Salmon Patties – quick to prepare, golden and crispy on the outside, moist and savoury on the inside with lovely big flakes of salmon! A very easy salmon cakes recipe that can be made with either canned salmon OR fresh salmon. These are Can’t-Stop-Eating-Them good!
This canned salmon recipe will make you realise you CAN make incredible dishes using canned fish!
Salmon Patties
Good quality fresh salmon is not cheap. So if I buy fresh salmon, I like to cook it whole rather than mixing it up with other ingredients for things like salmon patties. My go-to quick salmon fillet recipes are Honey Garlic Salmon and Lemon Glazed Salmon 🙂
So I’ve always used canned salmon to make salmon cakes.
But one bite of these Salmon Patties, and any thought of compromising by using canned salmon instead of fresh will fly out the window. These taste SO GOOD!! Serve these up to anyone who has wrinkled their nose in distaste at the thought of canned salmon, and I bet you’ll change their mind.
These salmon cakes are SO GOOD whether made with canned salmon OR fresh salmon!
They’re moreish, beautifully seasoned, juicy and tender, studded with flakes of salmon, and a hint of herby freshness from dill.
These are so tasty, I’d proudly serve them up as an appetiser at a gathering! (And to all my friends reading this, don’t be surprised if that happens the next time you come over!)
BAKED Salmon Patties!
These babies are so golden and crispy on the outside, it’s almost hard to believe they’re baked. But they are, they really are.
The trick to the golden crust is to preheat the tray. This makes a difference when baking things that are low in fat, like these salmon patties.
This canned salmon recipe will make you realise you CAN make incredibly delicious food using canned fish!
Making Salmon Patties
The mixture for the Salmon Patties is pretty straight forward. I start with my usual trick to make extra tender, extra tasty patties / meatballs – grating onion over breadcrumbs. This serves two purposes –
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the onion juices soaks the breadcrumbs which then expand while cooking, creating little air pockets which makes the patties more tender; and
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avoids the need to precook the onion, which you have to do if you use chopped onion otherwise you end up with raw bits of onion in the patties.
Then toss in egg to bind it, parmesan for umami (food nerd word for savouriness, the 5th taste sensation), shallots / green onions / scallions (global food language inconsistencies = 🤯), garlic, dill (or other herb, dried or fresh) and canned salmon.
Give it a mix, and this is what you end up with. I know the mixture looks loose and you wonder how on earth the patties will hold together, but they do, they really do.
The egg in this recipe keeps the salmon patties from falling apart while cooking. Also, because these are baked rather than pan fried, they are handled less so this also helps.
I’ve never had Salmon Patties fall apart on me.
How to Serve Salmon Patties
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As a meal – try a side of Yoghurt Slaw and Cauliflower Puree (low carb!), I’ve popped these recipes in the notes. You get freshness from the Yoghurt Slaw and low-carb creaminess from the Cauliflower Puree that’s made for smearing over each bite of the Salmon Patties.
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Starter – pile onto platters with dipping sauce and pass around to share!
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Burgers – make giant ones and make salmon burgers
Super tasty dinner, made from a can of salmon. Who would have though, eh?? ❤️ – Nagi x
PS You can, of course, make this with fresh salmon if you happen to be blessed with an abundant supply of them. Tell me all about it, and make me green with envy.
More patties and fritters (I love them!)
Salmon Patties recipe
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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Salmon Patties
Ingredients
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs (Note 1 for subs)
- 1 small onion (or 1/2 large), grated
- 1 garlic clove , finely minced
- 400 g/ 14 oz cooked fresh salmon OR canned red or pink salmon , drained (Note 2)
- 2 shallots / scallions / green onions , finely sliced
- 1/3 cup fresh dill , roughly chopped (or 1 tsp dried herbs of choice)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup parmesan , grated or shredded
- 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
Cooking:
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- Oil spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 220C/430F standard (200C fan)
- Place breadcrumbs in a bowl. Grate over onion, including juices. Mix onion into breadcrumbs, ensuring all breadcrumbs are soaked. (Note 3)
- Add remaining ingredients except salmon. Mix well.
- Add salmon. Stir through gently, leaving flakes of salmon (rather than vigorously mixing salmon into tiny pieces).
- Scoop up 1/4 cup mixture (level, packed standard ice cream scoop, see Video). Form round patties about 1.5 cm/ 2/3" thick and set aside.
- Drizzle oil all over tray. Place in oven for 2 minutes until hot - oil will spread over tray. Tilt tray to spread if needed.
- Place patties on tray - DO NOT press down (makes them stick on tray). Spray surface with oil spray.
- Bake 15 minutes. Flip, spray surface with oil spray, bake 5 minutes.
