Rice Free Cilantro Lime Salmon Burgers
Fresh salmon gets the full bright-and-zesty treatment here, with lime juice, lime zest, ginger, and a generous handful of cilantro folded right into the patties before they hit the pan. The technique is clever — part of the salmon is pulsed in a food processor while the rest is hand-chopped, giving you patties that hold together beautifully without any binders or fillers. That matters a lot when you're avoiding grains, because so many burger-style recipes lean on breadcrumbs or cooked rice as a binder, and this one simply doesn't need them. Crispy-edged and golden from a hot skillet, each patty gets nestled into a double layer of butter lettuce for a wrap that's sturdy enough to actually eat with your hands. The avocado sauce — mashed smooth with more lime and cilantro — drapes over the top and ties every bite together with a cool, creamy contrast to the seared fish. It's the kind of meal that feels like something you'd order at a coastal restaurant, except it comes together in your own kitchen with a short ingredient list and zero compromise on flavor.
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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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