These Spicy Salmon Burgers are little bundles of flavor! Canned salmon, panko, refreshing lemongrass, and a sweet-spicy zingy combo of red curry paste and brown sugar. So good and so simple!
Spicy Salmon Burgers
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This recipe was so delicious and so easy! I eased back on the red curry paste – my spouse doesn’t like anything too spicy – but the flavor adds so much even if you put in just a little. Put it on home-baked buns with tomato & cucumber and a little lettuce. I liked mayo as a condiment. Will definitely add to my recipe box.
John
How secretly great are salmon burgers?
They are golden brown, crispy, spicy, barely sweet and savory little bundles of flavor. You can serve them on a fluffy brioche bun with some spicy mayo and slaw, or just go bun-less and tuck these crispy flavor bombs straight into a salad, which is how I like them – just nestled onto some dressed spring greens, or a bagged salad mix, with a squiggle of spicy mayo on top.
These ones in particular have that umami-rich flavor and a little sweet-spicy zing to them from the combo of red curry paste and brown sugar and lively lemongrass. They are so, so good. I love them, Bjork loves them, toddler loves them. Five-star reviews all around in this house!
Salmon burgers are never the thing you think of, and yet, somehow. when they make their way into your life, they’re always a total dinner star. These ones are shockingly easy thanks to – yes, trust me – CANNED SALMON, and they are crispy, versatile, and super nutritious.
Long Live The Short Ingredient List
The ingredient list stays short (SOS) but the flavor is big, bold, and fun thanks to soy sauce, curry paste, and, if you can find it, lemongrass. (I use a lemongrass paste, which is very user-friendly and also adds a tad bit of sweetness and it’s just so lovable in so many recipes, especially these salmon burgers.)
Here are the ingredients worth mentioning:
- canned salmon (or cook fresh salmon and flake it up!)
- panko
- eggs
- red curry paste
- soy sauce
- lemongrass paste – not essential but very, very yummy
Likely you already have the rest: olive oil, salt, garlic powder, brown sugar.
And anything else is just the serve-with-it extras, which, to be honest, in our house is often a bagged or deli-purchased salad. No hard feelings! An exciting, vibrant, super delicious meal is on the table. Semi-homemade is the way it is right now. Let’s celebrate it.
Spicy Salmon Burgers: FAQs
I can’t find canned salmon. What should I use?
You can use leftover poached, grilled, baked, or steamed salmon here if you have that handy.
Do I really need the panko?
Panko gives a really nice texture to this burgers – highly recommend! If you want to ditch the refined grains, whole wheat breadcrumbs could work as well. If you want a gluten-free option, almond flour could be substituted.
How long do these burgers keep for after they’re cooked?
Leftovers keep really well – 3 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer!
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Source notes: These salmon burgers are a play on our well-loved original salmon burgers recipe – except this time with a little bit of Asian-inspired flavor and subtle kick.
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Spicy Salmon Burgers
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
These Spicy Salmon Burgers are little bundles of flavor! Canned salmon, panko, refreshing lemongrass, and a sweet-spicy zingy combo of red curry paste and brown sugar. So good and so simple!
Ingredients
Scale
For the Spicy Salmon Burgers:
- 14–15 ounces canned salmon
- 2 eggs (see notes)
- 1/2 to 2/3 cup panko (start there, add more as needed)
- 1 tablespoon lemongrass paste
- 1 tablespoon red curry paste
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- olive oil for frying
For Serving:
- buns and toppings like cilantro or sliced cucumber
- OR bagged salad (like an Asian-style salad)
- OR shredded cabbage (either homemade or store bought, tossed with olive oil, vinegar, salt, and sugar) <– my personal favorite
Instructions
- Drain the salmon and flake it apart. Mix the burger ingredients together. Form into 4 patties.
- Heat a little bit of olive oil in a nonskillet over medium heat. Add the burgers and cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side, until golden brown.
- Serve however you like! I love these burgers on a tangy slaw and topped with a dollop of plain yogurt, sour cream, or spicy mayo.
Notes
I feel like every batch I make of these is a little different depending on the amount of moisture in the salmon, so just play with the egg / panko ratios as needed. If you find that your mixture is too crumbly or not sticking together well, you can add another half or full egg (to total 3 eggs). I’ve had some 2-egg batches, and some 3-egg batches – both turned out great. You can also add more panko to help things hold, or you can add a little bit of mayo to help the whole thing stick together!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Pan-Fry
- Cuisine: Asian-Inspired
Keywords: salmon burger, spicy salmon, salmon recipe
MORE SALMON GOODNESS
- Caramelized Salmon (glazey, salty-sweet, and a teensy bit spicy)
- Coconut Curry Salmon (simple, creamy, barely spicy, and MEGA flavorful sauce)
- Simple Hoisin Glazed Salmon (ready 30 minutes with less than 10 pantry ingredients)
- Lemon Herb Salmon Burgers (a recipe that says “Summer is HERE!”)
Filed Under: All Recipes Dairy-Free Dinner Fish and Seafood Healthy Lunch Main Dishes Quick and Easy Sandwiches SOS Series Spring Stovetop
May 13, 2021
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I’m Lindsay and I ♡ FOOD. I used to be a teacher, and now making food and writing about it online is my full-time job. I love talking with people about food, and I'm so glad you're here.
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Can you share what type of lemongrass paste you usually use?
Thanks!
Joy
We use Gourmet Garden lemongrass paste.
