Whether you’re cutting back on red meat or looking to expand your burger game, wild-caught seafood is an omega-3-rich, delicious, and sustainable protein choice to serve on a burger bun.
Not only are seafood burgers a healthier choice all around. They’re also quite versatile, easily adapted to different flavor profiles, regardless of which fish you’ve chosen to make into burger patties — so don’t be shy about trying recipes that diverge from the classic lettuce-tomato-and-onion template.
In general, seafood burgers are best cooked indoors rather than on a grill, as they can be a bit fragile to flip; in addition, several of the following recipes actually need a hot pan with oil in order to develop a golden crust.
Here are 7 recipes for seafood burgers that will take you beyond basic, inspired by culinary traditions from around the world:
Avocado Salmon Burger
For a salmon burger that fits into your Whole30 or paleo diet, try this recipe from Kim’s Cravings. The patties have a summery flair, with a hint of lime, basil, and jalapeno. A ripe, diced avocado gets folded into the patties as well, making this burger particularly rich in unsaturated fats. If you’re a ranch dressing aficionado, the recipe also includes a simple homemade ranch sauce made from coconut milk and mayo to top things off.
Tandoori-Spiced Cod Burger
This cod burger from Nadiya Hussain gets an Indian-inspired twist with tandoori spices. Rather than forming the cod into patties, you’re simply cutting the fillets down to size and dipping them in a spiced yogurt before cooking them through in a pan. This same yogurt sauce will serve as a condiment to spread onto your burger buns. For the final touch, dress your tandoori burgers with a lazy cook’s pickled cucumber salad: store-bought pickles, elevated with the addition of fresh red onion and mint.
Herb and Lime Salmon Burger
Mint, cilantro, and scallions give The Kitchn’s salmon burgers a fresh and herby zing, punctuated with an easy-to-make lime mayonnaise. The recipe suggests dicing the salmon fillet with a knife rather than with a food processor — think salmon tartare, not salmon puree — to best preserve the patties’ moisture and keep them from becoming too dense. It’ll be easiest to slice the salmon when it’s not completely defrosted; see if you can time things so that the salmon is slightly frozen when you’re ready to dice it up.
Asian Fusion Salmon Burger
Zov Karamardian’s recipe for sesame-and-panko-crusted salmon burgers completely changes things up by integrating spicy sambal oelek and other South Asian ingredients like fish sauce, cilantro, and ginger into the patty. You’ll want to let the burger patties sit in the refrigerator for two hours or so after forming them; this will give the salmon time to marinate. You could also assemble the patties a day ahead of time if you like. Serve with a simple lime and herb cabbage slaw.
Crispy Leftover Fish Burger
Food & Wine’s recipe for a burger made with leftover fish is versatile and easy to make, held together with crispy panko breadcrumbs and a mayo mixture flavored with cilantro, jalapeno, and scallions. You can use any fish you have on hand — doesn’t matter if it’s pollock, rockfish, cod, salmon, or halibut, as long as it’s already cooked.
Teriyaki and Pineapple Salmon Slider
Another slider, this teriyaki glazed salmon burger from Serious Eats is sweet and savory to the max. The patty is bound together with mayo, which keeps the burger moist. Additionally, the mayo will help to prevent the patty from sticking to the grill or a pan. Serve on a Hawaiian-style roll and top with a grilled hunk of pineapple.
Beer-Battered Cod Slider
This recipe from Sandwich King’s Jeff Mauro will satisfy your fish and chips craving with the help of a slider bun. Using a nice stout in the batter will give these sliders just the right touch of bitterness to complement its zesty fennel slaw. Since you’ll need to heat up a considerable amount of frying oil in a dutch oven — about six cups, unless you’re going to improvise with a miniature setup — we recommend saving this recipe for a time when you’ll be making a more sizable batch of sandwiches so that you’re not making a fuss in your kitchen for only a slider or two.
