Thai Salmon Burgers

For the sauce:
In a medium sized bowl combine all the ingredients for the sauce: the sweet chili sauce, fish sauce, coconut milk, brown sugar, garlic cloves, peanut butter, ginger, lime juice, soy sauce and peanut oil. Whisk until combined and fairly smooth. Scoop out about 1/4 cup of the sauce and set it aside. Place the rest in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 3-4 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.

For the burgers:
Add salmon to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until it’s somewhat ground. You can also chop the salmon very finely with a sharp knife.

In a large bowl, combine the ground salmon with the salt, pepper, sliced green onions, panko bread crumbs, egg and 1/4 cup of sauce that you set aside. Mix until just combined, making sure everything is incorporated.

The patties can be slightly difficult to put together since they are so “wet”. So to cook them, I heated a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, added 1 tablespoon of peanut oil then quickly formed the patties one at a time (use 1/4 of the mixture for each), placing them in the skillet as I formed them. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until you can see the edges brown and the salmon becoming opaque so the burgers flip easily. Flip gently but quickly, and cook for another 3-5 minutes or until the burgers are cooked through. The salmon cooks quickly so keep a close eye on them. You don’t want a dry burger!

To make the slaw, quickly throw together the cabbage, carrots and peanuts, tossing well. Add 3-4 tablespoons of the sauce, then toss well to coat. Add additional sauce if desired.

Place each burger on a bun and top with a heaping spoonful of the slaw and additional sauce if desired.

*Because of how wet the patties are, I am not sure how these would hold up on an outside grill.

Inspired by How Sweet Eats.