Shrimp Sliders

By bweber

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 pounds unpeeled, medium-size raw shrimp
• Non-stick cooking spray
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• A few dashes of hot sauce (i.e.: Louisiana, Texas Pete, etc.)
• 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 3 tablespoons chopped scallions, green and white parts
• 1 1/4 cups crushed crackers (about 1 sleeve or 24 crackers; I used Ritz crackers)
• 12 mini burger buns, split

Preparation

Step 1

Shrimp Mixture:
1. Peel, devein, and chop up the shrimp (not too small, though).
2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat it with cooking spray.
3. Stir together egg and next 8 ingredients: mayo through scallions. Fold in shrimp and cracker crumbs (mixture will be thick).
4. Shape into 12 (2-inch-wide, 1/2-inch-thick) patties. Place patties on prepared pan. Cover and chill 1 to 24 hours. If grilling: transfer to freezer, and freeze for 30 minutes (this is so they hold their shape and don't fall apart during cooking).

To Bake:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place baking sheet with shrimp patties in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until firm and shrimp have turned pink.

To Grill:
Coat cold cooking grate of grill with cooking spray, and place on grill. Preheat grill to 350° to 400° (medium-high) heat. Grill burgers, covered with grill lid, 4 to 5 minutes or until burgers lift easily from cooking grate using a large spatula. Turn burgers, and grill 4 to 5 minutes or until shrimp turn pink and burgers are cooked through and lightly crisp.

To Pan-Fry:
Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook shrimp patties 4 minutes on each side or until golden. Drain on paper towels.

To Finish:
Place shrimp patties on bottom halves of buns, top with tartar sauce, red onions, and 2 cucumber slices each.