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. 😖
Super tasty, yum!!! Made these GF with crushed up brown rice crackers and with Tuna – perfect for one of those “use the pantry” kinda dinners! Thank-you again Nagi!
These are a household favourite! My 11 month old really loves them too. I serve them with roasted asparagus, mashed potato, and my own sour cream sauce. They taste amazing cold the next day too! They’ve never fallen apart on me, they’re quick and easy. Highly recommend!
Another of my go-to recipes for workday lunches, I love the flavours. One tip, I use a quarter measuring cup and pack it quite full, they hold their shape much better.
I think the ingredients were nice, but the cooking temperature was too high and time too long. My patties came out very dry. Next time, I’ll just do a pan fry.
A keeper! I was in a hurry so I pan fried them. My husband doesn’t like canned salmon and thought my other recipes for other canned salmon patties (Old Bay, Spicy, 5 spice, Creole, Asian) were “meh” but he said these were the BEST and said I actually don’t mind eating these, they’re pretty good!” Can I use 1 Tbsp of Onion powder in lieu of grating the onion?
I never thought I’d like salmon patties as much as I like these. This is a fantastic recipe. They are bomb! I made the garlic cream sauce from another of the salmon recipes and it is so delicious with the patties. The patties on their own are bomb but a sauce takes it up a notch. Thanks for this recipe.
Absolutely fantastic, I used the frozen cauliflower rice as an option. I’ve struggled in the past with them falling apart but not this time Thanks eh
Hi. i think this has been asked before but I cant find it anywhere. Would these freeze well, and would it be before or after cooking? Cant wait for your cookbook to hit the US!!!!
I freeze them, they’re fine.
I love these patties, I’ve made them with salmon and tuna – delicious! Has any tried zapping the onion in a food processor? Grating the onion is so sore on my eyes (not to mention my knuckles!)
I’ve also used the mini processor which worked very well. Made sure that the onion was well and truly processed – almost but not quite a paste.
I whizzed my onions and garlic tonight in the food processor rather than grating, didn’t notice any difference, still turned out fab!
This is amazing! Such an easy recipe – my patties came out looking just like yours! And so tasty – thank you!
Can thee be frozen?
Perfect Nagi. Cooking time is spot on… used your Tzaziki recipe as topping, and the Mashed potato casserole (2nd night) as a side.. just perfect
They tasted nice but mine DID fall apart. Not sure why as I followed every direction. Mine were dry. Too much Breadcrumbs? I would panfry next time.
I cooked mine in the air fryer with the hot plate attachment, I halved the recipe and mine weren’t a hit with hubby, I didn’t mind but compared to my usual recipe they were dry too, I didn’t follow Nagis way of cooking them but they did stay together
I made these for lunch and they were absolutely fantastic, and so crispy! I served them with tartar sauce but found they were better plain.
Made this with tinned tuna and it’s amazing even my 3yo loves it. Thank you! Way better than the fish cakes we get in U.K. which is mushy because it’s mostly potatoes and hardly any fish in it. You mentioned in one of the comment that they can be frozen once cooked. Would you please advise on how to reheat from frozen? Thanks.
These are the best salmon cakes! We buy a BIG piece of salmon when it goes on sale and grill it then use the leftover salmon in this recipe. Perfect every time. Thanks Nagi!
Not that good. tasted more like an asian thing then a good salmon cake. A bit of horseradish normal onions/no scallion and for godsakes fry them. Like some sort of north shore inventive crap for marketing purposes.
How basic are you to think that scallion = Asian flavour? “Normal onion”? there is a white onion in there. Marketing purposes… you have no idea what you’re talking about.
Get outta here, Kathy. No one needs your crappy unhelpful input.
This recipe is a winner, best salmon cakes I’ve ever had and they’re super simple.
Gosh, I think that is an insulting comment, which I imagine was your intention. “Asian*,”North Shore” mentioned in a comment about, for heaven’s sake, salmon patties. Our family loves this recipe and it is five stars from me.
does everything need spring onions!
Yes. Everything needs spring onions. Everything.
Very tasty but mine came out so dry they were like eating sawdust. Followed the recipe exactly and dont know what i did wrong.
Absolutely perfect! I made them using Lemon Sesame & Ginger flavoured tuna … baked in the oven as per instructions but on baking paper, no sticking …. delicious
Thanks for that tip…I cook most things with baking paper….easy cleanup👌
A little too oniony with the grated onion throughout I thought. By the time they crisp up & go brown the salmon was quite dry. I learned you cannot do burnt butter sauce with. Butter blend ! I used fresh salmon ( well I had lots of frozen packets ) I’m thinking a quick fry I. The pan next time so as to keep from drying out. But hey, I’m no chef so maybe I just need to try again, maybe with canned salmon next time. I added corn to the mix which was nice, flavour was nice but mild.
Great recipe! Easy to make and tastes delicious! Has now become one of our regulars.