Shrimp Tempura Burger contains shrimp in a light batter served on a toasted bun with an Asian coleslaw and sriracha mayo. Add a side of fries or chips for a fantastic meal. Or turn into sliders for the most tasty party food!
When I first thought of putting shrimp tempura onto hamburger buns with cabbage slaw, I imagined the sandwich would be light-tasting and with great texture. The combination of tender shrimp, light and crispy tempura batter, crunchy slaw, and the toasted hamburger buns would create a stellar burger. What I imagined was exactly what I got!
It’s a pretty easy meal to put together too! You can whip it together in just 30 minutes. For convenience, use uncooked peeled and deveined shrimp. Packaged shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix also makes prep work quick and easy. I like to incorporate my own hand-shaven carrots into the slaw for additional color, flavor, and sweetness. That takes only a few minutes. Totally worth the time!
Is there frying involved?
Yes, there is frying involved, but it’s shallow frying. You won’t need a lot of oil, plus the splashing is minimal compared to deep frying. And because shrimp is used, cook time is super quick…less than 2 minutes per side.
Great for a meal or finger food:
For a meal, serve with a side of fries and potato chips. If you prefer a lighter option, a simple salad is great. Or, make extra of the coleslaw to serve as a side.
For party food, reduce the size of the shrimp tempura patty and serve on toasted dinner rolls. Arrange the sliders on a platter and watch them get devoured!!
Recipe highlights:
- Whisk together lime juice, rice wine vinegar, fish sauce, and sugar in a bowl.
- Shave thin strips of carrots with a vegetable peeler. Add carrot, shredded cabbage, and cilantro to the bowl. Mix to combine. Set aside.
- Mix mayonnaise, sriracha, and honey in a small bowl. Refrigerate.
- Combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and seasonings for the tempura batter in a bowl. Add COLD water. Whisk.
- Next, add shrimp and chopped scallion.
- Stir batter until just combined.
- Use a large fork or slotted spoon to drop the batter into a preheated skillet filled with 1/4-inch of neutral oil. Fry for 1.5 to 2 minutes per side.
- Transfer to a wire rack to drain.
- Fill toasted hamburger buns with sriracha mayo, tempura patty, and Asian coleslaw.
- Refer to the recipe card below for detailed instructions.
View the how-to video or save it for later with this Pinterest Pin.
What size shrimp to use?
I like to use small (51/60 count) or medium-sized shrimp (41/50 count) because they provide a substantial bite but are small enough to form patties. I find it hard to shape the patties into nice rounds when you use larger shrimp. If you use larger shrimp, chop into smaller 1 to 1.5 -inch bite-size chunks.
How to store shrimp tempura patties:
When working with seafood, it’s best to store for no longer than 2 days. Cool completely, then place patties without touching each other in an airtight container. If you stack the patties, use parchment paper or wax paper in between the patties. Refrigerate and use within 2 days.
How to store the coleslaw and sriracha mayo:
Store the coleslaw, refrigerated, in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Sriracha mayonnaise can be kept for a longer period. Keep it in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
How to reheat shrimp tempura patties:
Tempura shrimp are best fresh out of the skillet. The batter tends to soften when stored. However, it can be reheated to restore some of the crispiness:
- Oven method: preheat oven to 350° F. Place shrimp tempura patties, spaced apart, on a baking sheet. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until heated through.
- Skillet method: Coat the bottom of a skillet with oil. Preheat to medium. Cook shrimp patties for 2 minutes, or until heated through, flipping over halfway.
Recommended supplies:
(Affiliate links. The products I recommend are either what I use, are on my wish list, or come highly rated.)
- A frying pan for cooking the shrimp fritters.
- Baking sheet and cooling rack to rest the fried fritters on.
- Frying pan splatter guard to contain the grease.
- Vegetable peeler for shaving strips of carrots.
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Shrimp Tempura Burger
Description
Shrimp Tempura Burger contains shrimp in a light batter served on a toasted bun with an Asian coleslaw and sriracha mayo. Add a side of fries or chips for a fantastic meal. Or turn into sliders for the most tasty party food!
Ingredients
For the shrimp tempura:
For the slaw:
Sriracha mayo:
Instructions
- Use a vegetable peeler to shave thin strips of carrots. Rough chop any long strips into 2-inch lengths. Shave just enough to fill 1/2 cup.
- Whisk together lime juice, rice wine vinegar, fish sauce, and sugar in a bowl. Add cabbage, carrot, and cilantro. Mix to combine. Set aside to allow the flavors to meld.
- Add the ingredients to a mixing bowl. Blend well. Refrigerate.
- If using large shrimps, chop into 1 1/2-inch pieces.
- Have the oil hot and ready to use immediately after you make the tempura batter. Preheat 1/4 inch of oil to medium heat (about 350° F) while you mix batter.
- Add flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and all the dry seasonings into a mixing bowl. Add ice-cold water. Whisk until only small lumps remain. Add shrimp and chopped scallion. Mix just until combined.
- Use a slotted spoon (recommended), or a large fork, to gently enough tempura shrimp batter into the hot oil. Drop them as best as you can into 3 1/2-inch flat round patties. They will not be perfect. Avoid adding access tempura batter to the shrimp patties. It will make them doughy.
- Cook for 3 to 3.5 minutes, turning over halfway. Shrimp are cooked when they are opaque throughout. Transfer shrimp patties to a metal cooling rack to drain. Continue cooking the rest of the patties.
- Before assembly, toast hamburger buns. Spread sriracha mayo onto both the top and bottom buns. Place shrimp tempura patty on the bottom bun; add Asian coleslaw; Cover with the top bun.
- Serve with a side of chips or fries, optional.
- Makes 6 buns.
For the Asian coleslaw:
For the sriracha mayo:
For the shrimp tempura:
To assemble burgers:
Notes
- * I like to use small or medium size shrimp. If using larger shrimps, chop into approximately 1.50-inch pieces. The chunks are easier to drop into roundish patties than large shrimps.
- Store shrimp tempura patties in an airtight container, refrigerated for up to 2 days. If stacking, separate the layers with parchment or wax paper.
- Store the Asian coleslaw refrigerated for 3-4 days in an airtight container. Store the sriracha mayo refrigerated for 2 weeks in an airtight container.
- Reheat patties in a 350° F oven for 6-8 minutes or until heated through. Or cook in a skillet coated with oil on medium heat for 2 minutes, turning over halfway.
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It looks just soooo flavorful! I always wondered why prawn burgers were not a thing! I need to try your recipe ASAP
I don’t get it either. The two are a marriage made in burger heaven! Do try this! It’s so good!!!