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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Another winner! The fresh dill and celery makes it pop. I used a blackening seasoning for fish instead of Old Bay (one extra teaspoon and cut back on the additional salt), 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion instead of scallion, canned salmon instead of fresh, an extra tablespoon mayo, and extra teaspoon dijon mustard. Delicious!!! Oh, and that tarter sauce recipe….wow!
Jenn is my “go to” when it comes to cooking. I always check this site to see how Jenn does it. Thank you Jenn. I pre-ordered cookbook and can’t wait to receive it in April!
As a huge fan of crab cakes, I decided to give this one a try. I must say my husband and I enjoyed these salmon cakes even more. It is the perfect blend of ingredients and served with a salad it is divine. Much less pricey than the traditional crab cake ingredients and a nice way to incorporate salmon into a healthy diet. This recipe is a winner! Thanks!
This recipe was perfect for use with the frozen salmon we get from a distributor that delivers to our home. The salmon cake recipe came together easily and the warm up directions worked well since there’s only 2 of us! It’s a great recipe to have if there’s a family to feed or just 2 of you!
P.S. I love getting your recipe email each week–I bet at least 2-3 recipes per month from your emails in the past year have become family favorites! I print them and keep them on the side of the frig where I keep my grocery list!
That is so nice to read, Norma – thank you! Glad you are enjoying the emails!
I rarely have major “flops” in the kitchen, but this recipe was a doozy. Spent two hours prepping the veggies and chopping the salmon into tiny, miniscule pieces, only to have them fall apart completely in the pan (even after I tried adding a bit more mayonnaise). The finished product tasted like a glorified tuna salad sandwich. Not worth the time or money. Sadly, I will not make this again. Not looking forward to leftovers for dinner tomorrow night.
Another crowdcrows pleaser at our house tonight. These were sooo good! Even my son, who only tasted one as a favour to me not planning to eat any, gobbled up three!
I didn’t make the tartar sauce with it – we used a little horseradish sauce instead, with lemon slices.
I always wanted to make salmon cakes but the process seemed a little daunting. This recipe was simple and delicious. The tarter sauce was simple to make and was a nice complement. Thank you again for another great recipe.
These are excellent! Second time making them. I follow the recipe exactly, including the tartar sauce. I’ve also made Once Upon A Chef’s crab cakes, and they are also excellent. But I do appreciate the salmon cake recipe since it is much cheaper than the crab! Thanks for another great recipe Jenn.
Hello,I made this recipe with tilapia,and it so delicious! Thank you !
I like this recipe very much. I am a gluten free and low carb cook. I often use canned salmon and fresh in a 1:1 ratio. This makes the patties stick together. Canned tuna with fresh tuna or any other fish works as well for patties. Instead of bread crumbs, I use a small amount of potato starch, arrowroot flour or even coconut or almond flour.
These are delicious! I made them for Christmas Eve in small appetizer portions and they were gone in minutes. Huge hit with everyone, even the kids. I made them another time for dinner and, again, the whole family loved them. I also made the tartar sauce recipe. Great recipe!