- Serve with sour cream or yoghurt on the side for dipping / dolloping, and extra fresh dill if desired.
- I served mine with cauliflower puree and Yoghurt Slaw - healthy side options! (Note 3)
Recipe Notes:
- Low carb - 1 cup of raw cauliflower rice
- Guten free - 1 cup crushed rice crackers or almond meal in place of the breadcrumbs.
Nutrition Information:
Salmon Patties originally published February 2019, updated for housekeeping matters in March 2019. No change to recipe.
LIFE OF DOZER
In my pre-Dozer life, I was hooning around in a little 2 seater convertible. I had to give up my little zippy car not only because he grew out of it, but also because he didn’t like the wind in his eyes.🙄
So I reluctantly upsized to a 4WD. Then he grew even more – his head smooshes on the ceiling of the car, smearing it with filth.
I am not getting another damn car for this damn dog. 😖
Thank you again! This was delicious. A quick prep and a wonderful result. Every recipe comes out so well and your instructions are extremely reliable. I rarely use other recipes as most of the time they flop. Thank you for making our meals extra special.
Thank you for this wonderful recipe!! I crushed 4 rice cakes door a cup of crumbs as a gluten free sub for the panko, and it was superb! I was a bit concerned about how wet the mixture was, but the resulting fish cakes held together so well – firm but tender and so delicious. Thank you!!
I was looking for a canned salmon patty recipe and this one is the bomb. Thank you Nagi for helping me cook well. Love your work. And Dozer 😊
Make these all the time, so simple, crunchy & tasty. I add lemon zest if I’ve got a lemon on hand. I’ve “pre-made” them on occasions in the morning, then refrigerated all day, then cooked at night. Leftovers reheat well in microwave, but better in oven (extra crispy) leftovers freeze really well for a “spare meal” in the freezer.
Obsessed with these!! I leave out the dill and make a yoghurt and dill dip instead. My kids love these too
These are absolutely delicious and so easy to make.
This recipe is great! I prepped it yesterday and was a little nervous it might not work, but came out really nice and crispy.
Used canned salmon without removing any bones and had no issues. Will definitely make this again.
These sound great, I will definitely try soon. But I wonder: has anyone tried this with tuna instead of salmon? I just noticed I have 7 cans of tuna in the pantry! Let me know if you’ve tried the substitute. And I will let you know when if I try it with the tuna. (Nagi, you’re the best!)
OMG just make and eat these – you’ll never go back to mash based patties. Yum!
I am using salmon my son catches off Vancouver Island BC Canada
Thanks for tip not to pulverize the salmon
Made you Salmon patties they are so delicious. I used can salmon and will definitely make these again. Keeper for sure
These turned out surprisingly crunchy. I put onion, garlic, herbs and eggs into a mini processor and blitzed them together. Also added zest of a small lemon.. Then poured over the panko crumbs to soak in before adding the green onions and parmesan. Then added a tin of pink salmon. Served with the yoghurt coleslaw mix and sour cream on the patties. Will make again for sure.
The method of grating the onion and mixing in with the panko is a critical part of the recipe, it makes the patties moist, as Nagi explains in her notes …. Yours is a different recipe 🙂
Strange comment. The only difference I see is less manual labor. The panko still soaks in the onion juices. The blitzed onion is still present, the egg also adds moisture.
My family love these patties. I’m wondering if I can make a double batch and freeze leftovers?
I cook them about 80% and freeze them. They reheat really well.
I was going to ask same question re freezing.
Love your recipes
Thankyou
Have just finished these for dinner! Delicious!! Used baking paper on a tray..no sticking and browned beautifully! Used red salmon, but will def try with pink. Another keeper Nagi!
Can I freeze these once cooked?
I made these tonight and they were good! I live alone so I cut the recipe in half using a 7.5 oz can of salmon.
Instead of putting the patties directly on the baking sheet, I used a piece of parchment paper (followed the recipe otherwise). I was thinking they may not brown as well without contact with the pan, but they were browned and crispy and slid right off.
The Salmon patties recipe is AWESOME! Thank you Nagi for another amazing recipe. Also tried the suggested cauliflower puree which was also a success 🙂
can I make it dairy free and omit the cheese?
I made them tonight without the Parmesan. I used nutritional yeast and some of the liquid from the can instead.
They were delicious. The whole family devoured them and wanted more.
Loved this recipe,will be my go to from now on
Made these last night. I didn’t have any green onion or fresh dill. I’m sure that would add to the taste. But they were delicious anyway. I cooked them in the air fryer, but on bake, not air fry, since my oven is currently being repaired. I will make them again.