While these Lemon Garlic Shrimp Cakes are packed with flavor by themselves, the Roasted Garlic Aioli enhances it even more! Literally icing on the cake!
Very rarely do I talk out loud when no one is around, but when I tried the last batch I made of these Lemon Garlic Shrimp Cakes with Roasted Garlic Aioli, I kid you not, I said “Oh my, these are good…” After a couple attempts I think that I finally perfected them! I ate three of these as soon as I finished taking the photos!
These little shrimp cakes are full of fresh lemon and garlic flavor, but not so much that the shrimp flavor gets lost. While the shrimp cakes are delicious on their own, the Roasted Garlic Aioli just enhances the flavors even more. It really is like the icing on the cake! I could almost eat it by the spoonful..almost. And if you end up with any aioli leftover, it also works great as a spread on sandwiches or as a vegetable dip!
Because I live in a rural area where it can be hard to find good fresh shrimp, I used frozen, pre-cleaned and cooked shrimp. Thankfully, they worked perfectly so that is how I wrote the recipe, and it does make it easier so that’s a plus.
Lemon Garlic Shrimp Cakes Recipe
Prep!
If you use frozen shrimp, like I did, make sure to defrost them under cold water first and remove the shells and/or tails, if necessary.
Create!
Finely chop the thawed, cooked shrimp and combine in a medium sized bowl with the bread crumbs, onion powder, paprika, lemon zest, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix in the egg.
Make 7-8 shrimp cakes by rolling small handfuls of the mixture into a tightly packed ball, then flattening.
Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large frying pan. Add the shrimp cakes and cook about 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown. You may have to work in batches.
To make the aioli, combine the mayonnaise, roasted garlic, lemon juice and lemon zest and mix until everything is well combine. Serve on the side or on the tops of the shrimp cakes.
I have made large batches of these for dinner, but I have decided already that if I ever have a dinner party, or need to bring an appetizer anywhere, I am making a bunch of these, but tiny, with a little drop of the aioli!
If you make these Lemon Garlic Shrimp Cakes with Roasted Garlic Aioli, please let me know how it went and what you think of them! I would love to know! Leave a comment or send me a message anytime!
Enjoy!
Love this recipe? Follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook for more!
Lemon Garlic Shrimp Cakes with Roasted Garlic Aioli
Ingredients
Lemon Garlic Shrimp Cakes
- 1 lb shrimp *I used frozen, cleaned, precooked shrimp (defrosted)
- 3/4 Cup seasoned bread crumbs *gluten free works too!
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 egg
- 2-3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil for frying
Roasted Garlic Aioli
- 1/4 Cup mayonnaise
- 2 cloves roasted garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Finely chop the thawed, cooked shrimp and combine in a medium sized bowl with the bread crumbs, onion powder, paprika, lemon zest, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix in the egg.
- Make 7-8 shrimp cakes by rolling small handfuls of the mixture into a tightly packed ball, then flattening.
- Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large frying pan. Add the shrimp cakes and cook about 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown. You may have to work in batches.
- To make the aioli, combine the mayonnaise, roasted garlic, lemon juice and lemon zest and mix until everything is well combine. Serve on the side or on the tops of the shrimp cakes.
