Succulent shrimp coated with crispy panko, topped with thinly sliced cabbage, homemade tartar sauce, and sandwiched in soft brioche buns, this Japanese-inspired Ebi Katsu Burger (Shrimp Cutlet Burger) could be your next best burger cookout!
Do you have a favorite burger that you crave sometimes? I have one, and it’s Ebi Katsu (Shrimp Cutlet) Burger (海老カツバーガー) from Japanese burger shops like Mos Burger and Lotteria.
What is Ebi Katsu Burger?
Simply it’s Shrimp Cutlet Burger. It’s a burger with shrimp patty that is covered in panko breadcrumbs and deep-fried. The best way to describe Ebi Katsu is it’s a shrimp version of tonkatsu (pork) or chicken katsu. Wrapped in a crispy panko shell, it’s so good with tartar sauce and shredded cabbage inside soft burger buns.
Today not only we’re making it at home, but we’re also going to make BAKED Ebi Katsu, instead of deep-frying!
5 Tips to Make Delicious Baked Ebi Katsu Burger
1. Pre-toast Panko
We pre-toast the panko in a frying pan till it turns the optimal golden brown color. That way, panko looks like they are deep fried and the texture of panko is crisp as if they were deep fried. Here’s a quick video to show you on how I did it for tonkatsu.
2. Make Plump Shrimp Patties
You could chop all the shrimp into paste form to make the burger patty. But we won’t do that for my shrimp patty. I like plump shrimp texture when I bite into the burger, so what I do is to create grid lines by cutting shallow cuts on one side of the shrimp. This way the shrimps become more pliable, and you can form a patty shape with 3-4 shrimps, depending on the burger bun size.
Ebi Katsu Burgers in fast food restaurants use smaller shrimps (because they are cheaper), but if you’re making it at home, you can buy larger shrimps to make Ebi Katsu Burger. It’s the benefit of home cooking! And the larger shrimp definitely has a better texture.
3. Thinly Shred Cabbage
Why shredded cabbage? I often receive this question when my readers read my tonkatsu and chicken katsu recipes. Shredded cabbage is always served with katsu, it’s the norm in Japan. The crisp texture of cabbage and refreshing green leaves complements deep-fried dishes well. So almost always, deep-fried katsu burger includes shredded cabbage. The tip to cut cabbage super thinly? I use this cabbage slicer and it works magically! You can always use a sharp knife and practice.
4. Make Homemade Tartar Sauce
Panko crusted seafoods such as crab croquette and Ebi Fry are typically served with tartar sauce in Japan. If you have your favorite recipe, you can use it. Otherwise, my recipe here is a quick and delicious recipe that can be handy.
5. Get Good Burger Buns
I use brioche buns for this burger, but you can use any buns you like. These buns are from Drager’s, a local market here in the SF Bay Area. When I was shopping for meat there, I found these buns nearby and I really love how fluffy and soft they are. Trader Joe’s now sell brioche buns too, but the size of buns is larger than what I wanted.
Other Baked Recipes You May Like:
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Ebi Katsu Burger (Shrimp Cutlet Burger)
Ingredients
- 2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
- 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (for toasting panko)
- 12 large shrimp
- freshly ground black pepper
- kosher or sea salt (I use Diamond Crystal; use half for table salt)
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour (plain flour) (4 Tbsp)
- 2 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell)
- 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (for eggs)
- 3 brioche buns or burger buns
- 3 leaves cabbage (add more if you like)
Tartar sauce
- ¼ onion (or 1 shallot)
- 8 cornichons or gherkins
- ½ cup Japanese mayonnaise (8 Tbsp)
- ½-1 Tbsp white wine (can use alternatively use Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar)
- kosher or sea salt (I use Diamond Crystal; use half for table salt)
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). For a convection oven, reduce cooking temperature by 25ºF (15ºC). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Combine 2 cups panko and 2 Tbsp olive oil in a frying pan and toast over medium heat until golden brown.
- Transfer panko to a shallow dish and allow to cool. I make extra as you don't want to find out later that you don't have enough toasted panko. Once cooled, save half of the toasted panko in an airtight container to keep it fresh. You may need to use this extra portion when you're breading.
- Lay the shrimp on the cutting board and make small incisions (⅛ inch, 3 mm) lengthwise and widthwise (grid pattern) on one side of the shrimp. Do not cut through. This helps shrimp become more pliable and cook faster. Using 3-4 shrimp, make a round shape that is about the size of your buns. If the shrimp is not pliable, make small incisions, so it’s easier to make a nice round shape.
- Season with freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt.
- Prepare flour and egg. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to the egg. The olive oil will help the panko adhere to the shrimp.
- Dredge each shrimp patty in the flour to coat completely and pat off the excess flour.
- Then dip into the beaten egg.
- Transfer to toasted panko and coat the shrimp with toasted panko without moving the shrimps. Press on the panko flakes to make sure they adhere to the shrimp. You want to maintain the patty shape as much as possible.
- Scoop patty up with a spatula and flip over to your hand to remove excess panko that might be sitting on the shrimp.
- Transfer to the baking sheet and bake at 375ºF (190ºC) for 15 minutes.
- While baking the shrimp, shred the cabbage leaves. Cut off the tough core of the cabbage and then roll up the cabbage leaves to thinly slice.
- Make the tartar sauce. Mince the onion and soak in water for 10 minutes to remove the bitterness.
- Mince the cornichons.
- Combine the minced onion and cornichons in a bowl. Add ½ cup mayonnaise.
- Add the ½ – 1 Tbsp white wine until the desired consistency and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Take out from the oven and let cool on a wire rack so that the bottom of shrimp doesn’t get soggy.
- Heat a frying pan and toast the buns. Spread mustard on the buns.
- Place ebi katsu, then shredded cabbage, and finally place tartar sauce on top. Serve immediately.
To Store
- You can keep the leftovers (ebi katsu) in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 2 days and in the freezer for a month.
