Easy Cod Burgers with Herb Aioli
I sure hope you have leftover cooked cod because we’re making cod burgers! A crispy, golden fish burger tucked into a toasted brioche bun with a swipe of creamy herb aioli, muah! These are light but satisfying, comforting yet fresh, and perfect for a laid-back meal on the patio. Grab me some fries and a glass of rosé, let’s go!
Erica’s Thoughts
It’s part two of our next Cook Once Eat Twice recipe! I looooove a good fish patty. Fish burger? Fish cake? It is neither burger nor cake, what is happening here? Whatever it’s called, I love it. But here’s the thing. A lot of recipes call for cooked salmon, cooked cod, etc. to make fish cakes. And when I make roasted fish of any kind, I usually don’t have enough leftover to make a whole other meal. So I intentionally designed this Mediterranean Baked Cod recipe to yield about 10-12oz leftover cod for us to use! Yay!
Provided you already have the cod made up, this dinner comes together so quickly. You do need to let the patties firm up a bit in the fridge. But this feels like a sitch in which you whip up the patties in any small pocket of time you have (before work, when the ‘little helpers’ are taking a nap, while the kids are at school, etc), pop them in the fridge and then when 5pm rolls around boom- you’re ready to give them a quick pan sear and dinner is ready! You can also make the herb aioli in advance. 💪🏽
This is my favorite way to repurpose leftover cod. You will not believe how a lean, kind of boring white fish gets transformed into something so crave-able.
Let’s talk about how to make them, plus how to riff on the recipe depending on what you’ve got in your kitchen.
What You’ll Need to Make Cod Burgers
Cooked cod: sometimes I’ll buy fresh cod but most of the time I get the wild-caught cod fillets from the frozen section of Costco. I use 8 of those fillets to make Mediterranean baked cod which yields the perfect amount to use in this recipe as well.
Eggs: eggs help bind everything together.
Seasoned breadcrumbs: I used Italian breadcrumbs here but you could also use panko bread crumbs. These add structure and subtle flavor to the patties.
Kosher salt: salt enhances all the other flavors. Be sure to adjust based on how seasoned your cod and seasoning blend are (see note in the recipe card).
All-purpose seasoning: I love and recommend the 21 seasoning salute from Trader Joe’s (it is salt free). If you use something like Kinders salt/black pepper/garlic blend or Old Bay seasoning be more conservative with salt.
Herbs: fresh parsley for the patties and a mix of parlsey, dill and chives for the aioli, don’t skimp here!
Lemon: you can’t have crispy cod burgers without a big squeeze of lemon in both the cod mixture and aiol!
Mayonnaise: grab a great-quality mayo that you love the taste of. It’s the creamy base that holds the aioli together.
Garlic: use a microplane or box grater to grate a whole garlic cloves so it really permeates the herb sauce.
Dijon mustard: dijon gives the aioli a little zip and depth. Find it in the condiments aisle of the grocery store.
Assembly: I love butter lettuce, red onion, avocado and a mild cheese like provolone or monterey jack. I also think shredded cabbage and pickled jalapeños would be fabulous here!
How to Make Cod Burgers
Mix the patties
In a mixing bowl, flake the cooked cod with a fork. Squeeze as much moisture as possible from the fish using a muslin cloth or pat dry with paper towels. Add the eggs, seasoned breadcrumbs, salt, all-purpose seasoning, minced parsley, and a squeeze of lemon. Mix well. Use moistened hands to form four patties and place them on a parchment-lined plate. Refrigerate for 30–60 minutes to help them firm up.
Make the aioli
In a small bowl, whisk together mayo, chives, parsley, and dill, lemon juice, garlic clove, Dijon mustard, and a little bit of salt. Taste and adjust as needed- more lemon if you like it zingy!
Cook the patties
Heat about 2 tbsp of olive oil in a nonstick pan or stainless steel frying pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the patties and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown and warmed through. If you’re adding cheese, place it on top after the first flip so it melts while the second side cooks.
Assemble the burgers
Butter and toast your brioche buns (I use the broiler for about 60 seconds). Add a big spoonful of herb aioli to the bottom bun. Layer on butter lettuce, a crispy cod patty, avocado slices, red onion, and optional pickled jalapeños. Spread more aioli on the top bun and close it up.
Expert Tips
- Chill the patties: Don’t skip the chilling step! It helps the burgers hold together.
- Remove as much excess moisture from the fish as possible before creating patties.
- Wait until the oil is hot before adding the cod patty to get a nice sear.
- Check to see how much salt is in your all-purpose seasoning- adjust overall kosher salt amount based on your all-purpose seasoning and whether or not you are using pre-seasoned fish.
