Xanthan Gum Free Cilantro Lime Salmon Burgers
These salmon burgers are bright, fresh, and packed with bold flavor — cilantro, lime zest, ginger, and green onion all folded right into the patty so every bite delivers. The technique here is smart: most of the salmon gets a quick pulse in the food processor, while the rest is hand-chopped and folded in, giving the patties real texture and enough structure to hold together in the pan without any binders or stabilizers. That means no gums, no fillers, just clean ingredients doing exactly what they're supposed to do. The creamy avocado sauce — mashed with lime juice, cilantro, and a little water to make it drizzleable — is the perfect cool contrast to the seared, golden crust on each patty. Butter lettuce wraps keep things light and naturally gluten-free, making this a meal that feels indulgent without any of the ingredient-label anxiety. A quick chill in the fridge before cooking is the secret to patties that flip cleanly and stay together beautifully. Whether you're cooking for a crowd or just a weeknight dinner, this one is genuinely hard to beat.
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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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