Salmon Burger with a Creamy Lime and Basil Sauce

These healthy salmon burgers are not only packed full of healthy fats, but they are bursting with flavour too. We have used some of our favourite Thai flavours in these easy burgers, but they are easy to adapt with your favourite seasoning. They can be grilled, fried or cooked in the oven and perfect in a bun with some slaw and our incredible creamy lime and basil sauce drizzled over them.

These easy salmon burgers are crispy on the outside, soft and flaky on the inside and they make such a nice change from regular beef burgers on a BBQ or on burger night. With just a few ingredients, which are easily adaptable to suit your family's tastes, you can whizz these burgers up in a food processor for a simple, but delicious, family friendly meal.

Why should you try it?

Step by step

One: Put the bread in a food processor and blend until breadcrumbs.

Two: Put the skinless salmon chunks, 2 of the garlic cloves, lemon grass, shallots, ginger, chillies and juice of 1 of the limes in a food processor and blend until a paste.

Three: Take out and form into 2 burger patties.

Four: Heat some oil in a pan and cook the burgers for around 3-4 minutes each side.

Five: Meanwhile, put the Greek yogurt, the last garlic clove, juice of 1 lime and the basil in a food processor (clean after using it for the salmon) and blend to make a sauce.

Six : Serve in a bun (optional) with sauce on top of the salmon burger with slaw and lettuce (optional).

Burger seasoning

One of the great thing about these burgers is how easy they are to adapt. Once you have the basic ingredients of the salmon and breadcrumbs, then you can really flavour it any way you like.

We went with a Thai vibe, as it makes these burgers really light and fragrant with the ginger and lemongrass, but still with a kick of heat from the chilli.

You could take out all the Thai ingredients and just simply add some lemon juice and fresh herbs like dill, parsley or chives. You could go down a Mexican route and add a couple of tablespoons of Mexican seasoning too.

Burger sauce

I usually make a double batch of this sauce when making the burgers, as I eat spoonfuls of it at a time before it even gets to the burgers. It is THAT good!

Creamy Greek yogurt is the base (although you could use mayo, creme fraiche or sour cream) and we mixed in garlic, lime juice and fresh basil. It's such a simple sauce, but it has so much flavour and it's the perfect sauce for these burgers.

Burger topping

Avocado is always a good choice when it comes to topping a salmon burger. We didn't use it as it didn't really go with the Thai flavours, but if you leave them out then it's totally the way to go.

We didn't add cheese to these burgers, as cheese and salmon don't really go together. It's best to keep the toppings to a minimum and veggie or fruit based. A pineapple salsa would be a great topping for these burgers. We just went with some homemade coleslaw, lettuce and the creamy sauce.

Can I use tinned salmon?

Yes, you can use tinned salmon to make salmon burgers. If you find that the burger mix is a little too dry when using tinned salmon, then you might need to add half of a whole whisked egg to the mixture before forming in to burger patties.

Can they be cooked in the oven?

We fried these burgers, as it makes them nice and crispy and it's much quicker that way. But, for a healthier option you could oven bake them - you do run the risk of them falling apart though. You can bake them in a preheated oven at 190C for 20 minutes.

What To serve them with

Burgers and fries are must, right? We serve these burgers in a bun with our Homemade Garlic Potato Wedges. If you want a lower carb version, then you could serve a couple of these per person in some giant lettuce wraps. 

You could also serve them with The Best Greek Potatoes, Baked Polenta Fries or Air Fryer Fries.

FAQs

Extra Tips

• If you want to make these burgers really crispy, then use Panko breadcrumbs instead of wholemeal breadcrumbs.
• The key to keeping these burgers staying together is putting them in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before cooking (preferably an hour) and flipping them very carefully.
• Make sure the oil is nice and hot before adding the burgers to the pan.
• Not a fan of Thai flavours? You could just use some lemon juice and fresh herbs in these burgers, or add some Mexican seasoning instead.
  

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Recipe card

Salmon Burger with a Creamy Lime and Basil Sauce

These healthy Salmon Burgers are not only packed full of healthy fats, but they are bursting with flavour too. We have used some of our favourite Thai flavours in these easy burgers, but they are easy to adapt with other flavours.

5 from 46 votes

Pin Recipe Print Recipe

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: British

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Allergen:

Dairy

Fish

Servings: 2 people

Calories: 532kcal

Ingredients

UK measures - US measures

• ▢ 240 g salmon fillets skinned and cut in to chunks
• ▢ 3 garlic cloves
• ▢ 1 lemongrass stalk
• ▢ 4 shallots
• ▢ 30 g ginger
• ▢ 1 small green chillies
• ▢ 100 g wholemeal bread
• ▢ 2 limes (juice only)
• ▢ 4 tbsp 0% Greek yogurt
• ▢ 4 tbsp fresh basil
• ▢ 1 tbsp olive oil

Optional to serve:

• ▢ 2 Burger buns
• ▢ Slaw
• ▢ Lettuce

Instructions

• Put the bread in a food processor and blend until breadcrumbs.
• Put the skinless salmon chunks, 2 of the garlic cloves, lemon grass, shallots, ginger, chillies and juice of 1 of the limes in a food processor and blend until a paste.
• Take out and form into 2 burger patties.
• Heat some oil in a pan and cook for around 4-5 minutes each side.
• Meanwhile, put the Greek yoghurt, the last garlic clove, juice of 1 lime and the basil in a food processor (clean after using it for the salmon) and blend to make a sauce.
• Serve in a bun (optional) with sauce on top of the salmon burger with slaw and lettuce (optional).

Notes

• If you want to make these burgers really crispy, then use Panko breadcrumbs instead of wholemeal breadcrumbs.
• The key to keeping these burgers staying together is putting them in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before cooking (preferably an hour) and flipping them very carefully.
• Make sure the oil is nice and hot before adding the burgers to the pan.
• Not a fan of Thai flavours? You could just use some lemon juice and fresh herbs in these burgers, or add some Mexican seasoning instead.

Nutritional Information

Serving: 1burger and bun | Calories: 532kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 565mg | Potassium: 1100mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 360IU | Vitamin C: 29.9mg | Calcium: 236mg | Iron: 5mg

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DisclaimerThe nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.