Salmon Burger with Grapefruit-Ginger Glaze
Fresh salmon patty with grapefruit-ginger glaze, avocado slices, and mixed greens on a whole-grain bun.
- Prep
- 15min
- Cook
- 10min
- Total
- 25min
- Serves
- 2
- Calories
- 750per serving, est.
By Time for Burgers, updated
Chopping the salmon by hand gives these patties a flaky texture closer to a fillet than to a fish cake. Use a sharp knife and stop at small, even pieces; a food processor overshoots into paste in seconds. With only egg white and panko as binders, handle the mix lightly.
The glaze is grapefruit juice and honey thickened with cornstarch, finished with raw ginger. Its sweet, slightly bitter sharpness cuts the oiliness of salmon the way lemon does, with more body. The patties need 3 to 4 minutes a side. Salmon alone is done at 145°F (63°C), but the raw egg white means cooking to 160°F (71°C).
Salmon Burger with Grapefruit-Ginger Glaze
Prep 15 min, cook 10 min, total 25 min. About 750 calories per serving.
timeforburgers.com/recipes/pacific-citrus-salmon-burger
Serves 2.
Ingredients
Instructions
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In a bowl, combine finely chopped salmon with 1 tsp grated ginger, 2 tsp soy sauce, egg white, 2 tbsp panko breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper. Mix gently and form into 2 equal patties.
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and pan-sear salmon patties for 3-4 minutes per side, until golden and an instant-read thermometer in the center reads 160°F (71°C). Salmon alone is done at 145°F (63°C), but the raw egg white in the mix needs the higher temperature.
While patties cook, make the citrus glaze: In a small saucepan, combine ¼ cup grapefruit juice and 1 tbsp honey. Bring to a simmer, add cornstarch slurry, and cook for 2 minutes until thickened. Stir in remaining 1 tsp grated ginger.
Brush the grapefruit-ginger glaze generously over the cooked salmon patties.
Toast whole-grain buns until lightly golden.
Assemble burgers: place 1½ oz mixed greens on bottom buns, add glazed salmon patties, top with avocado slices, drizzle with extra glaze, and crown with top buns.
Tips
- Freeze the salmon for 15-20 minutes before chopping. Firm fish cuts into clean pieces instead of smearing.
- Chill the shaped patties for 15 minutes; with so little binder, cold patties turn over in one piece.
- Use a nonstick pan and a thin fish spatula, and wait until the crust releases on its own before turning.
- Simmer the glaze the full 2 minutes after the cornstarch goes in, or it keeps a chalky, starchy taste.
Substitutions
- Orange juice for grapefruit: sweeter, so cut the honey a little. It's also the swap to make if a medication you take rules out grapefruit.
- Gluten-free: tamari for soy sauce, gluten-free panko and a gluten-free bun.
- Arctic char or trout instead of salmon: same method, and the same 160°F (71°C) target because of the egg white.
Make ahead & storage
The glaze keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge; rewarm it with a splash of water. Cooked patties keep 3 to 4 days and can be reheated gently to 165°F (74°C), though they dry out, so leftovers are often better flaked cold over greens. Slice the avocado only when serving.
