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These Salmon Patties (aka salmon cakes) are tender and flaky on the inside, golden and crispy on the outside. Made quick and easy with delicious canned salmon and fresh herbs, my salmon patty recipe will knock your socks off!
Table of Contents
Salmon Patty (Cakes) Recipe
If you had asked me a few years back if I like salmon patties you probably would have gotten a deer in the headlights kind of look. That just didn’t sound good to me, so it wasn’t something I’d ever tried. I finally worked up the courage (silly, I know) to try them, and I was immediately hooked and knew I needed to figure out how to make salmon patties at home.
This recipe is pretty straightforward and is similar to the way I make my homemade meatballs. Salmon Patties are crazy easy to make, and require little effort, making them perfect for busy weeknights. Mix ingredients, form patties with your hands, then fry them up on the stove. The whole process takes about 20 minutes from start to finish.
How to Make Salmon Patties
- Start with canned salmon – I prefer to use the skinless and boneless kind, but as long as you get about 15 ounces, you can use any kind of canned salmon, or even fresh salmon that you bake in the oven.
- Next you’ll add fresh ingredients like dill, parsley, green onions and lemon, and some binders like breadcrumbs, egg and mayonnaise.
- All of these things mix together and for a delicious blend of flavors that enhance the salmon patties. I prefer to mix the ingredients with my hands to get them really well combined, then use an ice cream scoop for portioning so each salmon patty is about the same size, and use my hands to form the patties.
- Fry them up in a skillet until golden and serve with homemade tartar sauce and lemon wedges!
How long do salmon patties take to cook?
Salmon patties don’t take long at all to cook – about 8 minutes! Melt some butter and oil in a skillet and fry the patties about 3-4 minutes per side or until they are nice and golden. Have a paper towel lined tray or plate ready to transfer them to, them serve them up with some fresh lemon wedges or tartar sauce.
Is salmon out of a can good for you?
Fortunately, the canning process doesn’t take away the nutrients in fish, so you’ll get protein, heart healthy omega-3 fats and other nutrients from both fresh and canned sources of salmon. While there can be a slight difference in taste the ease of using canned fish in recipes like these salmon cakes or tuna pasta salad makes it a great option.
Serving Suggestions
I served them with homemade tartar sauce, roasted potatoes and some steamed veggies, and I’ve since added them to our monthly dinner rotation.
They are so tender and flaky on the inside, golden on the outside and the flavor is out of this world. Give this salmon patty recipe a try and I bet your family will love them too!
More Salmon Recipes
- Easy Baked Salmon with Honey Garlic Butter
- Baked Teriyaki Salmon Lettuce Wraps
- Crunchy Ramen Noodle Salad with Salmon
Salmon Patties
Ingredients
- 3 5-ounce cans salmon skinless and boneless (aff)
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill chopped
- 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon Garlic salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper
- 1 tablespoon Canola oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except oil and butter. Stir to combine and then with your hands, form patties. Use an ice cream scoop (aff) for easy portioning. Flatten them into ½” patties. (Should make about 8-10 patties)
- Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-medium low heat. Add some of the patties to the hot skillet (don’t crowd the pan – you want at least an inch between patties). It it seems like the patties are browning too quickly, reduce the heat. Cook 3-4 minutes per side, or until golden and crispy on both sides. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Repeat until all patties are cooked through.
- Serve with homemade tartar sauce and lemon wedges on the side.
Notes
Nutrition
I used canned red salmon. I also added some chopped red bell pepper which I sautéed with the onion prior to adding it to the salmon mixture. The patties were delicious……a big hit in our house! Thanks for posting the recipe.
You are so welcome Caroline! Love the feedback Caroline, thanks for stopping by.
Should I drain the cans of salmon?
Yes, drain them.
Receipe sounds delicious. Can you suggest a brand of canned salmon to use?( boneless, skinless)? What measurements would you use if you had to use dry herbs? Thanks 😊
For dry herbs, you will use half of what it calls for with fresh herbs. As for canned salmon, there aren’t a ton of options, so I’d read the cans of what’s available and buy whichever one sounds the best to you.
This is the second time I’ve made these…so good. I decided to add seasoned bread crumbs to the plain ones. I used gluten-free bread crumbs, btw & that worked fine. I’m wondering if regular vs. Panko crumbs might help hold them together better. ?? Anyway, we put a little dollop of tartar sauce & a squeeze of lemon on each one. They were yummy😋
HiBeth, sure if you find that they aren’t holding together for you, try plain breadcrumbs.
