These Salmon Burgers are amazingly crispy on the outside, perfectly flaky on the inside and full of flavor. Load it up with spicy sriracha mayo and you’ve got a healthy, protein packed dinner!
This post was originally posted in July 2018 but I’ve since updated the photos and added newer content!
Y’all, I know. I remember growing up and my grandma making Salmon patties and I swear, the smell would knock you out. You would want to plug your nostrils. My family loved them, but my 5 year old taste-buds said no way! Gimme the instant mac and cheese instead plz.
BUT Y’ALL. My taste buds have matured and I absolutely promise you that this is the Summer meal of your dreams.
Why These Burgers are the Best
These Salmon Burgers with Sriracha Mayo are over the top crispy on the outside, flaky on the inside and caramelized with this beautiful golden color that SHOULD BE MADE INTO A CRAYON.
But, seriously. How golden and crispy is that?!
When the crispy salmon burger is piled onto the soft pillowy brioche bun, you could stop there. BUT NO. Let’s keep going, shall we?
Let’s also add a huge schmear of sriracha mayo. Yes, mayonnaise mixed with sriracha aka the perfect blend of creamy + spicy that you didn’t know you needed in your life but once you try it you will eat it on everything. It really gives the burgers the ooomph they need to take it to the next level.
Speaking of taking these burgers to the next level, hello easy creamy coleslaw! The coleslaw is tangy, crunchy and is the absolute perfect texture balance to the flaky burgers.
For some extra goodness, make sure and drizzle a little bit more of the sriracha sauce on top, place the top bun on and DEVOUR!
So let’s get into what you need for this recipe…
Ingredients You Need:
- salmon
- breadcrumbs to bind everything together
- some cilantro (or whatever herbs you have on hand, i’m sure dill or parsley would work amazing as well)
- diced onion
- minced garlic
- citrus (lemon or lime work!)
- some basic spices like salt, pepper and chili powder.
- buns
- your favorite burger toppings
THAT’S ALL, Y’ALL.
By the way, We usually buy our salmon from Aldi. They have a great, low-cost frozen Wild Caught option that’s DELICIOUS. It’s crazy high in nutrition. So much protein. So much goodness.
So where do you go from there?
Best Tips for Making Salmon Burgers
Y’all, it’s Summer now and I know none of us have the time or energy to be in the kitchen crafting an intense meal every night.
Thankfully these are SO simple.
Basically, you just add everything to a food processor. Then you blitz it up to make sure it’s all combined.
It should look something like this:
After that, get your hands dirty by forming them into patties. I recommend that you form the patty into about the size of your bun you will be using – this particular recipe makes 2 patties.
For reference, I’d say about 1 medium size salmon filet (4-6 oz.) makes one burger combined with the other ingredients below.
Oil your skillet very well with either avocado oil, olive oil or butter and get it hot before you add in the salmon burgers!
You want to make SURE these are cooked all the way through, so I found that 4-6 minutes per side worked well for me. Within that time limit, they become beautifully caramelized, but still remain flaky and FULL of flavor on the inside.
They should look something like this:
Hello beautiful!
How to Serve Salmon Burgers
Feeling the low-carb vibes? Just want to save a few calories? Cool! Skip the bun and use a lettuce wrap!
Another way would be to just load up your plate with extra coleslaw, skip the bun and eat the burger on top of the coleslaw. Perfect crunch to flaky ratio in every bite!
As for what to serve WITH the burgers, here are a few of my recommendations: crispy cajun sweet potato fries (perfect blend of sweet and smoky), baked garlic herb fries (hello garlicky crunchy goodness OR for something on the lighter side, my summer vegetable farro salad!
Whatever you serve it with, it’s the best light Summer dinner – so simple yet packed full of flavor! I hope you enjoy!
Did you enjoy this recipe? Here are a few others you might like:
Garlic Butter Pan Roasted Salmon with Crispy Quinoa and Parmesan Asparagus
Sheet Pan Moroccan Salmon with Vegetables
Rainbow Salmon Bowls with Tangy Tahini Drizzle
Salmon Burgers with Sriracha Mayo
These Salmon Burgers are amazingly crispy on the outside, perfectly flaky on the inside and full of flavor. Load it up with spicy sriracha mayo and you’ve got a healthy, protein packed dinner!
Ingredients
- 2 salmon filets (about 4-6 oz of salmon)
- 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup diced onion
- 2 cloves freshly minced garlic
- 1 handful cilantro
- 1/2 tbsp pepper
- 1/2 tbsp salt
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp mayonnaise
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 tbsp olive oil (or butter)
- 2 brioche buns
- 1/3 sliced red onion (for topping)
- coleslaw for topping (see blog post for favorite recipe)
Sriracha Mayo
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tsp sriracha (add more if you want it spicier)
Instructions
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Dice your onion and garlic and set aside. Slice your salmon filets into small chunks. Add your salmon pieces, breadcrumbs, white onion, garlic, cilantro, spices, mayo and lemon juice to a food processor. Pulse until fully combined.
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Form the combined mixture into two medium size patties.
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Add olive oil (or butter) to a non-stick skillet and turn to medium heat. Once the skillet becomes hot, add your salmon burgers. Cook for 4-6 minutes per side, until crispy and golden brown.
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While the burgers are cooking, in a small bowl mix your mayonnaise with your sriracha sauce.
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Once everything is all done, assemble the burgers! Slather some mayo onto a bun, add your burger and your toppings (I prefer coleslaw, red onion and extra sriracha sauce). Eat while hot! Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Note: Sometimes the salmon skin itself has a hard time being broken down in the food processor. If you have issues with the salmon skin, you can just remove it after you've blended everything together. Or you can leave it in. Up to you!
Ahhhh I love a “blitz it all in the food processor” recipe! Excited to make these next time the (seafood hating) husband goes away.
Lol! I love a good blitz recipe too, Jo! 🙂
I had to pop over from Instagram to take a look at this recipe! Definitely making these soon Haylie!!
Yay! I hope you enjoy them, Leanne! 🙂
These were SO delicious!! Loved the texture and the mayo on top!
Thank you so much, Ashley!! So happy you loved them!!
These are so delicious. I had these a few days ago, and my mouth is watering at the thought of eating it again. 10/10
Glad you enjoyed them, Ben 🙂