How long to cook salmon burgers on grill

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
334	Calories
17g	Fat
2g	Carbs
41g	Protein

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Table of Contents Show

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
What makes this recipe low in carbs and gluten-free?
How can you tell when salmon burgers are done?
What if you don’t have an outdoor grill?
How to make Grilled Salmon Burgers with Caper Mayo:
Make it a Low-Carb Meal:
More Ideas with Salmon:
Ingredients
Instructions
How do you know when salmon burgers are done?
How long does salmon burgers take to cook?
Can I grill salmon directly on grill?
How do you keep salmon burgers from sticking to the grill?

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories	334
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g	22%
Saturated Fat 3g	15%
Cholesterol 101mg	34%
Sodium 263mg	11%
Total Carbohydrate 2g	1%
Dietary Fiber 0g	1%
Protein 41g
Calcium 39mg	3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Use a food processor or immersion blender with chopping bowl to mince the salmon, or mince it by hand. Choose your favorite species of fresh salmon for these delicious juicy salmon burgers.

These salmon burgers are different from salmon croquettes which are usually made with canned salmon. These burgers are made with fresh minced salmon.

Cilantro, ginger, and sesame oil give these burgers Asian flavor.

Serve the salmon burgers with a spicy chili mayonnaise or sweet chili mayonnaise (see directions, below). Cook the burgers on the grill, an electric grill, or in a grill pan on the stovetop.

4 green onions (coarsely chopped)
2 tablespoons cilantro (coarsely chopped)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 large egg white
2 pounds fresh salmon (skin and any pin bones removed, coarsely chopped)
Nonstick cooking spray (or olive oil)

In a food processor or using an immersion style blender with chopper bowl, pulse the green onions with the cilantro, ginger, lemon juice, sesame oil, salt, and pepper. Scrape the sides of the food processor a few times. Add the soy sauce and egg white; pulse a few times to blend. Add the salmon and pulse a few times, just until minced. Alternatively, mince the salmon by hand and turn it into a bowl; add the finely chopped vegetables and seasonings and mix well.
Shape the salmon mixture into six patties.
Spray the top of the salmon burgers with nonstick cooking spray or brush lightly with olive oil.
Oil the grill or grill pan.
Flip the sprayed side of the burgers onto the grill or grill pan. Spray or brush the other side of the salmon burgers.
Grill for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Salmon should be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 145 F. According to the USDA, that is the minimum safe temperature for salmon.
Serve in the split toasted hamburger buns with lettuce leaves and spicy chili mayonnaise (below)or remoulade sauce, or another plain or flavored mayonnaise.

Makes 6 servings.

Toppings

Spicy Chili Mayonnaise: In a bowl, combine 1/2 cup of mayonnaise with 3 teaspoons of Sriracha sauce, 1 to 2 teaspoons of Asian garlic chili paste (sambal), and 1 teaspoon of lime juice.
Sweet Chili Mayonnaise: In a bowl, combine 1/2 cup of mayonnaise with 3 teaspoons of Thai-style chili sauce and 1 or 2 teaspoons of Asian garlic chili sauce (sambal), or to taste.

Expert Tips

A reliable instant-read food thermometer will ensure the burgers are not overcooked or undercooked. Insert it into the thickest part of a few of the salmon burgers.
Make and shape the salmon burgers earlier in the day. Cover and refrigerate until the grill is ready.

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These Grilled Salmon Burgers with Caper Mayonnaise are so tasty, and they’re easy to make on the grill or on a stove-top grill pan. I switched the breadcrumbs for almond flour and hemp hearts to make this low in carbs and gluten-free.

PIN Grilled Salmon Burgers to try them later!

At my house the grill is under a covered deck, so I’m always ready to grill. I don’t venture out there much in the dead of winter, but from early spring to late fall you’ll find me out there cooking all kinds of meat, fish, and vegetables on the grill. But tasty recipes like these Grilled Salmon Burgers with Caper Mayonnaise are also easy to make on a stovetop grill pan if you don’t have an outdoor grill!

This salmon recipe is one I tried with my nephew Jake, and we gobbled ours up without a bun when we tested the recipe. Of course, they’d also be delicious served on a bun or inside low-carb pita bread with lettuce, tomato, and the caper mayonnaise spread.

But please don’t skip the delicious caper mayo that really puts the salmon burgers over the top! The mayo that’s flavored with capers, lemon, pickle relish, salt and pepper literally takes minutes to make and adds so much good flavor to the salmon

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

Capers (affiliate link)
mayonnaise
fresh-squeezed lemon juice, I used my fresh-frozen lemon juice
dill pickle relish (affiliate link)
salt and pepper to taste
celery
onion
chives or green onion
Hemp Hearts (affiliate link)
Almond Flour (affiliate link)
egg
Sriracha Sauce (affiliate link) (or other hot sauce of your choice)
skinless salmon, diced into pieces
olive oil, for brushing burgers so they won’t stick on the grill

What makes this recipe low in carbs and gluten-free?

This recipe originally called for a cup of Panko breadcrumbs which I replaced with half Hemp Hearts (affiliate link) and half Almond Flour. That makes this recipe suitable for Keto or low-carb diets and would also make them gluten-free.

How can you tell when salmon burgers are done?

Use an Instant Read Meat Thermometer (affiliate link) to cook salmon burgers until they reach 145F/62C. Or if you don’t have a meat thermometer, cook the salmon burgers until they are lightly crisp on the outside and the salmon is pink and flaky inside.

What if you don’t have an outdoor grill?

If you don’t have an outdoor grill you could easily cook these on a Stove-Top Grill Pan (affiliate link) or even a George Foreman Grill (affiliate link) with equally good results! Remember the George Foreman Grill cooks both sides at once, so total cooking time will be much shorter.

