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
Easy Shrimp and Crab Burgers that everyone will love!
- 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
-
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.
-
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.
-
If desired, top with a pat of butter just before removing from the oven. Serve on warm buns.
-
Shown topped with caramelized onions and a spoonful of mango chutney and served with a salad of organic greens and chopped papaya (or mango).
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
Oh my! These look so yummy!
I want this for dinner tonight! I’ve had a crab-cake burger, but this looks even better.
I have never had a crab/shrimp burger, but now that you have written this post…it is the only thing I want! I can’t wait to move down to Texas this week so that I can get my hands on some good shrimp and support the fishing community..one of my favorite memories of growing up was visiting my grandparents in Houston and eating a huge plate of shrimp.
.-= Monet´s last blog ..Pie Time =-.
Those are amazing burgers…and we met for pizza? Such a great post and I love
” The Duo Dishes” blog too. And thank you so much for the link, the oil spill has so many concerned for so many reasons, and one being the safety of foods prepared for our family. Again, excellent!
.-= Magic of Spice´s last blog ..Whats for Dinner – Layered Savory Salmon Cheesecake =-.
Mmmmm, I love crab. So sad about the oil spill. Thanks for bringing the fishing communities to our attention!
.-= Heather I.´s last blog ..Pluot Snack Cake =-.
Monet – you will be able to get great Gulf shrimp in Texas. You must try them and let me know. Happy trails to you in Longhorn country!
Magic of Spice – great palates think alike! And pizza is still one of my favorite foods! It was great meeting you and I’ll make these for you some Sunday 🙂
Heather – Thanks for visiting, now I have to see your Pluot Cake!
Thanks for testing our recipe! We loved our ‘lil burgers. You topped them so nicely too! The mango chutney is perfect, perfect, perfect!
.-= The Duo Dishes´s last blog ..A Trip to the Tropics =-.
Sounds like a great recipe, I can’t wait to try it! I make Shrimp Burgers with a similar recipe which include some lime zest. I pan fried them in a little garlic butter and served them on a toasted bun with lettuce, tomato and avocado…..what a hit!!
The good news-bad news is that you have to prepare and eat them in short order. They are good cold and sort of OK when nuked. Best when hot and sizzling.
While cruising the net, I came across Chef Big Shake’s Original Shrimp Burgers from http://www.TheQuickShipWarehouse.com . They come frozen and have a year shelf life. Pretty easy to prepare and quite good which makes it nice when the spirit moves you.
After cooking, we squeeze a little fresh lime on them and add the avocado. Voilà!