Southern Shrimp and Crab Burgers

When you’re craving seafood, these Shrimp and Crab Burgers hit the spot!

America’s Favorite Seafood is Shrimp!

Mardi Gras always gets me thinking about Southern food, especially the Creole and Cajun shrimp dishes that remind me of New Orleans. Did you know that shrimp is America’s favorite seafood? Yes, indeed. And there are Northern Shrimp and Southern shrimp aka Gulf shrimp. Gulf Coast shrimp season is from May to December and no summer in the south is complete without a Louisiana Seafood Boil where you roll-up your sleeves and put out a pile of paper napkins and let the mess begin!

The Rise of Shrimp and Grits

Then, came the rise of Shrimp and grits—a traditional dish in the Lowcountry of coastal South Carolina and Georgia. Until the 1980s, Shrimp and Grits was relativity unknown except in and around what was then the sleepy, historic town of Charleston. The dish started out as “shrimps and hominy,” because grits originated from the Native American Muskogee preparation of Indian corn similar to hominy. It was a breakfast dish, and some Charlestonians ate it every morning during shrimp season. Back then, it was made with “creek shrimp,” the small, sweet-flavored immature shrimp that were caught in hand nets in the tidal creeks that snake through the Lowcountry marshes. {Serious Eats}

Shrimp and Crab Burgers Recipe

Print

Shrimp and Crab Burgers

Easy Shrimp and Crab Burgers that everyone will love!

Course: Appetizer or Main

Cuisine: American

Keyword: shrimp, shrimp and crab burgers

Author: Priscilla

Ingredients

• 1 cup large uncooked shrimp, cleaned and chopped
• 1 cup fresh crab meat
• 1 lemon zest and juice
• ½ tsp Louisiana Hot Sauce
• 2 tsp Dijon or spicy brown mustard
• 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
• ¼ cup chopped white or yellow onion
• 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• ⅛ tsp white pepper
• 1 Tbsp Kosher salt
• 1 egg lightly whisked
• ¾ cup Panko or bread crumbs
• 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, optional

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, carefully mix all the ingredients except the bread crumbs, seafood seasoning and butter. Form 4-6 patties and set on a baking sheet. Chill for one hour.

2. Once chilled, cover all sides of the patties with bread crumbs and lay on another baking sheet lightly coated with oil. Bake in an oven preheated to 375° for 15-20 minutes, turning over once midway through baking.

3. If desired, top with a pat of butter just before removing from the oven. Serve on warm buns.

4. Shown topped with caramelized onions and a spoonful of mango chutney and served with a salad of organic greens and chopped papaya (or mango).

Recipe Notes

Adapted from a Duo Dishes recipe. 

 

Edited 2/2/21. Originally this blog post (from 2010) was prompted by the plight of the fishermen and shrimpers in the Gulf in the ongoing catastrophe of the BP oil spill and a subsequent trip to the Mississippi Gulf Coast that focused on Gulf seafood and the area’s long recovery from Hurricane Katrina.

I went online to Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program, the most recognized and trusted resource for sustainable seafood recommendations, for their update on the safety of Gulf Shrimp. A recent 60 Minutes segment encouraged consumers to continue to buy Gulf seafood because, if anything, inspections have become more rigorous, and the livelihood of an entire region of  America is at stake.

The spill affected many popular commercial seafood species and the people who depend on them for a living: wild shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic; snappers caught in the same waters; wild Eastern oysters; groupers; U.S. farmed oysters; and U.S. farmed shrimp. You can support beleaguered fishing communities when you select Seafood Watch Best Choices and Good Alternatives from the Gulf. You can also download a seafood watch pocket guide.

You might also like:

Southern Shrimp and Crabcake Burgers with Avocado Jalapeño Yogurt Sauce

Gulf Coast Cuisine: A Seafood Lover’s Dream 

Red Beans & Rice: A New Orleans Staple