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.
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.
I made this tonight!! Absolutely delicious!! Definitely will make again. Thanks so much!!
These Salmon Cakes sound delicious! Could they be grilled in a George Forman?
Hi Carol, I wouldn’t recommend it — sorry!
Hi there! This is THE BEST recipe, I make it frequently for my family here in Sweden where we can buy minced salmon at the grocery store. Husband says he feels like he’s in a restaurant, 3 year old eats two and asks for more, everyone loves it. I wonder if you have advice on freezing them uncooked, as that just fried texture and taste is so good. Would they fall apart do you think? Or would there be some other issue?
Thank you for this awesome recipe!! Emily
Hi Emily, I think you can get away with freezing the salmon cakes (and so glad you like them). I’d suggest putting them on a baking sheet in the freezer for about an hour or until very firm and then putting them in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to three months.
Thanks for your advice! I’ve tried a few different approaches to this now and found what works best for me: freezing the uncooked cakes BEFORE putting the breadcrumbs on. Then defrosting in the fridge, and putting on the panko just before frying. They taste just like freshly made ones. Now, they are still totally delicious whichever way you do them, but this is what I’ve found works best for me. Thanks!
So I made this the other night along with the tartar sauce. My husband loved it! My step son loved it! And I loved it! Very easy & still very very tasty. There was one patty left over the next day & it was still amazing cold. And the tartar sauce – I’m making the fried fish fingers tonight just so I can finish it up!
Great recipe!!!
Made this tonight, they were fantastic. I did have to pat this somewhat (like burger patties) but I found that if I pressed them a little into the measuring cup (1/3) then they held better, still shaped them a little bit. Thank you so much for the recipe, I am always looking for ways to eat salmon, it is great for you, but the taste is usually to strong, not the case with these.
I question no egg in this recipe… they ALL fell apart!!
Hi Karen, I’m sorry to hear they fell apart! If you make them again, I’d try to cut the salmon into slightly smaller pieces. Also, try refrigerating them for an hour before cooking. Hope that helps!
Having made these before, I know that they are terrific. This time I intend to mix the ingredients in the evening, refrigerate them, and fry them the following day. Is there a reason why you suggest that the salmon cakes actually get formed beforehand rather than leaving the mixed ingredients in the bowl and forming the cakes just before frying?
My other question is the amount of time that the cakes remain the refrigerator. You refer to “a few hours”. Is overnight too long, and if so, why?
Thank you
Hi Linda, Glad you like them! If you’d like the make the mixture and form the salmon the night before, that should be fine.😊
This is simply a fantastic recipe. My husband and son could not stop eating them. I made a double batch and the leftovers did not make it until morning. I would not change a single thing.
Should I plan on 1 salmon patty per person? I will be cooking for 5 adults and 4 children (with some sides) and am wondering if you suggest doubling the recipe or perhaps 1 1/2 the amount? It’s hard for me to gauge how large and filling the cakes are. Thanks!
Hi Andi, I’d count on the adults eating two and the kids eating one each — I think you could probably get away with making 1.5 times the recipe. Hope everyone enjoys!
Hi Jenn, looks delicious! Can I make them in an air fryer? Thanks!
Hi Martine, I don’t own an air fryer so unfortunately, I can’t tell you confidently whether or not this would work in one. If you want to do a little digging, there are a number of articles online about how to convert many recipes to air fryer versions. I know both Taste of Home and Food Network have them. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!