. His comment last week? WOW!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Hi, these sound really great and I would like to make them on xmas day as an extra. I will be really busy cooking the xmas turkey and all the salads and desserts that go with it, so I am wondering if these can be made a week before and frozen (not the sauce). And will these still be as good if frozen. Thanks
Hi Sharon, I haven’t tried freezing these shrimp patties but if I did, I would probably freeze them already cooked or they may not stay together well. If you experiment, let me know how it goes!
Is it possible to use cooked frozen shrimp instead of raw
Hi Tammy, I have had some people report good results using pre-cooked shrimp in this recipe, but it really depends on the recipe. I always suggest using what is recommended in a recipe before modifying.