Cilantro-Lime Salmon Burgers

I think I’ve made salmon pretty much every way you can make it. Or at least I thought I had, until now. I was a bit skeptical of the salmon patty. Never seemed appealing to me, and I’m actually still not sure why I decided I wanted to make one. But I did. And boy.. I’m so glad I made this excellent decision.

The ingredient list was minimal, but provided crazy flavor. Quite the zesty way to enjoy this fish, filled with heart-healthy omega’s.

Omega’s. Thats what sparked my interest in salmon-burger-making. I gave a (heart-healthy) talk last week for the Red Dress Donors of the American Heart Association. So, it only deemed fit that I practiced what I harped on for an hour to these people.

I made a paste with a quarter of the salmon, the lime zest, and the mustard. The paste allowed me to skip the bread crumbs, which would have been way too heavy for a fish burger.

I added in the remaining three fourths of the salmon, and pulse chopped it about 8 times.

Combine the paste mixture with the remaining ingredients. The mixture will be really sticky. You’ll want to add some bread crumbs or crackers or something the make it less sticky.

Don’t.

You can shape the patties up to eight hours in advance, just wrap them in plastic wrap and store on the bottom shelf of your fridge. I say bottom shelf because you’ll run less risk for any juices that happen to leak off, contaminating you other fresh foods.

I allowed these burgers to rest for about 2 hours before I pulled them out to grill.

Atop my panini press, again

Slather the bottom half of your bun with a mixture of honey and mustard. Honey-mustard! Get it?

My obsession with this Tangy Slaw continues. Here’s the cast of ingredients. To make this slaw the best it can be, don’t sub out, leave out, or add in anything.

Leave it be. It is wonderful.. and if you think you don’t like something, leave it in anyway.

I found my love for fennel with this slaw. And, I hate fennel.

Pile it high with this amazing slaw

So colorful against that pink burger. A pink burger isn’t usually what we strive for with the end result when using beef.

Good thing we used salmon.

Top it with the other half of your bun…?

Nah.

Cilantro-Lime Salmon Burgers

INGREDIENTS

1 pound skinless salmon fillet, cut into 1-inch pieces, divided

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, divided

2 teaspoons grated lime rind
1 tablespoon lower sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

3 tablespoons finely chopped shallot (about 1 medium)
1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons honey, divided

Cooking spray

4 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns, toasted

Tangy Slaw {click here for full recipe}

DIRECTIONS

Place 1/4 pound salmon, 1 tablespoon mustard, and rind in a food processor; process until smooth. Spoon puree into a large bowl. Place remaining 3/4 pound salmon in food processor; pulse 6 times or until coarsely chopped. Fold chopped salmon, cilantro, garlic, shallot, 1 tablespoon honey, salt, and pepper into puree. Divide mixture into 4 equal portions, gently shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Cover and chill until ready to grill. Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon mustard and 1 tablespoon honey in a small bowl, and set aside.

Preheat grill to medium heat.

Lightly coat both sides of burgers with cooking spray. Place patties into a grill pan, or countertop grill; grill 2 minutes. Carefully turn patties, and grill for an additional 1 minute or until desired degree of doneness. Place 1 patty on bottom half of each bun; top each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons honey mixture, and 1/2 cup slaw.

Nutrition Information

Serves: (1 open-face burger w/ honey mustard and slaw)

Calories: 326

Fat: 16 g

Carbohydrate: 24 g

Fiber: 4 g

Protein: 26 g