Smoky Salmon Bagel Burgers with Garlic-Dill Schmear

Smoky Salmon Bagel Burger with Garlic-Dill Schmear! Love bagels and lox? You’ll go “wild” over these simply satisfying salmon burgers! They’re a quick, versatile bite that works for brunch, lunch or dinner.

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Alaska Seafood as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own. 

When did “brunch” become such a thing? In the last few years, brunch seems to have been promoted to cool kid status, a mealtime worthy of many an overhead Instagram shot and Facebook check-in.

I mean, I can see the appeal… you can sleep in and miss breakfast, but still have access to breakfast-type options on the menu, or bypass breakfast altogether and skip straight to heartier lunchtime fare before noon. You can drink champagne and vodka while you eat your eggs and bacon without anyone giving you the side-eye about it. You can extend the weekend fun into late Sunday afternoon and still have the rest of the evening to “recover” without a trace of regret early Monday morning. It’s pretty ideal.

Sadly, I haven’t been able to convert my own husband and get him aboard the Brunch Train. He doesn’t like the idea of smushing two mealtimes into one, therefore gypping himself of an opportunity for more food. Go figure.

He does, however, like the idea of a fusion of breakfast and lunch dishes and the creativity that seems to crop up on brunch menus, so I’m not giving up hope for conversion just yet.

With those creative combos in mind, I developed my very own amalgamation of breakfast-meets-lunch in this Smoky Salmon Bagel Burger with Garlic-Dill Schmear — a twist on the classic bagel and lox breakfast with enough heft to take it into lunchtime territory.

This tasty burger is made with wild-caught Alaska salmon is sandwiched between two thin bagel slices and slathered with flavorful homemade schmear, topped with spinach, red onion and cucumber as the fixin’s.

Just enough bread to keep me from the ultra-carby offerings that tend to lure me in {well, hello there stuffed French toast! Hiya, house-made cinnamon roll the size of my head!}, but a good dose of protein and Omega-3s as well. A winning compromise, I’d say.

My local fishmonger was just as excited as I was when I asked for Alaska salmon, sharing his own favorite way to enjoy the high quality, sustainable salmon that comes from Alaska’s cold, pristine waters as he picked out a perfect filet. {If you can’t find it in the fresh fish case, make sure to look in the frozen case where its sold year-round!}

These salmon burgers are so easy to assemble and take just a few minutes to cook up — optimal for quick mid-week meals or simple weekend gatherings.

Whether you’re looking for an option to carry you from breakfast to lunch or are simply looking for an healthful, creative way to get your family to eat more Alaska salmon, these burgers fit the bill!

In the meantime, I’ll be over here trying to convince my husband that he’s not missing out on anything by brunching!

Salmon Bagel Burgers with Garlic-Dill Schmear

Smoky Salmon Bagel Burger with Garlic-Dill Schmear! Love bagels and lox? You'll go "wild" over these simply gratifying salmon burgers! They're a quick, versatile bite that works for brunch, lunch or dinner.

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Course Main Course

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Servings 4 salmon burgers

Author Dianna Muscari

Ingredients  

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound fresh Alaska salmon skin removed, finely chopped
• 1 egg
• 2½ tablespoons panko bread crumbs
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon sea salt

For Schmear

• 4 ounces cream cheese {reduced fat if desired}
• 1 tablespoon plain yogurt
• ¼ teaspoon dried dill
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt

For Burgers:

• 4 ultra-thin bagels sliced & lightly toasted
• 1 cup fresh spinach leaves
• 16 cucumber slices
• 1 red onion sliced

Instructions 

• Heat olive oil in a large pan or grill pan over medium-high heat. In a bowl, combine the chopped Alaska salmon, egg, panko, onion powder, smoked paprika and salt until well-mixed.
• Form 4 patties, about ¼ pound each, from the mixture and place in the pan. Cook on the first side for about 2-3 minutes, then flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes until the burger is cooked through — try not to overcook. Remove from pan when done and set aside.
• Meanwhile, make schmear by mixing together the cream cheese, yogurt, dill, garlic powder and salt in a bowl until uniform and spreadable.
• Assemble burgers: Place prepared salmon burgers onto the bottom half of each bagel. Place spinach leaves and red onion on top. Top with cucumber slices. Spread about 1 tablespoon of schmear onto the other half of the bagel and place on top to complete your “burger.”