If you adore spicy food, my easy Salmon Wasabi Burgers recipe will hit the spot.
Burgers that Taste Like Wasabi Sushi
The pungent, hot taste of wasabi and ginger, married with rich, unctuous salmon, is a match made in sushi heaven.
Why I Use Wild Caught Salmon
I make these spicy burgers with wild caught salmon and a handful of other healthy ingredients. You may be wondering why I use wild caught salmon rather than farm raised.
Why Farmed Salmon is Bad
Wild-caught salmon has lower contaminant levels of harmful compounds such as antibiotics, heavy metals, and pesticides1 making it a great choice for me.
Animal Protein and the Keto Diet
Since I follow a keto diet rich in animal protein, it’s important for me to assess where my food comes from –I stick with organic beef and poultry, and wild seafood.
Salmon Keto
Salmon is a fantastic keto food because it’s low in carbohydrates, high in protein, and has a decent amount of fat. Keep reading for detailed macronutrient information for salmon.
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Animal Protein (4 oz) | Calories | Carbs | Fiber | Net Carbs | Protein | Fat |
Chicken | 171 | 0g | 0g | 0g | 35g | 4g |
Beef | 209 | 0g | 0g | 0g | 33g | 8g |
Salmon | 157 | 0g | 0g | 0g | 23g | 7g |
Salmon Calories
Ounce for ounce, salmon is not a low calorie food, but it’s an incredibly nutrient dense source of calories, and nutrient density is what matters most to me.
Salmon is fabulous super food and a superior source of protein that’s rich in:
- Potassium
- Omega-3 Fats
- Selenium
- B-12
This easy salmon burger recipe will show you that healthy food can taste as good or even better than junk food.
Spicy Salmon Burgers Recipe
Seasoned with spicy wasabi, along with cilantro, scallion, ginger, and lime, my Salmon Wasabi Burgers recipe is one super palate pleaser.
Salmon Wasabi Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 pound skinless salmon filet
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- ¼ cup fresh scallions, finely chopped
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, minced
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- ½ cup blanched almond flour (not almond meal)
- 1 teaspoon celtic sea salt
- ¼ cup wasabi powder
- 1 tablespoon water
- coconut oil for frying
Instructions
- Rinse salmon, pat dry, and cut into ¼-inch cubes.
- In a large bowl, combine salmon, ginger, scallions, cilantro, eggs, lime juice, almond flour, and salt
- In a small bowl, combine wasabi powder and water to form a paste
- Mix wasabi paste into salmon mixture
- Form batter into 2-inch patties with your hands
- Heat oil in a 9 inch skillet over medium high heat
- Sauté patties in batches until golden brown, 6-8 minutes per side
- Serve
Is Spicy Food Bad for You?
Wondering if spicy food is bad for you? It is possible that spicy food can worsen heartburn, acid reflux, ulcers, and exacerbate digestive issues in general.
Spicy Food in Pregnancy
If you have any of the above issues with digestion or are serving this dish to small children, you can reduce the wasabi in these spicy salmon patties.
Alternatively, make my quick and easy Sesame Salmon Burger recipe which has less heat.
These may be a better option if you’re pregnant, as spicy food during pregnancy can be dicey –I know it was for me.
Salmon Undercooked
If you’re pregnant, you’ll want to know what temperature to cook fish at. To do so, simply use a meat thermometer and reference the handy chart above.
Recipe Salmon Patties
One of the boys’ favorite recipes growing up, Sesame Salmon Burgers, are made with fresh ginger, toasted sesame oil, and sesame seeds.
Rather than using almond flour as a binder, I use high fiber coconut flour in this salmon patties recipe.
Dinner Recipes Healthy Easy
You may have noticed a trend in my burger recipes above –no buns!
I use greens in place of high-carb bread, which is a great start when it comes to creating dinner recipes that are healthy and easy.
Sure, I could make hamburger buns using almond flour or coconut flour but using healthy vegetables as buns suits me, given that I always need more greens in my diet.