How to make Grilled Salmon Burgers with Caper Mayo:

(Scroll down for complete recipe with nutritional information.)

Chop the onion, celery, and chives (or green onion) to go in the salmon.
Dice the salmon into small pieces so it will chop up quickly in the food processor.
Then pulse the Hemp Hearts (affiliate link), almond meal, onion, celery, green onion or chives, egg, hot sauce, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in the food processor until it’s well blended.
Add diced salmon to the food processor and pulse just a few times, until salmon is barely chopped and combined with the other ingredients.
Form the salmon mixture into six medium patties (or make four large patties if you prefer).
Chill them about 20 minutes in the freezer; this helps the patties stay together better on the grill.
Chop up the Capers (affiliate link); then mix the mayonnaise, lemon juice, chopped capers, pickle relish, and salt and pepper to make the caper mayonnaise.
Spray the grill well with non-stick spray and preheat to medium high.
Just before you put the salmon on the grill, brush the surface of each burger with olive oil (or another oil of your choice).
Rotating the salmon burgers on the first side will give those criss-cross grill marks I like so well.
Serve salmon burgers hot with caper mayonnaise.

Make it a Low-Carb Meal:

The Salmon Burgers with Caper Mayo would be delicious as a low-carb meal served with Garlic-Lover’s Vegetable Stir Fry, Easy Grilled Vegetables, Fattoush Lebanese Salad, Al’s Famous Hungarian Cucumber Salad, or Napa Cabbage Asian Slaw.

More Ideas with Salmon:

Maple Glazed Salmon (Three Ways)

Air Fryer Salmon with Mustard Herb Sauce

Salmon Foil Packets with Tomatoes and Olives

Greek Salmon with Tzatziki Sauce

Slow Cooked Salmon with Butter, Capers, Garlic, and Lemon

Ingredients

Caper Mayonnaise Ingredients

2 T capers, drained and finely chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 T fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 T dill pickle relish
salt and pepper to taste

Salmon Burger Ingredients

1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup chives or green onion, sliced (see notes)
1/2 cup Hemp Hearts
1/2 cup almond flour
1 egg
1 T Sriracha sauce (or other hot sauce of your choice)
1 T fresh-squeezed lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb. skinless salmon, diced into pieces about 1/2 inch square
olive oil, for brushing burgers so they won’t stick on the grill

Instructions

Drain the capers and finely chop.
In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk together the chopped capers, mayo, light mayo, lemon juice, and dill pickle relish.
Taste and add salt and pepper to taste.
Let the caper mayonnaise chill in the fridge while you make the burgers.
Coarsely chop the celery, onion, and fresh chives or green onion.
Then add those to food processor with the hemp hearts, Almond Flour, egg, Sriracha Sauce, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Pulse just until the veggies are chopped and the mixture is combined.
Add the diced salmon cubes and pulse a few more times until the salmon is barely chopped and mixed with the other ingredients.
Wash your hands, and with wet hands form the salmon into 6 medium burgers.
Place them on a cookie sheet as you make each one. (We chilled them for about 20 minutes in the freezer to help the patties stay together.)
Spray the grill grates well with non-stick spray for the grill; then preheat grill to medium-high. (You can only hold your hand there for 2-3 minutes at that temperature.)
When you’re ready to grill, use a basting brush to brush both sides of the burgers with olive or grapeseed oil.
Lay burgers carefully on the grill and let them cook without moving for about 4 minutes; then lift one side to see if you have good grill marks starting to show.
If you want criss-cross grill marks, rotate the burgers and cook 2-3 minutes more on the same side.
Then turn burgers carefully with a large turner and cook 2-4 minutes on the second side, or until they feel firm to the touch and are nicely browned. (For best results, use an instant-read meat thermometer and cook until burgers reach 145F/62C.)
Serve burgers hot with caper mayonnaise or other sauce of your choice.
You can serve just the salmon burger patty on a plate or on a bun with lettuce and tomato.
These were so good that I was excited to eat the leftover salmon burgers; I reheated them in a dry frying pan and they were just as delicious the second day.

Notes

Use 1/2 cup green onion and skip the chives and onion if you prefer.

We replaced the whole wheat breadcrumbs with Hemp Hearts and Almond Flour to make the recipe low in carbs. Use breadcrumbs instead if you prefer and don't care about the carbs.

This recipe adapted from Cuisine at Home Weeknight Grilling 2007.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 433Total Fat: 35gSaturated Fat: 5.2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 28gCholesterol: 86mgSodium: 438mgCarbohydrates: 6.2gFiber: 2.3gSugar: 2.1gProtein: 25g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
When the salmon burgers are made with hemp hearts and almond meal, they’re are a great low-carb or Keto option and also suitable for any phase of the original South Beach Diet.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Grilling Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe was first posted in 2012. It was updated with more information in 2022.

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How do you know when salmon burgers are done?

Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of your burger. When the salmon burger reaches 145 degrees F, it is done. If you don't have a thermometer, check that your burger is lightly crisp on the outside and that the meat inside is pink and flaky. It should not still look raw.

How long does salmon burgers take to cook?

Place burgers on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake burgers for 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway. Grill/BBQ: Preheat grill with burners set to medium heat. Cook burgers for 9-10 minutes, flipping halfway.

Can I grill salmon directly on grill?

Generously season salmon fillets with salt and pepper. Once your grill has fully preheated, place salmon fillets directly on the grill, skin side down, and close the grill. Grill skin-side down for 6 minutes. Then, flip the fillets and grill for an additional 2 minutes skin-side up.

How do you keep salmon burgers from sticking to the grill?

Remove the salmon from the fridge and coat both sides of each burger with extra virgin olive oil (to help the burgers from sticking to the grill grates). Place the burgers over direct heat and grill for 6 minutes.