Grilled Fresh Salmon Burgers

Quick and easy grilled fresh salmon burgers are full of flavor and nutrition. A great alternative to classic beef burgers for your summer barbecue!

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Five years ago I joined a recipe challenge group called The Recipe ReDux and shared this salmon burger recipe in my inaugural post. Back then, food photography was brand new to me, and to say the pics of the salmon burger didn’t do it justice is an understatement. So I thought it was about time I updated the pics and post.

What better time than now – the start of summer and grilling season – to refresh these Grilled Fresh Salmon Burgers! 

Making Fresh Salmon Burgers

If you search for salmon burgers or salmon patties on Google or Pinterest, you will find a lot of recipes that call for canned salmon. I love canned salmon – always have it in the pantry. But this recipe calls for using salmon fillets.

I haven’t made this recipe using canned salmon, so I cannot tell you how that will work. But I will tell you that with my new and improved recipe, I have seriously cut the prep time for this recipe, so using fresh or frozen salmon fillets will not take that much longer than using a can.

My right-hand tool: the food processor! It’s the easiest and fastest way to “chop” the salmon filets and the rest of the ingredients until they’re all a smooth consistency.

Account For Hands-Off Time

Once the fish is pureed I form the mixture into patties and refrigerate them for about 30 minutes before grilling. The refrigeration helps to solidify the burgers so they’re not too loose and fall through the grates of the grill. Another way to prevent this potential problem with grill grates is to start grilling the burgers on a piece of aluminum foil coated with cooking spray or oil, and then transfer them to the grates when partially cooked.

These Grilled Fresh Salmon Burgers cook up pretty quickly – I recommend 3 to 4 minutes per side. If you like your fish more well done, add another minute or two per side. Since you won’t have much time to make side dishes while the burgers are cooking, I suggest you use the time while the burgers are in the refrigerator to make your side dishes and put together any burger toppings.

Salmon Burger Toppings

What are you going to top these burgers with? The original recipe combined them with my Spicy Fresh Cherry Chutney, but you can also serve them with my Homemade Apple Chutney (shown in the pictures here) or my Tomato Jam. The Lemon Yogurt Sauce I pair with my Corn & Basil Cakes would also be delish as would sliced avocado or some guacamole! No matter how you top it, you can’t go wrong!

Ready for the new and improved recipe? Let’s get cooking!

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Grilled Fresh Salmon Burgers

Yield: 8

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 6 minutes

Refrigerate: 30 minutes

Total Time: 51 minutes

These quick and easy salmon burgers are full of flavor and nutrition. A great alternative to classic beef burgers for your summer barbecue. Top with your favorite savory chutney, yogurt sauce, or sliced avocado.

Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Pescetarian, Nut-Free, Kosher, Gluten-free-friendly

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 - 2 pounds salmon fillet, skin removed and cut into large chunks (see note below)
• 1 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1 tablespoon minced jalapeno pepper, optional (remove seeds and ribs of pepper; add based on level of spiciness desired)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons whole wheat panko (for gluten-free, use GF bread crumbs)
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• Cooking spray for the grill

Instructions

1. In a large food processor, pulse salmon with red onion, jalapeno pepper (if using), lemon juice, panko, salt, and pepper until mostly chopped. Divide salmon mixture into 8 equal portions and form into patties. Refrigerate burgers for 30 minutes.
2. Heat grill to 450-500 degrees F. Spray grates with nonstick cooking spray or brush with oil. (Or line grates with a piece of oil-coated foil - see note below.)
3. Remove salmon burgers from refrigerator and place on grill. Cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side until cooked through. If you like your salmon more well done, cook 1 to 2 minutes longer.

Notes

• When I buy my fish I ask for them to remove the skin - saves a step and much easier for them to do it with their fish knives!
• Burgers can also be made indoors on a grill pan, cast-iron skillet, or in the broiler.
• When cooking on a grill, I recommend placing burgers on a piece of aluminum foil coated with cooking spray or olive oil. Once burgers are partially cooked they can be transferred directly on the grates. This will prevent the salmon from falling through the grates.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 burger
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 271Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 71mgSodium: 227mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 26g

Nutrition information was calculated by Nutritionix. It may not be 100% accurate.

Have you ever made fresh salmon burgers?

What would you top yours with?

Disclosure: This page contains Amazon Affiliate links. If you purchase products through these link, your cost will be the same but I will receive a small commission to help with operating costs of this blog. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own and I only recommend products I truly believe in. Thanks for your support!