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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Delicious. They require a little work, but so worth it. Since we are just 2 people, I froze 4 of the cakes for another quick meal. (They only made 8 cakes, not 9)
These salmon cakes look delicious!
Can you tell me the name of the non-stick pan you use? I’m in the market for a new one.
Hi Whitney, I like All-Clad. This link shows a small and a medium/large skillet so the one you’d want is the 10-inch. Hope that helps and that you enjoy the salmon cakes if you make them!
I provide frozen meals to someone who has no knowledge of anything cooking related. Once salmon cakes are defrosted, how should I tell them to reheat one patty at a time in the oven or toaster oven? A few other questions: If using dried vs fresh dill, how much should I use, can I use miracle whip instead of mayo, and lastly will the cakes still be tasty without the tartar sauce which I know they will not make?
Hi Lynda, I haven’t frozen these, so I can’t say for sure, but I’d suggest reheating them in a 350°F oven for about 15 min. For dried dill, you’ll need about 2 teaspoons. I’ve never used Miracle Whip so I’m not sure what it tastes like. I would imagine it would be fine to use. And the salmon cakes will still be good without the tartar sauce. Hope that helps!
The best salmon cakes! The most time consuming part was dicing the salmon. Completely worth it, but is there any way to do this with a food processor?
Hi Brae, Glad you like these! You can use a food processor, but be sure to chop it into smaller pieces first and watch that it doesn’t get too pulverized.
This is a good recipe for freezing and always on hand.
These are great. I’m from Maryland and know that crab cakes are the best, but I make these in a mini version for small plates or appetizers and they are terrific. For a lighter sauce, I use my cucumber/yogurt/rice wine vinegar sauce, but they really only need a squeeze of lemon to brighten the great ingredients. Thanks for showing me another way to make seafood cakes!
Just wondering — can you cook these on a grill?
I wouldn’t recommend it, Stan. I’d be concerned they’d fall apart.
Love your crab cake recipe so I’m eager to try this one.
Can these be broiled?
Glad you like the crab cakes! 🙂
I like these best pan-fried, but you can get away with cooking them in the oven. I’d use a combination of baking and broiling; bake them in a 350-degree oven on a lightly greased baking sheet for about twenty minutes, or until hot (and it’s not necessary to flip them), then slide them under the broiler for about a minute to get them golden brown on top. Enjoy!
Hi Jenn, I want to make these! We are not a fan of dill. What else could I use instead? Thanks so much, Ally in NJ
Hi Ally, You could just leave it out or replace it with parsley or a combination of parsley and tarragon.
Thank you Jenn!
When a recipe calls for scallions, does that always mean the green part only, or does it include both the white and green part? I always thought white only unless otherwise specified, but I see in your photos that you used the green portion. Thanks in advance for your help
Hi Gina, with the exception of this recipe (which I’ve just corrected!), I always specify whether you’ll need both the light and dark green parts or just one or the other. I see in the photo that it looks like it’s only the dark green portion of the scallions, but I’ve included the light green portion – they’re just a bit buried. Hope that clarifies and that you enjoy the salmon cakes if you make them!