These delicious shrimp rolls feature toasted brioche buns and shrimp in a mayo dressing with the warmth of brown butter and brightness of lemon added. The combination makes for an absolutely fabulous sandwich.
If you like lobster rolls, but don’t like the mess or expense, these shrimp rolls are for you. They taste very similar but are easier to make and much more affordable.
They are a perfect summer dinner when you don’t want to heat up the kitchen. They are also great for a special lunch.
You can prep the shrimp filling ahead of time, so all you have to do when it is time to serve is toast the buns. That is technically optional, but it takes them to the next level and is worth the tiny bit of effort and extra couple of minutes.
Even Better Than Lobster Rolls
When were displaced from our home during the kitchen remodel, Little Dude and I made a bucket list of items we wanted to do while we were gone.
I wanted to give him things to look forward to doing in the condo during those cold winter months away from his friends and toys. Trying lobster was on his list.
So we decided to try Nick Diogiavani’s recipe for lobster rolls. We got live lobsters and did the whole thing.
They were fabulous, but expensive to make. We were glad to have the experience of cooking the lobster and retrieving the meat, but we all decided we would like them with shrimp just as well.
In fact, we thought we might actually like them better. So we put it on our list of things to try in the future.
It turns out we were right. We like the flavor of the shrimp rolls every bit as much if not more than the lobster.
When you add in the lower cost and ease of assembly, they are hands down better than the original. These shrimp rolls are going to be in heavy rotation on our menu for a while!
Why brown butter?
While you could get away with just using melted butter, adding brown butter to the dressing really does add an extra layer of flavor that won’t get lost in the mix.
Brown butter is butter that has been gently cooked until some of the milk solids are toasted and browned. It has a nutty aroma and a deeper flavor.
Due to the cooking process, some of the moisture is evaporated so it has a lower moisture content than regular butter.
It is easy to make, just cook butter in a small saucepan until the milk solids start go become golden. You will smell it getting a toasty aroma as well.
You will notice the butter foaming a bit too. Just swirl it and keep cooking it until you see brown specks and remove it from the heat.
It doesn’t take long to go from brown to burnt, so just keep an eye on it.
More Recipes to Try
If you want to go even more affordable, you could try making imitation crab salad instead. It is great as a dip with pita chips or you could serve it in buns like these shrimp sandwiches.
Or try making shrimp profiterole for a upscale appetizer take on shrimp salad. Again, you could use that same filling in a number of ways.
Check out my collection of fish and seafood recipes for more tasty inspiration.
Brown Butter Shrimp Rolls
Ingredients
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 1½ pounds shrimp cooked and peeled
- 8 split top brioche hot dog buns
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Cook 4 Tablespoons of butter in small saucepan over medium heat until it is browned. Once the milk solids turn golden, remove from the heat and let cool for a few mintues.
- Stir together the brown butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, and mayonnaise.1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, ¾ cup mayonnaise
- Add the shrimp and season with salt to taste. Chill until ready to serve.1½ pounds shrimp
- Slice a thin strip off the outside of the hot dog bun to create a flat surface for toasting. Spread a little bit of the remining butter on the newly cut edges and toast in a skillet over medium heat until golden brown.8 split top brioche hot dog buns
- Spoon shrimp mixture into toasted buns. Serve with a lemon wedge and chopped fresh dill or chives if desired.