Lactose Free Cilantro Lime Salmon Burgers
Fresh salmon, bright lime, and a handful of cilantro come together in a burger that feels like a restaurant-worthy meal you somehow pulled off on a Tuesday night. The patties get their satisfying texture from a smart two-step chopping method — part food processor, part hand-cut — so every bite has a little chunk and a little tenderness rather than a dense, uniform puck. Ginger and lime zest punch up the flavor from the inside out, while the creamy avocado sauce on top brings richness without a drop of dairy in sight. Butter lettuce wraps stand in for buns and keep everything light, crisp, and completely free of any hidden milk-based ingredients you'd have to scrutinize on a package label. The avocado sauce is just mashed avocado, lime, cilantro, and water — nothing processed, nothing to second-guess. It's the kind of meal that works just as well for a casual weeknight dinner as it does for impressing guests who happen to be avoiding dairy, because honestly it doesn't taste like it's missing a thing.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the patties
- 1 ½ lb fresh salmon fillet, skin removed, cut into 1-inch chunks
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice (from about 1 lime)
- 1 tsp lime zest
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
- 2 green onions (green tops only), thinly sliced
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp coconut oil or avocado oil
For the avocado sauce
- 1 ripe avocado, pitted and peeled
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice (from about 1 lime)
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 2–3 tbsp water, to thin
For serving
- 8 large butter lettuce leaves, for wrapping
- lime wedges, for serving (optional)
- fresh cilantro sprigs, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Make the avocado sauce: combine the avocado, lime juice, cilantro, sea salt, and water in a small bowl and mash with a fork until smooth and spoonable, adding water 1 tbsp at a time until the sauce is thin enough to drizzle. Set aside.
- 2
Place about two-thirds of the salmon chunks in a food processor and pulse 6–8 times until coarsely chopped — the mixture should hold together when pressed but still have visible texture, not a smooth paste. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
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