Fresh Salmon Burgers with Cucumber Radish Slaw

These fresh salmon burgers are coated in breadcrumbs for a crispy finish and come with a zesty, refreshing cucumber and radish slaw. They contain and handful of ingredients and come together in minutes!

See also spicy chicken burger recipe!

These succulent fresh salmon burgers are a delicious way of preparing salmon. They are super quick and easy to prepare and you can serve them with lots of different toppings (see serving suggestions below) so they are never boring.  They take less time to prepare than cooking salmon in the oven and make a perfect healthy meal idea the whole family will love.  

Fresh salmon burgers - ingredients

The list of ingredients is very brief. In addition to the skinless and boneless salmon I used chives for freshness, mustard for sharpness, panko breadcrumbs to absorb excess moisture, and simple seasoning. 

I served these healthy salmon burgers with a simple cucumber and radish slaw made with fresh dill, lemon juice, oil and seasoning. 

Can I use frozen salmon instead of fresh

Yes, you can! I used fresh salmon filet as it's quick and easy to prepare but frozen is fine to use, too. I recommend thawing it slowly overnight in a strainer to get rid of excess moisture. Once completely thawed wrap it in paper towel and give a little squeeze then pat it dry. 

Can I use fine breadcrumbs instead of panko

The breadcrumbs play an important role in binding the ingredients together, absorbing excess moisture and creating soft, succulent burgers. Panko breadcrumbs are simply more effective at this than fine breadcrumbs so I recommend panko.

TIP: Panko breadcrumbs can be a little pricey but they are easy to make at home. Here are my easy tips for making your own.

Step-by-step recipe instructions

1.Place the chopped salmon in a food processor and pulse a few times until crumbly (not completely pureed).

2. Combine with the breadcrumbs, mustard, chives, salt and pepper.  

3. Stir until all the ingredients have been thoroughly incorporated.

4. Form 4 burgers (approx. 2 cm thick) and coat the top and bottom of each burger in breadcrumbs. Set aside.

5. To make the slaw spiralize or coarsely grate the cucumber and radishes. Combine with 1.5 teaspoon of lemon juice and oil each, chopped dill, season to taste and stir. Set aside.

6. In a large non-stick pan heat up 2 tablespoons of oil and fry the burgers over a low/medium heat for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden and crispy. 

7. Serve in your favourite burger bun topped with a generous helping of the slaw. My homemade dill mayo is the perfect sauce to serve with salmon burgers!

Serving suggestions

I love to serve these salmon burgers with my quick and easy cucumber and radish slaw but you could also enjoy them with fresh or pickled cucumbers, slices of avocado, or a dollop of yogurt/low fat mayonnaise with dill/onions. 

Also delicious with cucumber salad as well as healthy ranch dressing.  Or you could simply serve them with a drizzle of lemon juice and crispy lettuce.

Use your favourite burger buns.

If you are looking for salad ideas to go with this healthy salmon burger recipe try crispy coleslaw or pickled red cabbage slaw. 

Substitutions

• Chives. These can be substituted with finely chopped green onions, fresh parsley or dill (use 1 tablespoon of the dill and omit it in the slaw).
• White pepper. I love using white pepper in fish recipes but black or cayenne pepper would work well too.

Can I barbecue these burgers

I don't recommend it.  They are quite soft and can be tricky to successfully cook on a barbecue.  It's easier to coat them in breadcrumbs and shallow fry so they are perfectly crispy on the outside and succulent on the inside.

Top tips

• Do not overprocess the salmon. It should be crumbly rather than smooth. If it's pureed until smooth it may become oily.
• Make ahead: You can prepare the burgers (without frying them) for up to 4 hours in advance. I don't recommend preparing them too far in advance in order for the chives to retain their freshness. Keep refrigerated.
• Shallow fry your burgers with fresh salmon over a low/medium heat for about 3-4 minutes on each side until golden and crispy. It is important not to overcook the burgers as they might end up being a little dry.
• Make the slaw just before frying the burgers so it doesn't become soggy. I prefer spiralising the ingredients as this creates more volume but you can coarsely grate the cucumber and radishes if you like.
• Best served immediately. 
• You can freeze raw salmon burgers but only if you used fresh, not previously frozen, salmon. Place the burgers in a plastic container and separate each with a piece of parchment paper so they don't stick to one another. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost the burgers before frying.

More related fish recipes to try next

• Sweet Potato Salmon Fish Cakes with Herbs
• Easy Fish Cakes without Potatoes
• Crispy Baked Salmon Fish Fingers
• Easy Fish Cakes with Potato

See also these other easy meal ideas!

Recipe

Keep in touch!

If you make these healthy fresh salmon burgers I'd love to know how they turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks!

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