Fresh Asian Salmon Burgers (Two Ways!) With a Spicy Ginger-Lime Mayo

4 burgers
26 min

I’m an American, but I’ve lived in both Australia and Sweden. I think these fresh asian salmon burgers are the perfect combination of the three countries I’ve called home. After all, burgers are quintessentially American. Salmon is in abundance in Sweden and Australian cuisine is heavily influenced by its SE Asian neighbors. So here it is folks, my fresh asian salmon burgers (two ways!) with a spicy ginger-lime mayo.


I highly recommend that you make the spicy ginger-lime mayo to top your salmon burger. You can add as much or as little sriracha as you like to suit your spice tolerance.

Mix in the panko bread crumbs, salt and pepper, and egg white by hand after you’ve ground the meat, herbs and onion together. Next, divide the mixture equally by four and shape it into patties. You can either pan fry the patties or grill them on the BBQ.

Typically, I eat these fresh asian salmon burgers one of two ways. Both include the spicy ginger-lime mayo, of course. The first version is classic. It’s topped with fresh slices of tomato, purple onion and a crisp lettuce leaf.

The second variation is consistent with the southeast asian theme. It’s topped with thinly sliced cucumber and fresh cilantro sprigs. It’s absolutely delectable!

Fresh Asian Salmon Burgers (Two Ways!) With a Spicy Ginger-Lime Mayo
Recipe details
  • 4  burgers
  • Prep time: 20 Minutes Cook time: 6 Minutes Total time: 26 min
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Ingredients
For the salmon burger
  • 4 brioche burger buns
  • 1 lb fresh salmon
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tbsp ginger
  • 1 stalk lemongrass*
  • ½ cup cilantro leaves
  • 1 lime zested
  • 2 scallions
  • 1 shallot
  • ½ tsp ground white pepper
  • ⅓ cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
For the spicy ginger-lime mayo
  • ½ cup mayo
  • 1 tsp sriracha (or more to taste)
  • ¼ tsp kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp ground white pepper
  • ½ lime juiced
  • 1 tsp finely grated ginger
For the toppings (Version 1)
  • 1 thinly sliced tomato (optional)
  • 4 lettuce leaves (optional)
  • ⅓ cup thinly sliced purple onion (optional)
For the toppings (Version 2)
  • ⅓ cup thinly sliced cucumber (optional)
  • ⅓ cup fresh cilantro sprigs (optional)
Instructions
For the salmon burger patties
Remove any bones and cut off skin from the salmon if applicable. Cut salmon into ½ inch cubes.
Peel the garlic and roughly slice.
Peel the ginger. Cut in slices until you have approximately a tbsp worth of sliced ginger.
Remove the tough outer leaves of the lemongrass and cut off the bulb end. Discard these bits. Cut the soft yellow fleshly center bits roughly.
Cut the ends off the shallot, peel it and then very roughly chop.
Pick ½ cups worth of cilantro leaves.
Zest the lime.
Put the prepared salmon, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, shallot, cilantro leaves and lime zest in a food processor. Pulse 4-5 times until the mixture resembles the texture of ground beef.
Remove ground salmon mixture from food processor and place in a medium sized bowl. Add ⅓ cup of panko bread crumbs, 1 egg white, ½ tsp kosher salt and ½ tsp ground white pepper. Mix together.
Divide ground salmon into 4 equal parts and shape into patties.
Heat 1 tbsp of sesame oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.*
Once oil is hot, add salmon patties. Cook each side for 2-3 minutes, flipping once.
For the spicy ginger-lime mayonnaise
Add ½ cup mayonnaise to a bowl.
Squeeze the juice of half a lime into the bowl.
Add in ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp ground white pepper.
Add 1 tsp of finely grated ginger.
Add sriracha to taste.
Mix it all together.
Toast buns and assemble burgers
Toast the buns in the oven for 2-3 minutes until warm and golden. I usually toast them under the broiler on the low setting.
Choose your burger toppings and assemble on toasted buns. I like it two different ways (detailed below), but use whatever toppings appeal to you.
Salmon Burger Version 1
Add spicy ginger-lime mayo to toasted bottom burger bun. Place salmon patty on top.
Top with fresh lettuce leaf, sliced tomato, and purple onion rings. Add top bun.
Salmon Burger Version 2
Add spicy ginger-lime mayo to toasted bottom burger bun. Place salmon patty on top.
Top with thinly sliced cucumber and fresh cilantro sprigs. Add top bun.
Tips
  • I get my lemongrass from an Asian marketplace. You can find it near the fresh herbs or sometimes in the frozen aisle section. If lemongrass is not readily accessible, it's okay to leave it out.
  • Alternatively, you can grill the salmon patties and bun. Omit the sesame oil and grill the burger patties for about 4 minutes on 1 side until they have firmed up. Flip once and grill the other side for just 1-2 minutes. Toast the buns on the top rack of your grill for 1-2 minutes (watch them carefully, brioche buns can burn easily).
Better than Zest | Alex
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Comments
  • Sara Litke Sara Litke on Oct 02, 2020

    I made these today and they were incredible! I'm trying to lower my carb intake so I had them in lettuce wraps instead of a burger bun. Thanks for such a delicious recipe!

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