I always feel that Memorial Day weekend unofficially marks the start of all things summer and I couldn't be more excited! Sun, beach, later sunsets, grilling, BBQ's, and just all around a change in the air/shift in your mood. Speaking of grilling and BBQ, these salmon burgers might just want to be on your menu....This week I cooked up some juicy salmon burgers with a creamy cilantro avocado sauce! 

During the summer months, I was never a burger girl and always preferred a hot dog, with mustard, never ketchup, at summer parties, now ingredients in most hot dogs have me questioning what the heck is actually in them, so I would prefer to make something like these salmon burgers! They are super juicy, simple to put together, (just one bowl!) and have my all time favorite condiment in them to give them extra flavor, dijon mustard! I used Sir Kensington's Dijon Mustard for this recipe because of the ingredients, the taste, and I just love their products. They are made with clean ingredients, NON-GMO, and you can find them at Whole Foods! {Side note, you might remember when I made this creamy cold pasta salad using their vegan mayo, just throwing it out there, might make the perfect side dish with these burgers...}

The dijon mustard from Sir Kensington's is super creamy, isn't acidic tasting like others, and has a more tangy mustard-y taste compared to other styles of mustards (yellow, spicy brown etc). I personally think dijon mustard is the best for sauces, salad dressings, or mixing into ingredients such as these salmon burgers to enhance the flavors, especially when a little goes a long way! 

Anyways, the combination of the dijon mustard, the juice of the lime, parsley, and a few other spices along with the wild salmon make the burgers really light and refreshing tasting! I decided to pair the salmon burgers with a quick cilantro and avocado sauce because I love the combination of salmon, cilantro and avocado together. The creaminess of the avocado mixed together with cilantro, lime, and a little sea salt as well as olive oil is really all it takes to make this sauce! If you aren't a fan of cilantro, you can sub it out for parsley or basil! It also makes such a good salad dressing or in sandwiches! 

The first time I made the salmon burgers, I seared them in my cast iron for a few minutes on each side, ensuring crispy edges and a juicy middle. This time I decided to bake them in the oven, they were still really juicy and just as flavorful, but weren't as crispy! They can certainly be placed on the grill too! It all comes down to personal preference! These salmon burgers are easy enough to make during the week for meal prep too and are perfect for lunch the next day. I love chopping them up and add them into salads, pitas, or in tacos! 

What you need:

Salmon burgers:
Yields 4 patties
1 pd. wild caught salmon
1/2 cup bread crumbs (*I used sprouted crackers, turn into bread crumbs w/ food processor) 
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
few pinches of sea salt (or to preference)
few pinches of pepper (or to preference)
3 heaping tbsp. Sir Kensington Dijon Mustard
juice of 1 lime
1 egg

Cilantro Avocado Sauce:
Yields 1 cup

1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
1 whole avocado
1/2 tsp. pink himalayan sea salt (or to taste)
pepper to taste
1/2 cup olive oil (*or more to thin to desired to consistency)
juice of 1 lime

What you need to do:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. 

Side note: If you only have one food processor, like me! make the sauce first, so you don't have to completely wash it out after using it for the raw fish.

2. Over medium heat, add 1 tbsp. coconut oil or olive oil to a sauce pan and cook the onion until fragrant/tender. Roughly 5-7 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool. 

3. In a large mixing bowl, add the beaten egg and the salmon burger ingredients except for the salmon to the bowl. 

4. For the salmon. I buy 1 pd. of wild salmon, therefore I have to take the skin off. I then, add the salmon into chunks, into my food processor and pulse it a few times. The consistency will be chunky, be careful to not over process and pulse where it turns into a pate or mush. You want it to  hold together. 

5. Add the salmon to the bowl and mix thoroughly. 

6. Separate the mixture into four even patties and place in the parchment paper. Bake at 375 for 12 minutes on one side THEN flip, bake for an additional 8-10 minutes on the opposite side. 

Serve in on patties, in a pita, on tacos with the sauce! The burgers will stay fresh for up to three days or freeze them for the longer! 

For the Cilantro Avocado Sauce:

Combine all the ingredients in your food processor or blender and mix until creamy. Taste test and adjust to preference. Makes one 1 cup or so and will last about 1 week in fridge. 

NOTES:

If you want the burgers to have crispy edges, before you bake them in the oven, sear them for 1-2 minutes on each side on your cast iron or pan on medium- high heat with 1-2 tbsp. coconut oil or olive oil. ** If you do this, you may need to adjust the total time cooking the salmon burgers in the oven. They most likely will cook for less time. 

For this recipe I used wild caught salmon from the market, but you can certainly used wild caught salmon from a can! I haven't tested it out, but I am sure that it will work the same.