Tilapia Burgers
The most flavorful fish burger that is also the most easy. These tilapia burgers are gluten-free, low carb and freeze really well. A healthy fish sandwich that is served with the best homemade tartar sauce recipe.

This is one of my favorite, ‘old’ recipes from 2014 that I updated with new images and a video.
Fresh lemon and dill pair so well with any seafood. These are the predominant flavors going on this tilapia sandwich, but not so much so this mildly flavored fish doesn’t get overpowered.

Tilapia is a firm, mild flavored fish and the firmness makes it perfect for making into burgers. The same flavors used are carried over in a delicious tartar sauce to spread on the burgers with capers, dill pickles, fresh dill and lemon zest.

I mixed store-bought coleslaw blend with the tartar sauce for a wonderful crunchy topping or side.
There are no breadcrumbs or egg that you would usually find as binder in crab/fish cakes in this burger making them gluten-free and low carb (if you omit the bun, of course). Instead, part of the fish is blended into a paste with Dijon mustard which serves as the ‘glue’ to hold them together.

Freezing Fish Burgers
These tilapia burgers freeze really well. Best when individually wrapped well in plastic wrap and stored in a sealed container so you can defrost as many or as little as you need.
Defrost in the fridge overnight and cook according to the recipe.
More Burger Recipes:
Tilapia Burgers

Tilapia is a mild white fish that's perfect to take on the myriad of flavors in this delicious burger.
Ingredients
- For the tartar sauce:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 2 tablespoons dill pickles, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon fresh dill, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Ground black pepper to taste
- For the burgers:
- 1 ½ pounds (679 grams) tilapia filets, chopped
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons chives, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Instructions
- Add all of the tartar sauce ingredients to a bowl and mix well. Cover and refrigerate.
- Add the tilapia to a food processor along with lemon zest, salt and pepper. Pulse to chop into small pieces. Take ¾ of the chopped tilapia and transfer to a bowl. Add the Dijon mustard to the food processor and pulse to make a paste (this will be the binder to hold them together). Remove and add to the bowl with the rest of the tilapia. Add the chives and dill, mix well.
- Divide the into 4 equal parts. Take 1/4 and firmly form into a ball, then shape into a patty. Repeat with the rest of the tilapia and refrigerate for 30 minutes (this will prevent them breaking apart when cooking).
- Preheat a cast iron skillet, or non-stick sauté pan over medium high heat and add oil. When the oil starts to ripple carefully place the burgers in the pan, you can work in batches if they don’t all fit. Cook for 4-5 minutes, do not move. When they are browned and lift easily from the pan, they are ready to turn. Cook 3-4 minutes on the other side. Remove.
Serve with the tartar sauce.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1 burgerAmount Per Serving Calories 317Total Fat 30gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 23gCholesterol 30mgSodium 350mgCarbohydrates 4gProtein 15g
This nutrition calculation is provided by Nutronix that is only a guideline and not intended for any particular diet.
27 Comments on “Tilapia Burgers”
Hi. This may be a silly question- but do you cook the tilapia before pulsing in the food processor or do you work with it raw?ย
Not a silly question at all. The tilapia is added to the food processor raw. Enjoy ๐
These were really good. We’ve been eating a lot of tilapia lately and I wanted to spice things up. Great recipe and good idea with the Dijon!
I’m so happy you enjoyed the burgers, thank you for the feedback.
Oh my yum! These looks so yummy. Pinned!
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe at #TheWeekendSocial !
Sounds so good!! Thanks for sharing on the Thursday Blog Hop!
Hi Janette,
What a great take on a burger! I’m so loving the way all the fabulous foodies are coming up with unique burgers this summer. Thanks for a great recipe!
Thank you so much Robyn ๐
I love tilapia. Never though of putting it in burger form.
I love a good fish burger and this is terrific! Thank you for sharing your sweet blog at the Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop. Watch fro your feature on Monday ♥
Great alternative to beef burgers.
I love this concept and bet it would be great with ground turkey also! Love the curried onions!
I agree, thank you Shelby
I love tilapia and this looks like a creative way to use it. I think I’ll use basil instead of the cilantro. I do adore the other spices you chose…curry and cumin. YUM!
Thank you KC, I think basil would a perfect choice as not everyone is a cilantro fan.
Sounds wonderful! Tilapia is such a versatile fish!
WOW! That looks so fresh and delicious!
This looks so delicious. I’m not a “beef” burger fan, but I love an alternative burger and the Tilapia definitely sounds perfect. I’ve pinned and shared.
It’s a great alternative, thank you Joanne ๐
This looks so good, I’ll definitely give it a try. I’m not a regular “beef” burger fan, I prefer an alternative, and the Tilapia sounds perfect. Pinned/shared.
This looks delicious! There are some tasty flavors in this tilapia burger. Caramelized onions are outstanding on burgers. Looking forward to trying this recipe!
Thank you Sandra, I did enjoy them ๐
These look great! I can’t wait to try them. Thanks for sharing your recipe. I’ve pinned it for later. ๐
Thank you Debi ๐
What a great way to flavor tilapia! I agree about the fact that there is no better topping than caramelized onions.Love the photography too. Looks very appetizing.
Thank you Ice, I could eat caramelized onions on a flip flop ๐