Why This Recipe Works

The fat in salmon is very delicate and thus prone to liquefying when the fish is mechanically ground, so most salmon burger recipes call for mincing the salmon for burgers by hand, a tedious prospect when you’re making four hefty burgers. Instead, we cut our salmon into ¾-inch chunks and par-froze it before chopping it in the food processor. This brief chill fortified the fat against the heat-generating friction of the processor. Sprinkling salt over the salmon before grinding drew a sticky protein called myosin out of the cut surfaces of the salmon, making our patties more cohesive. A small amount of panko bread crumbs mixed into the chopped salmon soaked up juices and captured them inside the burgers as they cooked. Starting the burgers in a cold skillet brought the temperature of the fish up more slowly, so our burgers retained their moisture. We halted the cooking when the burgers reached 110 degrees; carryover cooking during a 5-minute rest brought them to an ideal 125 degrees (for wild salmon, stop cooking at 105 degrees and let rest until they reach 120).

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Before You Begin

If buying a skin-on salmon fillet, purchase 1⅓ pounds to yield 1¼ pounds after skinning. During the 5-minute rest, the temperature of the burgers will rise to 125 degrees, the ideal temperature for farmed salmon. If using wild salmon, grease the skillet with 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil before adding the burgers; cook the burgers until they register 105 degrees. If you prefer a spicier mayonnaise, use the full 2 tablespoons of sriracha.

Instructions

Spread salmon pieces on parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and freeze until very firm and starting to harden around edges but still pliable, 20 to 25 minutes. Combine panko, parsley, 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, lemon juice, shallot, mustard, and pepper in medium bowl. Mix remaining ¼ cup mayonnaise with sriracha in small bowl and set aside. Line plate with paper towel.

Transfer salmon to food processor and sprinkle with salt (reserve parchment). Pulse until coarsely chopped into ¼-inch pieces, 13 to 18 pulses. Transfer to bowl with panko mixture. Mix vigorously until uniformly combined. Smooth salmon into even layer and use edge of spatula to divide into 4 equal portions. Transfer portions to reserved parchment.

Shape each portion into patty about 3½ inches in diameter and transfer to unheated 12-inch nonstick skillet. Heat skillet over medium-high heat and cook patties, without moving, until undersides are well browned and bottom ⅓ inch turns opaque, 5 to 6 minutes. Carefully flip patties and continue to cook until second side is well browned and burgers register 110 degrees at center, 4 to 5 minutes longer. Transfer to prepared plate and let rest for 5 minutes.

Spread bun bottoms with sriracha mayonnaise. Top with lettuce, burgers, and bun tops and serve.