This easy shrimp burger brings together crispy shrimp patties and melted cheese wrapped around buttery brioche buns to give a burst of flavor in every bite. Topped with a creamy mayo dressing, this scrumptious shrimp burger can be made in just 20 minutes in the comfort of your home.
What is a Korean-Style Shrimp Burger?
On my visits back home to South Korea, one of the food items I enjoy the most with a passion is the shrimp burger sold at a popular local fast-food chain called Lotteria (롯데리아).
Before the travel restrictions took place, experiencing localized fast food in each area was the highlight of my trip, as each region has its own specialized dishes that cater to the local palate.
Specifically, the shrimp burger in Korea is so incredibly delicious that it’s taken place as the best-selling item on the menu, even surpassing the famous Bulgogi burger in most cases.
Shrimp burgers can be found as a popular fast-food item across all of Asia, including Japan and Taiwan. In North America however, this kind of burger is extremely rare to find, which made it the perfect case for me to recreate the recipe at home while making it even better.
How do you make a Korean-Style Shrimp Burger?
The shrimp patties are made completely from scratch and fried to perfection, to be wrapped around fresh lettuce, tomato, melted cheese, homemade dressing made of Kewpie mayo, and topped with soft and buttery brioche buns.
Rest assured, the shrimp patties are quick & easy to make and follow the same breading procedure when making chicken or pork katsu. It’s a simple process of mixing all the ingredients together, shaping them into patties, then dredging in flour, egg, and panko bread crumbs to finish.
Once you give it a try, you’ll be surprised at how easy and seamless it is to make shrimp burgers from scratch! The step that takes the most time is making the patty, which is not much effort at all. After that, all that’s needed is to toast the brioche buns, mix together the dressing, then assemble the burger to be enjoyed fresh.
What do I need to make a Korean-Style Shrimp Burger?
As usual, this recipe calls for simple ingredients that can be easily found in your kitchen and pantry. Here is a list of ingredients you will need:
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- Shrimp, onion, all-purpose flour, salt, and pepper: to make the shrimp patty. These ingredients are to be simply mixed together, shaped into patties, and breaded. Lightly wetting your hands with water will make this process much easier.
- Flour, egg, and panko bread crumbs: in order, for the breading. Carefully coat the patty in each station to finish the patty, to be fried to perfection and ready to assemble. I use vegetable oil for the deep-frying process, as you’ll need a large volume and this is an inexpensive option.
- Kewpie mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, onion, and a light pinch of pepper: to make the dressing. I highly recommend using Kewpie mayo for this, as it will truly elevate the flavors!
- Brioche burger buns, lettuce, tomato, and mozzarella cheese: for the assembly. These are optional toppings, but the choice is all yours. Please feel free to add any of your favorite toppings to the burger!
- Shrimp, onion, all-purpose flour, salt, and pepper: to make the shrimp patty. These ingredients are to be simply mixed together, shaped into patties, and breaded. Lightly wetting your hands with water will make this process much easier.
Can I make the shrimp patties in advance?
Absolutely! The shrimp patties store well in the freezer, which makes it a perfect make-ahead meal to be enjoyed over dinner. Simply place the breaded shrimp patties in an airtight storage bag or container (ideally separated with wax/parchment paper), and pop them in the freezer for later use.
When ready to serve, remove the patties from the freezer, and add a few minutes to the frying time. The shrimp patties are cooked when the thickest part of the patty registers at 74°C (165°F), and the outer crust is golden brown. Remove from oil and add them to your burger buns, followed by the fresh toppings and homemade dressing.
What are other ways to enjoy the shrimp patties?
Although this recipe was designed to assemble a burger, the panko-breaded shrimp can also be enjoyed on its own with some rice and dressing on the side, or wrapped around some Japanese milk bread to serve.
The highlight of this recipe is the crispy shrimp patties, so please feel free to be creative with the serving options!
And that’s it! All that’s needed to make the best homemade shrimp burger in the comfort of your home.
For visual instructions, please refer to the video tutorial above (you will need to disable AdBlock if you are on your computer!).
I hope you enjoy this delicious recipe as much as it holds a lot of personal meaning to me. Please feel free to leave a comment below or message me on Instagram for any questions!
Other easy Dinner recipes you may like:
- 15-Minute Yaki Udon (Stir-Fried Udon Noodles)
- Melt-In-Your-Mouth Italian Meatballs
- Korean Tuna Pancakes (Chamchijeon)
- Spicy Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich
- 10-Minute Garlic Chili Oil Noodles
- Creamy Shrimp Pasta (Korean Rosé Pasta)
Korean-Style Shrimp Burger
Ingredients
Shrimp patty
- 1/2 lb (16 large) shrimp half minced, and half diced
- 2 tbsp yellow onion finely diced
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp water
- pinch of salt and pepper
Breading
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
Dressing
- 1/4 cup (4 tbsp) Kewpie mayonnaise or regular mayo
- 1 tsp ketchup
- 1/2 tsp yellow mustard or wasabi
- 1 tbsp diced onion or a large pinch of onion powder
- light pinch of pepper
Assembly
- 2 brioche buns or regular burger buns
- 1/2 cup lettuce shredded
- 2 slices tomato
- 2 slices mozzarella cheese slightly melted
Instructions
Shrimp Patty
- Prepare three separate trays of flour, egg, and panko bread crumbs.
- In a bowl, add shrimp (half minced and half diced), onion, a pinch of salt and pepper, and mix together. Add flour and water and mix to combine. Lightly wet your hands with water, divide the mixture, and shape into patties.
- Carefully coat each patty with flour, egg, and bread crumbs in order, making sure each side is evenly coated and shaking off any excess.
- Prepare at least 2 inches of oil in a large pan over medium heat. Once the oil reaches 350°F, cook for about 3-4 minutes flipping halfway, or until golden brown.
Dressing
- Add all dressing ingredients to a small bowl, and mix to combine.
Assembly
- Lightly toast the brioche buns with butter. Spread each bun with a generous amount of dressing. Top with lettuce, shrimp patty, cheese, tomato, lettuce. Serve immediately and enjoy!
14 comments
Made this last night and it is a GAME CHANGER. Never thought of using shrimp in a burger but I must say it is the best burger I have ever tried. Thank you for the recipe!!!
It’s my favorite kind of burger as well!! So happy you enjoyed the recipe Michelle!
Wow I didn’t realize how easy it was to make shrimp burger from scratch! This tasted so so so amazing, so much better than the ebi burgers in Japan. Thank you
Yes! It’s truly my favorite kind of burger and tastes 100 times better when made fresh! I’m so thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe! x
This was simple to make and so tasty. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, my whole family enjoyed.
Amazing! Thanks for sharing your experience Joyce! 🙂
For your calories listed, is it the total calories or calories per serving?
Hi Iris, the calories are for each serving, aka for 1 sandwich. I hope that helps! 🙂
Hi is this doable with frozen shrimp?
Yes! I recommend letting it sit in cold water for about 10 minutes to thaw the frozen shrimp prior to use.
Question; I was planning to make a couple of these shrimp burgers. Unfortunately, I don’t trust myself around deep fryers. Can these still be made using an Instant Pot air fryer?
Hi Tony! I think an air fryer would work fine, I would brush some oil all over and cook for about 8 minutes at 400°F or until cooked through! I’d love to hear how it goes if you give it a try!
Great recipe! Thank you. Whole family loved it.
So delicious my second time i try your recipes