Simple Salmon Patties Recipe
Published 4/1/2021
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Learn how to make salmon patties with cooked flakey salmon, panko breadcrumbs, garlic, mayo, and a little tabasco. You will seriously love this salmon patties recipe!
Flakey, Perfect Salmon Patties
If you landed on this recipe, you are in for a treat because this salmon cakes recipe is absolutely to die for. Not only is it flakey on the inside and perfectly crusted on the outside, but it’s actually healthy.
These salmon patties come together with cooked salmon, panko breadcrumbs, a little mayonnaise, a dash of tabasco, and an egg to bind everything together.
Why make these?
- Healthy: these salmon cakes are made with salmon, tons of veggies, and fresh flavors to make them a healthy dinner idea.
- High-Protein: 1 serving of this recipe will get you 26g protein.
- Healthy Fats: salmon is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which can help reduce inflammation.
- Leftover Salmon Idea: a simple way to use up leftover salmon that you have in your fridge.
Ingredients for Salmon Patties
We kept the ingredient lineup super simple for these leftover salmon patties:
- Salmon: this recipe calls for cooked salmon. We recommend making your own salmon, but canned salmon works too.
- Veggies & Herbs: we packed in so many veggies and fresh herbs into these salmon cakes to make sure they are flavorful and delicious. You’ll need a red bell pepper, white onion, and chopped parsley.
- Spices: chili powder, garlic powder, salt, paprika
- Panko breadcrumbs: Panko helps add a little bit of crunch and really makes the texture of this recipe so delicious.
- Egg: an egg as used as an ingredient binder to make sure your patties don’t fall apart.
- Mayonaisse: mayo is a great flavor enhancer.
- Tabasco: a little bit of spice goes a long way. It also helps bring out all of the other delicious flavors!
- Olive oil: olive oil is used both in the salmon cakes and for pan-frying.
Homemade Salmon vs. Canned Salmon
Should you use homemade salmon or canned salmon? If there is one thing we recommend, it is to use homemade salmon. This salmon patties recipe is seriously the perfect thing to make with leftover salmon and that’s how we prefer to make it.
If you don’t have time or have homemade salmon, you can totally use canned salmon too! Below we are giving some recommendations for both options.
Easy Leftover Salmon Recipes
More often than not when making salmon recipes, we end up having at least a filet or two leftover in the fridge. So, why not whip up an easy and delicious recipe for day 2 of salmon goodness? Cue: easy, flakey salmon patties!
So, start here with some of our simple salmon recipes:
Best Canned Salmon for Salmon Patties
While we recommend using leftover salmon that you cook in your own kitchen, canned salmon will also work for this salmon cakes recipe. Some of our favorite canned salmon brands are:
- Chicken of the Sea
- Kirkland Brand
- Safe Catch
- Starkist
Step-By-Step Instructions for Easy Salmon Patties
These salmon patties come together in just a few easy steps. They are pan-fried to crispy perfection on the stovetop. Here’s how to make them:
- Flake Salmon: First, remove the skin from your leftover salmon and then place it into a large bowl and use a spoon or fork to break the salmon up into small shredded chunks.
- Add Fresh Flavors and Veggies: Next, add the breadcrumbs, diced bell pepper, diced white onion, parsley, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, paprika, egg, mayo, tabasco, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the bowl of salmon.
- Mix it all Together: Using a spoon or your hands to mix all of the ingredients together until they stick together to form a ball.
- Make Salmon Patties: Use a 1/3 cup scoop and make 10-12 small balls out of the salmon mixture. After all the balls are formed, carefully make patties out of each ball by gently patting them down between your hands. Set them on a plate and repeat until all the patties are made.
- Pan Fry: Next, heat a large skillet over medium/high heat. Add one tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Cook salmon cakes for 2-3 minutes on each side or until the salmon patties brown). Then remove from heat. Add another tablespoon of olive oil and repeat until all the patties are cooked.
- Serve and Enjoy: Enjoy these salmon patties alone, on top of a salad, or get creative with a few of our recommendations below!
How do I keep my salmon patties from falling apart?
The biggest question we get about salmon cakes is how to prevent them from falling apart. This is where a few things come in: egg and moisture. The egg acts like a bind to hold everything together and the moisture from mayonnaise and olive oil also helps keep things bound.
