Green Goddess Shrimp Burger

Green Goddess Shrimp Burgers- Succulent shrimp patties are loaded with fresh herbs, tossed in a burger bun, and finished with a homemade green goddess sauce.

June 16, 2024 by Nicole Collins

Jump to Print Recipe

Today, we’re making Green Goddess Shrimp Burgers!

You guys don’t even want to know how many versions of this recipe spun around in my head before I landed on what we’re making today. It started as a shrimp burger, shifted to shrimp salad, spent a couple minutes as a shrimp bowl, flipped completely to a salmon bowl, then landed back as a shrimp burger. What a ride! But let me tell you, a shrimp burger loaded with fresh herbs, pan fried to perfection, tossed in a burger bun with leafy greens, and finished with a homemade green goddess sauce was absolutely the right move.

Let’s start with the burger. We’ll start with a pound of raw shrimp. It doesn’t matter what size we’re working with, because we’re going to grind it up anyway. We’ll take half of the shrimp and toss it in a food processor with some fresh parsley, green onion, and basil as well as some spices and some worcestershire sauce. Then, comes the fun part. We’ll give that shrimp 2 or 3 short pulses in the food processor until it’s finely ground and resembles the texture of ground meat. This happens quickly, so don’t get crazy with pushing the button. 2 or 3 pulses is all you need. Then, we’ll take the other half pound of shrimp and finely chop it by hand with a knife. We’ll add all the shrimp to a bowl with some panko, mix and form the meat into burger sized patties, then toss them on a plate and let them set in the fridge for about 20 mins.

While the shrimp burgers are resting, we can make a delicious green goddess sauce to schmear all over the burgers. To a small food processor or personal blender, we’re going to add all the same herbs that we put in the burger: fresh parsley, basil, and green onion. Then, we’ll add some more worcestershire sauce, a little lemon juice, some mayonnaise, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Blend everything together until it’s smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed, and that’s it for the sauce.

When it’s time to cook up the burgers, we’ll heat some avocado oil in a non stick skillet, and let the burgers cook for 4-5 minutes until they’re nice and golden on the outside and fully cooked through on the inside. Then, we’ll assemble our burgers on a sesame seed bun with some spinach arugula mix and a big ol’ glop of our sauce; and it’s time to dig in.

You guys know I love a shrimp burger, and these have shot right up to the top of my list. They’re so bright and refreshing thanks to all the fresh herbs we used. The burgers have a lovely succulent texture thanks to our decision to both grind and hand chop the shrimp. And, the arugula in the leafy green mix adds the slightest little bit of sharp peppery flavor to balance everything out. Forget beef burgers. This is the burger I want all summer this year.

Alright, everyone! It’s the season of fresh herbs, so I think it’s only fitting to make a couple more of those green goddess ideas come to life. Don’t you think?

I hope you guys enjoy. And, let’s eat!

---

Green Goddess Shrimp Burger             

Serves: 4          Print

Ingredients:

For the Green Goddess Mayo:

• ½ cup parsley, chopped

• 1 green onion, green parts only (about 2 tbsp), chopped

• 2 tbsp basil, chopped

• ½ tsp worcestershire sauce

• ½ tbsp lemon juice

• salt and pepper, to taste

• ½ cup mayonnaise

For the Shrimp Burger:

• 1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (thawed if frozen) 

• 1 tsp salt

• ½ tsp pepper

• ¼ tsp garlic powder

• 2 tbsp parsley, finely minced

• 1 green onion, green parts only (about 2 tbsp), finely minced

• 1 tbsp basil, finely minced

• ½ tsp worcestershire sauce

• ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs

• 2 tbsp avocado oil

• 4 sesame seed buns

• 1 cup spinach arugula mix

Directions:

1. Make the Shrimp Burgers: Add ½ of the shrimp, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, garlic powder, 2 tbsp parsley, 1 minced green onion, 1 tbsp basil, and ½ tsp worcestershire sauce to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 2-3 times in short pulses until shrimp is finely chopped (similar texture to a wet ground meat). Transfer to a mixing bowl. Take remaining shrimp, and chop into small pieces with a knife. Add chopped shrimp to the mixing bowl. Add panko, and gently mix with your hands until fully combined. Form in to 4 patties that are roughly the size of your buns. Place patties on a parchment paper lined plate, and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 20 mins.

2. Meanwhile, make the Green Goddess Mayo: To a small food processor, add ½ cup parsley, 2 tbsp green onion, 2 tbsp basil, ½ tsp worcestershire, lemon juice, mayo, and a pinch of salt pepper. Process until combined and smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Set aside.

3. Remove patties from fridge. Heat avocado oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. When the oil starts to shimmer, add shrimp patties. Cook 4-5 minutes per side until the outside is lightly golden, shrimp are cooked all the way through, and the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. Cover the pan during the last minute of cooking, if necessary to get the center of the burger to temperature. Remove burgers to a paper towel lined plate to drain off any excess oil.

4. Assemble the sandwich: Schmear a dollop of green goddess mayo on the bottom of each burger bun. Top with ¼ cup spinach arugula mix, a shrimp burger, and another good schmear of green goddess mayo. Close the sandwiches. Enjoy!
   

Recipe notes:

*Substituting dried herbs is not an option in this recipe, unfortunately. The beauty of the green goddess sauce is the freshness of the herbs. And, the fresh herbs in the burger help to keep the shrimp moist and juicy.

*You don't have to eat all of the sammies at once. The shrimp burgers can be stored in a container in the fridge for 3-4 days and reheated briefly in the microwave. Just assemble the sammies when you're ready to eat.

*The ground shrimp is a little strange and definitely sticky and gooey. Grinding the shrimp will happen very quickly, so stick to no more than 3 short pulses. Grinding half and chopping half of the shrimp helps to add a little texture to the burgers. But, feel free to grind all of the shrimp in the food processor if you prefer.