Spicy Salmon Basil Burgers always draws a crowd. Packed with fresh and spicy flavors, it’s awesome for a summer BBQ and perfect for a weeknight dinner, too.This delicious, flavor-packed recipe is a fantastic burger option for a summer barbecue. Spicy Salmon Basil Burgers are always a huge crowd pleaser and seem to suit a handful of diets.
I love this type of recipe because it can be fairly quick and easy for a busy weeknight, family dinner, while it’s impressive enough for guests.
What’s in Spicy Salmon Basil Burgers?
The main players are:
- salmon fillets
- a ton of fresh basil
- lemon
- scallions
- Sriracha sauce
How to Cook Salmon Burgers
- My preferred methods for cooking salmon burgers are sautéing and grilling.
- Satuéing is great for all year round, and of course, it’s great to grill in the summertime. Just make sure the grill grate isn’t too wide, as salmon burgers can sometimes be fragile. (This Salmon Basil Burger recipe should be fine.)
- You can also bake them in the oven, although for a nice, caramelized and crispy “crust” the other two methods are best.
What to Serve with Spicy Salmon Basil Burgers
These burgers are great in a bun with tomato, onion and avocado, and they’re also fabulous served just as a salmon burger patty. Perhaps over rice, or on a bed of lettuce. You could even cut one into bite-sized pieces and add it to a salad.
I love serving burgers with salads or grilled sides, and these would be excellent:
- Fried Lemon Caesar Salad
- Spicy Caeser Little Gem Lettuce Salad
- Chopped Mexican Salad with Pepitas
- Grilled Garden Scallions
- Grilled Chile-Lime Watermelon
So choose a side, invite a few friends, and get started on these Salmon Basil Burgers!
Enjoy!
More delicious salmon burger recipes:

Spicy Salmon Basil Burgers always draws a crowd. Packed with fresh and spicy flavors, it's awesome for a summer BBQ and perfect for a weeknight dinner, too.
- 1¾ pounds salmon fillet, skin removed, cut into large chunks (preferably wild-caught salmon)
- 3¼ cups loosely packed basil leaves, washed and dried
- zest of 2 medium-sized lemons
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup scallions, washed and dried, roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1½ teaspoons granulated sugar
- a few turns of freshly ground black pepper
- grapeseed oil for the pan
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Add the salmon chunks and basil to a food processor fitted with the blade attachment and blend just until it's broken down into small pieces.
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Then add the lemon zest, lemon juice, scallions, Sriracha, salt, sugar, and pepper to the basil and salmon. Blend everything together until you have a smooth mixture.
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Evenly distributing the salmon mixture, shape it into 6 evenly sized burgers and place them on a large plate.
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Coat the bottom of a large sauté pan with grapeseed oil and place it over medium-high heat. Once the pan is very hot (it must sizzle when the burgers hit), add them to the pan, with ample space between them. Flip them when the bottom is golden brown, after about 2 minutes. Then sauté the other side for another couple of minutes, until it's golden brown as well.
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Now you can add this delicious burger to your favorite bun, with your favorite fixings, and serve.
You can use as much or as little Sriracha as you'd like, depending on how much heat you want.
These would also be fantastic cooked on a grill!
Arthur in the Garden! says
Wonderful!
valentina says
Thanks so much Arthur! Hope you try it!
Colette @ JFF! says
This is a great idea. Might even do this tonight!
Thanks, Valentina!
valentina says
Hope you tried this one, Colette. Happy Summer!
linda says
mmm Sriracha, what i call asian tapatio, sounds like it would be great with salmon or anything really.
valentina says
Thanks, Linda! 🙂