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 (I found some at the Super Target Bakery)

Toppings: tartar sauce, sliced red onions, cucumber slices (at least 24)

Preparation

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.