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This healthy salmon burger recipe is made with fresh salmon fillets. It’s easy, nourishing, and full of flavor! Not to mention, it’s a great way to get more fish into your diet.
We have no shortage of salmon recipes to choose from in this house, and we have a ton of different methods of preparation: think grilled salmon kebabs, air fryer salmon bites, and an ever-so-convenient sheet pan salmon with veggies! It seemed like a no-brainer to throw a juicy salmon burger into the mix.
Most salmon burger recipes call for canned salmon, which is cheap and convenient—two great things. But I decided to go the fresh fillet route to maximize on freshness, flavor, and texture. These burgers are still incredibly quick and easy to make—you’re going to love them!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s easy – If you’ve ever made my turkey burger or my chicken burger, you’ll find this one isn’t much different with prep. Mix the ingredients, form the patties, pop them into the fridge to set, and cook!
- It’s healthy – Salmon is a lean protein and is high in omega-3 fatty acids and B vitamins.
- We use fresh salmon – There’s nothing wrong with canned salmon—it’s incredibly nutritious and we love it in this soba noodle bowl! But I love the flavor and texture that fresh salmon fillets offer here.
Salmon Burger Ingredients
- Fresh skinless, boneless salmon fillets – I highly recommend a fattier cut, such as King (Chinook) or Atlantic salmon. Fat = flavor and moisture, and with salmon you’re getting the good fats!
- Capers – These briny little gems add an awesome punch of flavor and saltiness to the salmon patties.
- Fresh dill – It’s often you’ll see salmon and dill together, and for good reason.
- Lemon – This really brightens up the flavors in the salmon patty!
- Panko breadcrumbs – This ingredient is a double whammy: it acts as a binder so the patties don’t fall apart, and it brings extra moisture.
- Scallions – I always add onions to my burger patties, though typically red or yellow. I thought scallions would add a nice zing here and they worked out beautifully.
- Seasoning – Aside from salt and pepper, these patties call for a smidgen of garlic and onion powder, and some Dijon mustard for some extra tanginess.
A list of all ingredients and their measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Recipe Substitutions & Modifications
- Dried herbs work too – you can use dried dill weed instead of fresh if you need to.
- You can swap the onions – diced red or yellow onions work just fine in this recipe.
- Don’t like capers? – You can omit them completely if you’re not a fan!
What Goes Well on a Salmon Burger?
The beauty of the salmon burger is that you can treat it just like any burger for the most part! Here are some great toppings that work well so you can get an idea:
- Greens – Arugula, spinach, or some nice crisp lettuce!
- Vegetables – Tomato, onions, and pickled veggies make for great toppings.
- Avocado – Either sliced or mashed like guacamole works.
- Cheese – I didn’t include cheese in this recipe. With salmon, I’d go for something like crumbled goat cheese, feta, or havarti.
- Dressing – I like whipping up a quick and easy caper mayonnaise for this burger. You could also use just plain mayo, tartar sauce, or a lemon caper yogurt sauce like the one I serve with my Maryland Crab Cakes.
How to Cook a Salmon Burger
You can cook your salmon burger the same way you’d cook a beef, turkey, or chicken burger. The important thing to remember is to cook them to an internal temperature of 140-145º F.
Here are some cooking options:
- In a pan. Heat a large skillet—preferably cast iron—over medium-high heat. Add a splash of avocado or olive oil, enough to cover the bottom of the pan, and let it get hot. Add the salmon patties to the pan, cover, and let them cook for 3-4 minutes per side.
- On the grill. Prepare the grill the same way you would when grilling fish (see my tips on how to grill fish). Place the patties onto the grill, cover, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Carefully flip the patties, cover, and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Remember: if the patties don’t want to let go of the grill at your first attempt to flip them, don’t force them. Give them another 30 seconds and try again.
- In the oven. Preheat the oven to 400º F. Pop the salmon patties onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake them for about 10 minutes. Flip the patties, and cook them for another 5 minutes, or until the patties reach an internal temperature of 140-145º F.
- In the air fryer. Spray the air fryer basket with a bit of cooking spray. Pop the salmon patties into the basket in one layer and air fry at 400º F for about 10 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Click here for tips on how to grill fish!
