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,  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 322 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 322 votes (90 ratings without comment)

Leave a Comment

Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Kathy Arena
    July 17, 2018

    Will be making these tomorrow but wondered what size ice cream scoop you used?

    Reply

  • Diana
    July 16, 2018

    I just made these tonight 7/16/18 and I made according to the recipe and added a little Old Bay because I’m from Maryland and that’s what we do. They were a giant hit nd we are adding to our book of favorites! Simple recipe with so much taste. And I loved the Lemon Aoli, my husband used a sirachi mayo…both were delish! Thank you for this recipe!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 16, 2018

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

      Reply

  • Diane
    July 16, 2018

    These were absolutely delicious and the lemon aioli really added to the taste! I had all the ingredients on hand which made it that much better and the prep time was not bad. These will definitely be part of our dinner menu in the future.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 16, 2018

      I love when that works out so perfectly! Thank you for the wonderful review Diane!

      Reply

  • Juanita
    July 16, 2018

    Loved it, I just switched bread crumbs for the flour, did half mozzarella/half parmesan and I added garlic to the lemon aioli

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 16, 2018

      That sounds so good! Thank you for sharing that with us!

      Reply

  • Olga Pettis
    July 15, 2018

    Absolutely amazing! My family inhaled it!

    Reply

  • Anna
    July 15, 2018

    Hi Natasha, do you think they will work if I bake them instead of frying? I just fried them and all of them got stuck to the pan and turned into very not pretty mess. They taste great, so for appearances sake I am wondering if baking might work.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 16, 2018

      Hi Anna! I haven’t tested them as baked shrimp cakes so I can’t say for sure. I had one reader report good results with baking but she didn’t share details of how she baked them.

      Reply

  • Cappy Jonas
    July 15, 2018

    Natasha….
    Have you ever frozen the Shrimp Cakes? I’m planning a large party, so I need things I can make ahead of time. Thanks, they look so good!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 16, 2018

      Hi Cappy! 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!

      Reply

  • Nyree
    July 15, 2018

    It looks delicious, but I would like to know if I can substitute the mayo for something else? Source cream, Greek yogurt?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      July 16, 2018

      Hi Nyree, here is what one of our readers says in regards to omitting the mayonnaise. “My sister-in-law has to watch her sodium intake, so I changed a few things. Instead of mayonnaise I used Greek yogurt and for salt I used Mrs. Dash. I will definitely be making these again.” Hope this helps!

      Reply

  • Medallio
    July 14, 2018

    Hi,

    Not a fan of mayonnaise nor excessive use of salt. Is there an alternative sauce that I can make with the lemon zest and an alternative to mayonnaise in the cakes as well as salt as a seasoning that you would recommend?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 15, 2018

      Hi Medallio. Here is what one of our readers says in regards to omitting the mayonnaise. “My sister-in-law has to watch her sodium intake, so I changed a few things. Instead of mayonnaise I used Greek yogurt and for salt I used Mrs. Dash. I will definitely be making these again.” Hope this helps!

      Reply

  • janine
    July 13, 2018

    Wow these are really good and really easy. I cut the shrimp too large for the first ones and they fell apart so I chopped them finer and they were perfect. I don’t even like shrimp and they were okay because it was cut up small. To look at they seem a lot of work but they really are not. I am taking them as an appetizer for a bbq, hope they reheat well.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 14, 2018

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

      Reply

  • Sherry Avaritt
    July 13, 2018

    Excellent! My husband loved these and I did too! Yummy! Could not have been more perfect! I think I will make another batch and make mini muffins for my Sunday School class. I used Wild Black Tiger Prawns we had ordered from Great Alaska Seafood! They were a from last year, but still good. This will be a repeat recipe!!! Thank you Natasha!
    Someone had asked if you can bake these, and yes, just spray the pan, press out on the pan in patties, and spray the patties or brush with a little olive oil. I bake our Salmon patties this way.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 14, 2018

      That’s so nice of you to bring these to Sunday School! I’m so happy you enjoyed these, Sherry!

