Salmon Burgers made with fresh salmon and apricots, topped with apricot relish and "Quadruple-M" Sauce - Diversivore.com

Salmon Burgers with Apricot Relish

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Salmon Burgers with Apricot, Apricot Relish, and Quadruple-M Sauce
Salmon Burgers with Apricot, Apricot Relish, and Quadruple-M Sauce

Salmon Burgers
with Apricot Relish

And "Quadruple-M Sauce"

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I think a lot of food bloggers avoid posting burger recipes, and I think I know why. The patty itself is a bit of a trick - everyone has their own favourite burger recipe (which will be defended vociferously), and at the end of the day they don't tend to vary that wildly anyway. When you do find a good article about burger patties, it tends to be one of those ultra-comprehensive ones that looks at everything from fat content to meat choice to the pros and cons of different binders. But there's a second reason that burger recipes tend to get a little bit less love, and it has to do with HOW we tend to make burgers at home. The average bbq burger is a very DIY sort of experience, with diners choosing their own toppings and sides based on personal preference. You might end up with a fully-loaded 3-sauce 2-tomato extra-pickles burger, but the person next to you might opt for ketchup alone. This means that we tend not to place burgers in that category of complete meals that require a recipe.

I decided to tackle both of those issues head on with his burger. As for the patty, I think it's safe to say that this is not a standard burger. Obviously it's made from fish (delicious, incredible, wild-caught sockeye salmon no less), but I've also taken the rather unusual step of putting apricots IN the burger itself. That's right - the relish isn't the only place I snuck fruit into this. It might sound like an odd step, but apricots in the burger add a great sweet-tart hit along with fantastic texture and moisture, two things that are frequently a little lacking in a fish burger. But more importantly, I didn't just envision this as a good fish patty - this is a burger, crafted from top-to-bottom. Of course you can still do whatever you want with this recipe (the patty alone genuinely is worth making), but this is a burger by design. In a sense, it's really three recipes mashed together - the patty, the relish, and the sauce. Each part could be used on its own elsewhere, but they go so well together. I mean, really, REALLY well. Superlatives are kind of failing me here, so I'll just fall back on what my wife said: "Best salmon burger EVER."

So the patty is incredible, the apricot relish is that great mix of tangy and sweet mixed with that great red onion taste (which is mellowed very nicely the longer the relish sits and mixes), and there's that Quadruple-M sauce. You know how burger places mix two ingredients together and call it a special sauce? Well this is FOUR ingredients, ergo it's at least twice as good. You can trust me on that, I've taught High School math before. Seriously though, the tangy, savoury, slightly-sweet sauce has become my new favorite go-to sauce for burgers. I'm hoping to make it my ticket to fame. Time to start designing a label and selling the stuff in jars.

Salmon Burgers with Apricot, Apricot Relish, and Quadruple-M Sauce

Recipe Notes

We're talking burgers here, so there's nothing too revolutionary going on in terms of technique. While many salmon burgers use canned cooked salmon, I've elected to go with a fresh fillet here. If you were so inclined, I think you could probably make this work quite nicely with a firm white fish as well (halibut and black cod come to mind). You do have two options in terms of putting the patties together. If you like a flakier, more 'fish-like' texture, you can minimally process the patty mixture, leaving bigger pieces of onion, apricot, and salmon. If, on the other hand, you want to achieve a texture closer to ground beef or chicken, simply leave your food processor running until the mixture is a uniform paste. If you don't have a food processor, you can still make this meal: finely chop all of the ingredients and mix by hand.

The toppings are as easy as can be. The apricot relish simply needs to be chopped, combined, and set aside. It will taste great after only 10 or 15 minutes, but if you do have time to leave it longer, I suggest letting it set for an hour or more to really blend the flavours and mellow the onions. The Quadruple-M sauce is so good that it TASTES like it should be complicated, but it's not. Mustard, mayo, molasses, and maple syrup. Mix it (Quintuple-M?), and you're good to go.

Salmon Burgers with Apricot, Apricot Relish, and Quadruple-M Sauce

Nutritional information is given for a single burger, including an individual portion of sauce, relish, and a brioche bun.

