How to Get Salmon Burgers to Stick Together: A Complete Guide

These Salmon Burgers are some of the healthiest and tastiest burgers you’ll ever eat! They are made with fresh salmon instead of canned salmon and don’t have any breadcrumbs or eggs added to them. It’s pure salmon goodness, all the way.

Salmon burgers are a delicious, protein-packed alternative to traditional beef burgers. While making salmon burgers at home, it can be hard to get them to hold their shape and stay together instead of crumbling apart on the grill or skillet.

Luckily, with the right preparation and cooking techniques, you can easily make salmon burgers that are tender and flaky on the inside while maintaining structural integrity on the outside This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know to make salmon burgers that stick

Why Salmon Burgers Fall Apart

Before jumping into solutions, it helps to understand why salmon burgers are prone to falling apart in the first place. There are two main reasons

Lack of natural binding agents. Beef and other meats contain connective tissues and fat that helps bind ground meat together. Salmon is very lean, so when ground up it needs help from other ingredients to stick together.
Delicate texture. Salmon is soft and delicate, and if you handle it too much, it can easily fall apart. Therefore, salmon patties require gentle treatment.

Choose the Right Salmon

For the best texture, use fresh wild salmon fillets instead of canned salmon. Skinless salmon fillets provide the perfect consistency when chopped up for burgers. Coho, sockeye, and king salmon are excellent choices. Ensure the fresh fish doesn’t have any bones.

Salmon Burger Binders

To compensate for salmon’s lack of natural binding agents, you need to add ingredients that will hold the burgers together as they cook. Here are the best options:

Breadcrumbs

Panko breadcrumbs are highly effective at absorbing moisture from the salmon, which helps strengthen the protein structure within the patties Use 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 cup panko per 1 pound of salmon

Eggs

Eggs act as an adhesive, sticking to the salmon proteins and creating a matrix that prevents crumbling. Use 1 large egg per 1 pound of fish.

Mayonnaise

The oil and egg yolks in mayonnaise help bind salmon burgers. Use 2 to 4 tablespoons per pound of salmon.

Preparing the Salmon Patties

Follow these steps for salmon that sticks:

Finely dice the salmon into 1⁄4 inch pieces. Uniformly small pieces bind better than large chunks.
Gently mix ingredients. Combine the diced salmon with your chosen binder ingredients: breadcrumbs, egg, mayonnaise, etc. Mix gently to distribute evenly without over-working the salmon.
Chill the mixture. Let the salmon mixture chill in the fridge for 30 minutes up to overnight. Chilling firms up the proteins so they hold together better.
Handle patties gently. Shape chilled mixture into patties using a light touch. Don’t compress too firmly.
Let patties rest. After shaping, allow patties to rest in the fridge for at least 15 more minutes before cooking. This helps set the shape.

Cook Salmon Burgers Carefully

The way you cook salmon burgers also impacts whether they stick together. Follow these tips:

Use a nonstick pan so burgers don’t fuse to the cooking surface. Well-oiled grills work too.
Don’t move the burgers until they develop a nice crust on the first side, about 4 minutes. Flipping too soon risks breakage.
Flip gently. Use a thin spatula to gently flip each patty when ready. Minimal handling prevents fragmentation.
Don’t crowd the pan. Give burgers 1-2 inches between them so they cook evenly without steaming each other apart.
Cook to proper temperature. Salmon burgers are done at an internal temperature of 145°F. Overcooking dries them out, leading to crumbling.

Troubleshooting Tips

What if your burgers still won’t stick, even after following these steps? Try these troubleshooting fixes:

Add more binder ingredients like breadcrumbs or egg
Refrigerate patties again after shaping to help firm up
Press down gently with a spatula while cooking to encourage sticking
Flip burgers even more gently, only once if possible
Brush a bit of oil on the outside of patties before cooking for added moisture

Creative Topping Ideas

While helping them stick together, don’t forget to add delicious toppings! These are some tasty options:

Sliced avocado
Tangy coleslaw
Crispy fried onions
Fresh tomato slices
Creamy lemon aioli
Pickled red onions
Sautéed mushrooms
Melted Swiss cheese
Herbed tartar sauce
Sriracha mayo

Healthy Sides for Salmon Burgers

What are some nutritious sides to serve alongside your hand-held salmon burgers? Consider these:

Quinoa salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, and chickpeas
Roasted sweet potato wedges
Sauteed spinach with garlic and lemon
Greek yogurt dip with chopped veggies
Summer berry salad
Baked sweet potato fries
Farro salad with artichoke hearts
Roasted brussels sprouts
Air fryer tater tots

Satisfying and Simple Salmon Burgers

With the knowledge of salmon’s unique qualities, the right binding ingredients, gentle preparation, and careful cooking, you can absolutely make flavorful salmon burgers that hold together beautifully.

