Thai Shrimp Cakes with Sweet Chili Sauce (Tod Mun Goong)

Thai shrimp cakes with sweet chili sauce (Tod Mun Goong) are tasty appetizers with memorable flavors from fresh ingredients in this recipe. With fresh ingredients like garlic, shallots, kaffir lime leaves, lime juice, cilantro stems, and ground white pepper, this Thai starter will leave you wanting more. 

This amazing appetizer is easier than Thai fish cakes, another tasty Thai snack. Both are equivalent to the crab cakes we have here in the US. This shrimp cake recipe is simple: the fishcakes have curry paste, and the green beans or green onions are used to make authentic flavors in a fish cake recipe.

Jump to:

• Why this Recipe Works
• Authentic Thai Shrimp Cakes with Sweet Thai Chili Sauce
• Dipping Sauce for Thai Shrimp Cakes
• How to Make Thai Shrimp Cakes with Sweet Chili Sauce
• Ingredients for Thai shrimp cake recipe
• How to Make Thai Shrimp Cakes with Sweet Chili Sauce
• Jazzing up the sweet chili dipping sauce
• Kitchen Notes for Making this Recipe
• FAQs
• More Thai recipes you'll love
• Thai shrimp cakes with sweet chili sauce (Tod Mun Goong)

Why this Recipe Works

• Thai shrimp cakes are easy to make for large parties or gatherings in large batches.
• The raw patties freeze well. Make these in large batches, freeze them, and cook them later. Just thaw them out for an hour and quickly pan-fry them in a large skillet before serving.
• This appetizer is very fast and effortless to make. You throw all the ingredients in a food processor, form the batter into patties, and pan-fry them.
• This recipe is light. You can eat them as an appetizer with sweet dipping sauce.
• You can use the shrimp cakes as deep-fried food, bake or use the air fryer. Whatever option suits you best is fine.
• Thai shrimp cakes can be a crunchy, tasty protein to throw over a large salad bowl. Super tasty!

Authentic Thai Shrimp Cakes with Sweet Thai Chili Sauce

The traditional way of cooking Thai shrimp cakes is to fry them in hot oil deep. For my recipe, however, I panfried the shrimp cakes instead to help reduce the fat from the oil. Pan-frying doesn’t take away from the authentic flavor at all. I think they taste better! Pan-frying the shrimp cakes over a skillet is quicker, and the clean-up is much easier. No excessive oil leftover! Pan-frying is the way to go for this recipe.

Dipping Sauce for Thai Shrimp Cakes

This dish is typically paired with a dipping sauce made with pickled vegetables, but for simplicity, I used Thai sweet chili sauce with some added ingredients for my taste. I will include the simple sauce at the end of this blog post. I use bottled sweet chili sauce but add a few fresh ingredients to help jazz up the flavors. It’s tasty!

Make your own sweet Thai chili sauce using this recipe.

How to Make Thai Shrimp Cakes with Sweet Chili Sauce

Let’s give this recipe a go and be prepared for a flavor explosion in your mouth! Pictured below are the ingredients for the Thai shrimp cake recipe.

Ingredients for Thai shrimp cake recipe

• Fish sauce. This recipe uses Thai brand Squid fish sauce.
• Raw shrimp. Fresh shrimp is always better than frozen, but frozen shrimp is fine if fresh isn't available.
• Bread crumbs. Holds the shrimp patties together.
• Cilantro stems. Adds strong and bold flavors. Use the largest stems possible.
• Kaffir lime leaves. Or substitute lime zest
• Eggs. Binds the ingredients together
• Baking powder. Adds volume and bounciness to the shrimp cakes.
• Shallot. Adds a wonderful aroma and texture to the shrimp cakes
• Ground pork. Ground turkey or chicken will work.
• Ground white pepper. Ground white peppers add a unique smokey and peppery taste.
• Oil. Use neutral oil like vegetable or canola oil for frying. Olive or sesame oil is not recommended for frying these.

How to Make Thai Shrimp Cakes with Sweet Chili Sauce

Let’s give this recipe a go and be prepared for a flavor explosion in your mouth! Pictured below are the ingredients for the Thai shrimp cake recipe.

Step 1. Prepare the shrimp by removing the shells, veins, and tail and adding them to a food processor.

Step 2. Add all other ingredients to the food processor and blend until smooth paste forms.

Step 3.  Transfer the shrimp mixture to a mixing bowl. Have a plate ready to place the patties on. Roll the mixture with wet hands into golf ball-sized patties. 

Step 4.  Heat a skillet on medium heat, and add 2 tablespoons of oil. Fry the shrimp cakes, 6 or so pieces at a time, until lightly golden brown, about 3-4 minutes each. Flip them over and cook for 1-2 minutes more. Place them on a plate lined with a paper towel to let them cool at room temperature. Finish cooking the rest of the patties. 

That's it for the world's easiest and tastiest Thai shrimp cake recipe! Serve with Thai sweet chili dipping sauce. Enjoy!

Jazzing up the sweet chili dipping sauce

Use a store-bought bottle of Thai dipping sauce to make this quick and easy dipping sauce.

• ½ cup Thai sweet chili sauce
• ¼ cup water
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
• 1 tablespoon chopped carrot sticks
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

Mix all the above ingredients in a small bowl together and adjust as needed to taste.

Kitchen Notes for Making this Recipe

• Fry the patties in small batches rather than trying to fit them all in a pan.
• Before cooking, test a small portion of the shrimp mixture in a frying pan. If your recipe needs more seasoning, add a dash of kosher salt and ground pepper before frying.
• Have a paper towel-lined plate ready before removing the cooked patties from the pan.

FAQs

Can you freeze Thai shrimp cakes?

Yes. Thai shrimp cakes freeze well in the freezer for up to 3 months. Perfect for making ahead for large parties.

Can I bake my Thai shrimp cakes?

Yes! You can bake your shrimp cakes in the oven. Place the patties on a greased baking sheet and bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. You can also use the air fryer to cook it too. Cook at 375 degrees for 5-6 minutes, then flip and cook the other side for 2 minutes. Let cool before serving.

What vegetables can I add to my Thai shrimp cakes?

Adding more vegetables to your shrimp cakes can add textures and flavors to the patties. Use green beans, shredded carrots, onions, or shallots. Dice the vegetables small for easy mixing.

More Thai recipes you'll love

• Thai sweet chili sauce recipe
• Moo Ping Thai pork skewers
• Thai red curry paste
• Kaffir lime leaves and substitute
• Prik king curry with long beans
• Choo chee salmon with red curry and coconut milk
• Shrimp Pad Thai

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