These delicious, healthy Healthy Salmon Quinoa Burgers, made with wild salmon, quinoa, and kale are loaded with good-for-you omegas and tons of protein!
Salmon Quinoa Burgers
Salmon is my favorite fish, and I love making salmon burgers to switch things up. I have made a few variations of salmon burgers in my books and website, but I had to share this salmon burger recipe I had for lunch in Santa Cruz, California because I loved it.
If you can imagine spending a weekend with a group of food bloggers means eating lots great food, well you’re right. We worked, cooked, took long walks on the beach and ate REALLY well. Jaden, of Steamy Kitchen prepared this dish for us from leftover salmon and quinoa from dinner the night before and it was so darn good I asked her if I could remake it to share with you.
I don’t recommend using cooked salmon because they fall apart without having to add a ton of eggs and breadcrumbs, so I tested them and used raw wild salmon instead. The results came out perfect! Here I served them over a simple arugula salad with grapefruit, and a mustard-shallot vinaigrette, but any salad greens would be wonderful here.
Are salmon burgers good for you?
Yes! Salmon is an excellent source of several B vitamins, rich in high-quality protein and is one of the best sources of the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. It’s also a good source of potassium which helps control blood pressure and prevent excess fluid retention.
How To Make Salmon Quinoa Burgers
More Salmon Recipes
Salmon Quinoa Burgers
Ingredients
- 16 oz wild salmon fillet, skin removed
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/3 cup diced shallots
- 1 cup kale, chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3/4 cup cooked quinoa
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp Old Bay
- 1 large egg, beaten
For the salad:
- 2 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 1/2 tbsp champagne vinegar
- 2 tbsp minced shallots
- 1 1/ 4 tsp dijon mustard
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 10 loose cups baby arugula
- 1 large pink grapefruit, peeled and diced
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, vinegar, shallots, dijon, salt and pepper.
- Cut about a 4 oz piece off or the salmon and place in a food processor or chopper to finely chop. This will help hold the burgers together.
- With a knife finely chop the remaining salmon, transfer to a large work bowl.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, add the oil and saute shallots and kale. Season with salt and pepper and cook over medium heat until wilted and tender, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Transfer to the bowl with salmon along with quinoa, Dijon, Old Bay and egg. Mix to combine, then form into 5 patties, about 1/2 cup each.
- Lightly heat a nonstick grill pan or skillet over medium heat, when hot spray with oil and add the salmon patties. Cook the 4 to 5 minutes, then gently turn and cook an additional 4 to 5 minutes, or until cooked through.
- Toss the dressing with the arugula and grapefruit; divide on four plates.
- Top each salad with a salmon burger.
I made these for lunch today and quite enjoyed them. Followed the recipe exactly and I would make them again. My husband doesn’t like hot food on his salad so he ate just the burger and he liked it by itself too. My daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter all enjoyed lunch too!
These are absolutely delicious! I’m curious if anyone has tried cooking them in an air fryer?
I’ve been making this recipe for years. It always brings me joy and leaves me feeling satisfied and healthy! It is great for meal prepping! I add a few tablespoons of chia seeds to the patties to help hold them together.
I just made these for lunch amazing I did not make the salad but I do like the dressing ,I will definitely make this again but make my Cut up a lot more I will definitely definitely make this again and pass it on to my friends
Thank you
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Made this except with canned salmon and subbed spinach for kale..the quinoa when it is fried in tad of oil ,spray butter adds a crunchy taste…very good…will make again…..adding quinoa-‘this is a great way to ‘stretch’ your fish!!
Love these amazing recipes full of flavor great for girls get together.Just love ❤️ them
Wow! I’m obsessed. I’m making a double batch this week and freezing them. I’m the only one in my fam who likes salmon and these are great for lunch. I froze two last time uncooked and then put in my air fryer for 20 frozen and they came out great! Even without the shallot for the dressing it was amazing! I have switched up what I put in the Salad instead of grapefruit. Avacado, cucumbers, feta cheese have been great!
