Salmon Cakes
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
Made from fresh salmon and dill, these salmon cakes are as elegant as crab cakes but so much more affordable to make.
Photo by Johnny Miller (Clarkson Potter, 2021)
When I told my friend and Once Upon a Chef right hand, Betsy Goldstein, about these salmon cakes, she said, “Hmmm…I think I’ll wait until some of the reviews roll in to try those.” I laughed because I knew she was thinking of the version made from canned salmon that many of us grew up on. I promise: these are a whole different animal. Made from fresh raw salmon and seasoned with Old Bay, they’re as elegant as crab cakes yet so much more affordable to make. What’s more, they can be made entirely ahead of time and reheated.
I love these salmon cakes for brunch over a green salad with vinaigrette, but they also make a delicious dinner alongside rice pilaf and roasted asparagus. Either way, they are wonderful with my easy homemade tartar sauce.
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need To Make Salmon Cakes
Step-by-Step Instructions
To begin, finely dice the salmon into 1/4-inch pieces (or smaller). It’s important that the pieces are not too large or the cakes won’t bind together easily.
Set the salmon aside and, in a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, Old Bay, salt, and pepper.
Whisk to combine.
Add the diced salmon, ¼ cup of the panko, the scallions, the celery, and the dill.
Gently mix until uniformly combined.
Place the remaining 1 cup of panko in a shallow dish or pie plate.
Using a 1/3-cup measure, scoop the salmon mixture and form into a compact cake about 1 inch high. Place the salmon cake into the reserved panko and gently coat it all over in crumbs.
Repeat with the remaining mixture to form about 9 cakes. (At this point, you can refrigerate the cakes for up to a few hours before cooking, if you’d like.)
Heat the oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place the salmon cakes in the skillet and cook without moving until golden brown, about 2 minutes.
Carefully flip the cakes and cook until second side is golden brown, about 2 minutes more. Reduce the heat to medium if the cakes are browning too quickly.
Transfer cakes to a paper towel–lined plate to drain. Repeat with the remaining cakes (no need to change the oil).
Serve warm with tartar sauce and enjoy!
Video Tutorial
You May Also Like
Salmon Cakes
Made from fresh salmon and dill, these salmon cakes are as elegant as crab cakes but so much more affordable to make.
Ingredients
For the Salmon Cakes
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, from 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1¼ lb skinless salmon fillet, finely diced into ¼-inch pieces (see note)
- 1¼ cups panko bread crumbs, divided
- ¼ cup thinly sliced scallions, from 3 to 4 scallions, light and dark green parts
- ⅓ cup finely diced celery, from 2 stalks
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- Salad greens with vinaigrette, tartar sauce and/or lemon wedges, for serving (see note)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, Old Bay, salt, and pepper. Add the diced salmon, ¼ cup of the panko, the scallions, the celery, and the dill. Gently mix until uniformly combined.
- Place the remaining 1 cup of panko in a shallow dish or pie plate. Using a ⅓-cup measure, scoop the salmon mixture and form into a compact cake about 1 inch high. Place the salmon cake into the panko and gently coat it all over in crumbs. Repeat with the remaining mixture to form about 9 cakes. (At this point, you can refrigerate the salmon cakes for a few hours until ready to cook, if you'd like.)
- Heat the oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place half of the salmon cakes in the skillet and cook without moving until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Carefully flip the cakes and cook until second side is golden brown, about 2 minutes more. Reduce the heat to medium if the cakes are browning too quickly. Transfer cakes to paper towel–lined plate to drain. Repeat with the remaining cakes (no need to change the oil). Serve warm.
- Note: If buying a skin-on salmon fillet, purchase 1⅓ pounds of fish to yield 1¼ pounds of fish after skinning.
