Burgers are a summer staple, but how can you make a new burger that will WOW….. Shrimp Po Boy Burger. Sweet succulent chunks of shrimp spiced and fried to a golden crisp. Served on a ciabatta bun with a spicy creamy cajun sauce.
Tim and I love burgers, but there are just so many ways you can make a summer burger, so we spiced it up in more ways than one.
First, who needs ground beef……ok sometimes you do but, shrimp……oh yeah!! Second, cajun….enough said!
The more I write and make recipes for What the Forks for Dinner?, the more I realize how many ethnic foods I have little knowledge of. Case in point cajun.
Cajun is a style of cooking named for the French-speaking Acadian people deported by the British from Acadia in Canada to the Acadiana region of Louisiana. It is what could be called a rustic cuisine; locally available ingredients predominate and preparation is simple. Staples of cajun food are shrimp and pork sausage. You can read more about cajun cooking here
Cajun Cuisine .
New to cajun, I wasn’t sure how much was too much, so I winged it, and nailed it! Tim’s love of spice was satisfied, so I know it was a winner.
Having made Salmon Cakes and Crispy Cod Cakes I did a similar preparation with the shrimp….cutting up the shrimp and adding, egg, spices, and panko crumbs, and forming patties. Hint: When making a fish or seafood burger patty or cake, put them in the frig after shaping. It helps them hold their shape when frying.
Y’all are probably sick to death of me using ciabatta buns for everything, but they are the best buns, so I used them again. I’m calling this a Po Boy and all the traditionalists are gonna have a fit. It appears that a Po Boy is on a sub/hot dog type bun, so that means soft and white bread doughy. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, but I took creative license and used my beloved ciabatta…sue me….lol
Creamy Cajun Sauce is what makes this Shrimp Po Boy Burger. It’s spicy, creamy, and uses my fav Miracle Whip….as I always say “use mayo if you must”. With all the spiciness of the sauce the sweet tangy flavor was a perfect balance.
Shredded spinach and tomato garnish the burger. I like spinach, not only for the healthy aspect (not that this is a healthy dish), but it’s beautiful bright green color against the red tomato makes the shrimp burger looks delicious.
Switch up your summer burger menu with a Shrimp Po Boy Burger!
PrintShrimp Po Boy Burger
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 1 pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
- 1 egg
- 1 large shallot, minced
- 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- 1/2 jalapeno, chopped and seeded
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup Panko
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/3 cup red pepper, minced
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- ciabatta buns
- shredded spinach
- sliced tomato
- Creamy Cajun Sauce
Instructions
- Divide the shrimp in half.
- Coarsely chop one half, place in large bowl and set aside.
- Put remaining half in a food processor and puree.
- Add egg, shallot, cilantro, jalapeño and garlic to processor and process until smooth.
- Add Panko crumbs and process again.
- Transfer contents of food processor to bowl with shrimp and add red pepper, salt and pepper. Mix well.
- Form burgers and chill for 1 hour.
- Heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium high heat.
- Fry the shrimp burgers until golden, about 3 minutes per side, depending on thickness.
- Drain on paper towels.
- Serve on ciabatta buns with shredded spinach, tomato and top with creamy cajun sauce.
Notes
Four servings is a small burger, we made two serving for a large burger
Creamy Cajun Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup Miracle Whip
- 2/3 cup ketchup
- 3–4 tablespoons horseradish sauce
- 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning add more if desired
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Combine sauce ingredients in a mixing bowl until smooth and set aside. Refrigerate any unused portions.