      Reply

  • Dawn
    July 11, 2018

    I’m on the Oregon Coast where we have pink salad shrimp. Has anyone used those instead of regular shrimp? They aren’t cheap so hoping someone has tried them.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      July 11, 2018

      Hi Dawn, I haven’t tried but I’m thinking it would work.

      Reply

    • William Bush
      August 4, 2018

      what makes them a pink salad shrimp is they are harvested before they have grown they are what we referred to in the shrimping industry here in Texas as maggit shrimp which we tried not to even catch by using larger meshed nets during the shrimps spawn season
      heres a link to a news report on our seafood industry the last part of the report is inportant about the types of seafood you are cousoming do watch this https://www.facebook.com/MichelleMalkinCRTV/videos/521618348257986/

      Reply

  • Rhonda
    July 11, 2018

    OMG these look delicious!
    Can these be baked? I can’t eat fried foods.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 11, 2018

      Hi Rhonda! Thank you! I haven’t tested them as baked shrimp cakes so I can’t say for sure. I had one reader report good results with baking but she didn’t share details of how she baked them.

      Reply

  • Karen L. Miller
    July 10, 2018

    Can panko be substituted for flour….or commbined with flour

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 10, 2018

      Hi Karen, I haven’t tried that but I think it would taste good to coat the outside in panko. The batter is too loose though to form into a patty with your hands so it would be difficult to dip the patties in bread crumbs. I hope this helps 🙂

      Reply

  • Irma
    July 10, 2018

    Hi Natasha they look delicious, and I can’t wait to make them. What your thoughts on using coconut or almond flour instead of all purpose flour?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 10, 2018

      Hi Irma, Although I haven’t tried it this way myself, our readers have reported using almond flour as a substitution and they loved it!

      Reply

  • Michael
    July 10, 2018

    These were so good!! However, I sent my husband to get mozzarella and he came back with burrata! I substituted Pepper Jack. I also added two sliced green onions. Truly amazing! Half the recipe was enough for two guys for Sunday dinner. Yes, Natasha, do not skip the Lemon Aioli.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 10, 2018

      That’s so great Michael. Thank you for sharing that with us

      Reply

  • Debbie Hargrove
    July 9, 2018

    Oh my goodness! I made these tonight to surprise my husband. He ate nearly the whole batch! What was left is going in his lunch tomorrow. I was so surprised that they turned out. HA! I even liked them and I don’t like anything strange. I am so glad I ran across your video. I have printed a bunch of recipes to try!!!! Thanks for getting me out of my box to try new things. 🙂 Ben thanks you too!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 9, 2018

      Hi Debbie! Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to write this wonderful review! I’m so so happy you both enjoyed this recipe! 🙂

      Reply

  • Joann Penverne
    July 8, 2018

    Just made these tonight for dinner. They were delicious, but they did not look like yours. I used a non-stick pan over medium heat, but they started falling apart. Not sure what I did wrong.😕

    Reply

    • Natasha
      July 8, 2018

      Hi Joann, possibly check the proportions in the recipe to make sure you have enough shrimp to batter and also it helps to dice the shrimp smaller to help them stay together. Also, I only flip them once. You want them to get golden brown on one end before flipping which also helps them stay together. I hope that helps! 🙂

      Reply

  • Cynthia
    July 8, 2018

    I made these Friday night and they were perfection when combined with the Lemon Aioli. No need to change a thing. Making them again today!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 8, 2018

      I’m so glad you enjoyed these! Thank you for sharing that with us Cynthia! Hope you had a great weekend!

      Reply

  • laurie culkin
    July 8, 2018

    Would these freeze well and if so, before of after cooking?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 8, 2018

      Hi Laurie, 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!

      Reply

As Featured On

Never Go "Hangry" Again!

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