Tender Shrimp Cakes with Lemon Aioli
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These tender shrimp cakes are absolutely delicious. They take only 10 minutes to make, can easily be prepped ahead of time, and make a great appetizer or light dinner. An easy lemon aioli sauce takes them over the top!
These little bites of pure joy are surprisingly easy to make, and every time I cook them I’m reminded of just how tender and juicy they are. The flavor is spot on — not too much, not too little — juuust right.
I’ll happily eat them straight from the pan, but they’re even better dipped into a little lemon aioli. It’s one of those simple pairings that tastes like far more effort than it actually is.
If I have ten minutes to prep and five minutes to cook, I know I can have these on the table in no time. It’s the kind of recipe that looks fancy but also works as an emergency “we’re starving and need dinner stat” situation.
And on nights when I’m really planning ahead, I’ll assemble them earlier in the day and cook them right before serving. Total timesaver — and just as delicious.
Make shrimp cakes ahead of time
Shrimp cakes are best cooked fresh, but they can be assembled in advance. Prepare the patties and place them on a baking sheet. Cover the sheet and refrigerate it for up to 8 hours. When you are ready to serve them, remove them from the fridge and quickly pan-fry them.
What to serve with shrimp patties
When serving these for a lunch or light dinner, we like to pair them with a simple salad. Our kale apple salad and arugula and wild rice salad go really well. Or some simple greens tossed in our lifesaving lemony salad dressing is a great option.
If you’re feeling extra hungry, make a batch of Greek lemon potatoes to serve on the side!
Shrimp Cakes Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb peeled raw shrimp (chopped)
- ½ cup almond flour
- ¼ cup EACH: chopped chives and red pepper
- ½ teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
Lemon Aioli
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- Zest from 1 lemon + 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic (finely minced)
Instructions
- Start by mixing the lemon aioli ingredients in a small bowl.¼ cup mayonnaise, Zest from 1 lemon + 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 clove garlic
- Add the chopped shrimp, almond flour, chives, red pepper, salt, pepper, and egg to a large bowl and mix well. Form the shrimp into 12 patties and place them on a baking sheet or cutting board.1 lb peeled raw shrimp, ½ cup almond flour, ¼ cup EACH: chopped chives and red pepper, ½ teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper, 1 large egg
- Heat the oil in a large, nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add the shrimp cakes (working in batches, if needed) and cook them for 4 minutes on each side.1 tablespoon cooking oil
- Serve them right away with some lemon aioli on the side.
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
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Can this be cooked ahead and reheated?
Absolutely! I like to reheat leftovers in the oven.
Quick and delicious. Thank you
These were amazing!! Even bought the almond flour and was super impressed- very flavorful and cooked up perfectly!
I’m making these for a Xmas pot luck.
I’ve made these a number of times. Easy, elegant and delish. A big hit wherever I take them.
I’ve tried this recipe with a little change up. There wasn’t any almond flour available at the time I wanted to make this but so Eager to make it. So I used some organic coconut flour (my first time using this) and 2lbs if shrimp. Let me tell you this coconut flour is a little tricky. I had to increase my eggs because it tasted a little grainy. I eyeballed everything and this could of been part of the issue too but it wall worked out well. Taste just like coconut shrimp!!! My family loves it!! Will make it again with almond flour next time.
I wouldn’t have thought coconut flour would work! But I’m so happy to hear that it did. I’ll have to try that one day!
can the patties be baked in oven instead of fried
I haven’t tried baking them but I think it should work fine. 🙂
Is the shrimp uncooked or cooked before chopping?
I’m sure that it makes a difference
Uncooked!
Do you use raw or cooked shrimp in this recipe? It sounds delicious and looking forward to making.
You’ll want to use raw shrimp!
These sound SO delicious! If you are not gluten-free, can whole wheat flour be subbed in 1:1? I have never cooked/baked with wheat flour alternatives. Thanks!
Whole wheat flour is a really different beast. It absorbs A LOT more liquid than almond flour or regular white flour. If you want to try it, I suggest starting by adding half the amount and only adding more if needed. 🙂
looks delish haven’t made It yet
????? raw or cooked shrimp to start ????
Raw!