Hi I’m the only one in my family that eats salmon, so if I wanted to make this and freeze some of the burgers for another time, should I do it before they’re cooked or after? Thanks!
I freeze after. Then I can just thaw and toss on a salad for a quick lunch.
Delicious! I only made the salmon burgers and split the mixture into 4 burgers instead of 5. I also threw in a hand full of chopped parsley. I didn’t have Old Bay seasoning so I added a bit of garlic powder, celery seed, Italian seasoning, and smoke paprika. Turned out great. Mine didn’t hold together all that well when cooking but the were tasty.
I love these! I made it with spinach & amanranth mixed with the quinoa. I did add some minced garlic & breadcrumbs to hold together better and a little Grated Asiago cheese.
Great leftovers too!
This is probably my favorite meal. Thank you so much.
In your recipe HEALTHY SALMON QUINOA BURGERS can you use canned salmon instead of fresh salmon? And if yes how much?
Let me start by saying I’m not usually a fan of salmon, because the taste is usually too fishy for me. I liked it when I was in Alaska and had some fresh out of the water, so maybe I’d only ever had farmed salmon before. It’s just a fish I never order off menus, because you never know. However, I want to like it because it’s so good for you. I’d never use canned salmon to make burgers or patties, so I definitely spent a little more and bought a great piece of wild caught salmon and cut the skin off and cleaned it up myself. I followed the recipe step by step, and I made the salad as well. My friend and I absolutely loved them! I made sauce by adding fresh dill, garlic and sriracha to some plain Greek yogurt, which we used for the burgers. They were so good that it didn’t need a sauce, but I like sauces, and it complemented the burgers perfectly. I’ve made them again just for me, and it’s now become my go-to recipe for salmon. They’re the best!
Great! Thank you!
These were fantastic! I substituted baby spinach for the arugula & kale since that what I had on hand, turned out great. Will try with arugula next time.
Could you use canned salmon?
These are so delicious, that I have decided to make these for a friend that just had a baby. Question about reheating them. What is the best way to reheat these so they don’t dry out?
I made these burgers for our dinner, they were delicious, I didn’t put Kale in as I am not a fan of it! I love your recipes and have made several of them each one delicious. Thank you x
Gina, there is a blank space next to Freestyle Points. Do you have this calculated for this recipe?
3! Thanks for noticing! Fixed!
These salmon burgers were so delish and healthy. I will make again for sure!
I loved this recipe. I used spinach and white wine vinegar instead of the kale and champagne vinegar. I also don’t like grapefruit so we used pears or just left the fruit out with the leftovers. It was fantastic. Also it wasn’t super smelly when reheating at work so I didn’t feel too bad about taking it in. 🙂
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Could you sub brown rice?
I substituted Bulgur (as I’d run out of Quinoa) last night. Worked fine. However, rice has a much larger grain size than either Quinoa or Bulgur so that might be a problem, I guess,
Is there something I could use other than egg to hold them together? My daughter is allergic to eggs
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This looks delicious, but I’m not a fan of mustard at all- I can taste even the smallest amount. Is there anything you’d recommend as a substitution to use in the burger or would it be ok to just omit?
Thanks!!
You can omit.
I used Mayo and it was a great substitute
These are delicious. I refrigerated patties before making, that helps. I also tilted the pan so as not to slam the patty after turning. They are delicate. I wish we had wild salmon available fresh, but I had to use farm raised, not my first choice by any means. I used oranges as husband cannot have grapefruit. I used a low calorie dressing vs.. recipe. I believe each patty is only 1 freestyle point, but 3 points if you have 2. Thanks Gina for another winner recipe!
My guys are super not spicy fellows. I love Old Bay and have been a not a huge fan of salmon taste but whats your opinion on season salt or similar to Mrs Dash original as flavorful enough as substitute?
