Lemon Dill Salmon Burgers
Mix up your weeknight meals with these healthy and fresh lemon dill salmon burgers! Paired with lemon dill yogurt sauce, have them on the table in under 30 minutes.
As a Registered Dietitian, I love salmon both for the taste and for the nutritional benefits! I try to include salmon and other fatty fish in my diet a few times each week, and these lemon dill salmon burgers are my new favorite way to enjoy salmon.
These easy salmon patties are made with fresh salmon, which provides great texture and juiciness. You can cook them on the stove or on the grill, so they’re a perfect addition to your summer cookout menu! You just need a food processor to blend up the ingredients, and they’re ready to eat in under 30 minutes.
Pair these healthy salmon burgers with a super simple lemon dill yogurt sauce, or use another favorite sauce or dressing! They’re even good with regular old ketchup and Dijon mustard.
Ingredients in lemon dill salmon burgers
Here is everything you need to make these homemade salmon patties:
- Fresh salmon: I used sustainably farmed Atlantic salmon.
- White onion
- Capers
- Fresh dill
- Lemon
- Dijon Mustard
- Salt
- Pepper
- Breadcrumbs
- Additional ingredients for yogurt sauce: Greek yogurt, olive oil, garlic
- Fixings: Burger buns, sliced tomato, romaine lettuce, sliced red onion…whatever you like!
Ingredient and dietary restriction substitution ideas
- Make gluten free salmon burgers. Use gluten free breadcrumbs and serve with gluten free burger buns.
- Omit the capers if you don’t like them or don’t have them on hand. It won’t significantly alter the recipe.
- Swap dill for a different fresh herb. I think parsley or basil would taste great! You can also try a cilantro lime salmon burger by using cilantro and swapping lemon juice for lime juice.
- Use a different sauce. Try tzatziki, lemon tahini sauce, or chimichurri sauce on these burgers. Yum!
- Farm raised salmon vs wild salmon: I used sustainably farmed fresh Atlantic salmon for this salmon burger recipe. Atlantic salmon has a higher fat content than wild caught sockeye or king salmon, which helps keep these salmon burgers rich and moist. You can try using fresh wild caught salmon for this recipe, but they might be a bit drier.
How to make salmon burgers
Don’t be intimidated to make homemade salmon burgers – they’re super easy! Get your food processor ready and fitted with an S blade.
Start by removing and discarding the skin from the salmon. Place the salmon on a cutting board skin side down. Slice into the salmon as close to the skin as possible, using a filet knife facing away from you that is almost parallel to the cutting board. Keep sliding the knife away from you, trying to keep it moving along the same line close to the skin.
Once the salmon skin is off, cut the salmon into large cubes, about 1-2 inches a piece. Place half of the salmon cubes in your food processor and pulse 3-5 times to blend it up into a pasty texture.
Then, add the remaining salmon with onion, capers, dill, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper. Pulse the food processor 5-10 times to combine everything, while still maintaining some small chunks of salmon.
Next, transfer the salmon mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add breadcrumbs and stir it up to combine. The breadcrumbs help the salmon patties hold together and keep them moist.
Use your hands to form four to six salmon patties, depending on how large you want them to be. Place the patties on a parchment or wax paper lined baking sheet.
Stovetop cooking instructions
Heat up a nonstick skillet on medium heat and add a little bit of spray oil. When the pan is hot, add your salmon patties, being careful not the crowd the pan. (I cook 3-4 patties at a time in a 10-inch skillet).
Cook the patties for 3 minutes depending on thickness, flip them, and cook for an additional 3 minutes. You can slice into one to make sure the salmon is opaque and cooked all the way through, or use a food thermometer to ensure they are cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees F.
Make the lemon dill yogurt sauce by simply mixing together Greek yogurt, lemon juice, dill, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper.
Assemble the burgers on toasted buns with a dollop of sauce, fresh sliced tomato, and romaine lettuce. Enjoy!
Grilling instructions
You can also cook these salmon burgers on a grill! To grill them, heat up your grill on medium-high heat. Spray some oil on the grill right before you put the salmon patties on to prevent them from sticking to the grates.
Cook for about 3 minutes, then flip the burgers with a spatula. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, until the salmon is opaque in the center.
While the burgers cook, you can heat up the buns on the grill as well. Assemble the burgers as you desire and enjoy!
Storing leftovers: These salmon burgers make a good meal prep option, because they keep well in the fridge once they are cooked, and reheat nicely in the microwave. Store leftover salmon patties in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Keep the salmon patties separate from the sauce and any fixings, and just heat and assemble when you are ready to eat them.
Salmon nutritional benefits
Salmon is a highly nutritious fish to include in your diet. It is one of the best food sources of omega-3 fatty acids, an essential nutrient. The two types of omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon, EPA and DHA, are readily available for our bodies to absorb and use. Omega-3s are considered polyunsaturated fats.
