Everyone has a salmon burger recipe. But THIS salmon burger recipe is really, really good. My friend Matt adapted a Mark Bittman recipe and served them up to my family a few months ago. I coined them “salmon smashburgers” by the way he haphazardly tossed balls of the salmon mixture into a pan and smashed them with a spatula (I cover a potato masher in parchment paper and secure with a rubber band around the handle. This keeps the salmon from sticking to the masher).

These burgers are so good, no bun is needed (but you can certainly add a bun if you’d like). They are moist, super flavorful, and a total hit.

This is also a great way to use the extra salmon meat when you’re filleting salmon. I filleted about 70 sockeye salmon over the past week and I used a serrated grapefruit spoon to scrape away any meat I might have left on the ribs after I filleted each fish.

Salmon Smashburgers

Makes about 4 burgers
Cook time from start to finish: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless salmon
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 3 scallions
• 1/2 cup panko
• Juice of half a lime
• 1 tablespoon capers
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Arugula, for serving
• Sriracha mayo, for serving (See recipe below)
• Lemon or lime wedges, for serving

Sriracha mayo:

• 1/3 cup Kewpie mayo (the non-American kind with MSG is the best)
• 2 tablespoons Sriracha (or more to taste)
• Juice of half a lime
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Directions:

Cut the salmon into chunks and place a quarter of it in a food processor with the mustard. Turn on the food processor and and let it run, scraping down the sides if necessary, until it’s a paste.

Add the scallions and remaining salmon and pulse the food processor until the fish is chopped and well combined with the salmon puree. The salmon pieces should be about 1/4-inch big.

Scrape the mixture into a bowl and stir in the panko, capers, salt and pepper. Form into four equal balls and set on a plate.

Combine all the ingredients for the Sriracha mayo and set aside.

Heat a griddle or large frying pan over medium high and melt the butter. When the foam subsides, add each salmon ball, smashing it down so each one is nice and thin. Cook till browned, about 3-4 minutes, then flip and cook the other side for 1-2 minutes.

Serve on a bed of arugula and top with Sriracha mayo and a squeeze of lemon or lime.