If you have just had a house full of guests for Easter weekend and you want an easy to make dinner that doesn’t compromise taste or nutrition, this is it. Salmon burgers and a simple fresh creamy slaw.

Salmon burgers can be made with fresh raw salmon, fresh cooked salmon or canned salmon (but try not to choose door number three). My favorite way to make salmon burgers is using fresh cooked salmon.  Mainly because it’s a great recipe for using yesterdays left over salmon.  I promise you, these are in a far better league than the ready-made frozen patties you can buy. You can make them and freeze them for another day and they’re still better than ready made frozen salmon patties.  I’m all for convenience and I have bought ready made frozen salmon burgers before.  That’s why I can tell you without a doubt fresh salmon burgers win every time. If you are not using left over salmon simply poach your salmon filet in a pocket of tin foil or parchment paper for about 10-15 minutes at 375° and you have cooked salmon ready to make your burgers with.  Let it cool a bit so you can handle it to form patties and be sure to remove the skin.

Why not make this recipe with raw salmon? Well, with precooked salmon I don’t have to worry about making sure the big juicy salmon burgers are cooked through the center.  I just have to fry it up till it’s the perfect shade of golden and serve it.  It’s just a little easier than the guess and test method that would be necessary when making burgers from raw salmon.  If you like it that way better, go for it.  Why not canned, Well…because it’s canned. 

These delicious “burgers” can be served on a bed of creamy slaw  or tucked neatly into a whole grain bun (ok, any bun you like, but I’m trying to keep it somewhat healthy) We like it with a few slices of avocado, onion, lettuce or some of the creamy slaw.  Or, you can simply serve your salmon burger sans bread right on top of a pile of this fresh green slaw. The creamy crunchy slaw goes really well with texture and flavor of the salmon. The slaw is made with yogurt not mayonnaise so it’s even lighter in taste and calories, bonus!

Salmon Burgers + Slaw

INGREDIENTS

• 16 ounces cooked salmon
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs (combination of parsley, chives and dill)
• juice of 1/2 lemon juice
• olive oil for pan-frying
• whole grain rolls for serving as a sandwich

Cabbage Slaw:

• 1 head green cabbage, finely shredded
• 1/2 head fennel finely sliced
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp honey
• 2-3 tablespoons white distilled vinegar (more to taste)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• a drizzle of olive oil

METHOD

• For the Salmon Burgers:
• Flake the salmon apart. Mix all burger ingredients together and form into 3 large or 4 medium patties.
• Heat olive oil over medium heat in a skillet (I use a cast iron frying pan).
• Fry the burgers for a few minutes on each side until golden brown and crispy.
• Place on a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with salt.

For the Slaw:

• Mix all slaw ingredients together. Taste and adjust. Refrigerate until ready to use.