Want to mix up your burger routine? Try these flavorful, moist Salmon Burgers with Creamy Lemon Herb Sauce. That creamy sauce on the burgers? It’s everything.

Burger season is here (does it ever leave?), and these salmon burgers are the perfect way to mix things up. They can be prepped ahead (or frozen!) and cook fast. A creamy herby sauce does double duty, spooned over top of the finished burgers but also mixed right in to add moisture and flavor. Jump down to the bottom of the post for lots of other ideas for sauce to serve with salmon patties.

Love salmon recipes? Me too. After you make these saucy salmon patties, bookmark my salmon sushi bowls and my broiled paprika salmon (perfect for salmon tacos).

Sauce for Salmon Burgers

The sauce here is key, and once you’ve made it, you’re only a few steps away from finishing the burgers. Here’s the key thing about this sauce. You put 2 tablespoons inside the salmon patties and save the rest for the top. That sauce inside the patties? It adds so. much. moisture. The result is tender, delicious salmon patties with lots of flavor.

Inspiration for these Salmon Burgers

The method to chop the salmon in the food processor is very loosely inspired by Mark Bittman’s Salmon Burgers. He has you blend ¼ of the fish into a paste to help bind the burgers while you chop the rest by hand. I’ve actually found that if you gently pulse the salmon in two batches, you naturally get a mix of well blended “paste” and larger pieces that give the burgers texture. Just don’t over-mix.

Ingredients

• Salmon – Save yourself a ton of work and get salmon with the skin removed. Often the fishmonger behind the counter at your grocery store seafood section will do this for you.
• Panko breadcrumbs – I keep Japanese-style panko breadcrumbs (like these) and Italian seasoned breadcrumbs in my pantry. Japanese breadcrumbs work best in recipes like this one because they have a large porous shape that soaks up moisture and then releases it as the burgers cook.
• Creamy Lemon Herb Sauce – Though you can use substitutes (see below for ideas), it’s hard to beat the creamy lemon herb sauce for flavor. Since you have to get the food processor out anyway, use it first to make this simple sauce which will top the burgers and go into the patties themselves to add moisture and flavor. 
• Dijon mustard – This adds a subtle tart flavor that goes so well with salmon.
• Chili powder – Just use a small amount of chili powder in the burgers to add flavor. This small amount of chili powder should not make the burgers spicy, but paprika works too.

Freeze Them

Almost every burger makes a great freezer meal, and salmon burgers are no exception. 

To freeze: Form the salmon patties and spread out in a single layer on a sheet pan lined with parchment or wax paper. Freeze until solid, 3 to 5 hours. Transfer to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months. 

To cook from frozen: Lay the salmon burgers flat on a sheet pan and defrost in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours (the timing will vary slightly depending on the temperature of your fridge and thickness of the burgers). Cook according to the recipe instructions.

More Sauce Ideas for Salmon Patties

The sauce is key here, both for moisture in the salmon patties and to add flavor on top of the burgers. If you want to skip the lemon herb sauce included in this recipe, here are a few other great options.

• Sriracha mayo – for a bit of spice
• Yum Yum sauce – less spice than Sriracha mayo and a hint of sweet spice
• Tartar sauce – this would add great tangy flavor
• Dijon mustard sauce – this is a super simple one

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