These salmon patties, made from a freshly roasted salmon filet, are incredibly flavorful and versatile. Keep this recipe in your back pocket for when you want a go-to seafood dish that will turn out perfect every time! If you’re looking for tips on using canned salmon and how to make this gluten-free, we also have you covered there. Keep scrolling!
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This recipe is…
These salmon patties are on the short list of foods that I can guarantee my family will always happily gobble up. Made with ingredients you probably already have on hand, easily converted to using canned salmon, and even tastier when reheated (using our tips), I know you’re going to love these.
Ingredients Needed
All of the ingredients needed for the most delicious salmon cakes can be found below. We’ve included notes and swaps where applicable. Exact ingredient amounts can be found in the recipe card.
- Salmon filet – feel free to sub the salmon filet for 3, 6-ounce cans of salmon if you’d prefer!
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Sea salt
- Mayonnaise
- Eggs
- Green onions
- Bread crumbs – we used gluten free panko!
- All-purpose flour – if you’re looking for a gluten free option, we used King Arthur’s Measure for Measure GF flour.
- Dijon mustard
- Black pepper
- Flaky sea salt – to finish, optional!
How to Make Salmon Patties
Salmon patties are EASY, y’all! You’ll start by cooking the fish, then mixing it with everything else, forming patties, and then cooking in a pan on the stovetop. See below for the full how-to:
- Preheat the oven to 375℉.
- Season the salmon – brush the salmon with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with ½ teaspoon salt.
- Cook the salmon – bake for 12-15 minutes, until the salmon flakes easily with a fork at its thickest point. Then, remove it from the oven.
- Make the salmon patty mixture – in a large bowl, combine the salmon, mayonnaise, eggs, green onions, bread crumbs, flour, mustard, and pepper. Mash with a fork until smooth, and then form the mixture into 4-6 equal-size patties.
- Crisp the salmon patties – heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it shimmers and runs easily when you tilt the pan. Add the salmon cakes and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until darkened in color on the bottom and starting to crisp, then flip and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on the second side.
- Serve and enjoy – remove the salmon cakes from the pan and sprinkle with flaky sea salt (optional), serve, and enjoy!
Tips, Tricks, and Recipe Variations
- Use canned salmon – though fresh salmon will make for the most delicious and best-textured salmon cakes, we totally get that you may need to use a canned salmon shortcut. If this is you, simply swap the fresh salmon for 3, 6-ounce cans of canned salmon. Drain the salmon well (too much extra liquid will compromise the texture of the patties) and then start at step 4 of the recipe!
- Make them gluten-free – simply use a GF all-purpose flour to make these salmon patties gluten-free.
How to Serve
Serve your salmon patties alongside a veggie (we chose green beans) or salad side for a simple, light meal, or add a starchy side for a more substantial meal. Here are our favorite options:
Veggie Sides
- How to Roast Asparagus
- Steamed Green Beans
- Steamed Broccoli
- Oven Roasted Broccoli
- Grilled Zucchini
- Sauteed Green Beans
- Oven Roasted Green Beans
- Lemony Kale
Salad Sides
Starchy Sides
How to Store and Reheat
Store any leftover salmon patties in an airtight container in the fridge. Stored this way, they’ll be good for 3 days.
When it comes to reheating, you’ve got options:
- Microwave – reheat the salmon patties in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. This is the quickest option but yields the least crispy reheated salmon cakes.
- Air fryer – reheat the salmon patties in a 380°F air fryer for 3-4 minutes. This option makes for the crispiest reheated salmon cakes.
- Oven – reheat the salmon patties in a 375°F oven for 8-10 minutes. This option yields crispy reheated salmon cakes.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can absolutely use canned salmon instead of fresh! You’ll just grab 3, 6-ounce cans of salmon and skip straight to step number 4 of the recipe. Be sure to drain the salmon!
Because this recipe includes flour, bread crumbs, and eggs, the salmon patties shouldn’t fall apart while they cook (especially if you’re using fresh salmon like the recipe calls for). If you’re using canned salmon, be sure to drain it completely before adding it to the bowl – too wet of a mixture can definitely cause the salmon patties to fall apart.
Both cod and tuna would be great substitutes for the salmon in this recipe. The directions wouldn’t change!
The lemon garlic aioli in our potato chip-crusted tilapia recipe would be delicious here! Other great sauce options:
Cilantro Lime Cream Sauce
Creamy Avocado Dressing
Green Goddess Dressing
More Favorite Salmon Recipes
Best-Ever Salmon Patties
Ingredients
- 1¼ pound salmon filet
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt divided
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 large eggs
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- ¾ cup bread crumbs
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Flaky sea salt to finish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375℉.
- Brush the salmon with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with ½ teaspoon salt.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the salmon flakes easily with a fork at its thickest point. Remove from the oven.
- In a large bowl, combine the salmon, mayonnaise, eggs, green onions, bread crumbs, flour, mustard, and pepper. Mash with a fork until smooth. Form the mixture into 4-6 equal-size patties.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it shimmers and runs easily when you tilt the pan. Add the salmon cakes and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until darkened in color on the bottom and starting to crisp, then flip and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on the second side.
- Remove the salmon cakes from the pan and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
These are SO GOOD. My 4 kids ALL love them and eat them and that is saying something!! We used canned salmon and ate them on buns like a sandwich. I’m even sharing this link to this recipe on your site with my email list because its SUCH a WINNER at our house! We all love them!
That’s amazing, Katelyn! We are so so happy y’all loved them!!
I wasn’t that big a fan of eating salmon cakes, until I decided to try to make this recipe. What can I say? It’s easy! I already had all the ingredients, except for the salmon! It tastes AWESOME!!!!
Awesome, Yvette! We’re so glad this recipe changed your mind on salmon cakes!!
These were easy and really good! I wish I would have had a lemon to squeeze on top though! Maybe add that to ingredients/instructions?Thanks!
Great feedback! We’re glad you liked them, Erika!
Do you think prepping with canned salmon (without cooking) and then freezing for later would work?
I’m not sure, Maggie! My gut says yes, but we haven’t ever tried it. If you do try it, please let us know how it goes!
I made these last night and they were a hit with the whole fam, which doesnt always happen. I already want to make them again.
We’re so glad y’all loved this recipe, Kelli!