Are salmon burgers good? Salmon burgers on the grill are a classic favorite for lunch and supper, and people are certainly drawn to it more nowadays because there are more brand choices and more ways to prepare sandwiches more healthily. If you are a fan of salmon dishes and salmon burgers and would like to know if you’ve made proper choices in your diet, read today’s blog, and we’ll show you exactly the nutrition information you are looking for.
How Many Calories Are in A Salmon Burger?
An average serving of salmon burgers (about 100 grams) provides 208 calories of energy, 38.9% derived from various fats. Salmon burgers provide nine grams of fat, with 2.1 grams from saturated fats. Some commercially-prepared salmon burgers don’t have sodium, but they do have some carbohydrates at 7.5 grams. Salmon burgers provide a whopping amount of protein per serving: 18.9 grams. In short, salmon burgers are ideal for weight loss efforts because
What Are Salmon Burgers Made of?
Are salmon burgers made of healthy salmon patties? A closer look at salmon burgers will reveal that this fish product is indeed a healthy choice because it is made of salmon, of course, which has plenty of health benefits. Commercial manufacturers add binders to the final product, so the salmon patty doesn’t fall apart. Salmon burgers are commonly offered as an alternative sandwich in places like Alaska, where the fish is common and available year-round.
The only downside to salmon burgers is that it’s very easy to overcook the patties, and this may make the burgers drier than you’d like. Other than that, they’re perfect, healthy sandwiches. Salmon burgers can also be easily prepared at home using common ingredients such as bread crumbs, fresh salmon, eggs, and onions. Combine the ingredients and shape the salmon patties, and you are ready to grill. The bread crumbs and egg are added as binding materials, as the salmon flesh will not combine and stick on its own.
Salmon burgers are a classic favorite in American homes, and there are many ways to prepare the patties. The conventional method was combing breadcrumbs and eggs.
In neighborhoods where fresh salmon was expensive, canned salmon was used, and apparently, people enjoyed these fishcakes just as much. We’re guessing that it was really about how you combined the ingredients and created the right texture for salmon patties meant to be grilled or fried.
Now, some people might have some problems with keeping their patties intact. If your patties are falling apart, you need more binders to keep the proteins intact. Perhaps the salmon meat is too wet, and this was preventing the starches from aggregating properly. Extenders aren’t necessarily bad as long as you have a solid foundation of salmon. Just don’t overdo it – the taste and texture of the salmon patties might change if there is too much extender. Â
What Toppings Go On a Salmon Burger?
Salmon patties are considered the top fish patty/fishcake for grilling and burgers in the US. Now, if you happen to be a first-timer and you have never prepared this kind of burger before because you are from abroad, welcome aboard the Salmon Burger Train! Below are some top choices for salmon burger toppings:
- Fruit salsa – a pinch of black pepper, a pinch of salt, 1 tbsp. Lime juice, half red onion (diced finely), two tomatoes (diced finely), two mangoes (dice finely).
- Remoulade toppings – 1 tsp. Italian parsley, 1.5 tsp. Fresh tarragon, 2 tsp. Shallots (chopped), 2 tsp. Bell pepper (red or green, chopped), 2 tsp. Capers (chopped), 1/8 tsp. White pepper (adjust to taste), ¼ tsp salt, 1 tsp. Soy sauce (any variety), 1 tsp. Hot sauce, 1 tbsp. Lemon juice, 1 tbsp. Lemon juice (fresh), 1 cup olive oil or vegetable oil, 1 tbsp. Mustard (Dijon preferred), two egg yolks.
- Garlic aioli – pinch of salt, 2 tsp. Lemon juice, ½ grapeseed oil, ½ cup EVOO, one-yolk, 1 tsp. Mustard (Dijon preferred), 1 tbsp. pureed roasted garlic
- Tartar sauce – ¼ tsp. Black pepper (ground), 1 tbsp. Scallions (chopped), 2 tbsp. Dill pickle (chopped), 3 tbsp. Lemon juice, 3 tbsp. capers (chopped), one jalapeno pepper (diced finely), 1 cup of mayo
Are The Toppings Healthy Too?
Salmon burger toppings can be either healthy or not, depending on the ingredients. The great thing about salmon burgers is they can be prepared in many ways, and the toppings set the bar for the eating experience. For the most part, salmon burger toppings are much healthier than toppings used for cheeseburgers, for example, because cheeseburgers aren’t designed to be healthy in the first place. Cheeseburgers are salty and fatty, and the more mayonnaise you put on top, the better.
The layers of cheese that we put on cheeseburgers also increase the salt and fat content of an already questionable sandwich. On the other hand, Salmon burgers have a much lower fat level to begin with, so if you adjust the sandwich by making some rich toppings, the calorie load won’t be so bad compared to regular beef patty burgers.
If you want to make your salmon burger toppings healthier, we recommend the following adjustments:
- Use light mayo instead of classic mayo for less fat in your toppings.
- Use half the amount of salt indicated in recipes.
- Substitute egg whites instead of egg yolks for lower cholesterol.
- Add more vegetables so you will get more fiber with every salmon burger.
- Add more spices to make your salmon burger toppings more interesting.
Picture from Kyle Lam, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
