These salmon cakes are super tasty and very filling. They may sound fancy but are actually quite easy to make. They’re the perfect seafood appetizer to make for Valentine's Day, Christmas, or any weeknight dinner.
About This Salmon Cakes Recipe
Today, I am going to show you how to make salmon cakes.
These salmon cakes are loaded with healthy protein and vegetables. Salmon and eggs are high in Omega-3 fatty acids that help build and maintain a healthy body. On top of that, they taste as good or even better than those you'd find at a seafood restaurant.
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Ingredients
To make these salmon cakes, you'll need the following ingredients:
Salmon. In this recipe, I used fresh salmon that I purchased from Costco and cooked in the oven before mixing it with the other ingredients.
If you can't find fresh salmon, feel free to use any canned boneless skinless salmon that you like.
Just remember, the salmon is the star ingredient, it will make or break the recipe. For that reason, use the right salmon (fresh or canned) that you are familiar with. Pick a good quality salmon that above all has a taste you enjoy.
Panko Breadcrumb. I used panko breadcrumbs to add a nice crunch to the salmon cakes. This Japanese breadcrumb has a light and airy texture. It's lower in fat, sodium, and calories than regular breadcrumbs.
Eggs and Mayonnaise. Both ingredients work as a binder to help hold the patties together when they cook and to add moisture to crab cakes.
Vegetables. I used a combination of onion, celery, red bell pepper, and parsley as a filling.
Old Bay Seasoning. This spice blend is the holy grail of any seafood recipe. It adds a robust and zesty flavor to the salmon cakes.
If you can't find Old Bay seasoning in your area, feel free to skip it.
Other seasonings. I used a combination of freshly minced garlic, salt, black pepper, and Worcestershire sauce for an extra kick.
How to Make Salmon Cakes: A Step-by-Step Guide
There is nothing complicated about this salmon cakes recipe. All of the ingredients are so easy to put together. Here are some steps to follow.
1. Prepare the Salmon
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Place the salmon on a large baking sheet.
- With your hand at least 12 inches away, lightly sprinkle salt and black pepper on both sides of the fish in a single layer, right before cooking.
- Roast the salmon for 12 minutes or until fully cooked.
- Transfer the cooked salmon to a bowl and use a fork to flake the meat into tiny pieces. Set it aside.
2. Prepare the Fillings
- In a large skillet, heat the butter and oil over medium heat.
- Cook onion, red bell pepper, celery, and salt for 7 minutes.
- Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 45 seconds.
- Add Worcestershire sauce and Old Bay seasoning. Keep stirring for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.
- Once cooled, mix it with salmon, black pepper, mayo, and panko breadcrumbs. Stir to combine.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30-45 minutes.
3. Mold the Salmon Patties
- Divide the salmon mixture into 12 patties with your hand or use a large ice cream (or cookie) scoop to grab the mixture out of the bowl then mold them into round patties.
4. Cook the Salmon Patties
- In a large skillet, heat butter and oil over medium heat.
- Cooking in 2 batches, add the salmon cakes and cook for about 3 minutes on each side or until brown.
- Transfer the browned salmon cakes to a paper-lined plate and keep them warm in an oven at 250°F.
- Cook the remaining patties.
What to Serve with Salmon Cakes
These salmon cakes make a delicious appetizer, side dish, or snack.
You can serve the salmon cakes with any type of sauce, such as Thai peanut sauce, remoulade, Thai chili sauce, tartar sauce, honey mustard sauce, and more. They also pair well with vegetable side dishes.
Tips to make the Best Salmon Cakes
- A good salmon. Always use the best quality salmon, fresh or canned that you know will taste good. If you are using canned salmon, make sure it's boneless and skinless.
- Uniform shape and size. For the best result, divide the mixture to make 12 patties. They should be in uniform shape and size (about 2.5 oz each), not too thick and too thin for the maximum tenderness on the inside. If you want to be precise, weigh them on a scale.
