Thai-style fish burgers with sweet chilli sauce – simple to prepare and full of flavour.
We love a good burger at home. Usually that’s a classic beef burger piled high with bacon, cheese and plenty of extras, but sometimes you want something lighter and more vibrant.
These Thai-style fish burgers use tender salmon mixed with fresh aromatics and spices, formed into patties and cooked until just done. Served in toasted brioche rolls with crunchy vegetables and a drizzle of sweet chilli sauce, they make a delicious alternative to the usual burger.
There are a few ingredients, but most are pantry staples or easy to find in a supermarket. The aromatics and vegetables are roughly chopped and pulsed in a food processor, then combined with salmon and coriander:
Add the salmon and coriander and pulse a few times until the fish breaks down and everything is just combined:
Form the mixture into patties and cook on a hot griddle or frying pan. The burgers should be pulsed only until combined so they stay juicy and tender rather than becoming dry or dense. These are not the same as Thai fish cakes, which often use white fish and curry paste; instead this recipe captures classic Thai flavours without relying on store-bought pastes.
Top the burgers with strips of cucumber and carrot for a crunchy contrast, along with mixed salad leaves and slices of red onion. If you prefer familiar toppings you can use lettuce and tomato, but the fresh, crisp strips of veg add a particularly nice texture. Finish with a generous drizzle of sweet chilli sauce and place the bun top on.
This recipe was originally created for DIYs. It makes a great midweek dinner or a lighter weekend treat.
The Thai Style Fish Burgers Recipe:
Thai Style Fish Burgers
10 mins
6 mins
16 mins
Ingredients
- 2 red chillies (I use fresno chillies, roughly chopped)
- 2 tsp lemongrass paste
- 3 tsp fish sauce
- 2 tsp sugar
- ¾ tsp salt
- ¾ tsp cumin
- 6 spring onions / scallions roughly chopped
- 2 kaffir lime leaves dried or fresh
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 cm piece ginger peeled and roughly chopped
- 4 salmon fillets skin removed
- 1 packed cup coriander / cilantro leaves
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 brioche rolls toasted
- 40 g (1 cup) mixed salad leaves
- strips from 2 peeled carrots use a vegetable peeler
- strips from half a cucumber use a vegetable peeler
- half a red onion peeled and sliced
- 4 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
Instructions
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Place the chillies, lemongrass paste, fish sauce, sugar, salt, cumin, spring onions, kaffir lime leaves, garlic and ginger into a food processor. Pulse until the ingredients are well chopped.
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Add the salmon fillets and coriander and pulse a few times until the salmon breaks down and the mixture is combined.
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Shape the mixture into four patties using your hands. Place them on a plate and heat a griddle or frying pan until hot.
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Brush half the oil onto the patties and the rest onto the griddle. Put the burgers on the hot surface and press down slightly with a spatula. Cook for 2–3 minutes until griddle marks appear, then turn and cook for a further 2–3 minutes until cooked through (check one to be sure).
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Place the toasted buns on plates. Top the base with salad leaves and carrot strips, add a cooked fish burger, then the cucumber strips and red onion. Drizzle with sweet chilli sauce and top with the bun lid.
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Serve with extra sweet chilli sauce if you like.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
