Healthy Budget Salmon Burgers

Salmon. So good for us. But SO expensive.

I don’t know about you, but our food budget can get pretty stretched at times, and while we prioritise quality food (including free range meats, organic dairy & eggs, organic produce and other quality ingredients) as much as possible over other areas of our budget, fish is one of those areas where we struggle.

I’ve tried various different routes, and it is true that choosing cheaper types of fish that England is abundant in but rarely eats (sardines, plaice, pollock, dab, herring, etc) definitely makes it more affordable, but often getting hold of these means going to a fishmonger, which can feel like yet another trek to yet another different shop. We are fortunate enough to live by the sea, which means we can get hold of locally caught delicious fish and seafood that is not totally beyond the budget, and yet we still struggle at times.

Enter: tinned fish. Although I still strongly recommend going to a fishmonger if you happen to have one near you and stocking your freezer with cheaper fish (both for budget and environmental reasons), sometimes (as we have discovered) that is just not an option. So our budget option number 2 is plentifully available when doing our regular shop. And it is not to be sniffed at.

Tinned fish can be an excellent way to get all of the benefits of oily fish without the huge price tag, and with another extra benefit for families: the bones are edible, and an excellent source of calcium. No more worrying about filleting or picking out small bones when serving children. You can easily remove any larger bones if you wish (I personally give the spine bone from the salmon to the cat as I really don’t like the crunch, but we eat sardine and mackerel bones), but you are actually getting more goodness from a cheaper product if you eat the small ones!

Although we do buy frozen wild MSC-certified salmon sometimes, and I personally prefer the taste of trout (as does my 2-year-old who adores it), sometimes our money doesn’t even stretch to that, so these tinned salmon burgers become the perfect cheap healthy fish night dinner.

Topped with olive-oil based mayonnaise (or butter-based, my personal favourite), some sugar free cornichons (gherkins) and your favourite burger toppings, these delicious burgers are very kid-friendly: they don’t look like fish fillets, they don’t taste particularly “fishy” and are in burger form. Throw in some sweet potato fries or oven-baked vegetable-oil free fries (chips) and you have a healthy and delicious dinner that feels indulgent but is good for you and cheap as, well, chips. 🙂

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Healthy Budget Salmon Burgers

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Total Time

30 mins

 

Using tinned fish makes these burgers a cheap, easy and healthy way to get some oily fish into your diet. Kid-friendly, low effort and really yummy.

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Servings: 4 -6 burgers

Author: Raising Sugar Free Kids

Ingredients

• 2 tins (420g/15oz) wild salmon, drained
• 1 small red onion, finely diced
• 50 g (1/2 cup) breadcrumbs or ground almonds
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp sugar free Cajun spice mix*
• salt & pepper, to taste

To serve:

• wholewheat or sourdough burger buns (lettuce wraps are also a yummy low carb option), check packets to make sure they are sugar free/low sugar, or make your own without sugar!
• olive-oil- avocado-oil- or butter-based-mayonnaise**, as is or with a large handful of roughly chopped fresh parsley mixed into it
• other additions like: sliced sugar free gherkins/cornichons/pickles, sliced red onion, sliced tomatoes, sliced avocado, lettuce leaves, or your favourite sugar free burger extras
• fries, salad or cooked vegetables to serve alongside the burgers, optional

Instructions

1. Heat 1 tbsp of coconut oil or butter in a frying pan over low-medium heat and gently fry the diced onion until soft (about 5 mins). Transfer to a food processor and add all the other burger ingredients. Blend to a smooth paste and shape with your hands into 4-6 decent-sized patties. Fry in the pan in another 1 tbsp of oil or grill (broil) under medium-high heat for 2-3 mins on each side or until browned and cooked through.

2. Serve with whatever additions you have settled on and enjoy! These burgers will keep cooked in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze when shaped before cooking for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight or cook from frozen over a gentler heat for a little longer.

Recipe Notes

* I regularly make a big batch of this one and just use as needed in recipes

**I make Erica Lea's amazing butter mayonnaise which is creamy, filling and tastes like an amazing hollandaise sauce!