Adequate omega-3 fatty acid consumption has several health benefits:
- Helps fight inflammation and keeps our cells healthy
- Reduced risk of heart disease and can help lower blood triglyceride levels
- May protect brain health, and is essential for brain development in babies
- May promote weight loss or help with weight management
A three ounce serving of farmed Atlantic serving provides 2.3 grams of omega-3 fatty acids. The American Heart Association recommends adults consume two, 3.5 ounce servings of fatty fish like salmon each week to reap the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids.
In addition to omega-3 fatty acids, salmon also has plenty of other nutrients! A 3.5 ounce serving of salmon provides:
- 22-25 grams of protein
- An excellent source of B-vitamins, with over 100 percent of your daily Vitamin B12 needs
- 75-85 percent of your daily selenium needs
- A carotenoid antioxidant called astaxanthin
Serving suggestions
These healthy homemade salmon burgers are super versatile! Enjoy them on a bun or bunless with your favorite salad.
These salmon burgers would taste great with some of my favorite healthy side dishes:
- Sweet and smoky baked sweet potato fries
- Air Fryer Carrot Fries
- Crispy parmesan baked zucchini fries
- Horiatiki salad
- Peach caprese salad
- Roasted vegetable pasta salad
- Roasted broccoli with lemon tahini sauce
Let me know if you love this recipe by leaving a comment or star rating below, and check out Instagram and Pinterest for more healthy lifestyle inspiration. Thanks for stopping by!
Print
Lemon Dill Salmon Burgers
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 burgers 1x
- Category: main dish
- Method: Stovetop or grill
- Cuisine: American
Description
Mix up your weeknight meals with these healthy and fresh lemon dill salmon burgers! Paired with lemon dill yogurt sauce, have them on the table in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Lemon Dill Salmon Burgers
- 1.5 pounds fresh Atlantic salmon
- 1/4 cup white or yellow onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh dill
- 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp capers
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 4–6 burger buns, sliced tomato, and romaine lettuce for serving
Lemon Dill Yogurt Sauce
- 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced or grated
- 1/4 cup dill, chopped
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Remove the skin from the salmon and discard the skin*. Cut the salmon into large chunks, about 1-2 inches thick.
- Add half of the salmon to a food processor and pulse 3-5 times to form a pasty consistency.
- Add the remaining salmon, onion, dill, mustard, lemon juice, capers, salt, and pepper to the food processor. Pulse 5-10 times until everything is well combined, but there are still some small chunks of whole salmon.
- Transfer the salmon mixture to a large mixing bowl and add the breadcrumbs. Mix it all together.
- Form 4-6 patties with your hands, depending on how large you want them to be.
- Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat on the stovetop**. Spray with some oil and add the salmon patties to the skillet once pan is hot. Be careful not to crowd the pan – you may need to cook them in two batches.
- Cook for about 3 minutes, then flip and cook for an additional 3 minutes. If you cut into the patties with a knife, the salmon will be light pink and opaque throughout.
- Prepare the lemon dill yogurt sauce simply by mixing all the ingredients together in a bowl.
- Toast up your burger buns, and add a dollop of the sauce to the bottom half of the buns. Add your salmon burgers and additional fixings – I like fresh tomato slices and lettuce.
Notes
*How to remove the skin: Place the salmon on a cutting board skin side down. Slice into the salmon as close to the skin as possible, using a filet knife facing away from you that is almost parallel to the cutting board. Keep sliding the knife away from you, trying to keep it moving along the same line close to the skin.
**Grilling instructions: Heat up your grill on medium-high heat. Spray some oil on the grill right before you put the salmon patties on to prevent them from sticking to the grates. Cook for about 3 minutes, then flip the burgers with a spatula. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, until the salmon is opaque in the center.
Ingredient and dietary restriction substitution ideas
- Make gluten free salmon burgers. Use gluten free breadcrumbs and serve with gluten free burger buns.
- Omit the capers if you don’t like them or don’t have them on hand. It won’t significantly affect the recipe.
- Swap dill for a different fresh herb. I think parsley or basil would taste great! You can also try a cilantro lime salmon burger by using cilantro and swapping lemon juice for lime juice.
- Use a different sauce. Try tzatziki, lemon tahini sauce, or chimichurri sauce on these burgers. Yum!
- Farm raised salmon vs wild salmon: I used sustainably farmed fresh Atlantic salmon for this salmon burger recipe. Atlantic salmon has a higher fat content than wild caught sockeye or king salmon, which helps keep these salmon burgers rich and moist. You can try using fresh wild caught salmon for this recipe, but they might be a bit drier.
Keywords: salmon burgers, salmon patties, fresh salmon burgers
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