Salmon The Key Ingredient for Healthy and Happy Dogs

By Isabella Storyclaire

last updated September 16, 2024

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Salmon Burger with Basil Sauce

Published: May 3, 2019 Modified: Aug 22, 2020 Written by Dannii Martin This post may contain affiliate links 79 Comments

These healthy salmon burgers are not only packed full of healthy fats, but they are bursting with flavour too. We have used some of our favourite Thai flavours in these easy burgers, but they are easy to adapt with your favourite seasoning. This salmon burger recipe can be grilled, fried or cooked in the oven and perfect in a bun with some slaw and our incredible creamy lime and basil sauce drizzled over them.

These easy salmon burgers are crispy on the outside, soft and flaky on the inside and they make such a nice change from regular beef burgers on a BBQ or on burger night. With just a few ingredients, which are easily adaptable to suit your family's tastes, you can whizz these burgers up in a food processor for a simple, but delicious, family friendly meal.

If you are looking for some new ways to eat more salmon, then why not try our Pesto Salmon, Sweet Chilli Salmon or Salmon Fishcakes.

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Why you will love it

A delicious way to enjoy salmon - If you haven't cooked with salmon a lot, this is a great recipe to try. It's mixed up with other flavours and served as a burger.
An alternative for burger night -Beef burgers are delicious, but they can get a little boring. This is a good way to mix things up a little.
Full of healthy fats - Salmon is a great source of Omega-3.
Cooked in just 20 minutes - Quick and easy burgers.
Amazing creamy sauce - You are going to want to put this sauce on EVERYTHING. So make sure you make extra.
Can be served on a salad for a low carb option - Ditch the bun for a lighter option.

Ingredients and substitutions

Salmon - Use a boneless and skinless salmon fillet. You could use canned salmon too, but it wouldn't have the same texture.
Garlic - The most garlic the better we say, but feel free to adjust it to suit your own tastes. Make sure it is crushed almost in to a fine paste to ensure even distribution in the salmon burgers.
Lemongrass - You can use lemongrass paste for convenience, but you can use lemongrass stalks if you want like we have. Trim the ends, bruise them
Shallots - This adds a lovely sweetness to the salmon patty. You could swap it for a small brown onion if you prefer.
Ginger - You can use ginger paste to save time. Did you know that you can freeze root ginger and then grate it in to recipes.
Chilli - These salmon burgers have a bit of a kick. So feel free to adjust the amount of chilli used, or just leave it out completely.
Breadcrumbs - These help to bind the salmon burger together. We used wholewheat breadcrumbs, but using panko would make the burgers crispier.
Lime - This adds a lovely freshness to the salmon burgers and is also used to make the sauce. The amount of lime needed depends on how juicy your limes are. Add lime zest too for extra lime flavour.
Yogurt - This is a base of the salmon burger sauce. Full fat will have more creaminess and flavour, but you could use reduced fat to save calories.
Basil - Fresh basil is a must here. Dried basil just wont have the same flavour.
Oil - We used olive oil to cook the burgers, but vegetable/sunflower oil will work too.

A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.

How to make a salmon burger - Step by step

One: Put the breadcrumbs, salmon chunks, 2 of the garlic cloves, lemongrass, shallots, ginger, chillies and juice of 1 of the limes in a food processor and blend until a paste.

Two: Take out and form into 2 burger patties.

Three: Heat some oil in a pan and cook the burgers for around 3-4 minutes each side.

Four: Meanwhile, put the Greek yogurt, the last garlic clove, juice of 1 lime and the basil in a food processor (clean after using it for the salmon) and blend to make a sauce.

Five: Serve in a bun (optional) with sauce on top of the salmon burger with slaw and lettuce (optional).

Burger seasoning

One of the great thing about these burgers is how easy they are to adapt. Once you have the basic ingredients of the salmon and breadcrumbs, then you can really flavour it any way you like.

We went with a Thai vibe, as it makes these burgers really light and fragrant with the ginger and lemongrass, but still with a kick of heat from the chilli.