- Spread a little butter on the burger buns and toast them under the broiler for 60 seconds– watch closely so they don’t burn.
FAQs
I find they get crispier and hold together better when pan-seared but yes, you can bake them. Place the patties on a parchment-lined baking sheet, brush lightly with olive oil, and bake at 425°F for about 15 minutes, flipping halfway through.
So glad you asked. Def make this Mediterranean baked cod and use the leftovers here!
French fries (I’m very partial to sweet potato fries), potato chips, a simple garden salad or maybe some steamed green beans would be perfect!
Any white fish or salmon will work. You could also use canned tuna or canned salmon, try to remove as much moisture as you can.
Yes! Form the patties, then freeze them on a baking sheet until solid. Transfer to a zip-top bag and cook from frozen or pop in the air fryer.
I have not tested this recipe with raw cod. I’d recommend drizzling it with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and roasting it for 13-14 minutes until just cooked through. Let it cool and proceed with the recipe!
Partially cut onion is annoying I feel you. Use the leftover onion in pickled onions or roasted veggies. Use the butter lettuce to make salmon lettuce wraps or peanut tofu wraps.
If you love these cod burgers, you’ll love these other fun dinner ideas!
Honey ginger salmon lettuce wraps
CHOMP. 🤤
If you try and like this recipe please don’t forget to leave a comment and star rating down below! If you love more lifestyle, behind the scenes and ‘eating in real life’ type of content come find me over on Instagram, @itsaflavorfullife, I love connecting with you all there!
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Cod Burgers Recipe with Herb Aioli
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 6-8 minutes
- Total Time: 21-23 minutes
- Yield: 4 burgers 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Description
Easy, fresh and flavorful cod patties on a toasted brioche bun with herb aioli and all the fixings. So good.
Ingredients
Patties
- 12oz cooked cod
- 2 eggs, whisked
- 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt *see note
- 1 teaspoon all-purpose seasoning like 21 seasoning salute or Old Bay
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
- squeeze of lemon
- olive oil, for frying
Herb aioli
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 2 tablespoons chives, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 large clove garlic, grated or minced
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- pinch of salt
Assembly
- 4 brioche buns, toasted
- butter lettuce leaves
- avocado, thinly sliced
- red onion, thinly sliced
- mild cheese like provolone or harvati
- pickled jalapenos (optional)
Instructions
- Assemble the cod patties: In a bowl, flake apart the cooked cod. Squeeze or drain off any excess moisture. Add 2 eggs, ½ cup breadcrumbs, ¼ – ½ teaspoon kosher salt (see note), 1 teaspoon all-purpose seasoning, ¼ cup chopped parsley and a squeeze of lemon and mix until very well combined. Use moistened hands to firmly press together four cod patties. Option- you can use a food processor to create a more emulsified cod mixture if that’s more your vibe. Place patties on a parchment-lined plate and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.
- Whisk up the aioli: whisk together ½ cup mayo, 2 tablespoons each fresh chives, parsley and fresh dill, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 clove grated garlic, 1 teaspoon dijon mustard and a pinch of salt.
- Cook the cod burgers: add a big swish of olive oil to a nonstick pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot add the cod patties and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown and heated through. If you’re adding cheese, place it on top after the first flip so it melts while the second side cooks.
- Assembly: toast the buns, I like to butter them and place under the broiler for 60 seconds. Add a big dollop of herb aioli to the bottom bun followed by butter lettuce, a cod burger, avocado, red onion and the top bun spread with more aioli. Devour and enjoy!
Notes
Cod: I’m using leftover cod from this sheet pan Mediterranean baked cod!
Salt: You’ll want to take note of if your all-purpose seasoning contains salt. I used pre-seasoned cod (from the Mediterranean recipe) and 21 seasoning salute (which does not have added salt) and used ½ teaspoon kosher salt in my cod mixture. You may need to adjust up or down based on your circumstances.
Refer to above blog post for step-by-step photos, expert tips and answers to frequently asked questions.
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Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cod burger
- Calories: 472
- Sugar: 5.3 g
- Sodium: 848.5 mg
- Fat: 20.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 39.8 g
- Fiber: 3.9 g
- Protein: 25.5 g
- Cholesterol: 150 mg
So flavorful! I used canned salmon, followed recipe to a T and it was delicious!
Yaaay! Happy to hear it Ashlee! Thanks for making 🙂
These are literally SO GOOD! I made them for the second time this evening, the first time for my husband, and he couldn’t stop saying, “mmmm” and “wow”!
YASSSSS we love to hear it, thank you Chanel!!