Superfood Sesame Salmon Burgers are a flavorful fan favorite, filled with healthy ginger, garlic, scallions, and 2 types of sesame. My boys love these burgers and I’ve been making them since they were little. They’re a child-friendly way to get your kids to eat salmon.
The Perfect Low-Carb Meal
These high-protein Sesame Salmon Burgers pair well with my Garlic Ginger Bok Choy to make an amazing low-carb meal. I typically serve these incredible burgers with white rice for my boys, but since I’m on a Low-Carb Diet I skip that. I haven’t eaten rice, corn, or potatoes since 2001.
Superfood Sesame Salmon Burgers
I love making these quick and easy gluten-free burgers because they’re full of highly nutritious wild salmon and packed with superfoods including garlic, ginger, and sesame seeds. Sometimes I prepare the patties the night before, so that the flavors can meld and intensify. Our meal the next day is so easy because all I need to do is cook the patties in a skillet and dinner is ready!
- 1 pound salmon, skin removed
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon ume plum vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, pressed
- 1 teaspoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
- ¼ cup chopped scallions, white and green parts
- ¼ cup toasted sesame seeds
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon coconut flour
- coconut oil, for frying
- Rinse the salmon, pat dry and cut into ¼-inch cubes
- In a large bowl, combine salmon, oil, ume, garlic, ginger, scallions, sesame seeds and eggs
- Stir coconut flour into mixture
- Use a ¼ cup measuring cup to form mixture into patties
- Heat the coconut oil in a 9 inch skillet over medium-high heat
- Cook the patties for 4 to 6 minutes per side, until golden brown
- Transfer patties to a paper towel-line plate and serve hot
Easy Gluten-Free Burger Recipes
Here are more easy gluten-free burger recipes for you to enjoy!
Lynda R says
I have love every recipe of Elana’s I have tried. The salmon burgers are no exception. One adjustment I made was to adjust the coconut flour to 2 Tablespoons. The recipe makes 4 medium size burgers, what I would consider a “lunch” portion. I made 2 large and 1 medium burger with one pound of salmon.
Another suggestion is when buying fresh salmon choose the thinner tail cut of the salmon not the filet. This saves the deboning process, as the thinner end does not have the spine bones.
Has anyone tried freezing the burger after it is formed, before cooking?
Elana says
Thanks Lynda!
Becca says
I’ve made these a couple times and we love them! What sides would you recommend with them?
Elana says
Becca, I love serving these burgers with a huge salad tossed in this dressing!
https://elanaspantry.com/easy-asian-salad-dressing/
Enjoy!
Elana
Lynda R says
I made sautéed kale with yogurt and honey. Served the salmon burger over a fresh tomato slice with avocado slices on the top.
Gretchen says
I am just starting to follow a grain free diet and am wondering what your thoughts are about quinoa?
Elana says
Gretchen, I haven’t eaten quinoa since 2001. I avoid all grains including quinoa :-)
Maria says
These rock.
Elana says
Thanks Maria!
Angie says
These have so much flavor! I absolutely love this recipe!
Share JOYS! Project / Joy Journey 2 Health says
Yum! This seems like a great starting point for making Thai-inspired Salmon Patties. Thanks for the inspiration! :)
Rachael says
Can you use canned salmon for these? Thanks!!
Ana Billingsley says
These burgers sound and look amazing. How many burgers is considered a serving?
Amelia says
Made these tonight. Baby and I loved them, hubby liked them, 3-year-old refused more than one bite, then demanded vanilla wafers (which she did not receive!). Hubby and I ate them dipped in a sauce of mayo mixed with hot sauce (Frank’s). Wasabi would have been more appropriate but we didn’t have any.
sylvia says
Was the salmon supposed to be cooked in advance? My mix is like soup. Some others added almond flour, so I will try that, but just wanted to check about cooking the salmon. Thanks for the recipes–gluten free is new to me, so your site is very helpful.
Patty says
Thanks for your wonderful recipes which help so many of us out here in our kitchens. You think of EVERYTHING…all the little details.
We’re each so lucky to learn from your knowledge. You’re the BEST!
I’m so ‘hooked’ on your info and many little tidbits. Take care!
Sarah says
I found that shaping the patties and placing them in the freezer (I laid them out on a baking sheet with wax paper) for about an hour helped to keep them together nicely when it came time to cook….delicious!
Amanda says
Stupid question– do you cook the salmon first?
Odile says
I made these last night and decided to use a few pulses in my food processor to blend the ingredients as my salmon chunks were too big and I could tell it was not going to hold together. I love the taste, but I did find that the ones I made last night ended up too dry, which I really don’t like with salmon. So this morning for breakfast I used more of the uncooked salmon blend and was really careful to cook them less and I liked the outcome much better. I think that Elana’s cooking time is too long for my liking. I prefer a more moist interior.
Great flavors!
Vanesa says
I dont know where to post this comment but I just wanted to say I am so glad that you do not use soy! I totally agree about it and Im just so thankful for all of your recipes. Each new one I try is my favorite. Thank you!
Brenda says
These were amazing! I didn’t have the ume plum vinegar (and couldn’t find it at Fresh Market) so I used red wine vinegar instead. I also put have of the mixture in the food processor and added a half cup almond flour to help them stick together. I didn’t have any problem with them falling apart. Thanks for all the great recipes.
Sea Cuisine says
Great recipe, and perfect for anyone with Celiac Disease. Do you have a preference as to using fresh or frozen salmon? These sound like they would taste good with a Cajun aioli.
Annette says
Rin & Susan – how big were yours? I just made these, and made mine were very small. I also made sure to pan-fry them properly before flipping – this formed a crust that keeps them together.
