Caribbean Jerk Salmon Burgers with Garlic Lime Slaw
January 11, 2019 by Nicole Collins
I'm finally ready to get my life right.
It's time to hop on the New Year's resolution bandwagon and start eating healthy again. The past couple of months I've been really, REALLY naughty. And, I've started to put back on a lot of the weight that I worked so hard to lose a few years ago.
I blame my bad choices on stress eating. Even though, that's no excuse. But, I've changed my life and my eating habits once before. So, I'm hoping it's like riding a bike to do it again!
If I'm going to be really honest with you, while I've been pumping you guys with chocolate and desserts; I've secretly been eating salads and low carb meals in my real life. Sorry to betray you. But, I just needed a few days to get my head back in the game without having to explain myself.
I hope you'll forgive me!
But, the plus side of that is that I've got lots of new, healthy, portion controlled, and delicious recipes to share with you. Am I getting any closer to that forgiveness?
I've definitely been gravitating towards breakfast foods lately. Breakfast is the ultimate comfort food for me, and I think it's one of the easiest meals to adapt towards a healthier lifestyle while still feeling totally satisfied. And, how many times have I told you that I'll take breakfast for dinner any day over a traditional meal.
But, when I'm not going the breakfast route, I've been looking to go a little bit more exotic with high impact, “in your face” flavors.
Today's recipe falls in that second category. We're traveling to the Caribbean today for a super delicious, healthy meal!
Today, we're making Caribbean Jerk Salmon Burgers with Garlic Lime Slaw.
We start by roasting some salmon that's been brushed with a store bought Caribbean Jerk marinade. You can use fresh or frozen. It doesn't matter. But, frozen filets are generally a lot thinner than fresh filets and will take a lot less time to cook. So, keep that in mind.
Once the salmon is finished roasting; we shred it; mix it with some more marinade, panko, and green onions; then form the mix in to patties; and pan fry them in a little coconut oil. These patties are delicate, so you have to be really careful when flipping them in the pan.
To top our burgers, we're going to make a really simple, but totally flavorful, garlic lime slaw. I prefer to use a store bought pre-shredded cabbage mix. But, you could certainly shred your own cabbage, if you prefer.
The cabbage gets mixed with some freshly grated garlic, a little mayo, lime juice and zest, and a pinch of red chili flake for a tiny hit a heat. The cool and tangy slaw pairs perfectly with the warm and juicy salmon burger.
To finish our burger, we're going to make a quick Caribbean mustard spread to schmear on our brioche bun before we close our sandwich. We're making sure we get a little hit of that Caribbean jerk flavor in every layer of our sandwich, so we mix a little more marinade with some dijon mustard. And, that's it! The mustard adds a totally different layer of tanginess and acid that cuts the richness of the salmon.
I like to make this burger in to more of a low carb meal by eating it open faced and only using one half of the bun. Sometimes, I skip the bun completely and just have the salmon burger, slaw, and drizzle of mustard sauce. Reducing carbs is the most successful way for me to shed a few pounds, so this is totally the way I'm going with this burger right now.
Alright guys, I'm going to help us all be good for a little while. Who's excited? You should know by now that healthy doesn't equal boring or bland in my world. So, we should all be super excited!
For now, let's start slow. And, let's eat!
Caribbean Jerk Salmon Burger with Garlic Lime Slaw
Serves: 4 Print
Ingredients:
For the Garlic Lime Slaw:
¼ cup mayo
1 large or 2 small cloves garlic, grated
zest of 1 lime
juice of 1 lime
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
3 cups coleslaw cabbage mix
For the Caribbean Jerk Salmon Burger:
1 lb salmon filets (thawed, if frozen)
3-4 tbsp + ¼ cup caribbean jerk marinade, divided
2 green onions, chopped
1 egg
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tbsp coconut oil
olive oil cooking spray
To Assemble:
2 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp caribbean jerk marinade
4 brioche buns, toasted
Directions:
Make the Garlic Lime Slaw: In a medium mixing bowl, add mayo, garlic, lime juice, lime zest, and red pepper. Whisk to combine. Add in coleslaw mix, and stir to combine. Set aside.
Roast the Salmon: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and spray with olive oil cooking spray. Place the filets on the baking sheet, skin side down. Brush the tops and sides of salmon with 3-4tbsp caribbean jerk marinade. Bake for 15-20 mins until the salmon flakes easily and the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. Set aside to cool.
Make the Salmon Burgers: When the salmon is cool enough to handle, shred the salmon, discarding the skin, and place in a mixing bowl. Add green onions, ¼ cup caribbean marinade, egg, and panko. Mix with your hands until fully combined, and shape in to 4 patties, making sure to press the mixture together tightly so they hold their shape. Heat coconut oil in a large non stick skillet over medium high heat. When oil starts to shimmer, add salmon burgers, and cook for 3-4 mins until the bottoms start to brown. Flip, and cook another 3-4 minutes until browned. Remove from pan, and lay on a paper towel lined plate to drain any excess oil.
To assemble: Mix dijon mustard and 2 tbsp carribean marinade in a small bowl. Spread some carribean mustard on one side of the toasted bun. On the other side of the bun, top with 1 salmon burger and slaw. Close the sandwich, and enjoy!
Recipe notes:
*If you're going to make this ahead, store the components of the burger separately so they don't get soggy.
*You could buy a head of cabbage and shred your own, but I like the pretty colors that come in the pre-bagged mix.
*Salmon cooking times will vary based on the thickness of your filets. If you're using frozen salmon that's been thawed which generally runs thinner, cook according to package directions.
*Lime zest is just another way of saying grated lime peel. You can use the same microplane to zest your lime and grate your garlic.
*If you want a lower carb option, make this an open faced burger and use only one half of the bun. Or skip the bun all together, pile the slaw on top of the burger, and drizzle the mustard mix on top.
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