Salmon Cakes
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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
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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
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- 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.
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Can I use an air fryer to fry? Can’t wait to try! I love all your recipes & just ordered your new cook book!
Hi Barb, It should work as long as you spray the cakes generously with oil.
These are the best salmon cakes we’ve eaten. It’s a lot of work but well worth the time. Nothing is more rewarding when everyone loves it and there are no leftovers! Thank you for another great recipe.
I bought too much salmon. If I make extra salmon cakes, should I freeze them cooked or uncooked?
I’ve made this recipe many times, and it’s amazing!
Hi Suzie, I would cook before freezing them. You can find freezer-friendly directions at the bottom of the recipe.
I made this last night because my husband has never had any type of fish cake and I used to make crab cakes at work all the time, so I wanted something different. I added a jalapeno and two stalks of asparagus to the mix (with only a small bit of celery) and they turned out great!! I definitely recommend putting them in the fridge for a bit first to give them time to bind together better. Such a delicious meal! I served them over arugula with some fresh halved grape tomatoes and thinly sliced red onion.
Hi Jenn, enjoy your site as well as your cookbook! Just ate a delicious Salmon burger on a bun at a nice restaurant that topped it with a sauce, frisee and pickles. Other than making the cakes larger to fit a burger bun, would you recommend any changes to your recipe? And if its adaptable to a burger format, what sauce would you recommend that would also work with pickles?
Thank you
Mark
So glad you like the recipes, Mark! I don’t think you need to make any changes to the recipe although if you’re making them a bit bigger to fit a burger bun, you’ll get less than 9. I think this would be delicious topped with the tartar sauce (you can use this recipe) and some greens of your choosing (arugula would be delicious). Please LMK how they turn out!
I made these last night for a birthday dinner and served them atop some arugula with a simple lemon and olive oil dressing. They were amazing. No tartar sauce needed, they shine on their own. Added some fresh tomatoes and cucumbers as well as some roasted green beans and rosemary roasted potatoes. I use your recipes several times a week and find them easy to follow and well liked by friends and family. This one is extraordinary.
I made these fantastic salmon cakes twice in the past week – I used fresh salmon steaks, because they are about 1/3 less expensive than fresh fillets. It took a long time to debone and dice the steaks, but the cakes still came out beautifully formed with a slightly more mealy texture than the second batch I made – because this time I used the food processor instead of dicing the salmon by hand, and they tasted just as good, and took a lot less time. Thank you Jen, for this recipe!
Wonderful recipe! Having just made salmon with dill a few days ago, I opted instead for tarragon – which is cooperating with growing for me in a pot this summer (for a change…) – & the result was just great. Opted further to make it a sandwich on brioche hamburger buns. This will be a keeper whether as a sandwich or a main dish with salad. Thanks, Jenn! Your website is fantastic. Always top notch.
“Two Thumbs Up!!!!,” the instant review from my husband after being quiet with a few bites underway. I made the recipe to plan. Chopped the veggies. Skinned and chopped the end of the salmon filet. This recipe is without a doubt the best. I’ve made ATK’s recipe until now. No longer! This recipe delivered completely.
Once again, Jenn, your work is truly the best. We trust your work. We read all of the reviews. Every recipe I have made from your collection starting in 2016 has been magnificent. Hope you will publish another book!
Glad you enjoyed these and thanks so much for your kind words! I am publishing another cookbook — It will be available for purchase on September 14th!
Oh my gosh! I dislike fish but I could “tolerate” my grandmother’s salmon patties she made from canned salmon. Just barely.
So I made this recipe from fresh salmon for hubby & thought, ok, I’ll try it.
I can’t believe I really liked it! It’s healthy & you just use a wee bit of spray to fry it up. Cooks very fast. Thank you for finding me a fish recipe I like! Hubby LOVED IT! I can’t believe I ate salmon & liked it!