Fresh Salmon Burgers

We usually try to pick up at least a couple servings of salmon, which we use for one of two salmon recipes - these homemade salmon burgers, or my salmon foil packets (which I’ll post soon!).

They’re both really great, light alternatives to some of the heavier meal options we gravitate to, when on the road. It’s also really nice to get some good, fresh food in with some of the convenience foods we keep on hand.

Salmon is also the perfect first for making burgers - it’s robust, hearty, and tends to stick together really well (in the right recipe!)

I also use a piece of bread as the binder, rather than bread crumbs. We tend to have bread on hand, and don’t really feel like packing bread crumbs on the road!

The salmon burger toppings I use in this recipe are simple, and very low-effort.

Anyway, these healthy salmon burgers come together in just minutes, and are great cooked over a campfire... or on an indoor grill, when you’re camping during a fire ban!

(We shot this recipe while staying at Oastler Lake Provincial Park, before running into fire bans later down the road on that trip!)

All in all, the perfect salmon burger for our camping trips - let’s take a look at what you’ll need for this recipe.

PS: If salmon isn’t your thing... don’t worry, I’ve got more burger recipes coming!

Ingredients

This recipe uses simple ingredients, it shouldn’t be too hard to find what you need in any larger grocery store.

As always, I have some ingredient notes for you:

Fresh Salmon

Try to use the best salmon you can get your hands on, to ensure the best flavor in the final salmon patties.

We usually end up buying fresh Atlantic salmon, as pre-portioned skinless salmon fillets. We like the delicate texture of this pink salmon.

Sometimes - as pictured - we’ll use sockeye salmon. This makes for a salmon burger that’s a LOT more red, a bit more firm when cooked, and has a slightly more robust flavour.

Sometimes we’ll get our hands on some wild salmon - usually frozen - which is fine. Thaw it first, drain, blot excess liquid before using.

If your salmon has skin on it, use a very sharp knife to carefully cut it off, before chopping the salmon up.

The key thing to keep in mind is that this recipe was designed for raw salmon. Canned salmon will NOT work.

Bread or Bread Crumbs

This is a camping version of my Spinach Feta Salmon Burgers - a recipe that’s just a little TOO involved for me to bother with, while we’re on the road.

While that one uses panko breadcrumbs, I use a single slice of shredded up bread in this recipe.

Any kind of bread will work, but you’ll get the best texture if it’s slightly dry before running it through a food processor.

Personally, I use gluten free Carbonaut bread, but in general... I’d just recommend sticking to a plain white bread. Anything dark or seeded is likely to affect the final taste and texture.

If you’d prefer to use breadcrumbs, ¼ cup works well.

Everything Else

Rounding out this recipe, you will need:

Hamburger Buns - Brioche Buns are what we normally use.
Red Onion
Lettuce
Olive Oil or Pan Spray
Mayonnaise
Fresh Dill
Lemon Zest
Ground Black Pepper
Garlic Powder
Salt

How to Make Homemade Fresh Salmon Burgers

The full recipe is in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post, here is the pictorial walk through:

Lemon Dill Mayonnaise

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, dill, and half of the lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then cover and chill until use.

Salmon Burger Patties

Rip your bread into small pieces, run through a mini food processor just until it forms bread crumbs.

Transfer crumbs to a medium bowl, along with the dill, garlic powder, ground pepper, remaining lemon zest, and salt. Set aside.

Use a sharp knife to cut salmon into chunks – about 1″ or so – and blitz the chopped salmon a couple times in the bowl of a food processor. You want there to be some small chunks, not just a super smooth mush.

Divide salmon burger mixture into 2 equal parts, shape into equal-sized patties. I like to do this on parchment paper, for easy clean up. If they’ll be cooked on an outdoor grill, that parchment paper is on a baking sheet, for easy transportation outside.

Gently flip each salmon patty – I like to use 2 large spatulas – and cook for a few more minutes, until cooked all the way through and lightly browned.

Salmon burgers are done when they reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. For best results, don’t overcook them!

Assembly

Spread the buns with the lemon-dill mayonnaise, arrange lettuce and onion slices as desired.

Place hot salmon patties onto the prepared buns and serve immediately.

Frying Pan Directions

Heat a large skillet, spray or coat with a small amount of olive oil. Cook salmon patties over medium heat for a few minutes, until they look to be cooked halfway up.

Gently flip each salmon patty and cook for a few more minutes, until cooked all the way through and lightly browned.

Leftovers

I don’t recommend reheating cooked salmon burgers. If you want to prepare them ahead of time, you can freeze the burgers after forming them.

Once frozen, tightly wrap in plastic wrap, and store in an airtight container in your freezer - we’ll usually use a freezer baggie. You can thaw in the fridge - NOT at room temperature - before cooking, or cook from frozen.

More Grilling Recipes for Camping

Looking for some great meals to cook on a campfire or grill? Here's a few of my favourites!

Bison Burgers with Bacon and Caramelized Onions
Campfire Pizza
Elk Burgers with Bacon & Sauteed Mushrooms
Fajita Chicken Kebabs
Greek Chicken Souvlaki
Grilled Chicken Fajitas
Easy Grilled Shrimp Tacos
Grilled Tuna Tacos
Mediterranean Chicken Kebabs

Be sure to check out our other Camping Recipes, including Camping Desserts, Camping Snacks, Make-Ahead Camping Mix Recipes, and a ton of delicious Camping Main Dish Recipes.

Also, we had SO much fun designing gourmet jerky recipes for our camping trips, we started a whole new blog for them! Check out Dried & Tasty for all kinds of fun recipes to make in your food dehydrator!