Chilean Crab Burger — Homemade Hamburguesa de Jaiba with Tartar Sauce

Versión en Español

Chilean crab burger, or hamburguesa de jaiba, is a patty of shredded crab meat bound with egg yolks, panko, scallion, lemon juice, and green chili, pan fried in olive oil until golden and served in a toasted frica bun with homemade tartar sauce. It takes 20 minutes of preparation and 20 minutes of cooking, and serves 2.

Simple and delicious, it lends itself to many variations, such as adding shrimp to the mix.

How to Make a Crab Burger?

Fresh crab is ideal, but frozen crab works perfectly well, ideally with a little heat from green chili or merkén. The tartar sauce is mixed first and chilled, the crab mixture is shaped into patties and fried, and the burgers are assembled in buttered, toasted buns.

Nutritional Information

Each serving of crab burger contains approximately 600 kcal, 40 g of carbohydrates, 30 g of fat, 40 g of protein, 4 g of fiber, 6 g of sugars, 200 mg of cholesterol, and 800 mg of sodium. These values are estimates and may vary depending on ingredients and portion sizes.

Homemade Chilean Crab Burger Recipe

Preparation: 20 minutes
Cooking: 20 minutes
Servings: 2

Ingredients

Crab burger

• 500 g of crab meat
• 3 egg yolks
• 2 frica buns (soft round Chilean burger buns)
• 2 tablespoons of panko
• 1 scallion, chopped
• ½ lemon
• ½ green chili, chopped
• Olive oil
• Fine sea salt
• Black pepper
• Butter for the buns

Tartar sauce

• 3 sweet pickles, chopped
• 1 tablespoon of chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon of grated carrot
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• ½ cup of mayonnaise

Instructions

1. For the tartar sauce, combine the mayonnaise, pickles, onion, grated carrot, lemon juice, chopped parsley, and sugar in a medium bowl and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

2. In a medium bowl, shred the crab meat with your hands and add the egg yolks, chopped scallion, panko, the juice of ½ lemon, and the chili if you like. Season with salt and pepper, mix well, and shape into burgers.

3. Heat a splash of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the burgers, and cook on both sides until golden. Drain on paper towels.

4. Split the buns, spread them with a little butter, and toast them. Place a burger on each, add a few spoonfuls of tartar sauce and a little mayonnaise if you like, and close. Serve right away, optionally with lettuce leaves, watercress, or red onion rings.

Additional Tips

Drain frozen crab well

If you use frozen crab, squeeze out the excess water so the mixture does not turn too wet.

Add a little heat

Green chili or merkén adds a kick. Adjust to taste without overpowering the delicate crab.

Bake or air fry them

For a lighter version, brush the burgers with olive oil and bake at 180°C (356°F) for 15 to 20 minutes, or air fry for 12 to 15 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Can I use the egg white instead of only the yolk?

Use only the yolk. It is a rich, gentle binder that holds the mixture together without toughening it, while the white can make the burger drier and rubbery.

2. Can I bake or air fry the burgers?

Yes. For a lower fat option, bake them at 180°C (356°F) for 15 to 20 minutes or air fry them for 12 to 15 minutes, brushing them lightly with olive oil first.

3. Can I add cheese?

The classic version focuses on crab and tartar sauce, but a creamy cheese such as mantecoso or a slice of mild cheddar melts nicely over the hot burger.

Benefits of Crab

Crab is an excellent source of lean protein, low in saturated fat and free of trans fat, which makes it a healthy choice, especially when cooked with little added fat.

Did You Know?

Chile has a great diversity of crabs along its Pacific coast, including the jaiba marmola, jaiba peluda, jaiba mora, jaiba limón, jaiba remadora, and jaiba panchote.

Recommended

• Chilean Crab Chupe Recipe
• Chilean Crab and Cheese Empanadas Recipe
• Chilean Pan Frica Burger Bun Recipe
• Homemade Tartar Sauce Recipe