Nutrition Facts
Salmon Burgers with Apricot Relish
Amount Per Serving
Calories 398 Calories from Fat 117
% Daily Value*
Fat 13g20%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g
Monounsaturated Fat 2g
Cholesterol 105mg35%
Sodium 484mg21%
Potassium 271mg8%
Carbohydrates 48g16%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 13g14%
Protein 22g44%
Vitamin A 2200IU44%
Vitamin C 17.3mg21%
Calcium 90mg9%
Iron 1.3mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Summary

GOOD NEWS:

Lots of good news here! Salmon is protein-rich, low in fat, nutritionally dense, and rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. It makes a tasty and healthy burger. On top of that (literally), the toppings are healthy yet loaded with flavour.

BAD NEWS:

The burger, relish, and sauce are all pretty light, but brioche is a rich bread with a high calorie-count.

TRIM IT DOWN:

Nearly half of the total calories come from the brioche bun, so a lower-carb bun (or lettuce wrap, if that's your thing) cuts down the calorie count significantly.

Ingredient Pages

No ingredient pages have been written yet for any of the ingredients in this recipe.  Like to see one?  Let me know in the comments below or by email.

Pantry Pages

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  • Pescetarian
  • Dairy-free
  • 30-minutes
Salmon burger made with fresh (not canned) salmon and apricots - Diversivore.com
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5 from 2 votes

Salmon Burgers with Apricot Relish

Salmon burgers made with fresh (not canned) salmon, panko, and apricots (yes, in the burger!), topped with apricot relish and "Quadruple-M" Sauce.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time6 minutes
Total Time26 minutes
Course: Main Dishes, Sandwich
Cuisine: Canadian, Miscellaneous, North American
Keyword: apricot relish, fresh salmon burger, salmon with apricots, sauce for salmon burgers
Servings: 8 burgers
Calories: 398kcal

Ingredients

Salmon Burgers

  • 525 g salmon fillet (skin and pin-bones removed)
  • 1.25 cups panko (see note below)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3 medium apricots (about 150 g before pitting) pitted
  • 1/4 medium red onion

Apricot Relish

  • 4 medium apricots (about 225 g before pitting)
  • 1/2 medium red onion (about 100 g)
  • 1 large celery stalk (about 100 g)
  • 2 tsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp vegetable oil
  • pinch salt
  • pinch black pepper

Quadruple-M Sauce

  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp mustard
  • 1 tsp molasses

To Serve

  • 8 brioche buns
  • tomato
  • lettuce

Instructions

Salmon Patties

  • In a food processor, combine the salmon fillet, panko, egg, salt, apricots, and red onion. Pulse repeatedly until the ingredients are thoroughly combined. You can stop at a somewhat coarse, flaky stage or you can keep going until the mixture forms a paste. The former yields a patty with larger, more textural pieces, while the latter yields a smoother and more uniform patty.
  • Form the mixture into patties and set aside. (Note: A little bit of oil on your hands will prevent them from sticking to the patties)
  • Preheat a heavy-bottomed skillet, grill, or griddle over medium-high heat. Add a little oil to the grill or brush over the patties. If you like, you can sprinkle a little extra panko over the patties at this point for some added crunch. Cook the patties until browned and cooked through; about 3-4 minutes per side. Check for doneness and set aside.

Apricot Relish

  • Simply dice the apricots, onions, and celery and combine with the remaining ingredients. Set aside for at least 15 minutes, and up to overnight.

Quadruple-M Sauce and Serving

  • Combine the ingredients for the Quadruple-M sauce and set aside (any extra can be refrigerated for at least one week).
  • Spread a dollop of Quadruple-M sauce on one side of a bun, then top with tomato, lettuce, salmon, and apricot relish. Grab some napkins and eat.

Notes

The burgers themselves use 1.25 cups of panko, but I like to keep a little extra (about 1/4 cup or so) to sprinkle over the surface of the patties right before cooking in order to add a little crunch. This is optional of course, but it's a nice touch.

Nutrition

Calories: 398kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 105mg | Sodium: 484mg | Potassium: 271mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 2200IU | Vitamin C: 17.3mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 1.3mg

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Salmon Guedille (Quebecois Sandwich) with Homemade Coleslaw

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Comments

  1. Thank you for this! My husband has burgers on repeat all summer long and while I don’t blame him, I’m of beef. Sometimes we go for lamb or chicken, but I’ve been avoiding salmon burgers because it almost seems wasteful to turn a beautiful fish fillet into a burger, but you’ve sold me with the apricots 🙂 Can’t wait to try this!

