This Shrimp Burger recipe is a unique seafood twist on the classic burger. Shrimp burger patties are topped with a delicious smoky guacamole and they burst with Mexican flavors. Great for lunch, dinner, and outdoor summer parties.
I'm going to be in full bragging mode and tell you that you absolutely must make this shrimp burger recipe! It has a Mexican vibe from the cilantro and cumin, and I'm pretty certain that if you like shrimp, you will love this.
The shrimp burger is out of control juicy and oozing with delicious flavors, and the smoky guacamole recipe is beyond belief. It's smoky, fresh and creamy, and it has superb little bits of crunch from sweet red onion.
There are so many ways to make burgers these days. Beef burgers (of course), hearty turkey burgers, chicken burgers, vegetable packed burgers, tofu burgers, and the list goes on.
So why not shrimp?
About the Key Ingredients
- shrimp - For this recipe I like to use approximately 26/30 count, meaning there are about 26 to 30 shrimp per pound, but other sizes will also work. They'll be considerably less expensive if you peel and devein the shrimp yourself. Purchase wild-caught shrimp if possible, and choose those with intact shells that are fairly firm. If they smell at all like ammonia, they're bad! Frozen shrimp are your best bet if you want to buy them already peeled and deveined. Defrost completely before using them, and drain them if necessary.
- lime juice - The citrus brightens the guacamole with a subtly tangy flavor. Substitution: lemon juice.
- cumin - The warm earthy flavor of the cumin is superb with the sweetness of the shrimp. Substitution: Coriander.
- cilantro - I love cilantro, though I know many people have an aversion to it. If that's you, substitute with fresh oregano, and use half the amount.
- avocado - Use a soft (but not at all mushy!) ripe avocado. If available, try to buy locally grown avocados. You know what a bummer it is when you cut into an avocado and it's either fibrous or has dark spots? That's often from the long travel it takes avocados to arrive at their final destination.
- red onion - The crisp red onion with its slightly sweet flavor is the perfect crunch in the guacamole. Substitution: Shallots.
- Chipotle peppers in adobo - This is where the smoky heat in the guacamole comes from. Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce are jalapeño chiles that have been dried, smoked and packed in a sauce made of tomatoes and spices. They come in a can and you should be able to find it in any major grocery store.
How to Make Shrimp Burgers
- Mash the avocado with a fork. Add the onion, chipotles, lime juice, and salt -- stir to blend. Cover with plastic wrap and press it gently directly on top of the guacamole. Set aside.
- Add all but about ¾ cup of the shrimp to a food processor with the blade attachment. Pulse it just a bit, and then add the egg, cilantro, salt, cumin and black pepper, and blend again until it's smooth, about 10 seconds. Add this to a mixing bowl and set aside.
- Roughly chop the remaining ¾ cup of shrimp into small pieces. Add them to the smooth portion in the mixing bowl, and mix just to blend and set aside.
- Coat the bottom of a large sauté pan with olive oil and place it over medium-high heat. Once it's very hot, use a ½ cup measure to scoop and shape the shrimp mixture into 4 burgers. Use a small rubber spatula to scoop the mixture out of the measuring cup and directly into the hot pan. They will be sticky, but will easily hold together once they hit the pan. Sauté just until they're cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. They should be golden brown.
- Assemble with about 1 tablespoon or so of the guacamole on each half of a toasted bun. Add tomato, lettuce and the shrimp burger. Close the burger and enjoy! (These are best when the burgers are still warm.)
Can you grill Shrimp Burgers?
Yes, but not directly on the grate. They are too fragile and sticky, but you can place a cast iron skillet on the grate, if you really want to be out side barbecuing.
Variations
- Use another seafood. You can make this same recipe, but start with raw salmon or cod. If the salmon sounds good, here's a recipe for salmon burgers with dill.
- Spicy version. Add about ¼ teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper or 1 teaspoon of chili paste, to the shrimp mixture. (And you can change the amounts, based on the amount of heat you want.)
Serving Suggestions
I serve these shrimp burgers in a bun with the guacamole, tomato, and lettuce, but the shrimp burger patties are equally as delicious on their own, with the guacamole served on the side. (You don't want to miss the two together!) Below are a few delicious ideas of what you can serve with them.
