Salmon Burgers
Updated Jun 07, 2025
These salmon burgers can be made with fresh, thawed-frozen salmon, or even canned salmon. Just mix everything together and grill for 4-5 minutes per side.
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Salmon burgers!
I love to grill, and I love burgers, but I don’t always want a beef burger. Lately, I’ve been into salmon burgers. They’re a great change of pace, and they come together fast with ingredients I usually already have on hand.
This recipe uses fresh salmon (not canned), which gives the salmon burgers a better texture, in my opinion. But if you’ve got canned salmon in the pantry, that works too, use three 6-oz cans and just drain them well, and skip the food processor and use a bowl. Either way, salmon burgers are an easy summertime meal that doesn’t make a mess or take much effort.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Salmon Burger Ingredients
- Salmon: I love fresh salmon fillets for this recipe, but you can use thawed frozen salmon or canned salmon, too!
- Greek yogurt: Any brand will work, but I go for full-fat for extra creaminess.
- Mustard: I prefer Dijon mustard (more tanginess and sharpness!).
- Lemon zest: I love using lemon zest for flavor (without the extra liquid).
- Green onions: You can use any bunch that looks healthy. Make sure to trim off the scraggly ends before chopping.
- Dill: I like to use fresh dill, but you can use half the amount of dried dill, too. And if you feel like experimenting with seasoning, paprika, cumin, coriander, curry powder, red pepper flakes, or even bbq seasoning will all taste great, too.
- Breadcrumbs: You can use store-bought or make your own breadcrumbs.
- Olive oil: I brush the grill grates with oil so the burgers don’t stick! Any high-heat oil will work, though.
- Buns: Any type of bun will do!
How to Make Salmon Burgers
Salmon Burger Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound salmon fillets or 3-6oz canned salmon, drained
- 1 tablespoon Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 lemon zested
- 2 green onions chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill chopped
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Bun lettuce and tartar sauce for serving
Instructions
- Finely chop half the salmon and set aside. Cut the other half salmon into large-sized chunks, and place them in the bowl of a food processor. Add the greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, and lemon zest and blend, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary, until the mixture becomes pasty.
- Remove the blade from the food processor. Fold in the reserved chopped salmon along with the green onions, dill, breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper.
- Shape into four burger patties.
- Heat a grill to medium and brush the grates with oil or heat olive oil on medium heat in a large nonstick skillet or grill pan. Cook the salmon burgers for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, turning once.
- Serve on burger buns with tartar sauce and lettuce, if desired.
Notes
- Instead of breadcrumbs, you can use all-purpose flour.
- To make it gluten-free, you can use quick oats, almond flour or panko breadcrumbs.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
If you try this Salmon Burger recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, please rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t break down the salmon too much. I like these burgers best with a chunky texture. Part of getting that texture comes from not overly pulsing the salmon and then folding in small, chopped pieces of salmon.
- Chill the salmon burgers for 20-30 minutes before grilling. This helps them harden and not fall apart when grilled because the breadcrumbs have time to absorb the wet ingredients. If I’m in a hurry, I’ll skip this part, though!
- Cook your salmon on medium heat. Unlike with a beef burger where you want the grill or pan to be super hot, these salmon burgers call for medium heat to make sure they’re crisp on the outside and medium-rare on the inside.
- Avoid over-cooking. I love salmon burgers when they’re cooked medium rare! That’s about 3-5 minutes per side, and it’s all you need to get tender, flaky salmon.
- Toast the buns. This is optional, but I like to brush the burger buns with a little oil and grill or toast them over low heat. They taste better this way, and get a little crispy!
Salmon Burger Toppings
Like a regular burger, you can really add any toppings to these salmon burgers. I keep it super simple with tartar sauce and lettuce. I feel like both complement this salmon burger recipe really well. You can also add the following toppings to your burger:
- Tomatoes
- Onions
- Avocado
- Pickles
- Sauteed mushrooms
- Cheese
- BBQ sauce
- Peppers
Serving Ideas
I have so many ideas for what to serve with burgers here (I’ve even broken it down by condiments, sides, salads, slaws, and more). Here are some ideas to get you started:
FAQs
Leftover salmon burgers will last for four days in the fridge in an airtight container. To reheat them, I like to add a little oil to a pan and cook the patty on low until warmed through. That way, they also crisp up again. You can also use an air fryer or a microwave.
This will come down to preference and the size of the salmon burgers. However, a good guideline is to watch for a slightly crisp outside and a tender, soft inside. It should take about 3-5 minutes per side.
Yes, you can freeze them before or after cooking for up to 3 months! To freeze them, I like to stack them between wax or parchment paper in a freezer-safe container so they don’t stick together! But you can also freeze them on a baking sheet, and place them all together in a ziplock bag. To reheat, thaw them in the fridge overnight, then reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave!
Comments
That is is by far the best Salmon patty recipe I have ever made. I didn’t modify it in any way, and it was absolutely delicious. The flavors really compliment each other. I made extra patties to freeze for quick dinners, and the flavors were still amazing. Thank you so much! It has been a life saver for me and my family.
That’s the best compliment ever! Thank you!!
This is probably my favourite recipe of yours. I make it every other weekend or so. A big thank you from Berlin, Germany.
Aww I’m so happy to hear that! Made my day!
What do you use if you don’t have a grill or grill pan?
Just a regular skillet is fine 🙂
Can I successfully substitute canned salmon for fresh salmon?
Yes, this salmon burger recipe will work with canned salmon. If you do use canned salmon, the cooking time can reduce to only 2 minutes per side to prevent the burgers from drying out too much. I prefer it with fresh salmon though.
Made these salmon burgers for dinner tonight. I didn’t have mayo so I substituted it with an egg & it turned out DELICIOUS 😋. I also made the Lebanese garlic sauce & served the patties with that. My husband went head over heels for the sauce. Thanks for two great recipes.
Hello!
Excited to try this out! Do you use raw salmon for this? Or smoked? Or what?
Thanks!
I use raw salmon for this. Enjoy!
Finally a great salmon burger recipe that really tastes like salmon instead of a bland fried breaded patty! I used lower fat (lite) mayo and this was super yummy..I will be making it again. Thanks
So glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thank you 🙂
Somehow I increased the recipe without enough breadcrumbs … fell apart but tasted great! Definitely should have used the grill for these. Going to try again!
Oh yes, the breadcrumbs will help them stick together. And you can certainly pan fry them, but they taste better on the grill 🙂
You are cooking goddess, I just want to save all your videos as a treasure. Thanks yumna
Aww, thank you so much! That means a lot to me!
Nutrient-dense and fun for summer grilling. Love your blog.