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

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 😉

4.98 from 327 votes (90 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Angela
    September 13, 2021

    This recipe was just what I was looking for! I had never made shrimp cakes and this was easy and sooo good. My husband devoured these–so much for leftovers. lol. Thanks for an awesome dish!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      September 13, 2021

      Thank you for the wonderful review!

      Reply

  • Tammy
    September 11, 2021

    My husband made these for me a while back and they were instantly one of my favorites! So much better than crab cakes(which I love as well). The aioli sauce is amazing as well.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      September 11, 2021

      The sauce is a must-have! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Tammy!

      Reply

  • Amanda Woods
    September 3, 2021

    Natasha your shrimp tacos are simply the best we love them. We tend to eat seafood or fish on Fridays, this will be the 4th Friday in a row that we them for dinner.
    I also love all your videos. I also love how easy your recipes are.
    Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      September 3, 2021

      I’m so glad you’re enjoying our tacos!! We absolutely love them also! Thank you for your lovely compliment, I’m so glad you’re enjoying my videos.

      Reply

  • Nadine M Murray
    August 24, 2021

    Excellent and easy. 💖

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      August 24, 2021

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply

  • Amanda Woods
    August 20, 2021

    OMG I made these for dinner with a salad they were so go. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      August 21, 2021

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

      Reply

  • Lois Wagers
    August 12, 2021

    Made this recipe using 1 lb of salmon cutlets, pulsed in food processor. They were amazing!!!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      August 12, 2021

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply

  • Joe Brink
    July 4, 2021

    Also I am kidding… just a pet peeve when folks take an amazing recipe like this and start substituting… this is so great just the way you designed it!

    Reply

  • Joe Brink
    July 4, 2021

    “I made this recipe and it was awesome! Instead of the shrimp I used a Big Mac and then I substituted the rest of the ingredients for fries. Thanks again!”

    Reply

    • Joe Brink
      July 4, 2021

      Also I am kidding! Just my pet peeve when folks start substituting ingredients on an already perfect recipe!

      Reply

  • Sara L
    June 28, 2021

    Can you use almond flour or coconut flour instead of the all purpose flour?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 28, 2021

      Hi Sara, one of our readers made a Keto version. Here is what she says: “This was amazing. I made mine keto-friendly by grating my own mozzarella and using almond flour. Will be making these again for my friends.” I hope this helps. If you experiment, let me know how it goes!

      Reply

  • Danielle
    May 30, 2021

    DELICIOUS! We could not get enough of these! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      May 30, 2021

      Thanks for your great review, Danielle!

      Reply

  • Caryl
    May 17, 2021

    Made the shrimp cakes are Excellent and very easy to make for any level of cooking. Thanks for the recipe Natasha. I will be checking out more.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      May 17, 2021

      You’re welcome, Caryl. Happy to hear that you enjoyed it! I hope you’ll love every recipe that you will try.

      Reply

  • Alicia
    May 16, 2021

    Tried this tonight for dinner and oh my lord it is so delish!! You’re right about the sauce. Gotta have them both together. This recipe deserves to be in my box. Thank you!!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      May 17, 2021

      You’re very welcome, Alicia. I’m just glad that you enjoyed this recipe for dinner. Thanks for your great review and feedback!

      Reply

  • Barrie
    April 24, 2021

    These cakes were really good and were easy to make. I saved time by using my food processor. I will be making them again.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      April 24, 2021

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

      Reply

  • Mimi Gatt
    April 24, 2021

    Hi Natasha:
    I have a similar recipe but stopped making it because I felt the shrimp wasn’t fully cooking. Wasn’t sure if the recipe was lacking an instruction, but you also do it raw – so here goes!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      April 24, 2021

      I hope you love this recipe!! If you’re unsure, you can always check the shrimp with a thermometer.

      Reply

  • Ben Haney
    April 21, 2021

    Natasha,
    WE love your shrimp cake recipe but I need your help with one aspect of the cooking process. My problem is they separate in the pan. I’ve reduced the size of the cakes but it does not help.

    Thank you in advance for giving me a tip to hold them together.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      April 21, 2021

      Hi Ben, I’m so sorry to hear that, some of our readers noticed the cakes falling apart when they chopped the shrimp too big. Try making the shrimp cuts slightly smaller and that should help!

      Reply

      • Ben Haney
        April 24, 2021

        Natasha,

        Thank you the idea of finer cuts of shrimp. I am also going to use a better non-stick pan to cook them in. I’ll know for certain after I make them tonight.

        Most appreciated.

        Reply

    • Denise Seyller
      December 30, 2021

      Ben,
      One of the things I do to make sure they hold together, is once I drop them from the ice cream scoop, I let them fry a little and warm through some (let the cheese melt a little), then I press them flat. Once they are nice and crispy then I flip them. Once in a while the shrimp pieces fall out but usually, I can still push them back into the patty. I make some of the patties bun-size so I can serve them as a sandwich with a slice of provolone cheese, some coleslaw and my own “special
      sauce”.

      Reply

    • Mere L
      November 5, 2022

      Refrigerate the mix for about 30 min before frying. The mix needs to firm up to help it all stick together.

      Reply

  • Leon M Hicks
    April 18, 2021

    I know you are a big fan of fresh parsley, the “zip” you refer to as well as the appearance. My wife actually has a “mouth problem” with it, such that she really tries to avoid it in cooking and in restaurants. My question is how much does parsley add to the flavor, and can it be left off or a substitute used? Thank you for your response!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      April 18, 2021

      We love it with parsley but feel free to omit it or use basil, or coriander if she likes it better.

      Reply

  • Chrysoula Panakos
    April 15, 2021

    Made the shrimp…Delicious…!!!
    Next time will reduce amount of mayo to 1/8 c. It felt a little too oily. Will use greek yogurt instead of mayo for the sauce. My husband likes saziki sauce.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      April 15, 2021

      Sounds good! I’m glad you enjoyed it and yes, feel free to adjust the ingredients according to your personal preference. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply

  • Korinne
    April 10, 2021

    This is truly a family favorite. My 4 year old granddaughter has requested them for her 5th birthday dinner!! I highly recommend this recipe.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      April 10, 2021

      Aww, that’s the best! That is the best when kids love what we make. That’s so great!

      Reply

  • Moe Stooke
    April 7, 2021

    Hi Natasha…I have made these so many times…they are fantastic! Question…can I make them early? How would I heat them up for dinner? Asking for a friend…lol

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      April 7, 2021

      Hi Moe, yes you definitely can reheat these! 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

  • Lauren
    March 16, 2021

    Hi Natasha!
    Could I make these in the air fryer?! If so, how long would you suggest?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      March 16, 2021

      Hi Lauren, I haven’t tried these in an air fryer but here’s what one of our readers wrote: “These are really good! Love the lemon aioli too. I rotate between that and a spicy sauce. I made these in the air fryer and they cane out great. I preheated to 350 and lightly sprayed an olive oil on top. I did for a total of 14 minutes flipping the cakes halfway through. Already made these a couple of times. Yum!” I hope this is helpful.

      Reply

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