Low Carb Bunless Burgers
Lettuce and other greens work well when a low carb edible container is needed for burgers. Here are my favorite types of lettuce that make great swaps for burger buns:
- Romaine
- Boston
- Bibb
Some folks enjoy chard or kale, but I prefer nice cold, crispy lettuce.
Toppings for Salmon Burgers
Moving right along to fun flavor combinations that will tantalize your taste buds, try topping salmon burgers with my Recipe for Slaw with Jalapenos
Or, to continue the Asian theme, top ’em with my crunchy Asian Recipe for Cabbage Salad made with napa cabbage, sesame oil, creamy roasted almond butter, and ume plum vinegar. Yum!
Low Carb Recipes Quick Dinner
My golden brown salmon croquettes, whether spicy or sesame flavored, make a fabulous quick dinner that’s low carb.
Best Gluten Free Recipes
Good food should taste good, especially when made with fresh, healthy ingredients.
Make this recipe for salmon patties and join the high protein dinner bandwagon! What are some of your favorite flavor ideas?
This recipe for Salmon Wasabi Burgers is an oldie but goodie from the archives. I first shared it in 2014.
Jill says
Made these burgers today and they are delicious!!! I am hooked!! I also made the Asian Cole Slaw and Carrot fries. Yum!
Elana says
Jill, thanks for letting me know that you’re hooked on these burgers! We love them too :-)
Noelle D says
We’re not Keto or paleo so I used whole wheat flour and grape seed oil instead of coconut oil. I’ve had trouble finding fresh skinless salmon but I’ve managed. It wasn’t pretty but I got it done ;)
I’ve made it twice with the Asian coleslaw and my husband and I LOVE it! He’s so happy because I don’t like cooking fish but he likes it.
I make a little extra wasabi sauce for dipping too. We like it spicy.
Thanks so much, this is definitely a winner in the house!
Elana says
Noelle, thanks for letting me know this is a winner!
Anne says
hi, mine as well fell apart, but still delicious. I will try larger eggs next time.
Elana says
Anne, thanks for your comment! This typically happens when medium eggs are used in place of the large eggs called for in the recipe :-)
Kayla says
Can I use coconut flour instead of almond flour, if so is there a ratio difference?
Elana says
Kayla, for more on that please go here:
https://elanaspantry.com/paleo-baking/
Enjoy!
Elana
Ruthie Kalai says
My patties fell apart unfortunately when I went to flip them. I’m not sure why as I followed the directions exactly. Any suggestions of how to keep them from falling apart?
Elana says
Ruthie, thanks for your comment! This usually happens when regular size eggs are used instead of large :-)
Susan says
While not as delicious, I’m sure, could these be made with canned Alaskan Salmon? I realized that they may be more like salmon cakes than burgers, but I think that might be another good way to make them?
Elana says
Susan, Thanks for your comment! I haven’t tried that so not sure if it will work :-)
Audrey Gran Weinberg says
Elana, these burgers were ‘to die for!’ Thanks so much! I made a slight alteration – since I’m not gluten allergic, but intolerant, it turns out that I can eat buckwheat flour – so I added half a cup of that and only a sprinkle of almond flour. In addition, we didn’t have wasabi powder, so I took wasabi paste and squeezed about an inch of that into a little water and added it. Sadly, that wasn’t quite enough, so i later made a yogurt (goat’s yogurt) mix with some lime, coriander, scallions and more wasabi! Was delicious with the salmon cakes and had a hot + cooling effect at the same time! Ate it with roasted carrots, sweet potatoes and brocolli! Definitely something to have very often!
Elana says
Audrey, I’m so glad these burgers were “to die for!”
Anna Orvarsson says
WOW! We made these for dinner the other night and they were FANTASTIC! We can’t wait to make them again!! We also LOVED the asian slaw and the carrot/sweet potato fries with them — the PERFECT MEAL!
Silvia says
It was so good! I love It, thanks for sharing!
Mo says
Elena,
I have been following your blog and trying recipes for a couple of months now. My husband and I are always impressed with all the flavor you pack into these healthy and gluten free meals. We tried this burgers last night and they were fabulous! It is by far the best salmon burgers we have had!! Thank you for all the creativity and easy to follow recipes.