I would be guessing
What is OLD BAY?
seasoning for fish in a yellow/blue/red tin container in spice aisle.
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I’m not a fan of most seafoods recently , but when Weight Watchers declared fish a zero point food, I decided to give this recipe s go and was terribly surprised and delighted to find that not only do I like this recipe; I love it!!!!! This will be another go-to of mine.
Side note: I substituted white wine vinegar and a mandarin orange for the champagne vinegar and grapefruit.
GREAT!!
Just found this site. I love it! What do you think about using oats instead of breadcrumbs? And can I use just egg white?
Thanks!
Ok – I just made these and truthfully, I was super skeptical. Never had a salmon burger, so had no idea what to expect. I am blown away, and my almost 2 year old just devoured the burger (not a fan of arugula she said haha!). UNREAL. by far, my most favorite recipe you’ve posted and I’ve been a very very very long time follower! First time poster though! Thanks for making our night! 🙂
I made these today but only with the egg, old bay, kale, salmon, and quinoa. They turned out amazing. Even my son enjoyed them and he’s usually a very picky eater. I didn’t make the salad. Instead I sauteed the remaining kale with mushrooms.
Hi! This sounds amazing! Can you please tell me when you added the salmon from the food processor? Thanks so much!!!
Direction #5. 🙂
I have a large hunk of leftover grilled salmon from last night. should I throw it in the food processor or just mix by hand? Afraid it will get overcooked and not stick together. I’m always looking for leftove salmon recipes
Made this one I loved It ! I have recently discovered your website and have been trying many of your recipes thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it! Welcome!
Love this recipe! Any suggestions on how to bake these instead of frying? If I want to make a triple batch for a crowd, it would be much easier! TIA
I haven’t tried baking them, if you do be careful not to overcook them.
Not good. Dirties every dish in the kitchen, expensive ingredients, not very flavorful. I have made dozens of your recipes and we have all loved them, so I guess we were due for a less than memorable one. Oh well!
Could you make the day before ? I’d make them sunday night to cook them for monday night dinner.
Thanks !
I made these today after having way too much left over grilled salmon from last night. What a great way to use leftovers! Also i didn’t have kale, but I did have fresh garden chard! very tasty!!
Ooooo! I bet their great for breakfast with eggs!
We made this last night and they were delicious! We made a few slight modifications.. We don’t have a great knife for chopping up the salmon so I threw all of it in the food processor. I then added about 3 tablespoons of whole wheat breadcrumbs to help it all stick together and put it in the fridge for 30-45 minutes. They held together great and I can’t wait to make these again! We had leftovers and they heated up in the microwave wonderfully for lunch the next day. Thanks Gina!
These are delicious! I, like other reviewers, used canned salmon; I did not refrigerate prior to cooking and they held up pretty well considering. I had Swiss chard already in the fridge so used that instead of kale (and I almost always use red onion rather than shallot). I served with zucchini (because I have a glut) sauteed in olive oil with garlic and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper. I’m thankful my husband doesn’t like stuff like this…I can have it all to myself! Tomorrow? Inside a pita pocket 😉
Says vinegar when you mix wirh shallots but doesn’t say what kind.
Oh my gosh!!! I made this recipe tonight. It is a party in my mouth. Fabulous!!! Thank you for this recipe. A keeper for sure and to share with my friends.
This looks yummy!! I’m gonna try these tonight! Do you think I could make these on an electric grill like a george forman grill?
Yes that should work!
Just made these and they’re delicious. I had to make some tweaks based on what I had, no kale so parsely mixed w shallots after they cooked, no old bay but dash of components I had (ginger powder, onion powder, nutmeg, red pepper flakes, celery seed) and lots of salt and pepper. Came out fine! They’re meant for my work lunch but are tempting me… 🙂
🙂
I made this twice so far and omg it is so easy and so delicious!! I wrapped them in steamed collard greens and tried steamed turnip greens, with avocado and greek yogurt as a spread. Sprinkled some sriracha and there’s a filling healthy wrap!
