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 and healthy dinner. An easy lemon aioli sauce takes them over the top!

Serve these shrimp cakes with a creamy cucumber salad or a classic broccoli coleslaw. And if you love this recipe, make sure to try our thai fish cakes with mango avocado salsa and salmon cakes with avocado tartar sauce.

Shrimp cakes and cooked shrimp on a plate with lemons and aioli.

Shrimp cakes

These little bites of pure joy are surprisingly easy to make and unbelievably tender and juicy. The flavor is spot on … not too much and not too little. Juuust right.

They are delicious eaten on their own, but even better after a dunk into some lemon aioli.

If you have ten minutes to prep and about five minutes to cook then you can have these guys on the table in next to no time. This is the kind of recipe that looks fancy but can just as easily be considered an emergency recipe for when you (your family/ roommates) are starving and need dinner stat.

Or you can assemble them ahead of time then cook them right before serving. Timesaver!

A hand dipping a shrimp cake into lemon aioli sauce.

How to make this shrimp cakes recipe

The first step in making this recipe is to chop the shrimp. First cut a shrimp in half lengthwise. Then, chop it into small pieces.

Once you have your chopped shrimp, combine them with the other ingredients and form them into 12 patties.

After a quick pan fry on each side, your shrimp cakes will be ready to eat!

Make shrimp cakes with lemon aioli ahead of time

Shrimp cakes are best made fresh, but they can be assembled ahead of time. Simply prepare the patties and place them on a baking sheet. Cover the sheet and keep it in your fridge for up to 8 hours.

When you are ready to serve them, remove them from the fridge, and quickly pan-fry them.

A close up of shrimp patties on a plate.

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!

Tender shrimp cakes on a platter with a side of lemon aioli.

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Tender shrimp cakes on a platter with a side of lemon aioli.

Shrimp Cakes with Lemon Aioli

  • Author: Kristen Stevens
  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 8 mins
  • Total Time: 13 minutes
  • Yield: 12 shrimp cakes 1x
  • Category: Appetizer
  • Method: Stove Top
  • Cuisine: North American
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Description

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 and healthy dinner. An easy lemon aioli sauce takes them over the top! 

Scale

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 small garlic clove, finely minced

Instructions

  1. Start by mixing the lemon aioli ingredients in a small bowl. 
  2. 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. 
  3. 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. 
  4. Serve them right away with some lemon aioli on the side. 

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Tender shrimp cakes on a platter with a side of lemon aioli and the recipe title on top of the picture.