The effort is well worth it for a satisfying, nutrition-packed meal. Just follow the tips in this guide for tender, flaky salmon burgers that happily stick together bite after tasty bite.

Meal Prep Tip

You can make your patties up to a day ahead of time and store them in the fridge in an airtight container. You can also make the sauce up to a day ahead of time and put it in the fridge in a separate container that won’t let air in.

how do you get salmon burgers to stick together

Salmon burgers that have been left over are great in salads, rice dishes, and can even be made into a tasty wrap. Dice up your burgers and add them to Quinoa Chickpea Salad, Lemon Rice, or Pasta al Limone.

How to Cook a Salmon Burger On the Stove

Salmon. The star of these fresh burgers! The diced salmon gets very soft and flaky while it’s cooking, giving the burgers a delicious texture.
Greek Yogurt. Our sneaky binding agent. Greek yogurt not only adds extra protein to our burgers but also makes them taste good and tangy.
Lemon Juice. Adding some lemon juice makes everything taste better and makes these burgers taste even better.
Ginger. An overlooked companion flavor to salmon is ginger. Ginger adds great balance to almost any fish. In this Soy Ginger Salmon, the ginger really stands out, but in these salmon burgers, the ginger is more of a side note.
Herbs + Spices. Herbs like parsley, cilantro, dill, chives, or a mix of these will work great here and give it a fresh taste.
Greek Yogurt Herb Sauce. A bit of vinegar, Greek yogurt, diced herbs (e. g. When cilantro, parsley, dill, or cilantro powder, and garlic powder are mixed together, they make a simple but delicious sauce that makes salmon burgers even more moist.

How do I keep my salmon patties from falling apart?

FAQ

How do you keep salmon burgers from falling apart?

Refrigerate The Mix, Use A Sheet Pan The cooler temperature of the mix will help everything stick together better when the patties are pan-fried, crisping them up nicely. If you have a lot of salmon patties to make, you can even forgo the pan altogether and bake them on a sheet tray in the oven.

Why are my salmon patties not sticking together?

Balance The Binders With The Moisture Every salmon patty or cake recipe calls for some combination of binding ingredients. These usually include eggs, flour, breadcrumbs, cracker crumbs, ground flaxseed, and so on. Without these binders, the salmon has nothing to stick to, so you can’t form patties.

How do you make salmon patties not fall apart?

It might be necessary to add more cracker crumbs. The salmon patties will fall apart if they are too wet. You need enough cracker crumbs to bind all the ingredients together. So that the patties will hold together and not fall apart.

How to cook salmon without falling apart?

Cooking Fillets Skin-Side Up “When pan-frying or grilling, cook salmon fillets skin-side down for 5-7 minutes, flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes,” says Norton. “You should also cook it skin-side down with other cooking methods, including baking.”

How do you make salmon burgers taste better?

For a more flavorful burger, use wild-caught salmon. Use fresh herbs for a fresh, bright taste — do not substitute with dried herbs. Burger toppings: for added texture and crunch, consider topping your salmon burgers with thinly sliced cucumber, avocado, or a zesty slaw, like our red cabbage slaw.

How to make a healthy burger?

There are different ways to make a healthy burger. Traditional bread can be replaced by wholemeal bread or skillet bread rich in fiber or other similar preparations. The sauce used can be a homemade avocado sauce or beet hummus for example. Meat can be prepared at home with ground beef and natural seasonings or you can use shredded chicken breast or canned tuna. Lettuce, tomato and onion are also welcome and a healthy burger.

How do you cook salmon burgers?

Spray the top side of the salmon burgers with non-stick spray. Cook over direct heat for about 3 minutes per side. Use an instant read thermometer to make sure they reach 145° internal temp. Drizzle 1-2 Tbsp. oil in a non-stick skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmery and hot add the salmon burgers.

What can I add to Salmon burgers?

Herbs like cilantro, parsley, dill, chives, or a mix will work perfectly here and add a touch of freshness. Greek Yogurt Herb Sauce. A bit of vinegar, Greek yogurt, diced herbs (e.g. cilantro, parsley, or dill), and garlic powder mixed together make an easy, yet impeccable sauce for salmon burgers that adds even more moisture.