    1. Author

      You’re very welcome Sofia! I understand what you mean about the salmon fillet, but we eat a lot of fish, which means coming up with ways to keep things new for my kids, so I’m a little more willing to experiment a little. In any case, I can promise this does right by the salmon! Thanks for coming by, and for taking the time to comment.

  2. I am always looking to up my burger game and this my friend is EXACTLY what I am craving!!! Thanks for sharing, can’t wait to give it a try!

  3. I’m literally writing myself reminder in my daily planner for the coming weeks to make salmon or tuna burgers because I’ve been meaning to and… and I keep forgetting. Dammit. These look SO GOOD. Love the use of apricots. Love the use of salmon (obvs.) Also, those are some nice buns! Hyuck hyuck.

    1. Author

      Thanks Dana! They were REALLY good, and a very fun experiment. And they are some fiiiiiiine buns, aren’t they? One of these days I’m going to suck it up and start making my own brioche. Then I’ll be in real trouble.

    1. Author

      Thanks Julia! I love home preserving and I’ll put a lot of time into relish/salsa/whatever, but this one was just so fast and so easy, and so GOOD! I’m picturing it on all sorts of things now!

  4. You know your flavors, and I love to read about it! Turning a simple burger into a gastronomically succulent one! Thanks for sharing!

    1. Author

      Well thank you Marie-Pierre. That’s really lovely of you to say, and I’m glad you enjoyed the post!

  5. Hi Sean, great burger. I agree with you on the apricot inside. Love that sweet tart flavor mixed with the rich buttery flavor of the salmon. This burger looks award winning sean. The colors, choice of bun and the M-Sauce. Very curious about that one. Great job and I am definately inspired.
    Have a great weekend and look forward to seeing your sauce on the shelf.
    Loreto

    1. Author

      Hi Loreto! Thanks for the kind words. I was pretty pleased with the way things came together, and I’m glad that comes across for you too. And do try the sauce – it’s so easy to make, but it’s astonishingly good.

  6. Looks like another winner, Sean! I love salmon burgers, but you’ve definitely given this version an “umph” with the apricot relish. And your “M-sauce” sounds like it would be delicious condiment for other recipes too! Thanks for sharing 🙂

    1. Author

      Thanks Hilary! It certainly was something of a team-effort. 😀
      I’m glad you liked it.

  7. This looks way too good, especially the relish. I always go for wild West Coast salmon (even though I’m on the East Coast) and it can dry out easily so the relish is such a great addition. Thanks for a great recipe.

    1. Author

      Thanks Bridget! The apricots in the burger itself certainly help with the moisture too, and the sauce also helps on that front. I’m glad you enjoyed it!

  8. I love sweet/sour/savoury dishes, especially with burgers. I don’t think I’ve ever had a salmon burger though. But I like the idea of apricots & salmon a lot, and fruit relishes (and chutneys) in general make me happy

    1. Author

      They make me happy too. I love turning fruit into something that gets to star at the dinner table. I’m glad you liked this Janice. Thanks for commenting!

  9. This sounds terrific and I agree – it sounds like you should be bottling that Quadruple-M sauce! Salmon burgers are so often bland, relying on toppings to make them palatable. I love that you pack flavour right into the patty itself and it’s one that’s reflected in the relish that tops it. Actually, it’s not just bottling the sauce that could make your fortune – one pop up burger stand in East Van and you’d be on your way!

    1. Author

      Hmmmm you might be onto something there Teresa… pop up burger shop… how fun would that be? 😀

  10. Ahh, these are mouthwatering, Sean! I’ve just pinned the recipe. I LOVE a good salmon burger and can’t wait to try yours — I have a feeling it’s going to be a smash hit. Thanks as always for the gorgeous inspiration!

  11. This recipe sounds amazing! I love salmon and will definitely be trying it. The quadruple m sauce looks like it’s going to be my new condiment on everything!

  12. Never would have thought of salmon and apricot being compatible…. but I’m open to trying new flavor combos! Certainly looks good!

  13. Oh my goodness – I LOVE that quadruple M sauce idea. And apricot onion relish on the salmon burgers is totally genius! I’ve been wanting to make a batch of salmon burgers for the freezer and will definitely try this!

  14. This sounds delicious! I was wondering if I could get the ingredients and recipe to try at home? Thank you in advanced

    1. Author

      Hi Chris! Sorry about that – recent updates to my site made a few of the recipes disappear. Not great when you run a site full of recipes. The whole recipe (ingredients and all) should now be visible again at the top of the comments section here. Cheers!

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