These easy shrimp cakes are such a good weeknight meal. They consist of shrimp and sweet potatoes mixed with garlic and other spices. Serve with remoulade and coleslaw!
A popular family recipe
Undoubtedly one of our most popular recipes is this one for shrimp cakes. My father got the original recipe from the magazine “Bon Appetit” years ago and has only slightly modified it since then.
Dad doesn’t even like shrimp and usually refuses to eat them, but he loves to bake and eat these shrimp cakes. The base is sweet potatoes and they are seasoned with spices, jalapeño chili and cilantro.
This is truly one of the best recipes on this site. So if you have even an idea how to make these, do it!
A seasoning mix for seafood
This recipe requires you to make your own spice blend by roasting and grinding a few different types of whole black peppercorns, cumin seeds, and coriander seeds.
This makes about 1/2 cup of spice mix, but you only need 1 1/2 teaspoons for the recipe. The rest of this spice mix can be used to flavor other seafood like grilled salmon, sautéed shrimp, or seared scallops.
If you only need enough spices for a recipe and want to use already ground spices, try the following ratio: 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander, 1/4 teaspoon sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt.
How to serve these shrimp cakes
These crab cakes are great with homemade tartar sauce and some coleslaw on the side. You can also serve them on a leafy green salad.
A freezer-friendly dish
If you love these shrimp cakes, stock up your freezer! Bake the cakes, let cool completely, then pack in a freezer container or bag and freeze for up to a month. Let them thaw overnight, then reheat in a 350°F oven for about 5 minutes until warmed through.
Try these other seafood and fishcake recipes!
- cod cake
- Salmon Patties
- crab cakes
- Tuna Patties
crab cakes
If you only need enough spices for a recipe and want to use already ground spices, try the following ratio: 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander, 1/4 teaspoon sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt.
You can also roast the sweet potatoes in the oven if you prefer.
ingredients
- For the spice mix:
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1/4 cup cumin
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3 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
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1 tablespoon coriander seeds
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2 tablespoons of sugar
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1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
- For the shrimp cakes:
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1 pound sweet potatoes
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4 large cloves of garlic, unpeeled
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4 tablespoons (or more) extra virgin olive oil
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8 ounces peeled, cooked shrimp, roughly chopped
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2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
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2/3 cup finely ground breadcrumbs
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2 tablespoons finely chopped pickled or fresh jalapeños, seeds removed
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2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
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flour for dusting (1/2 to 1 cup)
method
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Make the spice mix:
To a heavy medium skillet, add cumin, peppercorns, and coriander. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until fragrant and lightly toasted, about 8 minutes. Leave to cool for a few minutes.
Grind spices in a blender or spice grinder (can use coffee grinder cleaned by grinding raw rice) until finely ground. Pour into a small bowl, stir in the sugar and salt.
That makes about half a cup. You only need 1 1/2 teaspoons of spice mix for a shrimp cake recipe, so save the rest for future use.
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Preheat oven to 375°F
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Microwave the sweet potatoes and garlic:
Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork. Bake in the microwave for about 15 minutes until done.
Rub a tablespoon of oil over the unpeeled garlic cloves. Microwave for a few minutes until tender.
Allow the garlic and sweet potatoes to cool enough to handle. Peel the garlic. Halve the sweet potato and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Combine the cooked sweet potato and garlic in a bowl and mash until smooth.
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Make the shrimp mixture:
To the bowl with the sweet potatoes, add the shrimp, cilantro, breadcrumbs, jalapeño, onion, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the spice mixture. Mix until well blended. With salt.
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Shape meatballs:
Using your hands, shape the mixture into six 3-inch diameter patties.
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Fry the patties:
Dust the shrimp cakes lightly with flour. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Cook the shrimp cakes in batches until nicely browned, adding more oil as needed, about 2 minutes per side.
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Finishing the shrimp cake in the oven:
Place the shrimp cakes on a baking sheet. Bake at 375°F until heated through, about 5 minutes.
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Surcharge:
These taste great served with lemon, tartar sauce and coleslaw.
Links:
Slightly adapted from Shrimp and Sweet Potato Pie with Chaote Slaw and Chipotle Sauce, a Bon Appetit recipe on Epicurious.com.