You could take out all the Thai ingredients and just simply add some lemon juice and fresh herbs like dill, parsley or chives. You could go down a Mexican route and add a couple of tablespoons of Mexican seasoning too.

Salmon Burger Toppings

Firstly you have the basil and lime sauce which compliments it perfectly. You could swap it for Southwest Sauce or Tartare Sauce if you prefer.

Avocado is always a good choice when it comes to topping a salmon burger. We didn't use it as it didn't really go with the Thai flavours, but if you leave them out then it's totally the way to go.

We didn't add cheese to these burgers, as cheese and salmon don't really go together. It's best to keep the toppings to a minimum and veggie or fruit based. A pineapple salsa would be a great topping for these salmon burgers. We just went with some homemade coleslaw, lettuce and the creamy sauce.

What to serve them with

Burgers and fries are must, right? We serve these burgers in a bun with our Homemade Garlic Potato Wedges. If you want a lower carb version, then you could serve a couple of these per person in some giant lettuce wraps.

You could also serve them with The Best Greek Potatoes, Baked Polenta Fries or Air Fryer Chips.

If you want a salad on the side, then we recommend our Easy Salad Jars, Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad or Cucumber Salad.

FAQs

Is a salmon burger healthy?

Salmon is super healthy, so it's a great choice for making a burger. Salmon is an excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acids, as well as a good source of Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, and Selenium.Try to buy the best quality, and sustainable salmon that you can too.

How to store a homemade salmon burger

You can keep these burgers in the fridge for about 3 days, but if you want to freeze them then wrap them up individually and they will keep in the freezer for about 3 months. Defrost them fully and then reheat them by cooking them in a frying pan so they stay crispy.

Can I make salmon burgers with tinned salmon?

Yes, you can use tinned salmon to make salmon burgers. If you find that the burger mix is a little too dry when using tinned salmon, then you might need to add half of a whole whisked egg to the mixture before forming in to burger patties.

Can you cook salmon burgers in the oven?

We fried these burgers, as it makes them nice and crispy and it's much quicker that way. But, for a healthier option you could oven bake them - you do run the risk of them falling apart though. You can bake them in a preheated oven at 190C/375F/Gas 5 for 20 minutes.

Can you cook salmon burgers in the air fryer?

Yes, you can. Spray the basket with oil and then cook them for 10 minutes at 210C flipping them halfway.

More burger recipes

If youve tried this salmon burger recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.

Recipe

Salmon Burger with Basil Sauce

These healthy salmon burgers are packed full of healthy fats and are bursting with flavour too. We've used Thai flavours but they are easy to adapt.

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: British

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 10 minutes mins

Chilling time: 30 minutes mins

Total: 20 minutes mins

Servings: 2 people

Calories: 532kcal

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Instructions

Put 100 g Whole wheat bread into a food processor and blend until breadcrumbs.
Put 240 g Salmon fillet, 2 Garlic clove, 1 stalk Lemongrass, 4 Shallots, 30 g Fresh ginger, 1 Green chillies and juice 1 Lime into a food processor and blend until a paste.
Take out and form into 2 burger patties.
Heat 1 tablespoon Olive oil in a pan and cook the burgers for around 4-5 minutes each side.
Meanwhile, put4 tablespoon 0% Greek yogurt, 1 Garlic cloves, juice of 1 Lime and 4 tablespoon Fresh basil into a food processor (clean after using it for the salmon) and blend to make a sauce.
Serve in 2 Burger buns (optional) with sauce on top of the salmon burger with Coleslaw and Lettuce (optional).

Recipe tips

If you want to make these burgers really crispy, then use Panko breadcrumbs instead of wholemeal breadcrumbs.
The key to keeping these burgers staying together is putting them in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before cooking (preferably an hour) and flipping them very carefully.
Make sure the oil is nice and hot before adding the burgers to the pan.
Not a fan of Thai flavours? You could just use some lemon juice and fresh herbs in these burgers, or add some Mexican seasoning instead.

Nutritional Information

The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.