Making Them Ahead
I think shrimp burgers are best right out of the pan -- that's when they'll be at their juiciest. You can however, make the raw shrimp mixture a day ahead of time, keeping it refrigerated and tightly sealed until you're ready to sauté the next day.
More Must-Try Delicious Shrimp Recipes
I hope you love the shrimp burgers and the delectable smoky guacamole as much as my family and I do!
Shrimp Burger Recipe with Smoky Guacamole
Equipment
- large nonstick skillet
Ingredients
For the guacamole
- 1 medium-sized avocado (about 8-ounces), you will need ¾ cup mashed
- 2 tablespoons finely diced red onion
- 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
- 1½ teaspoons chipotles in adobo sauce, finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the burger
- 1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (Click here for How to Peel and Devein Shrimp)
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup packed cilantro leaves, washed and dried
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- olive oil for the pan
- about 8 thin slices vine-ripened tomato
- 1 small handful baby lettuces
- 4 of your favorite burger buns, lightly toasted
Instructions
For the guacamole
- In a small mixing bowl, mash the avocado with a fork. Add the onion, chipotles, lime juice, and salt -- stir to blend. Cover with plastic wrap and press it gently directly on top of the guacamole. Set aside.
For the burgers
- Add all but about ¾ cup of the shrimp to a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Turn it on to pulse it just a bit. Then add the egg, cilantro, salt, cumin and black pepper, and blend again until it's smooth, about 10 seconds. Add this to a mixing bowl and set aside.
- Roughly chop the remaining ¾ cup of shrimp into small pieces. Add them to the smooth portion in the mixing bowl, and mix just to blend and set aside.
- Coat the bottom of a large sauté pan with olive oil and place it over medium-high heat. Once it's very hot, use a ½ cup measure to scoop and shape the shrimp mixture into 4 burgers. They will be sticky, but will easily hold together when you place them in the pan. Sauté them just until they're cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. They should be golden brown.
- Now add about 1 tablespoon or so of the guacamole to each half of the toasted buns. Add a burger to each, followed by a couple of tomato slices and a bit of the lettuce. Close the burger and enjoy! (These are best when the burgers are still warm.)
NOTES
NUTRITION
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Cathy | She Paused 4 Thought
I have made ground shrimp kabobs before but never a burger. I think I like your idea much better as it looks delicious. I can't wait to try this.
valentina
Thanks, Cathy. The kebabs sound interesting -- and delicious, also. 🙂
Brasserie Louis
Hi Valentina, Delicious!!! I love cilantro so this caught my eye. I mixed up homemade bbq sauce made of brown sugar, ketchup, mustard, apple cider vinegar and worchestershire sauce. My maid chopped up garlic and cilantro and accidentally added to the sauce. It came out amazing!!! Yes they are a little crumbly and you have to be careful but so worth the effort! I reserved extra sauce to put on the bun also. Thanks a lot for sharing this recipe. 🙂
valentina
Thanks so much -- so happy you enjoyed it, and your sauce sounds fabulous! 🙂
Lokness @ The Missing Lokness
Wow! This looks AMAZING! The shrimp patties were crispy on the outside and juicy in the inside. I love the sound of the smokey guac too! Shared!
valentina
Thanks so much!!! 😀
David
I am so excited to make these, Valentina! I can easily see using my spicy ginger-sesame mayo on them, too, along with the guacamole. I will report back! xo - and have a lovely long weekend!
valentina
That mayo sounds perfect for these! I'd like that with French fries, too. Enjoy and thank you! 🙂
David
Being the bad communicator that I am, I neglected to report back to tell you how much we love these! I even make small ones for sliders…
valentina
David, I truly appreciate how many of my recipe you try. With or without a report. So happy you liked them, and great idea to make them tiny! 🙂 ~Valentina
Dennis
I made this recipe for a cook off with friends and I WON 🏆. Great recipe very flavorful
Valentina
Hi, Dennis! This makes me very happy! Not only to win, but that you liked it so much. Win-WIN! Thanks for writing. 🙂 ~Valentina
Chris Smith
Maybe I missed it...do I start out with raw shrimp or cooked shrimp?
valentina
Yes, you start with raw shrimp. It cooks in the sauté pan. 🙂 I clarified it in the ingredient list. Thank you!
