This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
These Salmon Burgers are light, fresh, and packed with flavor. They’re made with fresh salmon and are tender in the middle, crisp on the outside, and delicious served over a salad, or on a bun with your favorite toppings!
Plus, sharing four methods to cooking these salmon patties: Oven, Air Fryer, Stovetop, or Grill. My favorite are the air fryer and oven as they are easier to work with!
Easy Recipe for Salmon Burgers
These Salmon Burgers are the perfect light and healthy lunch or dinner! They’re made with fresh salmon and packed with flavorful ingredients like dijon mustard, capers, lemon juice, and fresh or dried herbs.
I’ve also included a few different cooking options, so choose between the stove, grill, oven, or air fryer! No matter how you cook them, these burgers are flaky and tender in the middle with that perfect crispy exterior.
Easy, healthy, and delicious! Win!
Ingredients Needed:
This salmon burger recipe is packed with fresh ingredients, and many you might already have on-hand! Here’s what you’ll need, and for the full recipe scroll down!
- Skinned Fresh Salmon: We are using fresh salmon, with the skin removed! You can find fresh salmon (wild-caught or king salmon are my favorites) at your local market or fish store, and bonus: you can even ask them to skin it.
- Dijon Mustard: adds a subtle kick of heat and some extra spice.
- Egg: binds the ingredients together so the salmon burgers can hold their shape.
- Garlic: use freshly minced garlic.
- Capers: the salty flavor of capers goes so well with salmon.
- Lemon Juice: adds moisture and a hint of citrus tang.
- Scallions: or onion. Whatever you have on hand!
- Herbs/Seasonings: salt, black pepper, dried parsley, cilantro, dill, or a combination (or ¼ cup of fresh parsley or cilantro.
How to Make Salmon Burgers
This salmon burgers recipe comes together in just a few minutes!
- Chop the salmon: Mince/chop the salmon either in a food processor or with a knife.
- Combine: In a bowl or in the food processor (remove the blade), combine all of the remaining burger ingredients.
- Form the patties: Form the dough into 4 patties about 1 inch thick. They’ll be soft and rather mushy, but will form a bit more once refrigerated.
- Chill, then cook: Refrigerate patties for at least 30 minutes, then cook as desired (see note below on various methods). You’ll know they are done when they are a lighter pink, and if you have an instant-read thermometer, the internal temperature is 145ºF.
4 Methods For Cooking Salmon Burgers
So, now that your salmon patties are formed and chilled, it’s time to cook them. For this, you have a few different options!
- Salmon burgers on the stove-top: Heat oil in a skillet and pan fry for about 5 minutes per side. Only flip once if you can.
- Salmon burgers on the grill: Spray the grill and heat to 400ºF. Cook for 4 minutes per side. Only flip once! Note: If you’re grilling, I prefer putting them on a greased piece of foil on the grill or a grill sheet as it’s easier to work with.
- Salmon burgers in the oven: Place on a lined baking sheet and bake at 400ºF for 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Salmon burgers in the air Fryer: Spray the air fryer basket, preheat to 400ºF, then cook for roughly 10 minutes or until heated through and crispy on the outside. No need to flip!
My favorite option, since these patties are somewhat soft, is the air fryer or the oven. Using the stovetop or grill, you’ll want to be extra careful to make sure it’s well greased and only flip once.
Can I Use Canned Salmon?
I don’t recommend using canned salmon for this recipe. It doesn’t have the same delicious flavor as fresh and the patties won’t hold their shape as well.
With that said, you can use leftover cooked salmon, or 15 ounces of well-drained canned salmon, but you may need to add more ‘breadcrumbs’.
What is The Best Salmon To Buy?
You can find fresh salmon (wild-caught or king salmon are my favorites) at your local market or fish store, and bonus: you can even ask them to skin it.
How Do You Keep my Salmon Patties from Falling Apart?
While eggs are the primary binding agent in salmon burgers, there are a couple of other things you can do to help prevent them from falling apart:
- Chill the patties. Chilling the formed patties in the fridge for at least 15-30 minutes helps reinforce the shape of the patties. Don’t skip this step.
