Good morning guys! I’m back with another game day recipe; my Crab & Shrimp Balls! I’m sure you’ve had crab balls before but you haven’t had these!
I had one crazy week and a pretty fun weekend. I went to West Virginia over the weekend to visit friends and had a blast! Unfortunately I left my Mac at home and was unable to upload yesterdays Game Day Recipe post……but no worries because today is ALSO a game day. It’s Monday and everyone knows the best part about Monday’s during football season is Monday Night Football! So here we go.
Today I’m bringing something pretty cool to the blog; this recipe was inspired by my husband who threw out the idea of a “crab ball…something fried” lol. I thought about it and I decided to incorporate two of my favorite things; shrimp and crab. Which I’m sure is loved by just about everyone….unless of course you’re allergic to shellfish. Now this recipe like all of my recipes is super easy to make and can be prepped earlier in the day and cooked right before the game starts.
Lets get started! First we want to break down the shrimp. I’m using frozen uncooked shrimp and a food processor for this step. You just want to pulse it a few times until the shrimp sorta resembles small fine chunks.
Next mix the shrimp, crab meat, seasonings, mayo, and parmesan cheese until well combined. After that use a scoop or spoon to create mini balls; roll the balls in the panko breadcrumbs until fully coated.
Yep! That easy š So next we want to fry the balls…..You may be able to bake them if frying isn’t your thing; I’ve never tried it so I can’t really give you specific directions on that process. If you decide to bake them I recommend toasting the breadcrumbs before coating the balls with them.
I used vegetable oil and a small saucepan to mimic a deep fryer…if you have a deep fryer use that! Make sure your oil isn’t too hot but also hot enough to fry the balls; I test my oil by throwing in a few breadcrumbs…if they sizzle without immediately burning its ready to go.
They fry up pretty quickly so make sure to give them a turn so that they are golden brown on all sides. Once this happens they are pretty much done! You can remove them from the oil and drain them on a paper towel to suck up extra grease.
Game Day Recipes: Crab & Shrimp Balls
Notes
One of my readers used cream cheese in the mix to make the filling have more of a dip consistency. Another added chopped red bel peppers. I have not tried either BUT if you do let me know how it turns out!
If adding cream cheese I probably would only add 1-2 tbsp of softened cream cheese.(Just my thoughts of course.)
Ingredients
- 8 oz Uncooked Thawed Shrimp (I used frozen)
- 6 oz can Crab Meat or lump crab
- 1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1/2 tsp Parsley
- 1/4 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
- pepper to taste
- 2 Heaping Tbsp Mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
- Vegetable Oil (for frying)
Instructions
- Pulse thawed shrimp in a food processor or blender until broken down into small chunks.
- Add shrimp, crab meat, parmesan cheese, seasonings, and mayonnaise to a bowl and mix until well combined.
- Use a cookie scoop or spoon to scoop mixture and create small balls; roll the balls in the panko breadcrumbs until evenly coated.
- Heat vegetable oil in a small saucepan or skillet until hot enough for frying (not too hot thought you can test the oil by throwing in a few breadcrumbs. If it sizzles without immediately burnin its ready to go.)
- Make sure to monitor them while they are in the oil and turn them to ensure they brown all sides.
- Cook for about 5-7 minutes or until golden brown.
I recommend frying 3-5 at a time to prevent overcrowding the pan
It’s still super early so you definitely have time to stop by the grocery store on your way home from work and make these bad boys tonight! If you decide to try this recipe please let me know how it turns out by commenting below or tag me on Instagram and Twitter by using #margaritasontherocks to share your photos!
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Really good but I added some chopped green onion and a little bit of finly chopped red pepper. Oh my goodness. Thank you for the recipe.
Thank you so much! I will definitely have to add the green onion and red peppers–sounds delicious!
Do u pulse in food processor thawed or frozen shrimp?..you didn’t indicate
Good morning! I pulsed thawed shrimp in the processor. I will be sure to add that to the recipe! Thanks for stopping by!