Do you think I could bake these instead of pan fry? If so, what temp and time do you recommend? Thanks!
Great question! We haven’t tested them in the oven, so it’s hard to say! We’d maybe try 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
Can I use a chia egg replacement and what would be the proportion please and thanks. I think this will be great to make when we are out on our sailboat for a couple of weeks when supplies are dwindling.
We haven’t tested this recipe with a chia egg, so it’s hard to say. If you want to give it a try, here’s a chia egg recipe that might work!
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I learned of the magic of lemongrass paste when I first made your Banh Mi Bowls- they quickly became a go-to in our house. These sound great too!
Yes! It’s such a great little shortcut! We hope you love the burgers!
I have a freezer full of salmon that I am looking for recipes for. Do you think I could cook some and flake it and used that instead of canned?
Yes, I think that’d work just fine!
Curry paste and lemongrass are SO up my alley!! My question was if you could recommend a brand of canned salmon, because I’m sure they are not all equal! However, I followed the link to your original salmon burger recipe and found you recommend Wild Planet. You might want to link it here for your readers!
Thanks– can’t wait to try it!
Yes, we’d recommend Wild Planet, but we’ve also tested the recipe using Chicken of the Sea salmon. Enjoy!
I can’t find lemongrass paste anywhere! Is there a substitute I can use or would it be fine if I just omitted it?
It’d be fine to just omit it!
I have made these several times and love them! A cut above other salmon burger recipes.
Should the canned salmon be boneless, or does it not matter? I don’t have any experience with canned salmon, and was a bit surprised to see bones included in the Bumblebee Pink Salmon I bought. I ended up trying to remove any bones I saw. What is your advice?
Canned salmon usually has bones in it. Growing up, my mom would make salmon loaf with it and leave all of the bones- I could never get over the occasional crunch!
It is totally fine to leave the bones in since they add calcium. I prefer to take out the round dense bones along the spine, but I leave the pin bones. You won’t notice these tiny little bones in the burgers. Hope this helps!
Thanks so much for the tips, Jessica!
Hi Tim! Great question. My understanding is that you can eat the bones in canned salmon because they’re cooked down enough to be eaten safely. We usually use boneless canned salmon for these burgers. We’d recommend looking for a can of salmon that specifies “boneless” on the label.
This recipe was so delicious and so easy! I eased back on the red curry paste – my spouse doesn’t like anything too spicy – but the flavor adds so much even if you put in just a little. Put it on home-baked buns with tomato & cucumber and a little lettuce. I liked mayo as a condiment. Will definitely add to my recipe box.
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I thought this was a great, easy meal! Next time I may experiment more with the sauce; spicy mayo was awesome, and we added some TJ’s chili onion crunch too, but I think there are lots of possibilities here!
I really want to try these but cannot eat spicy due to GERD. And suggestions to add instead of red curry paste?
You could try regular yellow curry powder instead!
I made these and they were delicious. I served with the prepackaged salad from Aldi just like the recipe said and it was great.
So glad you enjoyed the burgers, Kristen!
yummyyyyyyyyyyyyyy……..
Thank You for this Post.
These were delicious! Can’t wait to make them again. That crunch! First time using that paste; you’re right, it really added something. I’m never getting storebought salmon cakes again.
We love hearing this, Joanna! So glad you enjoyed the burgers!
Can’t wait to try these. Will shop today!
Enjoy, Jean!
This recipe exceeded my expectations. We enjoyed it and will definitely make again. So easy. I used Chicken of the Sea skinless & boneless salmon. Served with a spicy mayonnaise and an Asian flavored cole slaw. Thank you for sharing!
So glad to hear it, Glinda!
Love the recipe and very easy to make. But found it very salty. The second time I left out the soy sauce and salt but was still salty (and I love salt).
Any suggestions as to what ingredients to amend? Thanks
Hi Chris! You could reduce or eliminate the kosher salt!
Thanks. I left out the Kosher salt and soy sauce. I think the pastes must have a lot of salt (soy sauce).
Looking forward to this recipe.
Can I freeze this for meal prep? Would you freeze before or after pan-frying?
Thank you!
Hi Carrie! Yes, you can freeze the burgers. We’d freeze after frying. Enjoy!
So good! I am not big on spice so I used 1/2 tbsp curry paste and it was perfect. I didn’t have eggs so I used flaxseed + water and it worked just fine. I froze 2 uncooked for later and I look forward to having them!
So glad you enjoyed the burgers and that you were able to make them egg-free!
These are so easy and delicious. Couldn’t find lemongrass paste at my grocery store, but they were super flavorful without. Also used flax eggs, and that worked out great. Served with a side of roasted veggies and baked sweet potato. Yum.
Awesome, Janice! Glad it worked out with flax eggs. Thanks for the comment!
Amazing! Maybe the best salmon burger I’ve ever had. Even our one year old ate his entire burger!
Awesome, Kaitlin! So glad your little one enjoyed them too!
This was amazing! I look forward to trying more recipes
So glad you enjoyed the burgers!
New favorite recipe!!!!! I didn’t have enough salmon so I also mixed in a can of tuna – super delicious! I also subbed eggs for flaxseed – a little vegan goodness 🙂
What ratios do you use for cabbage tossed with olive oil, vinegar, salt, and sugar?
Great question! We’ve never measured it out. You could try 2 cups shredded cabbage, 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, and a sprinkle of salt!