- Make-Ahead: The salmon cakes can be fully cooked and refrigerated up to several hours ahead of time. To reheat: preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the salmon cakes in the oven and cook until crisp on the exterior and warm throughout, 10 to 15 minutes. The cakes may also be frozen for up to 3 months; defrost in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cooked salmon cakes can be frozen for up to 3 months. Once cool, lay them out on one (or more) foil-lined baking sheet(s) and cover them loosely with plastic wrap. Freeze the patties in a single layer for about an hour, then remove them from the freezer. Wrap the cakes individually in plastic wrap and then put them together in a freezer bag or airtight container. Before serving, defrost in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition Information
Powered by 
- Serving size: 1 salmon cake
- Calories: 280
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 6 g
- Sugar: 0 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 14 g
- Sodium: 222 mg
- Cholesterol: 37 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
I loved the flavors in this recipe. True confession, however. Instead of fresh salmon I used flaked leftover salmon steak. So the salmon cakes were dry. Since I would probably make it again with leftover salmon I would use less panko and add an egg. My husband found it too salty which is amazing because I am notorious for using too little salt so I think it was the Old Bay plus the salt. Might leave out the salt next time.
These were an absolute hit! I made them for a small group of friends who are serious about cooking and food and every one of them asked for the recipe! I followed the recipe exactly as Jenn wrote it but I wasn’t diligent about dicing the salmon as finely as she did. I think next time I might try to whizz it up in a food processor. I thought I was going to have a problem getting the cakes to hold together because of the bigger salmon chunks but they held together beautifully. I just like the aesthetics of the smaller, more uniform pieces which I didn’t achieve. Thanks Jenn for another winner. I shared your website and this recipe to my friends so hoping they become a fan like I am.
These are now my favorite way to use salmon. If I don’t have fresh dill or scallions, I use a tablespoon of pickle relish and a little less salt. I’ve also substituted za-atar for the Old Bay. Leftover cakes are great for lunch the next day on a potato roll. Make sure to save some tartar sauce for that.
Thankful to have found the perfect salmon cake recipe here. Love the dill and celery in these. My husband and kids love these too!
These are restaurant quality! I was a little nervous using fresh diced salmon that they wouldn’t hold together but they are just fine! The celery adds the needed crunch. I’ve made them a time or two when I didn’t have celery, and the celery definitely makes it better! For a quick tartar sauce, I use 1/2 c Mayo, 1 T dill pickle juice from Jen’s pickle recipe, 1 T diced dill pickle, 1/2 t Dijon mustard and a crack or two of pepper. Amazing!!!
I am gluten free and made these using corn meal. They were terrific! I sort of eyeballed it because cornmeal compacts more than panko but about the same quantity as the recipe calls for. I scooped the mixture up and formed the patties in a flat dish with seasoned cornmeal in it. They were softish and had to be put into the pan and turned carefully but the creamy texture inside and the crispness outside were perfect! I’ll never used canned salmon again.
Thank you for the great recipe! I have done it a few times and it always turns out great. My kids dislike fish these days (and they liked it as babies, I don’t get it) but these salmon cakes are stil a winner. No leftovers. I had to make old bay spice by myself, no luck with the shops here in Croatia, hopefully I did it justice.
Wow – every single thing I have made from Jenn is soooo delicious and this was no exception. I didn’t even make a sauce, just ate the salmon cakes in all of their crispy goodness. I was out of panko so just used regular breadcrumbs from Trader Joe’s and they looked just like the picture!
This was brilliant! Your recipes are well written, with great pictures. I was impressed, that the timing was so spot on. My salmon cakes were done at the four-minute mark, at 122°F!
I used a supermarket Parmesan Panko mix, and I used Japanese mayo. I felt a bit guilty hacking up a very large 2-pound fillet of Costco Norway salmon, but it was so good!
I highly recommend this recipe, thank you Jenn!!!
Can you recommend a substitute for Mayo in this recipe?
Hi Cristina, I think you could use Greek yogurt in place of the mayo. But because Greek yogurt is a bit tangy, I’d suggest omitting the lemon juice. Please LMK how they turn out!
I didn’t have Greek yogurt, so I used an egg instead and they turned out great! Delicious recipe. My husband and son gave them rave reviews.