Just wanted to say this recipe is a constant staple in my house. My husband grew up hating salmon patties and I was never a fan BUT these are so good!!! He even requests them! I can’t always get them to hold together well but we don’t mind. They’re even great broken up on top of spinach salad.
Awesome feedback Jayne! Thanks for stopping by.
I added extra of all the flavoring ingredients and was surprised how bland they were. I also dusted the outside with cornmeal for additional crispiness which required a lot more oil for frying, and that turned out well. They are good, just not great.
Hi Jim, I think they’re wonderful as is, but I don’t dust with cornmeal, which obviously can alter the flavor. Give them a try without it and tell me what you think.
Thank you so much, Kristin. I truly appreciate your reply. I look forward to making your recipe using water-packed tuna. Jojo
Hello – your salmon patties look delicious. My husband regrettably doesn’t like salmon. I was wondering if your recipe might work using canned tuna instead of salmon. Would the rest of the ingredients work with tuna? Thank you very much for any advice.
Hi Jojo, I think tuna would work great. Just be sure to drain it really well. Also I would use a water packed tuna.
I really enjoyed these, and I’m actually considering using tarter sauce instead of mayo the next time I make these to see if it zips it up a bit.
Great feedback Greg! Thanks for stopping by.
I have never left a comment on any recipe I
have found while making them off the internet. I try a lot of different ones from A to Z. This one just blew me away. I altered it a bit for my taste before adding the egg. Used dried dill for mine because I did not have any as it is rather seasonal here. Make it. Is is gol darn good and easy too
Awesome feedback Ralph! Thank you so much for stopping by.
Can I make them ahead of time and cook them later that evening?
Sure! Just keep them in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. I’d set them out 15 minutes prior to cooking so they aren’t cold going into the pan.
Wow! I made these for my family today for the first time and they just loved them. This recipe is a keeper for sure. I will be making them again..
Nice! Thanks for stopping by Lisa.
I rarely comment BUT Kristen THESE ARE SOOOOOO GOOOD. THANK you for sharing this along with your tartar sauce ohhhhh yummy!
You are so welcome Emi! Thank you for stopping by.
thank you so much for this recipe. I’ve made these several times and was wondering if they are good to freeze
Yes you can freeze them! Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the oven, covered with foil. If you want then crispy you can stick them under the broiler for a couple of minutes.
I just finished making these and gave one to my wife. She said, “this is different”. I asked her how they came out and she said that she loved them and wanted to know how i cooked them. I told her on the stove, lol. Not giving away my new secret. Thank you so much for these tasty salmon patties.
You are so welcome Marty! Thanks for stopping by.
Hands down the best recipe I have ever came across for Salmon patties and the homemade tartar sauce! I made these for my sweetie and he was blown away. He suggested this be a go to for entertaining family and friends this summer! My herb garden is coming in and can’t wait to do this recipe again. Thank you Kristin!
You are so welcome Mary! Thanks for stopping by.
These are the best salmon patties I have ever had. I made them all the time!
Thank you for your feedback Christina!
These Salmon patties are amazing!
The best EVER! No competition. I have made these probably 10 times in the last 6 months, just now deciding I needed to share how fantastic they are. I make them exactly like the recipe says. Thank you!!
That is so awesome Beverly! Thanks for stopping by and sharing your positive feedback.
I am going to make these for 60 people. Can I make ahead and reheat?
Yes you could reheat in the oven.
Thanks for the recipe. My family enjoyed them.
You are so welcome Kelly! Thanks for stopping by.
I was the same way with cherries. Only kind I ever had was that bleached out junk in a can, so I avoided cherry pie and fresh cherries like the plague. Ten years ago I finally tried a real (fresh) cherry. I wasted fifty years avoiding something wonderful! A closed mind is a waste of space.
I tried your recipe, but cheated, and added a stalk of celery, half a red bell pepper (chopped fine), and crackers instead of panko, like my Granny used to. Also a teaspoon of capers in the crackers before grinding in a blender. Pretty much matches her lost recipe. Thanks.
You are so welcome Kristof, thank you so much for taking the time to leave some positive feedback.
quick question, do you drain the liquid from the can before adding the salmon
The ones I’ve used there isn’t much liquid so it won’t hurt the patties. Call it a personal preference.
Wonderful idea for a quick, wonderful meal. Thank you for posting your recipe.
You are so welcome Bryce, thank you so much for stopping by.
Hi Kristin!
Had Salmon Patties for the 1st time in my 57 rotations around the moon, this past August.
I was visiting a GF in Colorado who made your recipe…They are sooo good and flavorful!!!
Am going to make them myself. But instead of frying them, do you think I can just cook them in my Air Fryer for less fat content? I think it will work!
