These 30-minute salmon cakes are delicious, filling, and quick. As long as you have canned salmon and eggs, you can whip them up anytime. The remaining ingredients are flexible.
Canned fish is one of the easiest ways to incorporate seafood into your diet. It's accessible, affordable, and can be kept in the pantry for a long time. I make these salmon cakes about once a week. They are easy to make and taste great, and I always have the basic ingredients on hand and can improvise with the rest.
Ingredients
The only mandatory ingredients are canned salmon and eggs. The remaining ingredients are flexible. See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on some of the ingredients.
- Canned salmon: Use boneless, skinless salmon and drain it well.
- Mayonnaise: I prefer mayonnaise made with avocado oil.
- Mustard: I use Dijon mustard.
- Minced garlic: If you don't have fresh garlic, use ½ teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Chopped parsley: Cilantro is a good substitute.
- Olive oil: For frying the patties. Sometimes, I fry the patties in ghee (clarified butter).
Instructions
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
Drain the salmon cans thoroughly. Place the salmon in a large bowl and flake it well with a fork into tiny pieces. Add the remaining ingredients (except for the oil) and mix well.
Use a 4-tablespoon ice cream scoop to scoop the mixture out of the bowl. Cook the patties until well-browned and crispy, about 3 minutes on each side.
Serve immediately. This is what they look like on the inside when done:
Variation: Baked Salmon Patties
To bake these patties, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Measure ¼ cup per patty with a scoop, packing the mixture in. Place on the parchment and gently flatten. Spray the patties with olive oil and bake them for 10 minutes at 400°F. Flip, spray with more oil, and bake for 10 more minutes.
If you’d like to brown them, replace the parchment with foil and broil them in the middle of the oven for 2 minutes. Serve immediately.
These are delicious! I have used this recipe many times. My go to for a nice lunch or dinner. They freeze well too. And the best part, so good for you!
Lisa Wells
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Five Tips for Keeping the Patties from Falling Apart
- Drain the salmon thoroughly.
- Flake it well with a fork.
- Use large eggs.
- Mix the ingredients thoroughly.
- When frying them, pack the mixture into the scoop. I press it down with a fork. It helps the cakes retain their shape.
Recipe FAQs
You don't need a binder (such as flour, breadcrumbs, or almond flour) to hold these patties together. There's no harm in adding 2-4 tablespoons, but it's not needed.
The mayonnaise adds flavor and moisture. I don't recommend skipping it.
Yes. It adds flavor, but the parties are delicious without it.
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently in the microwave at 50% power, or enjoy them cold straight out of the fridge. I like them with Dijon mustard or sriracha mayo. You can also freeze the cooled leftovers in a single layer in freezer bags for up to three months.
Serving Suggestions
Salmon cakes make a quick and easy meatless entree. I serve them for dinner with grainy mustard or a dollop of homemade tartar sauce, keeping the sides simple. I like to serve them with caprese salad, microwave cauliflower drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice, or broiled tomatoes. They are also delicious with a side of microwave asparagus.
In the photo below, you can see a baked version of the patties served with steamed broccoli and grainy mustard.
Recipe Card
Canned Salmon Cakes (Pan-Fried or Baked)
Video
Ingredients
- 2 6-ounce cans salmon - skinless and boneless
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons fresh garlic - minced
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ¼ teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ cup parsley - chopped
- ¼ cup olive oil - for frying
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to the "keep warm" setting (170℉).
- Drain the salmon cans thoroughly. Place the salmon in a large bowl. Flake it well with a fork into tiny pieces.
- Add the eggs, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, garlic, kosher salt, black pepper, and thyme. Mix well.
- Mix in the chopped parsley.
To Pan-Fry:
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large 12-inch nonstick skillet for about 3 minutes.
- Using a 4-tablespoon ice cream scoop, transfer four mounds of the mixture to the skillet. Pack the mixture tightly into the scoop, pressing it down with a fork or the back of a spoon, then release it into the skillet and gently flatten.
- Cook the salmon patties until well-browned and crispy, about 3 minutes on each side. Place the cooked patties in the oven to keep them warm while you cook the second batch. Serve immediately.
