This salmon burger with a squid ink bun is maybe the most impressive thing that I've made lately! It's no secret that I have been a big fan of making salmon burgers lately. They're one of my splurge foods that is so good that I can't get enough of them! But today I was thinking, how can I elevate this...? And it dawned on me: squid ink buns! And squid ink salmon burgers became my goal.
I see this every now and then on Pinterest. These gourmet restaurants or food bloggers who pull out all of the bells and whistles to make something that looks absolutely to die for. They always look so unobtainable, though! So perfectly curated that I don't know how I could ever make something like that. But, then I realized? I can probably make that, too...!
I have been making salmon burgers for a while. They're really not so difficult. If you can bake a salmon and squish it into a patty? You can make burgers! And, if you can make bread? You can add a little bit of squid ink and turn it black! So, thinking that this might not be as far-fetched an endeavor as I originally assumed, I have been determined to make it work!
I topped this salmon burger with baby arugula, tomatoes, and homemade tartar sauce and threw in some Sweey Potato Air Fryer Wedge Fries to boot. You can add or subtract anything to your own taste. But the amount of hipster energy coming out of this meal is really doing something for me!
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Variations of Squid Ink Salmon Burgers
There are plenty of ways to dress up a salmon burger! They're surprisingly easy to make and absolutely delicious. Almost every time that I pick up a salmon these days, it ends up in a burger!
These squid ink salmon burgers are an impressive dish sure to impress with homemade salmon patties, tartar sauce, and black buns. I recommend making the buns and maybe even the tartar sauce ahead of time. Although you can certainly go for broke and do them all at once! Simply start the squid ink rolls about 2 hours before the salmon patties.
This recipe utilizes a lot of things that you can make yourself or buy in a pinch. If you want to make everything from scratch, you will need to start a few hours ahead of time!For a quicker recipe, you can always substitute store-bought burger buns, salmon patties, or tartar sauce.
Squid Ink Rolls are the first thing that you will need to begin to prepare because it will take about 2 1/2 hours to rise and get ready to bake. Alternatively you can buy your own burger buns. However, the black bun is kind of quintessential to the aesthetic with this one! It will make 6 rolls.
Tartar Sauce is the easiest add-on to make. I highly recommend making it from scratch. The taste is far superior to store-bought varieties and only takes about 5-10 minutes to make.
Make Salmon Patties
Note that in this recipe I only show one burger. Salmon patties are usually much easier to make in larger quantities, though. You'll also get more rolls and tartar sauce than necessary for a single serving! This will make 4 large patties or 6 small patties.
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Place salmon skin-side down on a baking sheet.I usually use a cast iron griddle. However, the exact cooking method isn't as important here because you're just going to blend them together. If you don't have a nonstick pan or you want an easier cleanup, you can line it with aluminum foil.
Drizzle with olive oil and add a dash of salt and pepper. Slice a lemon and place evenly on top of the salmon.You want just enough lemon and oil to cover the top of the salmon and keep it from burning as the inside cooks. Salmon is already an oily fish, so use sparingly.
Bake the salmon for 12-17 minutes, or until it begins to flake. Salmon tends to be cooked when it loses the bright color and you can take a fork and it easily separates. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Meanwhile, lightly oil a skillet and heat to medium.
Finely chop bell pepper, garlic, shallots, and jalapeño. Add to a medium-sized bowl along with eggs, breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine.
When the salmon has reached a manageable temperature, flake into the bowl and stir to combine.
Separate into 4 equal-sized portions and form into round patties, about 1/2 inch thick.
Add salmon patties to the skillet and fry until lightly browned, about 3-5 minutes. Carefully flip and repeat on the other side. Add more oil as necessary to keep the pan lightly coated with oil.
Sweet Potato Fries
Cut potatoes lengthwise into roughly 1 inch wedges. For smaller potatoes, quartering them should be adequate. For larger potatoes, you might need to cut them into 6 pieces.
Lightly coat on all sides with salt, pepper, and oil.
Arrange potato wedges in the basket of the air fryer, making sure that there is space between them. It's okay if they touch a little because you will end up rotating them. However, there does need to be some air flow between the potatoes for them to crisp properly.
Cook at 400°F for 7-10 minutes, or until the edges have begun brown.
Rotate the potatoes, either by flipping them one by one or shaking the basket until the have turned over. If they're starting to brown or blacken too quickly, spritz with more oil.
Cook at 400°F for another 5-7 minutes. Cooking times will vary based on the size of the wedges and amount of oil.
Assemble Burgers
Slice the roll in half. Place the sliced sides down on the skillet and toast until it crisps.Ordinarily I would look for golden brown, but that's not going to happen here because the roll is already black! Just cook until toasted, about 2-4 minutes.
Place the roll on a plate. Top the top side with tartar sauce.
Add arugula, tomato, avocado, and any other ingredients that you desire to the top half of the roll.
Add salmon patty to the bottom of the roll.
Serve immediately.
Tips, Tricks, & Notes
For more information on baking salmon, check out my articles on The Fundamentals of Oven Baked Salmon and Barbecue Salmon. I'm particularly fond of cooking on a well-seasoned cast iron griddle because you don't need additional oil or foil to to keep it from sticking. But there are certainly ways around this if you don't want to dedicate an entire cast iron pan to fish! Cooking salmon is also more of an art than a science. No two filets are going to cook in the exact same amount of time and there are definitely some tips and tricks to nailing the cook on fish.
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