Go Back Email Link
Salmon Burgers w/ Squid Ink, Tartar, & Runny Egg

Salmon Burgers w/ Runny Egg & Tartar Sauce

These squid ink salmon burgers are really the sloppy Joe of the seafood world. They combin black burger buns with homemade tartar sauce, salmon patties, and a runny egg to boot. This might not be the daintiest of meals to eat, but I sometimes enjoy a meal that is as fun as it is messy! And this did not disappoint. It's certainly up there with one of the best burgers that I've ever made.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Equipment

  • Baking Sheet or Griddle
  • Oven
  • Medium Bowl
  • Skillet w/ a lid

Ingredients
  

Squid Ink Rolls

  • 472 ml. warm water ~100°F (2 c.)
  • 7 g. instant yeast (2 ¼ tsp. or 1 package)
  • 7 g. brown sugar (or 2 tsp. granulated sugar, maple syrup, or honey)
  • 570 g. all-purpose flour (4 ¾ c.)
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp. squid ink
  • oil to grease bowl

Tartar Sauce

  • 5 cloves roasted garlic (or 2 cloves unroasted garlic)
  • 1 c. baby dill pickles minced
  • 1 serrano minced
  • 1/4 shallot minced
  • 1 lemon juiced
  • 1 tsp. olive oil
  • 1 c. mayonnaise
  • dash salt
  • dash pepper

Salmon Patty

  • 1 lbs. salmon fillet
  • 2 lemons
  • dash salt
  • dash pepper
  • ~1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1/2 shallot
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 serrano
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 c. bread crumbs
  • ~1 tbsp. high heat oil

Burger

  • 1 squid ink roll
  • 1 salmon patty
  • dollop tartar sauce
  • 2 slices tomato
  • 2 slices avocado
  • 2 slices sharp cheddar

Instructions
 

Prepare Ingredients

  • 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 or salmon patties.
  • 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.
  • 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

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • 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.

Cook Egg

  • Leave the skillet on medium heat and add oil if necessary.
    I use a pretty well seasoned cast iron pan to cook eggs, so I don't add any more than a spritz of oil. You may need upwards of a teaspoon for other types of pans, though. Use just enough so that your eggs don't stick!
  • Crack egg into the pan.
    It should be hot enough that the egg sizzles, but doesn't deep fry or brown immediately.
  • Let cook until golden brown on the bottom and you can flip the egg with ease. The whites should be fairly set on both sides, but not completely cooked.
    You want to cook this relatively quickly so that the egg yolk doesn't set, though. It should take about a minute or two. Turn the heat up if the egg whites don't cook quickly enough or down if the egg yolk starts to cook. Also immediately flip if this happens!
  • Flip and turn off the stove. Cook for another 30 seconds, or until the egg white is completely cooked. It should already be mostly set and this should take no time at all!

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 egg, tomato, avocado, and any other ingredients that you desire to the top half of the roll.
  • Add egg and 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.