If you are finding that your patties are not sticking together, simply add a little bit more mayonnaise.
What Do You Eat With Salmon Patties?
We’re excited to share some delicious sides and recipe ideas to serve with your patties. But first, you must make our Dill Pickle Sauce!
Easy Greek Yogurt Dill Pickle Sauce
What is a good sauce for salmon patties? You will absolutely swoon over our Greek Yogurt Dill Pickle Sauce. It’s similar to a homemade tartar sauce, but so much better. We serve this creamy sauce with most of our salmon recipes and it’s so good.
Here are some highlights:
- Made with Greek yogurt, dill, chopped pickles, lemon, and pickle juice.
- Comes together in 10 minutes.
- Healthier than lots of other sauces and dips.
Try it!
Greek Yogurt Dill Pickle Sauce
This u003cstrongu003ehealthy dill pickle dipu003c/strongu003e doubles as a sauce and is a favorite in our house. Eat it with chips or serve it on top of a salmon filet.
More Serving Suggestions
Serve these delicious salmon cakes with any of the following to round out a healthy and delicious meal!
Salads
- Healthy Broccoli Salad
- Thai Salmon Salad
- Easy Farro Salad
- Salmon Salad with Greek Yogurt Dill Dressing
- Mexican Street Corn Salad
Pasta
- Garden Summer Pasta
- Creamy Asparagus Pasta
- Creamy Pasta with Sautéed Kale and Tomatoes
- Rainbow Asian Noodle Salad
Sides
- Smashed Red Potatoes
- Oven Baked Potato Wedges
- Crispy Sweet Potato Fries
- Oven Roasted Asparagus
- Roasted Root Vegetables
Storage
Let your patties cool completely and then transfer them into an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
How to reheat: we suggest doing this in a frying pan. Add a little bit of olive oil to your pan and heat over medium heat. Cook salmon patties for a few minutes on each side to warm up.
Can you freeze salmon patties?
Can you make salmon patties ahead and freeze them? You can easily make salmon cakes ahead of time and freeze them for later.
- After pan-frying, let the patties cool completely.
- Then, transfer them to an airtight container or gallon-size bag and remove as much air as possible.
- Seal and freeze for up to 3 months.
Simple Salmon Patties Recipe (How to Make Salmon Patties)
Ingredients
- 1 lb. cooked salmon, chilled and flaked (~4 cups shredded salmon)*
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
- 1/2 small white onion, minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon mayonaisse
- 1 teaspoon tabasco sauce
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Instructions
- First, remove the skin from your salmon and discard. Then, place salmon into a large bowl and use a spoon to break the salmon up into small shredded chunks.
- Next, add the breadcrumbs, bell pepper, white onion, parsley, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, paprika, egg, mayo, tabasco, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the bowl.
- Using a spoon or hands, mix all of the ingredients together until the ingredients stick together and form a ball. Form the salmon patties by using a 1/3 cup scoop and make 10-12 small balls out of the salmon mixture. After all the balls are formed, carefully make patties out of each ball by gently patting them down between your hands. Set them on a plate and repeat until all the patties are made.
- Next, heat a large skillet over medium/high heat. Add one tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. When the olive oil is fragrant, add 3-4 patties to the pan (if there is room) and cook them for 2-3 minutes on each side or until the salmon patties brown. Remove from heat. Add another tablespoon of olive oil and repeat until all the patties are cooked.
- Enjoy them alone, on top of a salad, or get creative!
Tips & Notes
- Salmon can be room-temperature, just not fresh out of the oven!
Watch It
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Don’t forget to tag your posts on social media with the hashtag #fitfoodiefinds, we’d love to see what you’re up to!
Photography: photos taken in this post are by Erin from The Wooden Skillet.
Delicious! Love the flavor.
Yay! So glad you loved this, Julia!
Wow! Sounds deliciuos! Congrats to the cooking chef 😉
Hi! I haven’t tried this yet, so I’ll review again afterwards. However, I was wondering if this can be a “make ahead” meal? Can the “balls/patties” be made and then frozen?
I would only recommend this if you buy salmon from the butcher that was never frozen! You don’t want to freeze salmon twice!
This was amazing, and such a good way to used up the two salmon filets I didn’t use in a recipe! You ladies are amazing!
We just made salmon last night and I think we need to make this for dinner!!!