They were delicious, although I felt the flavour was a little one-dimensional so will next time add some five-spice powder. I served these with chilli jam for a light lunch and look forward to trying them again, I think they’d also make great “meatballs”.
Thanks Elana!
Susan says
I just made this recipe, and it was tasty, but I have to ask…was there supposed to be almond flour in it? The mixture was very soupy and forming patties was out of the question. I tried dropping a spoonful in the pan, but it predictably broke apart. I added some almond flour to the rest of the mixture (maybe 1/2 cup?) and the results were much better. The flavor is excellent. I think I might also add some cooked quinoa next time, as that would make an interesting texture (like quinoa fritters with salmon in them).
Rin says
These were delicious, but they fill apart in the pan! Any solutions?
Dizzy says
I’ve seen your website several times but this is the first time I am making a recipe here. I am trying to transition to the primal/paleo diet. Baking with almond flour is the next step for me (been doing buckwheat/quinoa and bean flours, and regular old “gluten free” before this).
I like this recipe as it’s cheap yet flavorful. I didn’t have ume vinegar or sesame seeds so I subbed some roughly ground blanched almonds and other spices to make it more of a mediterranean dish. I think it will be in the rotation regularly, thanks!!
Tamara says
Hi Elana! Made these salmon burgers last night, and they were terrific. My husband and I loved them, and 3 out of 4 of my kids ate them without complaint. :-)
I had frozen salmon, so I partially thawed it, then put it in the food processor with all ingredients except sesame seeds and scallions; blended it to a smooth consistency, then hand mixed in seeds and scallions. Using a disher, I scooped evenly sized balls of the salmon mixture into the frying pan, then flattened them to patties using a spatula. It was very quick and easy.
We ate them as burgers last night; then this morning my husband and I ate the leftover patties for breakfast, with asparagus spears and sliced tomatoes.
Thanks for a great recipe!
Alta says
Elana, this sounds so good. I love salmon in all forms (okay, well, except canned), and I think these would be delightful. I really need to try that ume plum vinegar. Never had it!
Noel says
Oh yum!!!!
I love the flavor of these salmon patties!
Having the skin removed at the market made cutting the salmon super easy.
I added about 3 heaping soup spoonfuls of almond flour (maybe 1/4 – 1/2 cup), and they held together well.
I’ve grown very bored with my regular seasonings for salmon and salmon patties — this was just the thing!
: )
Noel
Pretty. Good. Food. says
I’ve been forcing myself to cook/eat more fish, so this recipe sounds right up my alley! :)
mtelor says
I tried to make these with fresh salmon and omitted the sesame seeds (allergy) and they fell apart in the pan. Any suggestions? What did I do wrong?
The Teenie Foodie says
Mmm i love fish burgers as I don’t eat red meat! Your recipe looks fab, love the asian flavours. Definitely going to try this someday to take to school maybe wrapped in lettuce with some grated carrot and tahini sauce! Great recipe.
Teenie Foodie
Elizabeth Rangel says
Great pic, Elana! Ginger Bok choy sounds wonderful.
Cheers and happy feasting,
Elizabeth
Jen @ keepitsimplefoods says
These sound delicious! I am a big fan of salmon patties. Love that you did these asian-style with sesame and ginger.
Karey Smisek-Bachman says
I made these tonight for dinner using canned salmon because I had some to use up and they turned out wonderful! All of us (all 7 of us that is) really liked these and they will become a new addition into our dinner rotation! Thanks so much for sharing! ps..I served them with baked asparagus, home made dinner rolls and cut up strawberries and it was quite a delicious meal! :o)
Marcella says
Hey Elana,
Do you have a recipe for burger buns? If so, I would love to have it!
Janet NZ says
I love salmon and these look delicious.
I’m new to paleo/primal eating and your salmon burgers will be perfect!
Thanks Elana
Daphne says
This sounds like another lovely recipe I must try!
One thing I do miss about your recipes; you don’t tell
us how many people they feed (approx.) or how many
(i.e. patties) this amount of salmon makes. It would be
most helpful if you included this information with
each recipe.
Thanks so much!
Sheila says
At the bottom of the recipe (after you press the print version) it says it makes 12 salmon burgers.
Janis says
YUM, love salmon. the vinegar is VERY high in sodium. any suggestions on what to replace it with, or can we just leave it out?
LINNEA says
Try lemon juice…
Pat @ Elegantly, Gluten-Free says
This must be fresh salmon, not canned, or you wouldn’t say to cut it into cubes — what a good idea! Sesame seeds sound like be a good flavor combination with salmon. I love broiled salmon, and salmon salad, and salmon croquettes, and now these patties look like they could join the list.
Thanks,
Pat
Terris says
I love this picture! It definitely makes me crave these burgers. I love how the star of the show here is the salmon.
My kids love salmon in all forms (smoked, grilled, burgers, etc.) and I can’t wait to try these on them. Their favorite condiment on salmon is a fresh pineapple salsa that they love to help make.
Daphne says
Terris – Care to share the pineapple salsa recipe with the rest of us??
Art says
Every once in a while, I try a salmon recipe because it’s supposed to be good for me. So far, I’ve never really liked salmon. Here’s hoping this one will do the trick!
sophie says
Hi Elana :)
These look great. I will be making these this week!
How many patties does this recipe yield?
Thank you!
Yolanda says
These looks delish, the picture changed my mindset and now I want to try them as well. We live in the middle of the prairie and the next time I get to a decent health food store, I’m going to look for Salmon. Thank you!
Sarah Smith says
Wow, these sound wonderful! I’ll have to try them out!