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Switching things up with these Sesame Crusted Curried Salmon Burgers with Lemony Herbs. Pan seared salmon burgers seasoned with spicy red curry and coated in sesame seeds. Serve these flavorful, healthy, salmon burgers on top of fresh naan smeared with lemon yogurt and finished with an herb topping. Not only are these salmon burgers healthy and delicious, but they feel kind of fun and fancy too. Great for Mother’s Day entertaining and spring and summer dinners to come.
Admittedly, burgers are not usual my go-to. I know that’s a bit crazy. Most people love a good burger, whether it’s meat based, vegetarian, or something with seafood. In the past I have struggled with burgers, but not in the ways you may be thinking. It’s the photos! I really struggle with photographing a delicious looking burger…or really a sandwich of any kind. Which is why I often shy from sharing them here on HBH.
Yes, I do know that is so beyond crazy. But as I’ve said before, the photos I share with you guys are just as important to me. I want everything to look mouth-watering and delicious. I truly believe that we eat with our eyes first. So, I’ve spent the past 6+ year fearing burgers. But lately I’ve been looking to challenge myself…in an effort to stay creative and not get board.
So I decided to make a burger. A curried salmon burger, crusted in sesame seeds, and finished with an herby topping. This burger is a good one. And while I cannot say I whole heartedly love the photos (but then I never really say that anyway), I do whole heartedly love this recipe.
If you’re new to salmon burgers, they’re just what they sound like. Ground fresh salmon formed into a patty, just like you’d make any other burger. You’ll need to use a food processor to grind the salmon up. Which isn’t the most fun task, but I promise it will be worth it.
The salmon is mixed with red curry paste for flavor, and then crusted in sesame seeds. The curry paste and sesame seeds are KEY. These two ingredients make this burger next level good. As the burgers cook, the sesame seeds get all nice and toasty, creating a delicious crust around the salmon. Truly, so good, and could be enjoyed just as is.
But with every really good burger you need condiments and toppings. Enter this cooling lemon yogurt, and this zippy buttery herb topping…and the naan, oh, can’t forget the naan!
The yogurt is pretty simple and basic, plain Greek yogurt with lemon, crushed red pepper, and a little salt. Can’t go wrong here. It’s the perfect cooling sauce to serve with a spicy salmon burger, so don’t underestimate its simplicity.
The herb topping is what’s really special though. It’s a combo of fresh herbs (I like to use cilantro, mint, and parsley) and arugula tossed with buttery shallots and lemon. It adds just the right amount of freshness and color to each burger. And those crispy shallots that are mixed in, well they’re a real game changer. Meaning they are SO GOOD. They add just the slightest crunch with each bite.
The tricky thing about these salmon burgers is that they really need to be pan seared. Meaning these are not burgers you should throw on the grill. I know, a bit of a pain if you’re planning to grill out, but that sesame seed crust is worth the extra effort. Trust me.
To round out the meal, I love serving these burgers along with a side of homemade sweet potato fries. You’ll then have your protein, your omega-3s, your greens, and plenty of colorful orange vegetables too.
Healthy food done right!
If you make these sesame crusted salmon burgers, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Sesame Crusted Curried Salmon Burgers with Lemony Herbs.
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 1089 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds raw skinless salmon
- 2 tablespoons red curry paste
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 1 clove garlic, minced or grated
- 1 pinch each kosher salt and crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/3 cup raw sesame seeds
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- zest of 1 lemon
- 2 cups fresh herbs, such as cilantro, mint, and parsley, roughly torn
- 1 cup fresh arugula
- 4 fresh naan, warmed
- romaine lettuce, for serving
Lemon Yogurt
- 1 cup plain greek yogurt
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- juice from 1 lemon
- kosher salt
Instructions
- 1. Add the salmon to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until it’s finely ground, about 30 seconds. Add the salmon to a bowl and mix with curry paste, ginger, garlic, and a pinch each of salt and crushed red pepper flakes. Form the mix into 4 burger patties.2. Place the sesame seeds in a shallow bowl and coat both sides of the burgers in seeds. Cover the burgers and chill 15-30 minutes. 3. Meanwhile, make the yogurt. Mix all ingredients in a bowl until smooth. 4. Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the salmon burgers and cook until the seeds are toasted and golden brown, 3-4 minutes per side. Remove from the skillet. Wipe the skillet clean. 5. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and the butter in the skillet over high heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally until caramelized, about 3 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest. Remove the shallots to a paper towel lined plate. Reserve the oil in the pan. 6. To make the herb topping. In a small bowl, toss together the herbs, arugula, reserved oil, and the crisp shallots. 7. To assemble, spread each piece of naan with yogurt. Add the lettuce, then the burger, and then the herb topping. Serve and enjoy!
