Name: Thai Shrimp Cakes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 8 oz raw shrimp; 1/3 cup ground pork; 1 egg; 1/2 cup bread crumbs; 1/3 cup shallots, chopped small; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1/3 cup cilantro stems, chopped 2 inches long; 2 kaffir lime leaves- finely chopped, check the freezer section of the Asian market; 1/2 tsp ground white pepper; 1 1/2 Tbsp fish sauce; 2 tsp fresh lime juice; 1 tsp baking powder; Oil for pan-frying, as needed

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Thai shrimp cakes are very tasty appetizers with very memorable flavors that come from fresh ingredients used in this recipe. With the use of fresh ingredients like garlic, shallots, kaffir lime leaves, lime juice, cilantro stems, and ground white pepper, this Thai starter will leave you wanting more.

As I have shared some of my fitness journey with my readers, a journey that has helped me lose 60 lbs, I’ve been more conscious of what I eat. I’ve been experimenting with cooking healthier classic Thai dishes without losing the authentic flavors. I have to admit that I’ve actually been head over heels falling in love with this process! Making healthy Thai food is much easier than I thought and I LOVE coming up with tasty and healthy recipes for my family and friends.

Authentic Thai shrimp cakes

The traditional way of cooking Thai shrimp cakes is to deep fry them in hot oil. 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. In fact, I think they taste better! Pan-frying the shrimp cakes over a skillet is not only quicker, but the clean-up is so 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 own 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!

Why this recipe works

Thai shrimp cakes are easy to make in large batches and freeze for use later. Just thaw them out for an hour or so and quickly pan-fry them in a skillet.This recipe is very fast and effortless to make. You essentially just throw all the ingredients in a food processor and form the batter into patties and pan-fry them.
This recipe is light, you can eat it as an appetizer or use them with a salad. Use the sweet dipping sauce for dressing and you are set!
This Thai shrimp cake recipe is very easy to make, you will love how fast and straightforward it is to put together.
The raw patties freeze so well. This recipe is the perfect food to make in large batches, freeze and cook later.
Thai shrimp cakes are great starters for dinner parties, or just to throw over a large bowl of salad.

How to make Thai shrimp cakes with step-by-step photos.

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

Remove shells, veins, and tail of shrimp, add to a food processor.
Add all other ingredients to the food processor and mix until well blended.
Remove the mixture to a bowl, have a plate ready to place the patties on. Roll the mixture into golf ball-sized patties.
Heat a skillet on medium heat, add 2 Tbsp of oil, cook the shrimp cakes, 6 or so pieces at a time, until light golden brown (2-3 mins). Flip them over and cook for 2 minutes more and place them on a plate lined with a paper towel to let cool. Finish cooking the rest of the patties.

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