Red Meat Allergy Friendly Cilantro Lime Salmon Burgers
Fresh salmon is the star here, and it delivers everything you want in a burger — savory depth, a golden crust, and a tender, flaky center — without any of the ingredients that make red meat off-limits. The patties come together with bright lime juice, lime zest, fresh ginger, and cilantro, so every bite has a clean, vibrant kick that feels anything but like a compromise. A smart two-texture technique — part food processor, part hand-chopped — gives the patties enough structure to hold together in the pan while keeping them light and satisfying rather than dense. The creamy avocado sauce, mashed with more lime and cilantro, drapes over the top and ties everything together beautifully. Butter lettuce wraps stand in for buns, keeping the whole thing fresh and naturally grain-free, which means fewer label-reading headaches at the grocery store. This is the kind of weeknight dinner that genuinely impresses without requiring a long ingredient list or complicated technique — just good fish, a hot skillet, and a little patience while that golden crust sets.
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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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