Open-faced grilled salmon burgers are quick, delicious, and nutritious.  Made with fresh salmon chunks and served on a grilled baguette slice with the most flavorful basil mayonnaise. 

If you love burgers, try our Mediterranean Turkey Burgers. They are a family favorite recipe!

Summer is all about the burgers and these open-faced grilled salmon burgers are everything you want in a delicious burger. Made with fresh chunks of salmon. They’re tender and soft with so much flavor. Not to mention they’re healthy and fairly quick to make.

They’re served on a toasted baguette slice instead of a traditional brioche bun with basil mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, and avocado. The basil mayonnaise is so creamy and refreshing!

Tips for Juicy Salmon Burgers

  • Use quality salmon  – Preferably wild-caught. It should look moist and shiny, not dull. Avoid salmon with any browned spots. You want vibrant-colored salmon.
  • Hand chop the salmon – Ditch the food processor and instead use a sharp knife to finely chop the salmon. You want big juicy chunks of salmon in each bite.
  • Let the mixture rest – After you add the breadcrumbs, let the mixture rest for 5-10 minutes or until the breadcrumbs absorb some of the moisture. Otherwise, the mixture will be too wet to form into patties and will not hold up. 
  • Do not overcook – Most importantly do not overcook the patties. They will taste dry and most likely fall apart. You want to cook them on a gas grill over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes per side. 

Katya’s TIP: How do you keep salmon burgers from drying out? Use an instant-read cooking thermometer. The internal temperature should be about 130°F. It’s the most accurate way to check for doneness. And also a good way to ensure the salmon burgers are not overcooked.

salmon burgers with basil mayonnaise

Ingredients You Will Need:

  • Fresh salmon, preferably wild-caught
  • Green onions
  • Fresh parsley
  • Eggs
  • Mayonnaise
  • Dijon mustard
  • Lemon juice
  • Olive oil
  • Breadcrumbs
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
ingredients for salmon burgers

How to Make Grilled Salmon Burgers

Step 1: Chop the salmon – Using a sharp knife, remove the skin and hand-chop the salmon very finely. 

chopped up salmon on cutting board

Step 2: Combine the ingredients – In a large bowl, combine the chopped salmon, green onions, parsley, eggs, mayonnaise, Dijon, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. Season with black pepper, to taste. Stir the mixture until combined.

Mix in the breadcrumbs and let rest until the breadcrumbs soak up some of the moisture, about 5 minutes.

salmon with breadcrumbs in bowl

Step 3: Form into patties – Form the mixture into 6 patties and place on a plate or parchment-lined pan.

raw salmon patties

Step 4: Grill – Preheat a gas grill on medium-high heat. Thoroughly clean grates with a grill brush and oil. Gently place the burgers on a hot grill and cook for about 3 minutes covered, gently flip and cook 3 more minutes covered. Do not overcook! The internal temperature should be about 130°F.

In the last 2 minutes of cooking, add the baguette slices to the grill and grill until toasted on both sides.

grilled salmon burgers on a grill

Ways to Serve

These grilled salmon burgers are open-faced so instead of a traditional brioche bun, they’re served on a toasted baguette slice with basil mayonnaise, tomatoes, avocado, and lettuce.

The basil mayonnaise consists of fresh basil, little honey, fresh lemon juice, and mayo. And with a couple of pulses in a food-processor it turns into the most delicious spread. 

And if you want to turn the salmon burgers into a complete meal, try these sides:

basil mayonnaise in a food processor

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to grill a salmon burger?

Salmon burgers should be cooked on medium-high heat for about 3 minutes per side. Burgers are done when they are lightly golden brown and the internal temperature registers at 130F.

How do you keep salmon burgers from sticking to the grill?

To make sure the burgers don’t stick to the grill thoroughly clean grates with a grill brush and then spray the grates with a non-stick spray or brush with a paper towel dipped in oil. Also before adding the burgers to the grill, make sure it’s been preheated properly.

How do you keep salmon burgers from falling apart on the grill?

If you overcook the burgers, they will fall apart, plus they will taste dry. The most accurate way to check for doneness is with an instant-read thermometer. It should register at about 130F.

grilled salmon burgers with basil mayonnaise

Love salmon dishes? Try these salmon recipes!

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side view of salmon burgers on baguette slice

Grilled Salmon Burgers

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review
  • Author: Katya
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 10 mins
  • Total Time: 25 mins
  • Yield: 6 1x
  • Category: Main
  • Method: Grilled
  • Cuisine: American

Description

Open-faced grilled salmon burgers are quick, delicious, and nutritious.  Made with fresh salmon chunks and served on a grilled baguette slice with the most flavorful basil mayonnaise. 


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 pound fresh salmon, skinned, de-boned, and finely diced
  • 2 green onions, sliced (green + white part)
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 3 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 tsp. Kosher salt
  • 1 cup plain breadcrumbs, not seasoned
  • Fresh ground black pepper

Basil Mayonnaise

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
  • 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp. honey
  • Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

To Serve

  • Toasted french baguette slices, sliced about 3/4-inch thick
  • Tomato slices
  • Avocado slices
  • Lettuce

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, combine the salmon, green onions, parsley, eggs, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. Season the mixture with black pepper, to taste, and mix to combine.
  2. Mix in the breadcrumbs and let the mixture rest until the breadcrumbs soak up some of the moisture, about 5 minutes.
  3. Form the salmon into 6 patties and transfer to a hot oiled grill and cook for about 3 minutes on each side on medium-high heat. Do not overcook! In the last 2 minutes of cooking, add the baguette slices to the grill and cook until toasted on both sides.
  4. To serve, generously spread one side of baguette slice with the basil mayo and then top with lettuce, tomato, avocado, and salmon patty. You can top the burger with little more mayo and lettuce if you like.

Basil Mayonnaise

  1. Add ingredients to a bowl of a food processor and pulse until blended. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Notes

  • See post for tips on how to make sure the burgers are not dry and do not fall apart.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 burger
  • Calories: 685
  • Sugar: 5.8 g
  • Sodium: 1316.4 mg
  • Fat: 34.2 g
  • Carbohydrates: 63.5 g
  • Protein: 32.6 g
  • Cholesterol: 112.2 mg