How to make pan seared salmon burgers with a spicy chipotle mayonnaise in under 30 minutes.
Related: We love seafood, and especially love this easy shrimp salad.
How to Make Pan Seared Salmon Burgers
We keep the salmon simple. To get a really nice sear, we brush a little agave over the salmon and season with salt and pepper. When we add the salmon to a hot skillet the agave caramelizes and browns. The salmon only takes a few minutes on each side.
While the salmon cooks, we make the simplest spicy mayonnaise to go with it. Start with store-bought or homemade mayonnaise then stir in chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, lime juice and fresh cilantro. You can find canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in the international aisle of grocery stores as well as in Hispanic or Asian markets.
To assemble the sandwiches, spread a little bit of the chipotle mayonnaise on the bottom of a bun and then add some greens — arugula or baby spinach are nice. Finally, top with your pan-seared salmon. Easy!
Pan Seared Salmon Burgers
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
I love these pan seared salmon burgers. We make a simple chipotle mayonnaise to spread on the bun. You can do this using a food processor or if you prefer, mince the chipotle pepper and cilantro very small and just stir into the mayonnaise with a spoon. You can find canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in the international aisle of grocery stores as well as in Hispanic or Asian markets.
You Will Need
Salmon Burgers1 tablespoon grape seed or canola oil
4 center cut salmon fillets, skin removed, about 6 ounces each
2 tablespoons agave nectar or substitute honey
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 cup baby arugula
4 bread rolls
Spicy Mayonnaise1 cup mayonnaise, see our homemade mayonnaise recipe
1 or 2 small chipotle peppers in adobo, seeded, depending spice level
1 tablespoon sauce from the canned adobo chile
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
Directions
- Prepare Salmon
1Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat.
2Brush agave onto both sides of the salmon fillets then season with salt and pepper. Add salmon to the skillet and cook 2 to 3 minutes until the agave forms a nice brown crust. Turn the fillets and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork.
3Transfer to a plate and rest for 5 minutes.
- Make Mayonnaise
1Add the mayonnaise, minced pepper, adobo sauce, cilantro and lime juice to a small food processor. Season with about 1/4 teaspoon of salt then blend until mostly smooth. Taste and adjust with more peppers, sauce or salt.
- To Finish
1Slather mayonnaise onto bread rolls then add a handful of arugula to the bottom slice of each roll. Place salmon on top and enjoy.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Nutrition facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA database to calculate approximate values. We assumed a ciabatta roll and 6 tablespoons of the mayonnaise for 4 burgers.
If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #inspiredtaste — We love to see your creations on Instagram and Facebook! Find us: @inspiredtaste
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Recipe updated, originally posted June 2010. Since posting this in 2010, we have tweaked the recipe to be more clear. – Adam and Joanne
So good! I made these burgers for my husband and I last night and he’s told me to keep this recipe on deck as it was so delicious! I doubled the amount of cilantro and adobo sauce to our taste for the chipotle mayo. I topped the burgers off with thinly sliced onion, avacado, tomato and baby arugula. Delish!
That chipotle mayo on top of this perfectly grilled salmon burger looks perfectly delicious – can’t wait to try it.