Ok, this works with canned salmon! I used two 6 oz. cans (made 4 patties) mixed with one medium size egg and two teaspoons of mayo. They were not dry at all!
The other modifications I had to do since I was short on some ingredients is I used curry powder instead of the paste (approx 1tbsp). I also added in a few small yellow tomatoes when I was heating up the shallots and herbs.
So different and so delicious! We were surprised how good it all tasted together especially with the yogurt cream sauce which seemed bland until everything was melded together.
Hey Kerri,
Wonderful! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for trying it out! Thanks for sharing what worked well for you. Have a great weekend:)
I have to say, we loved this recipe. I got the prep done early and it all just came together. I did not have enough sesame seeds, and there were none at the local grocers. So I added panko. Next time it will be all sesame seeds, The only change I would make is to make more of the yogurt sauce. Thanks for another great meal!!!!
Hey Kim,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! ?xx
This recipe is ideal for people who don’t like salmon but want to incorporate it into their diet. I love the taste of salmon, so I was a little disappointed that little of the salmon flavor or texture came through. They are certainly good, however, and I am happy to have tried something new. I don’t think I will make them again with fresh salmon but with thawed frozen salmon, as that tends to have a flavor I’d like to disguise.
Hey there,
Happy Sunday! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xTieghan
This was excellent. I used canned wild salmon and didn’t use a food processor. everything else i did as per recipe. I refrigerated the patties 20 minutes which was not enough, as it kind of fell apart when eating. My 4 and 7 year old daughters and husband devoured it.
Love that! Thank you for trying this recipe, Deepa! xTieghan
Such a great weeknight dinner. Super easy. Super healthy. Check out Tieghan’s naan recipe to go along with this. Such a pretty plate when it’s done and nothing too complicated. Another winner, girl!
Thank you Victoria! So happy you enjoyed this! xTieghan
Wow – this is so delicious!!! Relatively easy and quick but so flavorful! Thank you!!
Thank you Maggie! xTieghan
Absolutely delicious, I made it into a burger with grilled mushrooms, grilled kale, and grilled zucchini. I will be making again.
Thank you so much Ali!! xTieghan
I, historically, HATE salmon but it’s so healthy I keep trying to eat it to make myself like it. I made this recipe this weekend and it was SO DELICIOUS. I finished the whole thing and probably could have eaten another burger. My friend (who actually LIKES salmon), loved it too. Thanks for saving the day!!! I will make this a million more times.
I am so glad this changed your mind on it!! Thank you so much for trying this one, Emily! xTieghan
This recipe sounds delicious! My wife has recently made me realize I love salmon so I will definitely be making this for her. One question though. How is the patty served on the naan? Is it one piece on top and bottom? One piece wrapped around? Or just one piece on the bottom? Thanks!
Hi Ronnie,
I just serve it over one piece of naan. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I used Trader Joe’s Everything But The Bagel seasoning instead of sesame seeds for the crust and it was amazing – give it a whirl! Thanks for the recipe!
YES! I love that seasoning! Thank you for trying this Morgan! xTieghan
For anyone wondering about using canned salmon, I’m planning on making this recipe using canned salmon, but I’m making these adjustments: adding 2 eggs and 2 tablespoons of mayo. These will bind the burgers and prevent the salmon from drying out since it’s already cooked.
I’ll try to post a follow up comment once I’ve tried it out on this recipe!
I hope it turns out amazing for you Jessica! xTieghan
Made this recipe last night – have to say it was the first one I’ve made of yours that I was less than thrilled with. Didn’t get any curry flavor from the 2 tablespoons that the recipe called for, or ginger. Not sure if this was a common problem, but the burgers did have a little trouble staying formed after being ground and mixed with the spices. Ultimately after cooking, the burger was quite dry/crumbly. It looked nice, so I’ll definitely give it points there, and the lemon yogurt was a welcome bit of added flavor. So were the shallots and herbs, and I’d advise anyone making this not to skimp on those two sections of the recipe.
I wanted to love this recipe, because i do love a salmon burger, but this one needs a little adjustment before I’d try it again.
Hi Catherine! I am sorry this did not turn out as well as expected! Are there any questions I could help you with or any step that may have been forgotten? I just want to help you out as much as I can! Anyway, I hope you try other recipes on my blog and love those! xTieghan
I made these last night and they were fantastic. The recipe was easy to follow wasn’t too ingredient heavy. I will definitely make this again!
Thank you Eric! xTieghan
I made these tonight (my first half baked harvest recipe!) and OMG. These are totally incredible. I was just sort of throwing them together not really thinking how all the flavors would go together and WOW. Totally blown away. Will make again! On to the next half baked harvest recipe….
haha so great! Thank you so much Kristen! xTieghan