Salmon Burger
This recipe for Salmon Burgers is the meal-time equivalent of an award show sweep. Made almost entirely with fresh salmon without added breadcrumbs or eggs, these burgers let the salmon design the set, choreograph the score, and steal the show all at once. The secret to perfect salmon burgers is how you chop the salmon and avoid overcooking. These burgers are fresh, juicy and can be made on the stove or grill.
Burgers:
1¼ lbs salmon fillets, skin and pinbones removed
3 Tbsp. fresh herbs such as cilantro, parsley, dill, chives, or a mix, chopped
2 Tbsp. nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed
¾ tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
½ Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Sauce:
¾ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
¼ cup fresh herbs, such as cilantro, parsley, dill, chives, or a mix, chopped
¼ tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. sea salt
To Serve:
buns or lettuce cups
arugula
sliced tomato
Place the salmon in a cutting board and cut crosswise into very thin, ¼" strips. Now, take a second pass at cutting, going over the pieces in the opposite direction so that you cut the strips into a dice. Continue cutting the salmon until the pieces are very small, about ⅛-¼" each. (Be patient. Moist, tender patties will be your reward.)
Transfer the salmon to a large mixing bowl. Add the herbs, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, salt, ginger and black pepper. With a fork, mix to combine.
Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions. With your hands, compact each portion into a patty that is about 1" thick. They might not hold together at first, but keep squeezing. Place the patties on a parchment-lined baking sheet or large plate. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or cover with plastic and refrigerate for up to 1 day.
While the burgers chill, prepare the sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, vinegar, herbs, garlic powder and salt. Refrigerate until you are ready to serve.
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add ½ Tbsp. oil. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, gently lower the salmon patties onto it. Cook on the first side until crisp and golden brown, 4-5 minutes. Gently flip burgers and cook on the second side until crisp and the burgers register 145°F on an instant read thermometer, about 4 minutes more.
Serve the burgers immediately (on buns or inside of lettuce cups), topped with lots of the sauce and a sliced tomato if you like.
Makes 4 burgers.
Cook's Notes:
- To Grill: Preheat a grill to medium-high heat (about 400°F). Just before grilling the burgers, oil the grill VERY well. Add the burgers and cook as directed, being careful just to flip them once if possible. If you want to 100% safeguard against the burgers sticking, you can grill them on a piece of aluminum foil coated with nonstick spray. Toast the buns on the grill if desired.
- If you’d like to toast the buns, you can do so either on the grill, in your skillet after you are finished cooking the burgers (cover them with foil to keep them hot), or place them cut-side up on a baking sheet and toast in the oven under your broiler for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Make-Ahead: Assemble your patties up to 1 day in advance, storing them in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator. You can also prepare your sauce up to 1 day in advance and store it in a separate airtight storage container in the refrigerator.
- To Store: Refrigerate burgers and sauce separately in airtight storage containers for up to 2 days.
- To Reheat: Very gently reheat burgers in a nonstick skillet on the stovetop over medium-low heat. I also like to splash a bit of water into the skillet, then cover it to help the burgers steam.
- To Freeze: Individually wrap burgers, and freeze them in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.