Publix Southwest Salmon Burger
Author’s Note: I have no affiliation with Publix, and this is not a paid review.
Maybe not for die-hard fish lovers.
I previously reviewed a couple other salmon burgers from Aldi and Costco. Publix sells these fresh (never frozen) Southwest Salmon Burgers in their Seafood Department. They’re sold per item (as opposed to weight), and I got mine on sale for $3. Three hundred pennies! Let’s find out if it was worth it.
My uncooked burger had a slightly slimy exterior feel, but no offensive fishy odors. The label gave two different options for cooking, including grill or sauté. I chose to heat mine in a ceramic skillet with a little butter.
The label said to cook at medium-high heat for 2 minutes on each side, flipping 4 times. I assumed this meant 8 minutes of cook time total. However, mine was starting to burn on the outside after just 2 minutes, so I turned the stove off and it sit in the pan a little longer, to make sure it had heated all the way through. If you’re using a ceramic pan, like I am, you may need a much lower heat, to prevent charring.
So, the “Southwest” part of the name isn’t just fancy words. This burger is packed (and I mean PACKED) with red peppers, black beans, and corn. I was surprised to see cheese in the ingredients, too (as a queso fresco). Unfortunately, I can’t taste the cheese myself. But, I have faith it is there, somewhere?
Other seasonings include cilantro, garlic, parsley, jalapeno, onion, tomatoes, and even wine. Sadly, it’s not a spicy burger. In fact, although it has a pleasant taste, it isn’t as zesty as I’d hoped.
But, it IS very pretty. It’s full of colorful excitement. Behold:
Without any extra seasoning, the burger has a gentle savory flavor. Mine had a lightly salty taste all the way through. Even the individual corn kernels were slightly salty inside. I still added extra salt to mine, because I love salt. But for most people, it will be “just right.”
The salmon is super-duper tender. It’s mixed so thoroughly into the other ingredients that there aren’t any distinct lumps of fish, per se. This may pacify the fish-haters in your family, while disappointing the fish enthusiasts. To me, it barely tasted like fish at all. Probably because there are so many other ingredients competing for attention.
Honestly, the texture reminded me a bit of a meatloaf. Whatever was used as a “binder” in the ingredients has the strangle-grip of an angry Darth Vader. My burger held together like a champ, despite all the bulky beans and corn and suchlike. I personally didn’t enjoy the sausage-like smoothness of the fish.
This is a thick, meaty patty. At 5.5 ounces, it’s as big as a very large hamburger, and completely filled my Ciabatta Bun from Aldi. The patty doesn’t shrink much during cooking, either. So, you’re getting a lot of bang for your 300 pennies.
Ingredients in Publix Southwest Salmon Burger
Well, these ingredients are disappointing. Especially for a “fresh” product. From the color added to the salmon (no indication of what type of salmon this is, either), to the polysorbate 80, sodium diacetate, and transglutaminase (aka, “meat glue”). Plus dextrose. It’s interesting to see cocoa powder here, however. I’m guessing that’s for color? Strange.
Price and Servings
At my local Publix, the regular price for a 5.5 ounce Southwest Salmon Burger is $3.99. As I mentioned, I got mine on sale for $3.00. Per ounce, this is 73 cents at the regular price, and 55 cents at the sale price. For single folks like me, it’s great to be able to buy just one of these at a time.
Shelf Life
The “sell by” date on my burger was dated for the same day I bought it.
Cooking Instructions
Here’s a simplified list of cooking temps and times:
- Grill: Cook on “medium” heat 8-10 minutes total, rotating and flipping in 2 minute intervals.
- Saute: Cook in “medium high” skillet 2 minutes on each side, flipping 4 times.
Let rest 2 minutes after cooking.
Dramatic Conclusion
For die-hard fish lovers, this burger isn’t it. It’s probably a great option for meatloaf-lovers and folks who aren’t sure how they feel about salmon. I could hardly taste the salmon over the other stuff. It’s a fun change of pace from regular hamburgers, however.
The End.
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