- Don’t over-handle. When you’re cooking the burgers, flip them as little as possible. The more you move them, the higher the chances of them falling apart.
- Pick your cooking method. Since these patties are somewhat soft, my favorite cooking method is the air fryer or the oven. Using the stovetop or grill, you’ll want to be extra careful to make sure it’s well greased and only flip once. The other two options (air fryer and oven) are definitely easier to work with.
Are Salmon Burgers Healthy?
Totally! These salmon burgers are made with fresh, good-for-you ingredients. Salmon specifically is a great source of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and other vitamins and nutrients. Nothing bad here!
Serving Suggestions
These patties are best served immediately when they’re hot and crispy! Enjoy them plain, over a salad, or on a burger roll with the sauce and toppings of your choice, like lettuce, tomato, and red onion! I also love to serve them with tzatziki sauce.
We love eating them with:
- 3-Ingredient Taco Slaw
- Salads: The Best Spring Mix Salad Ever, My Everyday Chopped Salad Recipe, Easy Homemade Caesar Salad, My Favorite Chopped Greek Salad.
- Roasted Potato Wedges
- Cinnamon Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Classic Macaroni Salad
How to Store
Leftover salmon patties will last for up to 2 days in the fridge or wrapped in freezer-safe wrapping in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge if frozen, then reheat in the air fryer, oven, on the stove, or on the grill until heated through.
More Salmon Recipes You’ll Love
Watch The Video
My Favorite Salmon Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh salmon skinned
- 1/3 cup almond flour
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 egg
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoons capers optional
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/3 cup finely chopped scallions shallot or red onion
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley cilantro, dill or a combo of all three (or 1/4 cup fresh parsley or cilantro)
Instructions
- Chop salmon roughly in food processor (pulse 8-10 times) so there are still pieces but salmon is minced (see photo above). Do not over-process! You can also chop salmon with a knife until it is chopped.
- Remove the blade and combine the rest burger ingredients in that bowl, or in a mixing bowl.
- Form the dough into 4 burger shapes that are about 1-inch thick. You don't want them too thin as the salmon patties are soft and mushy. Place on parchment or plate and refrigerate the patties for at least 30 minutes.
- Cook in Oven, stovetop, boil, grill or use air fryer. They hold together when cooked.
- STOVE-TOP: Pan fry the salmon burgers with oil in a skillet over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes per side. Try to flip only once.
- GRILL Spray grill well, heat to 400ºF. Cook for about 5 minutes per side. Try to flip only once.
- BAKE Place on lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 400ºF flipping burger patties halfway through.
- AIR FRYER Spray basket. Cook at 400ºF for probably 10 minutes, or until cooked through and crispy on the outside. Don’t need to flip.
- These patties are best served immediately when they’re hot and crispy. Eat plain on a burger roll with sauce and toppings, on a salad or with a Tzatziki Sauce or tarter sauce!
- Store refrigerated up to 2 days, or wrap in freezer safe wrapping and freeze up to 3 months. Allow to defrost in the refrigerator the night before cooking.
Notes
- Cooking Methods: Since these patties are somewhat soft, my favorite cooking method is the air fryer or the oven. Using the stovetop or grill, you’ll want to be extra careful to make sure it’s well greased and only flip once. The other two options (air fryer and oven) are definitely easier to work with.
- Grill note: If you're grilling, I prefer putting them on a greased piece of foil on the grill or a grill sheet as it's easier to work with.
- Buying Salmon: You can usually ask the fish counter to skin it for you.
Delicious in the oven.
I made these yesterday for the first time. They were delicious! I made a Mayo and sriracha sauce for them. I did not use a food processor. I just cut the salmon up into small chunks. I will definitely make these again and again! Thank you!
I was a little skeptical because the patties seemed so fragile but they crisped up great in the air fryer and were delicious!
Hi, thank you for all the great recipes! Can I use canned salmon?
Made these twice already on the grill! Absolutely loved them both times! Thank you!