Tammy
Made this tonight with my daughter. We loved it! So easy to make. We love anything with avocado. Even my husband enjoyed it. This is a keeper. Thank you!
valentina
Hi Tammy, Thank you -- you made my day! So happy the family enjoyed this recipe. It's one of my favorites. 😀
Jessica
Can you use already cooked shrimp, or does it absolutely have to be raw shrimp? We have a lot of shrimp right now, but already cooked.
valentina
For this it really should be raw -- hard to get all the flavors in and form them into burgers, if not. Your cooked shrimp would be delicious dipped in the chipotle-lime guacamole, though. 🙂
Kelli
I wonder if I could freeze the raw mixture before cooking or if it's better to cook all at once and reheat?
valentina
Great question. I haven't tried freezing the raw mixture, but I think it would work great. I'd shape them, wrap individually in plastic wrap, freeze, and then thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Hope you enjoy!
anne
Hi We love these. I have learned to only use fresh shrimp, as frozen shrimp has made mine salty. We usually eat these without buns and dip in thai chili sauce. I have an idea I want to try. I want to make the burger and add italian seasoning instead of cumin. Then I want to put tomato sauce and mozarella on top and turn it into shrimp parmesan. What do you think? I will let you know how it turns out.
valentina
Thanks so much for sharing, Anne. You made my day! I'm so happy these have become a "go-to" recipe in your house. Your idea sounds like it would be fun to try. The Italian seasoning and tomato sauce, for sure. I might try a few with the Mozarella and a few without, to see which one you prefer. Oh, and I might also swap out the cilantro for parsley. Let me what how it goes. I'd love to hear. ~Valentina
anne
OMG. I didn't read my previous comment. I forgot I had made that suggestion for apps. And I love the wonton idea. Now you see how many times I actually make these. It's so funny I keep making suggestions on how to use this recipe many ways. Love them. Have I said that? Ha Ha.
valentina
I love it! The more suggestions the better. Really, I always appreciate hearing new ideas from my readers, and interacting. Keep them coming!~Valentina
Stacy
Any suggestions for replacing the egg?
valentina
Hi Stacy, I haven't tried this in this recipe, a great way to substitute egg is a combination of flax meal (ground flax seeds) and water. The ratio is generally 1 tablespoon of flax meal to 3 tablespoons water to replace one egg. I hope this helps! 🙂
Eha
Love the recipe minus the bun and chips (fries) . . . add a salad . . . perchance use a wholegrain flatbread instead. Always buy my prawns raw and in shell . . . unless one is catering for a huge party the shelling and deveining take but delicious minutes . . .
valentina
My husband wraps every burger of every sort in a crisp lettuce leaf. I'm not quite as disciplined as he is. 🙂 Using a flatbread would be lovely. When time permits I do find shelling and deveining the shrimp sort of meditative. Know what I mean? Enjoy and thank you for visiting, Eha. 🙂
Gary
Outstanding made this evening so good will definitely make theses again
valentina
You made my day, Gary. Thank you for the message and for trying the recipe. So happy you loved them -- they're a favorite in my house. 🙂 ~Valentina
Kelly
These were amazing! My whole family loved them, even the kids. Definitely a keeper. Thanks for the great recipe.
valentina
Thanks so much, Kelly. So appreciate you writing in and I'm so happy you and your family enjoyed this recipe. We love it over here, too. 🙂 ~Valentina
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop
These look delicious! I love all the Mexican flavors you've added to these burgers! Perfect for this weekend's dinner!
valentina
Hope you loved the, Kathy. Thank you! 🙂 ~Valentina
2pots2cook
We both will add this one to our menu ! Perfect combination of ingredients Valentina ! Thank you so much !
valentina
Thank you, Davorka! Enjoy! 🙂 ~Valentina
Chef Mimi
Wow! The burgers are almost all shrimp! And they look so pretty and moist. Great recipe.
valentina
Thanks, Mimi. Hope you're having a great week. Enjoy! 🙂 ~Valentina
Debbie Hursh
These are just amazing! We also like to serve them with the copycat bloomin' onion sauce - amazing!
Valentina
Thank you so much, Debbie! This is a favorite over here and I love that you added your onion sauce. What a delicious idea. Thanks for sharing and trying my recipes. 🙂 ~Valentina
Jeff the Chef @ Make It Like a Man!
These shrimp burgers really do look amazing. I've never had anything like this before, I don't think.
Valentina
Hope you try and love them, Jeff. Thanks for checking it out. 🙂 ~Valentina