Salmon Burger Recipe
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This Salmon Burger recipe is one of my favorite quick meals to make in under an hour. Fresh salmon, creamy coleslaw, and peppery arugula come together on a toasted bun for a flavor-packed bite. It is simple to make yet tastes like something straight from a restaurant.
If you are a salmon fan like me, you have to try my honey-garlic salmon or smoked salmon tea sandwiches Both are a big hit in my house and my wife always makes them when her friends come over. I think she secretly loves showing off her salmon skills.
Salmon Burger
Salmon burgers are one of those recipes that come together with just a few simple steps. I mince fresh salmon along with a few other tasty ingredients, then bind it all with eggs and breadcrumbs. You can grill or pan-fry them, and they are perfect piled onto a bun with your favorite toppings. In a way, they are just salmon patties dressed up for a special occasion.
There are plenty of ways to make salmon burgers, and they often change depending on where you are and who is in the kitchen. At their core, they are simple, but you can easily dress them up with extras like fresh herbs or your favorite seasonings to make them your own.
Today I’m topping my salmon burgers with a crunchy jicama coleslaw that adds the perfect freshness. You can check out the video to see exactly how I put it together.
Ingredients and Substitutions
These are the ingredients I used to make this salmon burger recipe. I also included some swaps you can easily consider when making it.
- Salmon – I always use wild-caught salmon in my recipes. This can be fresh or frozen and then thawed.
- Onion – A combination of yellow, white, or sweet onions and garlic makes for a great combination in the burger batter.
- Egg – Just 1 egg will help bind the burgers together.
- Lemon – A touch of lemon juice to help brighten up the recipe.
- Crackers – I like crushed buttery “Ritz” style crackers for flavor and salt.
- Mustard – A little Dijon will go a long way into flavoring everything.
- Buns – I like brioche buns, but any toasted buns will do.
- Greens – I usually put arugula on the bottom of the burger, but any greens such as red leaf, green leaf, or butter lettuce will work.
- Toppings – There is an assortment of toppings you can use for this salmon burger, but I made a delicious jicama coleslaw to go on top to complement the burger perfectly.
How to Make a Salmon Burger
Mix the vegetables: First thing I do is add the cabbages, green onions, jicama, and bell peppers to a large bowl. Then, I set them aside.
Make the dressing: In a separate bowl, I whisk together the mayonnaise, mustards, vinegar, dill, sugar, salt, and pepper. Then, I set it aside.
Prepare the crackers: I place the butter crackers in a food processor and blend on high until they turn into fine crumbs.
Add the salmon mixture: I place the salmon, onion, garlic, egg, lemon juice, capers, mustard, salt, and pepper into a food processor.
Blend the mixture: I blend on high speed until the mixture is mostly smooth but still slightly chunky.
Combine with crumbs: Once the mixture is processed, I transfer it to a large bowl and fold in the cracker crumbs with a rubber spatula until everything is well combined.
Shape the patties: I form the mixture into 6 salmon patties and set them aside.
Cook the patties: Next, I add 3 to 4 tablespoons of oil to a hot griddle or sauté pan over medium-high heat. I place the salmon patties in the pan and cook them for 5 to 6 minutes on each side until they are golden brown and cooked through, then keep them warm.
Make the coleslaw: I bring back the creamy dill dressing and vegetables, pour the dressing over the coleslaw mix, and gently toss until everything is combined.
Season: I adjust the coleslaw with salt and pepper to taste. There is usually plenty left over to serve as a side dish alongside the salmon burgers.
Assemble the burger: I place the salmon burger on a toasted bun with fresh arugula leaves under the patty, then top the salmon with a generous spoonful of coleslaw.
Chef Tip + Notes
I recommend for making my Salmon Burger recipe to chill the patties for 15 to 20 minutes before cooking. This helps them stay together in the pan and makes flipping them much easier.
- Oil choice: I like to use olive oil or another healthy high-smoke point oil when frying salmon burgers.
- Cracker crumbs: I crush the butter crackers in a plastic bag with a rolling pin if I do not want to use a food processor.
- No food processor: If you do not have a food processor, you can mince everything finely with a chef’s knife.
- Jicama swap: I use daikon radish instead of jicama if I cannot find it.
- Fresh salmon: I always use fresh salmon for the best flavor and texture.
- Processing: I avoid over-processing the salmon so there are small chunks for a better bite.
Serving Suggestions
I also like serving this salmon burger with my vinegar-based coleslaw for a fresh and tangy contrast. And of course it is great to pair with parmesan truffle fries, which add a savory touch to the plate. On days when I want a little sweetness, I pair it with sweet potato fries which is also my family-favorite.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: These salmon burgers are meant to be eaten as soon as they are finished cooking.
How to Store: Keep the salmon and toppings separate and covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The salmon burgers by themselves will freeze well covered for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating and serving.
How to Reheat: Add the desired number of salmon burgers to a 13×9 casserole dish and cover it with foil or a lid. Bake in the oven at 350° for 8-12 minutes or until warm.
More Salmon Recipes
Video
Salmon Burger Recipe
Ingredients
For the Slaw:
- 1/2 cup of mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon of grainy mustard
- 1 tablespoon of dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh dill
- ½ teaspoon of sugar
- 2 cups of sliced green cabbage
- 1 cup of sliced red cabbage
- 1/2 cup of sliced green onions
- 1 peeled and thinly sliced red bell pepper
- ½ peeled and thinly sliced green bell pepper
- 1 medium-sized peeled and thinly sliced jicama
- sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
For the Salmon Burger:
- 40 finely crushed butter crackers
- 1 pound of skinless fresh wild caught salmon
- ¼ peeled sweet onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 egg
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 tablespoon of capers
- 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
- sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
- oil for sautéing
- 6 toasted buns
- 2 cups of arugula
Instructions
- In a medium-size bowl whisk together mayonnaise, both mustards, vinegar, dill, sugar, salt, and pepper. Set it aside.
- In a large bowl mix together the cabbages, green onions, jicama, and bell peppers. Set them aside.
- In a separate bowl whisk together mayonnaise, both mustards, vinegar, dill, sugar, salt, and pepper. Set it aside.
- Place the butter crackers to a food processor and process on high until they are like crumbs. Set them aside.
- Add the salmon, onion, garlic, egg, lemon juice, capers, mustard, salt, and pepper to a food processor.
- Blend on high speed until it becomes slightly chunky but smooth.
- Once it is processed, transfer the mixture to a large bowl and fold in the cracker crumbs using a rubber spatula until they are mixed in.
- Form the batter into 6 salmon patties and set aside.
- Next, 3 to 4 tablespoons of oil to a hot griddle or sauté pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the salmon patties and cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked throughout. Keep Them warm.
- Bring back the creamy dill dressing and vegetables and pour the dressing over the vegetable coleslaw and gently mix until combined.
- Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. There should be plenty of coleslaw leftover to serve as a side alongside the main salmon burger recipe.
- Place the salmon burger on the toasted bun with some arugula leaves in-between the bottom and salmon and top off a salmon patty and with the coleslaw.
This was amazing! Best salmon patty I’ve ever had. The slaw is quite delicious also. The prep took me awhile and removing the skin was frustrating. In the end it was worth the effort though.
Made these salmon burgers for my finicky eater and he LOVED them!!! This recipe along with your Shrimp Po Boy is on the menu for this week! Thank you for so many winning recipes Chef Parisi!!!
I had only made salmon burgers using canned salmon. The taste of those salmon burgers cannot compare to the taste I got from this recipe. These are so good.
so good!!