Fresh Salmon Burger Recipe
This will be the BEST Salmon Burger recipe you’ll ever try. It starts with buttery fresh salmon, gets perfectly brown in a skillet (no grill needed) and is finished with crisp lettuce and creamy tartar sauce.
These Salmon Burgers Are Mind-Blowingly Good!
When I was brushing up on my Spanish last year, Duolingo led me to believe that I would be ordering hamburguesas de pescado everywhere in Spain (this food item appeared in almost every lesson, every day). But in my two weeks in Spain, I was presented with zero opportunities to order a fish hamburger.
What’s funny is that I probably would have ordered it if I had ever seen it on a menu! So today, it IS on my menu, and I hope you’ll add it to yours, too.
I set out to make a flavorful and juicy salmon burger, thinking I would need many rounds of recipe testing to get it just right. But I actually nailed it on the very first try.
As I was eating the perfectly browned burger with the only simple toppings it needed (crunchy lettuce and creamy homemade tartar sauce), I was making audible “oh my god this is so good” gasps and noises. There was literally not one single thing about it that could be improved. My husband and six-year-old daughter agreed.
Read on to find out exactly how to make one of my favorite new recipes in years.
Heads up! The tartar sauce is a big part of why this burger is SO good. You’ll want to make that recipe first – it should sit in the fridge for about an hour before serving.
Why You Will Love This Salmon Burger Recipe
- It’s a protein-packed alternative to a beef burger for days where you want something just a little lighter.
- The food processor does most of the work for you – there’s not much to chop up.
- This burger has just the PERFECT texture – perfectly crispy and golden brown on the outside, and tender and juicy on the inside.
Salmon Fish Burger Ingredients
A full recipe card, including exact ingredient amounts, appears at the bottom of this post.
- salmon – for 4 servings, you’ll need 1-1/4 pounds of boneless, skinless salmon fillets, which you’ll need to cut into 2-inch pieces for this fresh salmon burger recipe.
- Dijon mustard – adds a bit of tanginess and helps bind the salmon mixture.
- shallot – adds a mild, sweet onion flavor without overpowering the salmon.
- panko breadcrumbs – gives the burgers a light, crispy texture while helping to hold the salmon mixture together. We tested this recipe with regular breadcrumbs and it wasn’t as good as with panko.
- garlic powder, Old Bay seasoning, salt and pepper – the seasonings that add lots of savory depth of flavor to this salmon fish burger.
- oil – for pan-frying the burgers.
- hamburger buns – brioche buns are recommended, if you can find them! They should be at most large grocery stores if you look carefully. These soft, slightly sweet buns are just perfect for salmon burgers.
- tartar sauce – we HIGHLY recommend you use our recipe for homemade tartar sauce vs. buying a jarred kind for this recipe for salmon burgers. It really makes all the difference.
- lettuce – shredded iceberg lettuce is the MVP choice here for crunch and freshness.
How To Make Salmon Burgers
1. PUREE. Place 1/4 of the salmon in a food processor with the Dijon and shallot, and process the mixture into a smooth puree. Mmmm – fish paste! Just go with it, please.
2. PULSE. Add the remaining salmon to the processor, and then just pulse the processor on and off a few times, until this salmon is chopped into about 1/4-inch pieces. Be careful not to process too much, as you DON’T want this fish to also be totally puréed.
3. COMBINE. Add everything from the processor to a large mixing bowl with the breadcrumbs, garlic powder, Old Bay, salt and pepper. Fold until everything is combined.
4. SHAPE. Form the mixture into 4 burger patties.
5. COOK. Heat the oil in a large skillet and add the burgers. Cook until the internal temperature of the burgers reaches 145 degrees F, turning once.
6. SERVE. Serve the burgers on buns with plenty of tartar sauce and shredded lettuce.
Home Chef Tips For Making Salmon Burgers
- Avoid overmixing the ingredients as you are combining the salmon and seasonings and forming the patties. Overmixing means a tough burger. Do your best to use a light touch.
- Invest in an instant read thermometer. The quickest way to make a DRY salmon burger is to overcook it, so you want to be sure to cook your burgers until they reach 145 degrees F but no higher. An instant read thermometer is a crucial kitchen tool that will allow you to check the precise temperature.
- If the burgers are stuck to the skillet when you go to flip them, they’re not ready to be flipped yet. Give it a minute and try again. They will naturally release when they are ready.
Salmon Burger Toppings
There are so many different ways you can top a salmon fish burger, but some of my favorites are:
- THE CLASSIC – What you see in this post! A generous amount of our Tartar Sauce Recipe With Capers and shredded iceburg lettuce. That’s it!
- YOGURT SAUCE – If you don’t love tartar sauce (there’s lots of pickles, capers and other pickly things in there, so if you hate pickles, you probably won’t like it), our Dill Sauce For Salmon is a yogurt-based sauce option. There’s no pickles or capers, but there is still dill and lots of flavor.
- CAESAR BURGER – Keep the lettuce, but swap the tartar sauce for our Homemade Caesar Dressing. We love a little bit of Quick Pickled Onion here, too. A++ so good!
- ASIAN-ISH – Swap the tartar sauce for our Coconut Shrimp Dipping Sauce. Yes, it’s made for shrimp, but it’s good with lots of other things. It’s a combo of mayo, lime juice, Asian sweet chili sauce and sriracha, and it’s delicious on salmon burgers.
- EXTRAS – Want to add avocado, tomato or something else? Go for it!
Sides For Salmon Burgers
Salmon burgers go with just about any side that you can dream up, but here’s some ideas to get you started:
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Salmon Burger Storage
If you have leftover burgers, transfer them to an airtight container and place them in the fridge uncovered for a few hours until they are fully chilled, then cover them with the lid and keep in the refrigerator up to 1 day. Store the sauce, lettuce and buns separately.
Reheat burgers in the oven, air fryer or skillet until warmed through.
Best Salmon Burger Recipe FAQs
Salmon burgers don’t necessarily NEED a cheese at all, but if you’d like to add one, mild cheeses like provolone or Swiss complement the flavor of the salmon.
Ensure there’s enough binding agent (like the breadcrumbs in the recipe for salmon burgers below), and avoid over-flipping them during cooking to help maintain their shape. Try to just flip them once, halfway through cooking.
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Salmon Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ pounds boneless skinless salmon fillets cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 shallot roughly chopped
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 brioche hamburger buns
- 1 batch Homemade Tartar Sauce (you may have some left over)
- 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
Instructions
- Place 1/4 of salmon in bowl of food processor fitted with knife blade attachment. Add Dijon and shallot, and process until mixture is a smooth puree, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally.
- Add remaining salmon to food processor, and pulse processor on and off a few times, just until this salmon is chopped into roughly 1/4-inch pieces and combined with the puree. Be careful not to process too much, as you DON'T want this fish to also be totally puréed.
- Add salmon mixture to large mixing bowl. Add breadcrumbs, garlic powder, Old Bay, salt and pepper. Use rubber spatula to gently fold until well combined.
- Shape mixture into 4 burger patties.
- Heat oil in large cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add burgers and cook 5 to 7 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F, turning once.
- Serve burgers on buns with tartar sauce and lettuce.
