Crispy Thai Shrimp Cakes with Mango Dip

• These tiny Thai Shrimp Cakes with Mango Dipping Sauce make a great party appetizer. If you like crab cakes, you'll love these shrimp cakes.
• Shrimp Cakes, Shrimp Fritters, Prawn Cakes, whatever you wish to call them, they're a tasty bite!
• Coating them in Panko crumbs keeps them tender and moist. Crispy on the outside, tender inside, these little morsels are fun to dunk in dip. Serve them as tiny bites skewered with a bamboo toothpick, or make them larger for a dinner entrée.
• Easy to make gluten-free by using gluten-free Panko crumbs.

I make crab cakes often, usually using my favorite recipe for Thai Crab Cakes I also like to serve Crispy Baked Zucchini Patties or Air Fryer Salmon Patties as small appetizer fritters. Whenever I have freshly caught prawns, I make this tasty appetizer.

Let's make a batch. Here's your shopping list!

• shrimp:  or prawns, peeled and deveined. Any size. If you use baby shrimp, you won't need to chop them. Larger shrimp will need to be cut into very small pieces. You can use a food processor to chop them but avoid over-processing. You don't want it to turn into shrimp paste! While fresh is best, you can also use commercially-frozen shrimp. Note, however, that they may have an icy glaze around them to protect them. Thaw and pat dry before using, otherwise the shrimp cakes will be too wet.
• egg whites: these will help to bind the ingredients together.
• garlic: fresh clove
• ginger: freshly grated ginger root
• fish sauce: adds authentic Thai flavor.
• green chili peppers: from a small can
• cilantro leaves: if you don't like cilantro, substitute parsley or chives.
• cornstarch: to thicken the mixture
• Panko crumbs:  regular, or gluten-free Panko. You'll use ½ cup in the mixture and 1 cup to coat the cakes.

Use a heavy-bottomed skillet: A cast iron skillet works well when you're frying these fritters. It holds the heat for a long time.

When you're shallow frying, you want the oil to remain hot when you add the food. This way, the fritters will cook quickly and not soak up too much oil. However, any skillet will work with this shrimp cake recipe.

You just have to be aware of keeping the temperature up and know that the fritters might soak up more oil.

Use an oil with a high smoke point, like avocado oil for example, and heat over medium to high heat until it shimmers. Carefully add the shrimp cakes and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until lightly browned. Use tongs or a fish turner to flip them over.

Larger shrimp cakes may take a little longer, depending on how thick you formed the patties and the temperature of the oil.

Remove from the skillet to paper towel, then transfer to a serving plate. Skewer with small bamboo toothpicks if you'd like and arrange around a small bowl of Mango Dipping Sauce for dunking. Serve hot.

You can make these ahead of time! Form the batter into patties, coat with Panko crumbs, arrange on a baking sheet, cover, and refrigerate for up to 1 day before cooking.

Freeze them! Make the patties, coat them with Panko, then freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet. Transfer to an airtight container. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then follow the pan-frying instructions.

Reheat them: You can reheat these shrimp cakes once they've been cooked. Place them on a baking sheet, cover with foil, and heat at 350°F. for 10 - 15 minutes until heated through. Time will depend on the accuracy of your oven temperature.

Try this Lime Yogurt Sauce that I use as a dip for my Baked Salmon Patties, this spicy dip that I serve with these Bangkok Thai Crab Cakes. or Lemon Yogurt Dip that goes well with Smoked Salmon Zucchini Cakes.

A simple lemon aioli would also be delicious!

These Thai shrimp cakes make a great appetizer. If you're serving these as a starter or main dish, you might like to serve them with one of the following:

• Asian Pear Slaw with Ginger and Lime
• Thai-Style Coleslaw with Kohlrabi
• Thai Mango Salad with Peanuts
• Thai Cucumber Salad with Mint