Grilling season just got an upgrade with these flavorful Pesto Salmon Burgers!
With just a few ingredients, these burgers are loaded with herby pesto flavor and make a perfect burger night twist.
They're also gluten free, low carb, Whole30, and keto-friendly.
Ingredients in Pesto Salmon Burgers
As you can probably guess, the first two ingredients are pesto and salmon!
As far as fish burgers go, salmon really is the way to go. It's inherently got a ton of flavor, and it's full of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Plus, it's readily available pretty much anywhere.
To truly let the flavor of that pesto pop, the rest of the ingredients list is pretty basic. Let the salmon and pesto shine!
- Salmon: Fresh salmon filets, boneless and skinless. Ideally, grab wild salmon, as it tends to have better color and flavor.
- Pesto: Yes, we're going to put pesto in the burgers themselves! The recipe below includes a dairy free homemade pesto, but you can use your favorite pesto recipe or grab a storebought version if you'd like.
- Egg white: One egg white will help to hold the salmon burgers together.
- Almond flour: Again, works as binding for the salmon burgers. I chose almond flour to keep the burgers gluten free. Plus, almond flour retains moisture so it won't dry out the burgers either.
- Shallot: Diced shallots have a more delicate flavor than onions, which have a little more bite. But, if all you've got is white or yellow onions, feel free to substitute them for the shallots.
Add a little salt and pepper, and there you have it - gluten free salmon burgers ready to go!
Can I use canned salmon for these burgers?
I'll be honest - I haven't tested this, but I don't see why not!
Canned salmon is typically pre-cooked, though, so the cook time would definitely be shorter than the recipe calls for.
I'd also recommend cooking them in a skillet instead of on the grill, as I'm not sure how well they would hold together.
If you DO give it a try, please let me know how it goes so I an update this section!
How to make homemade pesto (dairy free)
Pesto is one of the sauces of summer - knowing how to make a good pesto is a valuable kitchen skill!
An herby, nutty sauce, pesto incorporates:
- Fresh basil
- Pine nuts
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice
Typical pesto recipes also use parmesan, but to keep things dairy free I skipped it.
Instead, I put a vibrant twist on my pesto recipe by adding a bit of lemon juice. It adds a bit of brightness and zing!
From there, making pesto is as simple as adding the ingredients to a food processor and processing until mostly smooth.
How to make grilled salmon burgers with pesto
Let's make these Omega-3-bursting Pesto Salmon Burgers!
First, chop up the salmon fillet into small, ¼ inch chunks.
Add ¼ of those salmon pieces, the egg white, shallot, salt, and pepper to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until a paste is formed.
Scrape the salmon paste out into a bowl and add the remaining salmon pieces, almond flour, and pesto. Stir to combine it all together.
Form 4-6 patties from this mixture. The patties will fall apart pretty easily until they're cooked, so handle with care!
To help prevent the mixture from sticking to your hands, you can grease your hands with a bit of olive oil. Or, us wax paper to help form the patties.
At this point, you have to chill the patties for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
To pan-fry the salmon burgers on the stovetop, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the burgers and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side. Serve these burgers immediately however you like!
Otherwise, to make the pesto salmon burgers on the grill, preheat the grill to medium-high heat, about 400 degrees F. Oil the grill grates VERY well before adding the salmon patties - this is KEY to prevent sticking! Like above, cook for 4-5 minutes on each side.
How to serve Pesto Salmon Burgers
You can serve these salmon burgers on buns, in lettuce cups, or piled with toppings with no bun in sight!
For topping, I recommend slathering a bit more pesto on top of the burgers before adding sliced tomato and cucumbers.
Here are a few topping ideas to get you started:
- Pesto
- Creamy pesto (mix equal parts pesto and mayonnaise)
- Sliced tomatoes
- Sliced cucumbers
- Romaine lettuce
- Baby spinach
- Arugula
- Avocado
- Red onion
What sides go with salmon burgers?
Use what you're topping your salmon burgers with as a guide for what to serve as a side.
For example, if you're topping the burgers themselves with spinach or arugula, maybe skip a side salad. Likewise, you probably don't need more veggies on the side if you're topping with tomatoes and cucumbers, depending on your tastes.
That said, here are a few solid side options:
- Salad (an easy favorite: Tangy Cucumber Salad with Chives)
- Roasted vegetables
- French fries
- Sweet potato fries
- Rice
- Quinoa
- Coleslaw
More summertime grilling recipes
Whether you make these healthy salmon burgers with pesto on the stovetop or on the grill, I've got plenty more low carb burger recipes to try!
Fire up the grill and give the Bunless Burgers with Cilantro Dill Mayo Sauce a try, or take a left turn with Grilled Flank Steak with Olive Herb Relish.
Did you try this recipe? I'd love to hear what you think! Comment below or tag me on Instagram.
📖 Recipe
Grilled Salmon Burgers with Pesto
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 burger patties 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: grilled
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
These healthy grilled salmon burgers with pesto, inspired by a recipe in Burgers by Paul Gayler, intentionally have a short ingredients list for easy burgers with lots of flavor.
Ingredients
For the Dairy Free Pesto:
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 2 large cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
For the Salmon Burgers:
- 20 ounces fresh skinless, boneless salmon filet
- 1 egg white
- 1 shallot, finely chopped (2 tablespoons)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons pesto
- ¼ cup almond flour
- Extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Pesto Instructions:
- Add basil leaves, pine nuts, and garlic to a food processor and process until very finely minced.
- With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in the oil and process until smooth.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.
Salmon Burger Instructions:
- Cut the raw salmon into ¼ inch chunks. Add ¼ of the salmon, egg white, shallot, salt, and pepper to a food processor and pulse until a paste is formed.
- Combine the paste, chopped salmon, pesto, and almond flour in a bowl, mixing well.
- Form into 4-6 patties. The patties will fall apart fairly easily until they're cooked, so handle with care! Chill the patties in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.
- TO PAN-FRY: When ready to cook, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add the salmon patties. Cook on each side for 4-5 minutes, flipping gently in between.
- TO GRILL: Preheat a grill to medium-high heat (about 400 degrees F). Just before cooking the salmon burgers, oil the grill VERY well. This is key to prevent sticking! Add the burgers and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side, flipping just once.
- Serve immediately on buns or inside lettuce cups, topped with additional pesto, tomato slices, and cucumber slices, as desired.
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