Seafood Garlic Butter Rice Cakes
The ultimate 'I'm too tired to think' meal—hearty, savory, and done in one pan.
When the day feels long and your brain is fried, you want a dinner that feels like a hug but doesn't require a marathon of prep. These seafood rice cakes are exactly that. We’re taking simple ingredients—rice, garlic, and fresh seafood—and turning them into savory nuggets of joy. The buttery Garlic finish makes everything taste luxurious while the one-pan method keeps your kitchen clean enough to sleep in later. You can smell the toasted garlic from across the room, and the texture is perfectly chewy and satisfying. It’s honest comfort food that proves you don't have to work hard to eat like royalty.
Ingredients
- 2 cup cooked rice — leftover rice works best for texture
- 8 oz shrimp — peeled and deveined
- 4 unit garlic — minced
- 3 tbsp butter — unsalted
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 0.5 cup parmesan cheese — grated
- 1 tsp salt — to taste
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
Method
- 1 Heat a large skillet over medium heat and melt the butter with the minced garlic and oregano until fragrant (about 2 minutes).
- 2 Add the shrimp to the pan and sauté for 3-4 minutes until they turn pink and opaque.
- 3 Fold in the cooked rice, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Stir well so every grain of rice is coated in the garlic butter mixture.
- 4 Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of the pan (or into a small baking dish) and let it sit undisturbed for 5 minutes to set.
- 5 Using a spatula, cut the mixture into 8-10 large squares or 'cakes'.
- 6 Sear each side of the rice cakes in the remaining butter for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown and slightly crispy on the outside.
Variations
- The 'No-Cook' Prep — Use frozen pre-cooked rice and frozen shelled shrimp to skip the prep entirely.
- Zesty Twist — Add a pinch of red pepper flakes and a squeeze of lemon juice at the very end for a kick.
Notes
If you don't have pre-cooked rice, use a 90/10 ratio of dry rice to water, but be aware this will require more stirring.
Equipment that helps
- Large Skillet — Allows you to sear the rice cakes for a crispy exterior without extra pans.
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