I accidentally grinded the entire salmon into mush, but they STILL came out awesome. So if chopping seems tiring, you don’t have to!
Made these last night, had to add a bit of panko, used a mix of kale and spinach. If you handle with care they will stay together. My husband and I enjoyed them very much and had a few left over for the freezer. Note: cooked all patties before freezing since the salmon was wild caught but frozen previously at sea.
This recipe rocked! I mean….ROCKED! Thank you!
Easily in my top 5 favorite meals I've ever made. These are a must try. I found that shaping more like baseballs helped to keep them from falling apart. Thanx for the recipe!
Can I use my Kitchen aid grinding attachment to grind the salmon. then I can grind my Kale as well
I made these tonight for dinner and they were great! I used frozen wild salmon (thawed) and subbed spinach for the kale, but other than that, followed the recipe. My husband went back for seconds, and my 2yr and 4yr olds ate theirs, so I will definitely make them again. Thanks for the recipe!
I tried these using ground turkey meat I had on hand instead of the salmon and it was amazing!! I will have to try these again with salmon sometime soon.
I must have done something wrong, because mine turned out extremely runny and I had a hard time forming them into patties. Once cooked, they immediately fell apart. I wonder if it is because I used frozen salmon after it had been thawed, rather than using fresh salmon. I love the idea of these burgers, especially the high nutrient value, but doubt I would make these again.
I have loved following your weekly recipes! My husband has appreciated the variety and I have loved trying new ways of cooking! We both have loved the healthy recipes and budget saving that has also occurred with using the prepared/pre-planned grocery lists!! THANK YOU!!!
What would I use instead of egg? My son has an egg and dairy allergy.
Try Chia seeds in water. If you let Chia seeds soak in water for a few hours they turn into a gel like texture, and I've used it for binding meatballs. It's not as great as eggs, but it will due, and there is no flavor difference there.
Probably a stupid question…but do you cook the quinoa before you make the patties?
Yes
Can these be baked instead? Would I follow the same baking directions as for Baked Salmon Cakes. "Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a non-stick baking sheet with cooking spray. Shape the batter into 15 (scant 1/4 cup each) cakes and place on prepared baking sheet.
Bake about 10 to 12 minutes on each side, or until golden brown."
Sure
For what it’s worth, I made these salmon/quinoa burgers today…used 7.5 oz canned salmon, cut in half the remaining ingredients except for the egg, and slightly less than half of the shallots, and these were great! I baked them on parchment at 400…10-12 minutes on one side then 10-12 minutes on the other….they held together really well after they were baked. Best salmon burger I’ve tried to date and I’ve tried lots of them. Thanks so much!
What is old bay ? Can I not use it
It's a popular seafood seasoning
Made these for dinner last night. Loved how moist and flavorful they turned out. Definitely a keeper recipe.
I made them for dinner tonight and they were ahhhh-mazing. They had so much flavor. I froze two of them raw so hopefully they will defrost ok. Thanks for this!
Great!
Looks delicious! I'm pretty new to eating and using kale though- does it stay pretty firm or does it wilt when you cook these?
This is a great idea. I already make quinoa patties and love them. Adding salmon to the mix seems like a great idea to get some fish in my diet!
These are amazing!!! I accidentally thawed out too much salmon so I am going to make a second batch and freeze them individually – I think they will be great for work lunches 🙂
Thanks! I picked up a small bag of quinoa a few weeks ago, and had no idea what to do with it. I'll try this soon. It looks gorgeous and tasty!
Just finished making these for dinner… Delicious, definitely a keeper!! I've been using recipes from your site for a few years now – always my "go to" source for healthy, tasty foods! THANKS Gina!
I made these last night and they are great! I wondered if they might be dry on the inside, but they were a really nice moist texture. Super filling, and even good cold! Thanks, this is definitely going to become a regular at my house.
Super moist! Glad you enjoyed it!