- Don't forget to chill the mixture. This is an important step to keep the salmon cakes from falling apart.
- Use clean damp hands to make it easier to mold the patties.
- Mix the ingredients thoroughly so the patties hold their shape better and are seasoned well.
- Use fresh vegetables. Do not use dried vegetables, such as dried parsley, or you may end up with extremely dry salmon cakes.
- Canned salmon. If you are going to use canned salmon, make sure that you drain the liquid thoroughly. Some canned salmon may contain soft bones, it's up to you if you want to use the soft bones as they are digestible and high in calcium.
FAQ
Yes. You can. This salmon cake recipe is basically a fish cake recipe that works well with other fish, such as tuna, cod, haddock, pollock, seabass, and more.
To stop salmon patties from falling apart, don't skip the egg, mayo, and breadcrumbs. You’ll want to make sure that all of the ingredients are thoroughly mixed and chilled in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before molding them into patties. The salmon patties shouldn't be too dry or too wet either. If it's too wet, add more breadcrumb, and if it's too dry, add more mayo.
In addition, finely chop the fresh parsley and never swap it with the dried version.
First, let the salmon cakes cool at room temperature but do not leave them out for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour when the temperature is over 90°F. Once cooled, transfer the salmon cakes to an airtight container. Properly stored, they can last 3-4 days in the fridge.
First, let the salmon cakes cool at room temperature but do not leave them out for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour when the temperature is over 90°F. Once cooled, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, then freeze for 2 hours or until solid. Wrap the solid salmon cakes individually in plastic wrap then transfer them to an airtight container, properly stored, they will last up to 3 months in the freezer.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the frozen salmon cakes on a baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes or until the internal temperature registers at 165°F. Or,
Deep Fry. You can deep fry frozen fish cakes at 350°F for about 3 minutes, or until the internal temperature registers at 165°F. Or,
Alternatively, you can reheat the leftover salmon cakes (not frozen) in a microwave for 30 seconds or longer until hot throughout.
Check Out More Seafood Recipes
- Fried Catfish
- Crawfish Etouffee
- Shrimp Po'Boy
- Pan-Seared Branzino
- Pan-Fried Trout
- Air Fryer Fish Sticks
- Air Fryer Calamari
- Chilli Mussels
I hope you'll enjoy this recipe and share it with friends! If you try it and don’t mind, please leave me a comment and/or give this recipe a rating.
📖 Recipe
Salmon Cakes Recipe
Ingredients
Baked Salmon
- 1 pound raw salmon, boneless and skinless
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- coarse-grain salt and freshly ground black pepper, (to taste)
Salmon Cakes Fillings:
- 3½ tablespoons olive oil , (divided)
- 3½ tablespoons unsalted butter, (divided)
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- ½ cup diced red bell pepper
- ¼ cup diced celery
- 2 large garlic cloves, (minced)
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 large eggs, (beaten)
- 1 cup panko breadcrumb
- ¼ cup finely chopped parsley
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to the 425°F. Place the salmon on a baking sheet, brush with olive oil and lightly sprinkle salt and black pepper on both sides in a single layer. Bake for about 12 minutes or until cooked. Use a fork to flake the meat into tiny pieces. Set it aside and cool to room temperature.
- In a skillet, heat 1½ tablespoons of butter and 1½ tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Cook onion, red bell pepper, celery, and ¼ teaspoon of salt for 7 minutes. Add garlic and stir for 45 seconds. Add Worcestershire sauce, and Old Bay seasoning then stir for 1 minute or until the vegetables are softened. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine cooked salmon, sautéed vegetables, beaten egg, panko breadcrumb, parsley, ¼ teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon of black pepper, and mayo. Mix well.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30-45 minutes then form the mixture into 12 patties, about 2½ oz each.
- In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. In batches, cook the salmon cakes for 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil then keep them warm in a preheated 250° F. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of oil into the skillet, then cook the remaining salmon cakes.
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