Salmon Patties {Salmon Cakes}

Raising six kids on a teacher's salary, my parents were always cooking on a budget. Being Catholic, with the requirement back then of meatless Fridays, Lent or not, this meant that we ate a lot of tuna macaroni salad and fried fish.

My mother often made tuna patties for us, and less frequently, because they were more expensive, salmon patties.

For several years, my father and I tried to talk my mother into making these salmon cakes again for us. For some unfathomable reason, she refused, even going as far as to claim that she never made salmon cakes in the first place.

After a while, we gave up and made our own version of the recipe.

How to Make Salmon Patties

Salmon patties, or salmon cakes, are wonderfully easy to make. You make salmon patties with just a base of canned salmon, shredded bread (or breadcrumbs or even saltines), chopped onion, and egg to bind it all into patties, and then these salmon cakes are quickly fried.

In this easy salmon patties recipe, we dress up the salmon cakes with garlic, dill, bell pepper, paprika, lemon zest, and lemon juice. You could also add parsley, Old Bay seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, or cilantro. Feel free to improvise and make these salmon cakes your own!

Easy Salmon Patties on a plate — Elise Bauer

What to Serve With Salmon Patties

Salmon patties can be served with a wedge of lemon, or a dollop of mayonnaise or tartar sauce. Round out your meal with a simple side salad or a scoop of coleslaw.

Storing and Freezing Salmon Patties

Once cooked, leftover patties can be stored in the fridge for up to three days. Eat them cold, or warm them up briefly in a skillet over low heat or in the microwave.

Salmon patties also freeze well. Wrap them in plastic and foil, and defrost them in the fridge before reheating.

Love Fish Cakes? Try These Recipes!

Salmon Patties

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Total Time 25 mins

Servings 4 servings

If the mixture is too wet to form patties, add a little more shredded bread (not the crusts) to the mixture. If too dry, add a tablespoon of water.

1 (14.75 ounce) can salmon, drained of all but 2 tablespoons of the can liquid, flaked
1 large slice bread (crust removed), shredded (1 cup, 50 g)
3 tablespoons chopped green onion, including the green parts
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, or 1 teaspoon dried
3 tablespoons minced green bell pepper
1 tablespoon flour
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
Several turns of freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Mix patty ingredients:

In a large bowl, gently mix together the salmon (including 2 tablespoons of the can liquid), bread, green onion, garlic, dill, bell pepper, flour, egg, paprika, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Elise Bauer
Form patties:

Form 8 patties each about 1/2 inch thick.

Elise Bauer
Chill at least 30 min:

Cover the patties and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (or up to several hours) to help them firm up.
Brown in skillet:

Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. Cook the patties until nicely browned on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side.

Elise Bauer

Elise Bauer