Can this be made without the kale? My family hates it… Can it just be left out or should I replace it with something else (spinach perhaps?) Thanks!
Sure, use spinach (although you don't taste it)
This is a very complete source of nutrients. All the essential amino acids, Omega 3 and Omega 6, vitamins, minerals, fibers, antioxidants.
Ahhh, the memories of our beach vacation!!! kisses!
Yes, can we go back? : )
Made these last night and they turned out great. I had 1.4 lbs of salmon and added an extra egg and did a cup of quinoa. Turned out great! I always have isuses with things binding together though. Suggestions? Like in all of my quinoa bites (mini muffin size) I always feel like they fall apart. Otherwise though, great recipe!
Try refrigerating an hour before cooking.
Hi. I think your calories are off. I am calculating 245 for the burger – no dressing and salad.
I get different results with different salmon, I used wild pacific to calculate which is what I used.
Why are the servings for 5 but there are only 4 patties?
Nitpick much?
Not necessary.
Because 5 don't fit in my skillet.
recipe says to form into 5 patties.
ooooh yes, yesyesyes. i need to try this!
What do you recommend as a substitute for the Old bay? We don't have that here.
We don't have Old Bay Seasoning easily available here either so I used this recipe to make my own version of it. I have no idea if it is even close to the commercial one, but its what I have used. Hope it helps.
http://www.justapinch.com/recipes/sauce-spread/marinade/homemade-old-bay-seasoning-mix.html
Do you think this would work with fresh tuna instead of salmon?
I'm curious about using other fish as well…this sounds like a great idea, but I'm not a huge fan of salmon.
Sure!
I've never liked Grapefruit do you have any suggestions for a substitution?
Mandarins! I hate grapefruit, personally, So I always use mandarins/ oranges/ tangerines when I see things like this instead.
Thanks, great suggestions!
You can serve this with any salad, I would do avocado or just mixed greens if you want to keep it simple!
My husband is not a huge fan of fruity salads. Do you have any other ideas about sides that would go well with this that are still waist friendly?
I don't like fruity salads either. I was just going to serve it over a big bed of spinach and arugula mix and just lightly drizzle with a spicy mayo (mix sriracha or some other hot sauce you like and mayonnaise). Or was thinking maybe with drizzle the salad with a vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice mixture. Or maybe a side of garlicky sweet potatoes? or some of Gina's healthy zucchini tots? https://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/07/zucchini-tots.html 🙂 good luck
I served these on a little pile of cauliflower mash instead of the salad, they went well together!
sweet potato fries!
I am trying to pin this recipe to my recipes on pinterest and it won't let me.
Are you trying from a phone, laptop or iPad?
I recognize a lot of those bloggers (Ali and Elise?). Aww I bet that was such a fun weekend! I happen to have fresh salmon in the fridge and was gonna bake it. Thanks for the idea!
Yes! They are all rockstars, I had so much fun with them.
:How about using canned salmon?
Canned salmon would taste great, but it won't hold together well unless you add breadcrumbs and maybe more egg.
I just made these and I used canned salmon. I didn’t add any breadcrumbs or more egg so, no, they didn’t hold up well but boy are they delish! Next time I’ll use the salmon as indicated in the recipe.
Thank you–
I've found that if I used canned salmon (or crab for that matter), they seem to hold their shape after I make the burgers I put them in the refrigerator for a hours to overnight. Going to try it without breadcrumbs but with the quinoa.
I've never had a problem freezing salmon (or crab) burgers if I freeze them after I cook them.
Hi Gina, will these freeze well? And would it be best to freeze prior to cooking or post?
I didn't try freezing them, since most salmon has been frozen I don't like refreezing but I think you could freeze them either way. I would probably do them raw so they don't overcook.
do not refreeze any kind of meats that have been previously frozen. cook it first then you can refreeze.
I made a double batch and froze half of them , we are eating the frozen one's today – delish!! So easy!