Salmon Patties

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You're going to love these delicious and tender salmon patties - they're easy to make and a fantastic, filling lunch or dinner.

You'll make these salmon cakes with a mixture of canned salmon, panko breadcrumbs, and a richly flavorful blend of aromatics. These make great salmon burgers as well!

These salmon cakes (also called salmon croquettes) are a Southern classic - they're also an easy recipe, perfect for busy weeknights. While they are hands-on, they only take about 30 minutes to make!

This is my favorite meal to make with canned salmon. The blend of onions, spices, and herbs gives it so much flavor! It's also a relatively inexpensive meal to make for four people, and it saves well in the refrigerator, making it excellent for meal prep.

Often, salmon patties are made with Ritz crackers, plain breadcrumbs, or saltine crackers, but using Panko breadcrumbs is my favorite way to make this recipe. Panko breadcrumbs are dryer and flakier than traditional breadcrumbs, making for a lighter and crunchier cake.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• More Great Seafood Recipes
• Substitutions & Variations
• What to Serve with Salmon Cakes
• Storage
• Tips for Making this Recipe
• Salmon Patties

Ingredients

Here are the simple ingredients you'll need for this salmon patty recipe.

• Canned Pink Salmon
• Large Eggs
• Panko Bread Crumbs
• Fresh Garlic
• Green Onions
• Fresh Parsley
• Fresh Lemon Juice
• Old Bay Seasoning
• Sea Salt
• Neutral Oil or Olive Oil for shallow frying

See the recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Blend the garlic, onions, shallot, parsley, lemon juice, Old Bay seasoning, sea salt, and eggs in a blender or food processor for 30 to 45 seconds, till the green onions are broken down.

After draining the salmon, remove any pin bones or skin from the salmon before flaking it into smaller pieces in a large bowl.

Add the panko and blended onion mixture to the bowl and stir to combine with the salmon. 

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and pour a few tablespoons of neutral vegetable oil into it. Form balls with ⅓ cup of the salmon mixture and press into patties. 

Once the oil is hot, add the patties to the pan and cook for 3 minutes. Flip the patties and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown. 

If the salmon cakes start to burn, reduce to medium heat.

Cook 3 to 4 patties and repeat until all the patties have been cooked. Place the patties on a plate with paper towels to soak up excess oil.

Serve with dill sauce or tartar sauce. Top with optional chopped fresh herbs or lemon zest. Serve with lemon wedges.

More Great Seafood Recipes

Want to try some of our other favorite seafood recipes? Here are some of our favorites.

• Baked Crab Cakes
• How to Cook Salmon Steaks
• Pan Seared Swordfish Steak

Substitutions & Variations

If you want to make some simple swaps to this recipe, here are some optional ingredients to substitute.

• Herbs - you can swap the parsley for fresh dill, cilantro, or oregano.
• Spices - if you'd like a little heat, add some red pepper flakes or chili powder

What to Serve with Salmon Cakes

You can top these tasty cakes with

• Dill Sauce -
• Remoulade Sauce - this great recipe comes together quickly and will pair well with crab cakes and other types of seafood.
• Homemade Tartar Sauce - you'll love the tangy flavor of this creamy sauce.

Storage

The cooked patties will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator when stored in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap.

They can also be frozen for up to 3 months.

Tips for Making this Recipe

Cooking Tips - If salmon cakes are cooking too quickly or you smell burning, reduce the heat to medium.

Specialty Ingredients - Panko breadcrumbs can be found in most grocery stores, and are also available online.

Recommended Tools - For best results, I suggest using a large frying pan and a large spatula to flip the patties.

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