Salmon Cakes
These Salmon Cakes are crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside. Serve these on top of a salad or next to steamed veggies for an easy dinner recipe!
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We’ve been trying to eat a bit healthier for dinners lately. Ok, maybe smarter is a better word. Salads are always a dinnertime staple around here, but we were getting a little bored with salad. So when I found this recipe for Salmon Cakes tucked into the back of my old recipe binder recently, I decided to give it a whirl.
I have no idea where this recipe came from. I don’t remember my mother ever making it, and it doesn’t sound like a recipe I would’ve grabbed. Nevertheless, these Salmon Cakes sounded like they would be tasty on top of a salad, so the recipe went onto the weekly menu.
Salmon Cakes
To be fair, these Salmon Cakes should probably be called Salmon and Potato Cakes. Adding shredded or mashed potatoes to salmon patties helps binds the ingredients together. The potatoes also add a soft and creamy texture. Add in the crunchy breadcrumb coating, and you end up with a pretty tasty salad topper!
This Salmon Cakes recipe is pretty classic in that it uses mayonnaise and an egg as binders. (I did cut the mayo in half and used sour cream as a way to reduce the calories a bit.) A little bit of Dijon mustard, some crumbled bacon, some seasonings and a sprinkle of fresh lemon zest finished things off. All in all, these patties were pretty tasty. Will they become a regular addition to our dinner routine? Probably not. But they were a fun way to mix up salads.
Homemade Tartar Sauce
These Salmon Patties were served over a bed of lettuce tossed in a lemon tahini dressing. I also whipped up an easy homemade tartar sauce for dipping. Mayo, lemon, pickle relish, mustard, salt and pepper. That’s it. This simple tartar sauce is packed with flavor, and it’s perfect for fried seafood!
One of the keys to this recipe is making sure the Salmon Cakes don’t fall apart while they’re being fried. Salmon cakes are notorious for falling apart in the pan. I’m not gonna lie – the first couple of patties definitely fell apart. The trick? Refrigerate the patties before frying them. Think about cookies. If they are spreading too much in the oven, one trick is to refrigerate the cookie dough before baking it. Same thing here.
I “lost” two patties in my first test batch, so I refrigerated the remaining patties for ~30 minutes. Much better! These Salmon Cakes turned out to be a tasty option for weeknight meals, and they were great on top of a fresh spring mix salad.
I used canned salmon for this recipe, but you can also use fresh salmon filets. If going the fresh route, just cook ~16 oz. of salmon filets (either bake ’em or pan fry ’em) and then flake the salmon with a fork. I suspect canned tuna would also work in this recipe, but you’d want to make sure it’s drained well. Any additional liquid in this recipe would cause the patties to fall apart in the pan.
How to Store Leftovers
Leftover Salmon Cakes should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, place in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for several minutes. Leftover salmon cakes can also be eaten cold. They freeze well, too! Just wrap the leftover patties in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
These Salmon Cakes are a fun way to mix up the dinner menu. I hope you enjoy the taste of these as much as we did – cheers!
Did you make this Salmon Cakes recipe at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!
Salmon Cakes
Ingredients
For the Salmon Cakes
- 1 large Russet potato
- 4 oz. thick-cut bacon
- ⅓ cup diced yellow onions
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 14.75- oz. can wild salmon
- ½ cup vegetable oil or canola oil
- {garnish} chopped fresh parsley
For Homemade Tartar Sauce
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp dill pickle relish can use sweet pickle relish if desired
- ½ tsp yellow mustard
- ½ tsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp granulated sugar
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
For the Coating
- ¼ cup Italian seasoned Panko breadcrumbs
- 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
For the Salmon Cakes
- Either bake or boil the potato until fork tender. (Note: Boiling will take ~35-40 minutes while baking will take a bit longer. The time of course depends on the size of the potato.)
- Meanwhile, using a large skillet, add bacon and cook over medium heat until crispy.
- Remove bacon from skillet and set aside. Reserve 1 Tbsp of bacon fat in skillet.
- Add diced onions to skillet and sauté for 3-4 minutes, or until onions are translucent.
- Transfer cooked onions into a large bowl. Crumble the cooked bacon into the bowl and then add egg, mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, sugar and lemon zest; stir until well combined.
- Add the salmon; stir until well combined.
- Using a fork, fluff the potato and add to the bowl; stir until well combined.
- Divide the salmon mixture into 12 equal patties. (I made patties that were ~3” wide and ~1” tall.) Set patties aside.
For Homemade Tartar Sauce
- Using a small bowl, whisk all of the ingredients together until well combined. Set tartar sauce aside.
For the Coating
- Using a shallow bowl, add breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese and pepper; stir until well combined.
- Press both sides of the salmon patties firmly into the breadcrumb mixture.
- Using a large skillet, add ¼ cup of oil and place over medium heat.
- Once oil is hot, cook the salmon cakes in batches until they are golden brown on each side, approximately 4-5 minutes per side. Repeat process, adding more oil as needed, until all salmon cakes are cooked.
- Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and serve with tartar sauce.
Looking for more salmon recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:
Thanks for making me hungry BTW can’t wait to make your recipes soon for me
Haha – thanks, Ramya! These salmon cakes are easy and tasty for sure!
I order salmon from Sitka Seafood, and besides steaks I get ground salmon! It’s so easy to make burgers. It’s such an easy product to use! Love your recipe.
Ground salmon…interesting! I don’t think I’ve come across that before. That would be an excellent way to make salmon cakes. I’ll have to play around with that idea. Thanks, Mimi!
This looks so good, David! I love salmon cakes – crispy on the outside and tender inside sounds just perfect.
You’re absolutely right, Ben – the different textures in salmon cakes is what makes them so tasty!
Ooh i made salmon cakes the other night! I use a wee bit of mayo and an egg to bind. Yep i shoved mine in the fridge for a few hours, and Mr P fried them later. I always like to make dinner as early as possible 🙂 I do that with beef patties too. These look delish David!
sherry
Thanks, Sherry – I guess great minds think alike, huh?? 🙂
These look fantastic, David crispy on the outside, soft and creamy inside, exactly how salmon cakes should be.
Yes! These salmon cakes turned out quite well – and they’re so easy to make, too. Thanks, Raymund!
Your salmon cakes are a real gem! I am always trying find ways to add more salmon into my diet and using canned salmon is one of the simplest and most economical ways to do it! I also loved your homemade tartar sauce. You’ve made it crazy easy to whip up and I can see myself using this for way more than just with these perfect little salmon cakes!
The homemade tartar sauce is a MUST here, Heidi! It’s so good. 🙂 These salmon cakes make for an easy way to mix up dinners…especially when you’re trying to add more salmon to your diet. Cheers!
Sign me up for these! As you may remember I live in crab cake country but these look every bit as good. And sure a lot more reasonably priced.. Bookmarked for an upcoming dinner…
Oh I definitely know you’re up in crab cake country! Laura would gladly trade salmon cakes for crab cakes all day long. Haha. But, yes, these salmon cakes are certainly more affordable than crab cakes. They’re great on top of a salad!