Salmon burgers don't have to be tasteless and dried out
I'll share my tips for making flavorful patties
with a special ingredient that locks in the moisture
Plus, I have a quick and easy lemon dill sauce that complements the fish
Atlantic or king salmon are excellent choices for this recipe
they're both packed with healthy omega-3 fatty acids which helps with texture and binding
For convenience, it's best to purchase fillets with the skin already removed,
however, if that's not available it's really easy to do it yourself
Place the salmon fillet at the edge of the board
this makes it a lot easier to run the knife along the salmon
Take the tapered end and have it closest to you, hold the knife down at an angle
towards the board then grab onto the skin and just use rocking motions
If this starts to get a little bit slippery you could also hold it with some paper towel
I use a boning knife because it's a little bit more flexible
but you could also use a chef's knife
Pull the skin taut so it's easier to cut, the goal is to remove it all in one piece
There you go
Make sure to remove any scales or pin bones
I'm going to cut this into 1-inch pieces
Cut it into 1-inch cubes, this size is going to be a lot easier to break down in the food processor
If you see any sort of gray areas this is called the bloodline
it's okay to eat but it's going to turn gray once cooked
so just trim it off, we want to keep the patties pink in color
We need 1 1/2 pounds of cubed salmon
Salmon has a soft texture, shallots are going to add a nice crunch
Cut the ends off both sides of the bulb
Cut in half lengthwise, peel off the skin
Cut into thin slices
Mince into small pieces
We need 5 tablespoons for the patties and reserve 2 teaspoons for the sauce
Some fresh dill is gonna add a nice herbaceous note
Trim off the leaves and remove the stems, use the fanning motion to chop into finer pieces
Ooh this smells really good, we need 1 tablespoon for the burger
and reserve 2 teaspoons for the sauce as well
To make the patties use a food processor or blender
add 1 1/2 pounds of salmon 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard, 5 tablespoons of minced shallots
1 tablespoon of capers, this is going to add a nice pungency and tanginess
1 teaspoon of chopped dill 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
Place the lid on secure it and just pulse this
If needed, scrape down the sides
You don't want the mixture to be completely smooth
you want to have some small pieces of fish for some nice texture contrast
This looks perfect
To prevent the patties from drying out the key is adding bread crumbs
When it's mixed in it starts to absorb the moisture creating a starchy paste called a panade
As the fish cooks the starches swell creating a gel-like matrix
trapping in the moisture and prevents it from falling apart
Add 1/2 cup of bread crumbs and just mix it in until everything is combined
I use traditional bread crumbs but you could also use panko
The easiest way to form the patties is just to place it into a mound flatten it out a little bit
and then just use your hands to just cut it into four equal pieces
Form it into a disc shape and pat it down into about 3/4-inch thickness and about 4 inches wide
These will make hearty 7-ounce burgers make sure they're uniform in height so that they cook evenly
I like to brush just a little bit of olive oil on each side
this is going to help prevent sticking when it hits the grill
Just flip each one over brush the other side
I've transferred these to a sheet pan and covered them now I'm going to refrigerate
them which is going to allow them to chill and firm up a little bit before we cook them
Lemons add a nice brightness and acidity to the fish
Just zest the peel, oh I can smell the citrus
oils it's going to add this wonderful taste to the sauce
We need 1 teaspoon
Cut the lemon in half, squeeze out 1 teaspoon of the juice this provides a nice tartness
I like to add some fresh basil, stack the leaves on top of each other, roll it up
into a cigar shape then cut into really thin slices called a chiffonade
Cut it down in the center just so the pieces aren't so big
We need 2 teaspoons
Add 1/4 cup of mayonnaise,
2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard, 2 teaspoons of minced shallots, 1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice, 2 teaspoons of sliced basil,
1 teaspoon of chopped dill, and 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper for some heat
Just stir this till everything is combined
If you like to have some extra sauce to serve on the side go ahead and double the recipe
Salmon burgers can be cooked outdoors on the barbecue or in the kitchen on the stovetop
I'm going to show you how to make them in a grill pan
Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat, evenly grease the surface with olive oil once hot,
add the patties and cook until golden brown about four minutes
If cooking the patties outside on the barbecue
make sure you use medium heat and cover it with the lid to prevent the heat from escaping
Flip and cook until the internal temperature reaches 130 degrees
about 2-4 minutes, do not overcook
Right before serving heat a clean pan over medium-high heat
place the buns cut-side down toast until grill marks form about 2-3 minutes
Wow, these look amazing let's make a burger
I got a toasted bun, add the lemon dill sauce that we made earlier
this is also going to prevent the bun from getting soggy, I like a little more
Place this delicious salmon patty on top, fits the bun perfectly and it doesn't shrink down
Add some sliced avocado, juicy tomato,
a couple slices of red onion, and some crispy butter leaf lettuce
Add the bun right on top
and since this is a big burger I'm going to add a toothpick to secure everything together
Wow, this looks so good I can't wait to dig in
I hope you enjoyed learning the science behind salmon burgers
and if you did please give it a big thumbs up it means a lot when you do
If you're looking for more seafood recipes check out my pan-seared salmon right here,
it's like a gourmet meal made right at home
Wow, this is gonna be good