I haven’t used an air fryer, but I think that sounds wonderful!
Ever since I was a child we had salmon patties. The only thing that was changed was one kind of sauce we had. It could be a white sauce or tarter sauce but then again it could be chili sauce. No mater it was always good, I had forgotten about this but trust me I will be making it soon. This was an excellent way to feed your family yet keep your food budget low. People that grew up in the depression knew how to do that however it seems to me some of that has been lost and forgotten. It’s a shame because simple recipes are sometimes the best and they also remind us of our roots. Thanks for the recipe which was a great reminder.
You are so welcome Midge, thank you so much for taking the time to share some of your life story.
Used this recipe twice and everybody wants to know my recipe. Quick, easy and delicious!
That’s so awesome C. Nelson! Thank you so much for sharing your experience!
These were delicious! We needed a change from my husband’s usual salmon patty recipe and this was it. We also made your tarter sauce recipe even tho we normally only use lemon on ours. It was also very good.
Thank you Annette! and thanks for sharing your experience!
These were delicious.
Thanks
You’re so welcome Susan! thank you so much for stopping by!
I ❤ this recipe!!!!
Thanks Esther!
Hey thank you so much I’m cooking this for my parents are in their 80 I’m not really sure how to cook things I’m not a good cook but I’m going to try this recipe thank you for your time for posting this on the internet
Good luck Andy! Let me know what they think!
WHat does aff in this recipe mean?
It just means that the links given to product are affiliate links. We make a tiny bit if you click the the links and make a purchase. It’s one of the ways we keep the site running and are able to offer so much free content. 🙂
Great recipe…, thanks for sharing! I also added added some freshly chopped celery,bell pepper ,onion along with the ingredients you provided — best ever that I’ve tasted!!
I added some celery,bell pepper ,onion and red pepper flakes and they were the best we have ever had!
yummy! thank you!
Awesome! thank you debra.
They were great………………….I also added 2 teaspoons of honey and used corn meal instead of bread crumbs.
Served with potatoes, corn on cob,steam veggies. Your recipe is by far the best. TYVM.
Sounds like great additions Sandra!
Delicious ! I added celery because I didn’t have Green onions. Are used white onions and the celery gave it some color. I also used 2 tablespoons of oil instead of butter and oil.
Thank you Jill! and great idea on the additions.
Kristen
Just finished dinner, amazing recipe. I made using just one can and estimated the rest of the ingredients quickly (used the whole egg). Highly recommend, this was so easy to pull together. Will print out to add to recipes. thanks : )
Thank you Helen! So glad you enjoyed it!
These were fabulous! And the dill sauce too. Thanks so much!
Thank you!
Growing up i hated salmon patties. As a adult even just loosely following this recipe…… My husband and i are I love with how delicious they can be.
What side dishes do you serve with these?
We like them with steamed rice and a crisp green salad.
Very Tasty! I have always used my mothers old recipe, but decided to try this one to cut down on the salt because mom’s called for crushed saltines. I used garlic powder instead of garlic salt. I doubled the recipe and it was gone in 10 minutes between 3 people! Everyone loved it. Thank You!
I made this recipe and they turned out great.
Very very good.
Thank you Carolyn!
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I made this tonight and my husband and I absolutely loved it! Instead of tartar sauce, we made garlic aioli – yum!! Before I fixed them, my husband said he wasn’t really hungry, but he would try them; he ended up getting seconds and thirds. Will definitely make these again! ?
Love it!!
These were delicious! I served them with a yogurt dill sauce. Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you H C!
I don’t really care for salmon patties, but I eat them for my health. I add jalapenos to your recipe, then put provolone on the patties. This makes them much more palatable to me.
Looks yummy!
These were delicious – and will be going in my regular meal rotation. So much flavor and so easy to make!! Thank you!!
Thank you Tracey!
Talk about yummy! Was missing my great grandmothers so I made these. They were so easy to make and turned out so delicious! Thanks a ton for such a great dinner addition. So planning on making mini versions to make fancy little appetizer bites!
Thank you Tanya!
Awesome salmon patties, My wife said they were even better than the way her mom makes them. FYI, that is high praise.
I’m flattered!
Great salmon patties and from canned salmon
Thank you Kirstin for this site. I made the Salmon patties twice. They have been a favorite of mine and my family’s. Looking forward to more great recipes.
Thank you Sydalia! and thanks for stopping by.
Where can I find a recipe for the homemade tartar sauce
There is a link in the post, but I’ll leave it here for you as well: https://www.yellowblissroad.com/tartar-sauce-recipe/