Salmon burger recipe

My wife and I love experimenting with new ways to cook traditional food.

Salmon is a go-to fish for many people, but baked and smoked salmon can only get you so far.

A couple of years ago, Lyza found a Food Network recipe for salmon burgers. After a few adjustments, we came up with the recipe below. These burgers continue to be a hit in our house to this day.

Salmon Burger Recipe

• 1 pound of Salmon fillets
• 2 Tbsp. Mustard
• 1 Tbsp Mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp. Lemon juice
• 1/8 cup Chopped scallions
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Black pepper
• 2 Tbsp. Olive oil

Step 1: Skin fillets and remove pin bones.

Step 2: Cut the fillets into equally-sized cubes and place about one-quarter of them in the bowl of your food processor. Place the remaining cubes in a mixing bowl.

Step 3: Add mustard, mayo, and lemon juice to the bowl of the food processor and pulse until mostly smooth.

Step 4: Add contents of food processor into the mixing bowl with the remaining salmon cubes. Then add the scallions, salt, and pepper and mix gently.

Step 5: Form the mixture into four equally-sized patties and then transfer the patties to a large plate.

Step 6: Cover the plate with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 45 minutes.

Step 7: Place a nonstick skillet coated with olive oil over medium heat. Once the oil is up to temperature, add the patties. Cook 4-5 minutes on each side or until brown on both sides.

Step 8: While the patties are cooking, place a wire rack over two sheets of paper towel. When the patties are cooked through, place them on the rack to cool.

Step 9: Place patties on top of a toasted bun and top with homemade tartar sauce and spinach.

Substitutions and tips

Though I am convinced this recipe tastes better with freshly-caught salmon, store-bought will do just fine.

I prefer Dijon mustard for this recipe, but nearly any mustard works. However, you will notice a difference in flavor depending upon which mustard you choose. Feel free to experiment.

If you want to add a little heat to the party, add some Cayenne pepper to Step 3. Use caution, though. You won’t be able to taste the heat level until after the burgers are already cooked.

Do not skimp on the time in the refrigerator. If you don’t give these patties the proper time to set, you’ll end up with salmon sloppy joes. Forty-five minutes to an hour is the ideal timeframe, but you can sometimes get away with as little as 30 minutes.

If you’re looking for additional textural contrast, you can cover each side of the patties with breadcrumbs prior to cooking. Just be sure to apply a little pressure to make sure the breadcrumbs stick. If you forgo the breadcrumbs and replace the buns with lettuce leaves, this recipe becomes Keto-friendly.

If you’re using a nonstick pan, the olive oil probably isn’t completely necessary. But it does add some flavor.

You can also cook your burgers in a cast-iron pan.

Be careful when turning the patties. They should hold together, but can be a bit fragile. If you use a nonstick skillet, be sure that whatever utensil you choose for turning won’t scratch the surface of the pan.

We generally top the burgers with lettuce or spinach, but arugula can add some earthy flavor and a nice peppery bite.

In our house, brioche buns are the go-to. But Kaiser rolls work as well, so long as they are toasted prior to service.

Due to the moisture level of the burgers and the toppings, toasting the buns is an absolute must. If you don’t, things will get messy in a hurry.

When the patties are cooling and draining, try to avoid placing them directly on the paper towel. If the burgers are in direct contact with the towel, they are just sitting in their own grease and that defeats the purpose of draining in the first place.