How to Make Salmon Burgers
- Cut the salmon into 1/4-inch pieces and transfer about 3/4 of them to a food processor. Add in the mustard, lemon juice, capers, fresh dill, onion powder, and garlic powder, and pulse the contents until a paste is formed. Add the rest of the salmon pieces to the processor and pulse a few times to simply break apart the salmon. You want some salmon chunks in there for texture.
- Transfer the salmon mixture to a mixing bowl and add the sliced scallions, panko breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper. Gently mix with your hands to combine.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the salmon mixture into four even parts and, with your hands, form four patties, placing each onto the baking sheet.
- Pop the patties into the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- Remove the patties from the fridge and let them come to room temperature—this will ensure a more even cook. Preheat whatever appliance you’re using to cook the salmon and once it’s hot, proceed as per the instructions with your chosen cooking method, which are listed below.
- Serve the burgers on nice fresh buns (we love brioche!) and top them however you please.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t skip refrigerating the patties. Sitting in the cold helps them set, which prevents them from falling apart during the cooking process.
- You can use dry dill if you don’t have fresh.
- No matter which cooking method you use, the best way to ensure your patties are cooked is to check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer. When salmon, or any fish, reaches 140-145º F, you’re good to go!
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a STAR rating & commenting below with feedback!
You can also show off your creations on Instagram by tagging @killing__thyme
Other Burger Recipes You Need to Try:
- The Best Turkey Burger Recipe
- The Best Chicken Burger Recipe
- Summer Caprese Burgers with Pesto Mayo
- Tender Greek Turkey Burgers
Healthy Salmon Burger Recipe
This healthy salmon burger recipe is made with fresh salmon fillets. It's easy, nourishing, and full of flavor! Not to mention, it's a great way to get more fish into your diet.
Ingredients
Salmon Burgers.
- 1.5 lb skinless, boneless salmon fillets
- 1 TBSP lemon juice
- 1 TBSP chopped capers
- 1 TBSP chopped fresh dill
- 1 TBSP Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp sea salt
- A few cracked of black pepper
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallion
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
Caper Mayo.
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 TBSP chopped capers
- 2 tsp caper brine
- Zest of one lemon
- A few cracks of black pepper
Instructions
Salmon burgers.
- Cut the salmon into 1/4-inch pieces, then transfer about 3/4 of the salmon pieces to a food processor. Add in the mustard, lemon juice, capers, fresh dill, onion powder, and garlic powder; pulse the contents until a paste is formed.
- Add the rest of the salmon pieces to the processor and pulse a few times to simply break apart the salmon. You want some salmon chunks in there for texture.
- Scoop the salmon mixture into a mixing bowl. Add the scallions, panko breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper, and gently mix it all up with your hands until it's well combined.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; divide the salmon mixture into four even parts, then form four patties with your hands. Place each one onto the baking sheet.
- Refrigerate the patties for at least 30 minutes. While the salmon patties set in the fridge, you can make the caper mayo (see below).
- Heat the grill to medium-high heat; make sure your grill grates are very clean.
- Once the grill is hot, grease it well to prevent sticking. Use tongs to dip a wad of paper towels into a little bowl of oil (one with a high smoke point like avocado, canola, or sunflower oil) and glide the oily paper towel over the grates to make them slick and shiny. Do this about 4-5 times to ensure they're slick
- Place the salmon patties onto the grill, cover, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Gently flip the burgers, cover, and cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until the patties reach an internal temperature of 140-145º F.
- Serve the burgers on nice fresh buns and top them however you please!
Caper Mayo.
- Put all of the ingredients into a small mixing bowl and whisk until combined. Refrigerate it until it's time to serve the burgers.
Nutrition
Serving: 1burger | Calories: 265kcal | Carbohydrates: 4.2g | Protein: 36.5g | Fat: 10.7g | Sodium: -5mg
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!
Hoping to try this recipe with canned salmon. Do you have any recommendations of things to add/change for canned instead of fresh?
Hi Rachel! I haven’t tried this recipe with canned salmon, but you should be okay with the recipe as is, as long as you use the same amount of salmon called for. The only thing I might add, just to be sure on it binding and staying together well, would be an egg. Adding one couldn’t hurt! Please do let me know how it works, ok? :)