A while ago, we made some seriously flavorful grilled salmon sliders that had us all aflutter with gushy feelings — and had us daydreaming about even bigger fish sandwiches. Enter: these decidedly full-size salmon burgers that pack a bunch of bright, fresh flavors between two pillowy, whole grain buns.

We make the patties with chopped salmon fillets, fresh parsley, green onions, lemon juice, and Old Bay seasoning. They grill up with a super moist texture — the perfect contrast to the toasted buns — and a pleasant herbiness. And to highlight that flavor, we slather the burgers in yogurt sauce with even more parsley, green onions, and lemon juice.

For toppings, we use a tuft of baby arugula for a peppery note. But the star fixin’ is our sweet, tangy pickled red onions, which all of the tasters in the test kitchen agree, take these salmon burgers from good to great. They also add some crisp, fresh crunch to the juicy patties and the creamy sauce.

We’d make these salmon burgers on the weekend for a light, poolside lunch, and sip on a juicy, fruity cocktail between those texture-packed bites. And the leftover patties? We’ll definitely be freezing them for some unfussy yet satisfying weekday meals.

Our tip: if you find yourself craving more heat with these salmon burgers, a few people in the test kitchen doused them in Louisiana hot sauce and loved it.

Yield: 8 burgers

Ingredients

For the patties:

2 ½ lb salmon fillets, skin and pin bones removed

2 large Gelson’s eggs, beaten

⅔ cup finely chopped parsley

¼ cup finely chopped green onions

2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup plain breadcrumbs

1 Tbsp Old Bay seasoning

½ tsp kosher salt

½ tsp freshly ground Gelson’s black pepper

For the sauce:

½ cup plain yogurt

2 Tbsp mayonnaise

2 Tbsp finely chopped parsley

2 Tbsp finely chopped green onions

1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

⅛ tsp kosher salt

⅛ tsp freshly ground Gelson’s black pepper

For the burgers:

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

8 wheat hamburger buns, split and toasted

½ cup pickled red onions

2 cups Gelson’s organic baby arugula

Directions

1. To make the patties: Chop the salmon into ⅛” to ¼” pieces. Transfer it to a medium bowl and add the eggs, parsley, green onions, lemon juice, plain breadcrumbs, Old Bay seasoning, kosher salt, and black pepper. Stir until well combined.
   

2. Divide the salmon mixture into 8 equal portions and shape each into a 3 ½” patty about ½” thick. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.

3. To make the sauce: In a small bowl, stir together the plain yogurt, mayonnaise, parsley, green onions, lemon juice, kosher salt, and black pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

4. To make the burgers: Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium heat (325° to 375°).

5. Brush the patties and the grill with the olive oil. Grill the patties for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, turning carefully, until cooked through and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of each patty registers 160°.

6. Serve the burgers on wheat buns with the sauce, pickled red onions, and baby arugula.

Recipe adapted from: All Recipes

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