To Bake:
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Measure ¼ cup per patty with a scoop, packing the mixture in. Place the mounds on the parchment and gently flatten. Spray the patties with olive oil and bake them for 10 minutes. Flip, spray with more oil, and bake for 10 more minutes. If you’d like to brown them, replace the parchment with foil and broil them in the middle of the oven for 2 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- To prevent the cakes from falling apart, drain the salmon thoroughly, flake it well, use large eggs, and mix the ingredients thoroughly.
- Different canned salmon products can have different textures. It's important to drain the salmon so that it's visibly dry - place it on paper towels to drain if needed. If, despite your efforts, you mix the ingredients and the mixture seems very liquid, add 2-4 tablespoons of breadcrumbs (regular or gluten-free) or (for a low-carb, grain-free version) almond flour.
- About half the olive oil will remain in the skillet. The nutrition info reflects that. But you need all of it to fry the patties properly.
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently in the microwave at 50% power, or enjoy them cold straight out of the fridge. You can also freeze these patties in a single layer in freezer bags for up to three months.
Nutrition per Serving
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Bennett says
Used brown mustard instead. Turned out pretty well.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Thanks for the comment, Bennett! Glad you liked them.
CatMax says
No Dijon so used yellow mustard, added some minced onion and celery seed. Fried in the olive oil and finished off in a 350 oven for ten minutes - excellent!
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for the review and for sharing your tweaks.
Linda says
How many patties does this recipe make? Please! Thank you!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Linda,
This recipe makes eight patties.
Michael Webber says
Can you use Fresh Salmon?
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Michael,
I only tested this recipe with canned salmon, but I believe it should work with 12 ounces of cooked salmon, boneless and skinless, well-flaked into tiny pieces. The salmon should be cooked to medium-well - you don't want it too moist.
Cherie says
Quick question. Can these be baked in the oven as opposed to fried in oil?
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Cherie,
Yes. Scoop the mixture onto a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet (use high-heat-resistant parchment), gently flatten and shape them, then generously spray them with olive oil. Bake the patties for 10-15 minutes per side in a preheated 400°F oven, spraying them again after flipping them. However, I highly recommend frying them. When cooked in olive oil, they become wonderfully browned, crispy, and flavorful.
Karla says
Delicious! I subbed yogurt for the mayo and omitted the thyme because I didn’t have any. Everyone loved ‘em and didn’t even notice they were “healthy”.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Yay! Glad these were a success, Karla!
Serenity says
I love this recipe. It's now on my weekly meal plan! Thank you.
Vered DeLeeuw says
You're very welcome, Serenity!
Serenity says
Very delicious, thank you. I think next time I'm going to swap cilantro for the parsley and add red chilli powder for a zing.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Sounds like a plan, Serenity! Glad you liked them!
Sarah says
I just made these salmon cakes, and they were wonderful. Admittedly, I did not follow the exact recipe, as I was mainly looking for a recipe without traditional binders or the usual alternative binders like almond flour.
I like to make several at a time, and I also like my patties kind of thick. I used two 14.75-oz cans of salmon, doubled the eggs, mayo, and Dijon, and used my usual bell pepper, shallot, garlic, and Italian seasoning.
I spread 1/4 cup of olive oil on a large cookie sheet and placed 1/3 cup patties just slightly pressed into the cookie sheet (I got 11 full-size patties plus a little meatball-sized one).
Then I used the air fryer function on my range at 425°F for 15 minutes on one side and five on the other. They came out beautifully!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Glad you found this recipe useful, Sarah!
Ashley says
Has anyone tried making + freezing these for a month or two? Would love to add this recipe onto my postpartum meal prep plan!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Ashley,
Congratulations!
You can freeze these salmon cakes for up to three months. Let them cool, then place them in a single layer in a freezer bag. I can usually fit six of them in a gallon freezer bag. Defrost them in the fridge for 24 hours before reheating them.
Kathy says
I was going to ask if they could be airfried, so will definitely try this method, thanks for posting.
Cathleen says
My first attempt at salmon cakes and your recipe made it so easy, thank you! I used a combination of herbs from the garden and fried in avocado oil. My salmon was salty enough on its own so next time I'd probably omit the added salt. Was easy to multiply the recipe to make enough for a larger group.
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad this was a success, Cathleen!