Old Fashioned Salmon Patties are a classic recipe and for a reason. This delicious and easy southern recipe can be made with pantry staples in just 10 minutes, making it perfect for busy weeknights.
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Salmon patties, also called salmon cakes, or salmon croquettes, are an old-fashioned recipe which is usually made with canned salmon and saltine crackers. It can be quickly mixed up, fried to golden brown, and served with side dishes or a salad.
Why we love this recipe
- Easy: It couldn't be easier to make this salmon patty recipe. You only need a few simple ingredients, one bowl, and one pan.
- Delicious: These salmon cakes are super flavorful, with old bay seasoning, lemon, and dill. The have a crispy coating with no need for breading.
- Budget friendly: The ingredients for these simple salmon patties won't break the bank.
- Versatile: This easy recipe makes a perfect weeknight meal along with side dishes like green beans or carrots. The patties are delicious hot or cold and can be taken in packed lunches or on picnics.
Ingredient Notes
โFull instructions and ingredient quantities are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Salmon: To make these easy salmon patties, I'm using leftover cooked salmon from making air fryer salmon. These old-fashioned salmon patties are a great way to use leftover fresh salmon. However, I often make these salmon patties with canned salmon, and they are delicious, too. If you do use canned salmon, you will need two cups, so two 8 ounce cans. Be sure to drain the can of salmon very well. You can pick out any large bones if there are any. The smaller bones are soft and won't be noticeable. I am partial to sockeye salmon but you can use pink salmon or any other salmon, too.
- Panko: I use gluten-free panko breadcrumbs. You can use regular panko, or any dry breadcrumbs. Or you can follow the old classic southern salmon patties recipe and use crushed saltine cracker crumbs or even crushed Ritz crackers.
- Egg: The egg, along with the mayonnaise, acts a the binder so the salmon patties hold together. I always use a large egg in recipes unless otherwise noted.
- Mayonnaise: I use real mayonnaise for these patties. You can substitute a mayo-like spread such as Miracle Whip. However, be sure that the product contains real eggs and oil, which is are the ingredients in real mayonnaise that help bind the ingredients in the recipe.
- Lemon juice: You'll need two tablespoons of juice, which is about half a lemon.
- Old Bay Seasoning: I highly recommend using Old Bay. It's a delicious blend that can't be beat on seafood and so much more. If you don't have it on hand, substitute celery salt and add ยผ teaspoon of black pepper.
- Dill: I'm using dried dill, but if you have fresh dill on hand you can use that instead. Increase the amount to 2 teaspoons.
- Onion powder: For this recipe dried onion powder works best. The salmon patties cook too quickly for fresh onion to cook, even if finely diced.
- Oil: Since we are frying the salmon cakes in hot oil, we need oil with a high smoke point. My favorite is peanut oil, but you can also use vegetable oil, avocado oil, canola oil, or sunflower oil.
How to Make Old Fashioned Salmon Patties
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except the oil.
- Roll ยผ cup portions into balls, then flatten into disks.
- Place the salmon patties in the hot pan, keeping plenty of space between them.
- Without moving the patties, cook them for 2 minutes.
- Carefully flip the patties and cook the other side for 2 minutes.
- Transfer them to a plate. Garnish with parsley, and serve.
Helpful Tips
I have never had an issue with the salmon cakes not holding together when following this recipe. However, if your patties are falling apart, stir another tablespoon of mayonnaise into the salmon mixture.
Use a measuring scoop to ensure all the patties are the same size.
Make sure your oil is hot before putting the patties into the pan. It should sizzle and pop when a drop of water is thrown in.
Don't crowd the pan. This will prevent the salmon patties from getting crisp, and also make it difficult to flip them.
Don't move the patties around at all, and flip them only once.
Store leftover salmon patties in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days. To reheat, use the microwave or air fryer.
To freeze, place the cooled patties in a zip-lock bag on it's side, or freezer container in a single layer. Freeze for up to 3 months and defrost in the fridge overnight.
Variations
- Make ahead: You can combine the ingredients and shape the salmon mixture into patties ahead of time. Cover the fish cakes with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to cook them.
- Baking: If you want to bake these salmon cakes, place the patties on a parchment paper lined baking sheet in a single layer. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, turning halfway through.
- Air Fryer: I love to make this recipe using the air fryer. To air fry, spray the air fryer basket lightly with oil. Place the salmon patties in the air fryer without crowding and air fry at the highest setting (390-400 degrees) for 8 minutes.
- Tuna patties: Use canned tuna in place of salmon in this recipe to make equally delicious tuna patties.
- Crab cakes:ย Use real or artificial crab instead of salmon. (Or try my Cajun crab cakes)
- Appetizers: Make smaller patties for a crowd-pleasing appetizer. You can serve them warm or cold.
- Burgers: This old fashioned salmon patties recipe is perfect for salmon burgers. Just make the patties larger (you'll need to cook a little longer), or use them for salmon sliders.
Serving Suggestions
Serve salmon patties as a snack or appetizer with tartar sauce, tzatziki sauce, hot sauce, or even ketchup. As the main dish the patties go perfectly with mashed potatoes, potato salad or rice and veggie sides like roasted vegetables or my cabbage stir-fry.
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Did you make this recipe? Please leave a rating in the comments below and let us know how it turned out. Did you make any changes? We would love for you to share and your feedback is important! Thank you for visiting The Food Blog!
Recipe
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Old Fashioned Salmon Patties
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked salmon flaked
- ยฝ cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 egg
- ยผ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon old bay seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoon peanut oil for frying
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except the oil.
- Roll ยผ cup portions into balls, then flatten into disks.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Place the salmon patties in the hot pan, keeping plenty of space between them.
- Without moving the patties, cook them for 2 minutes.
- Carefully flip the patties and cook the other side for 2 minutes.
- Transfer them to a plate. Garnish with parsley or sliced green onions, and serve.
Katie
Did this recipe change? I've had it bookmarked for awhile and it was a go-to, but it had potatoes and veggies packed in it and a delicious horseradish sauce! What happened to that?
Colleen
Hi Katie, I'm so sorry! I lost the original recipe in a technical glich. I needed a new salmon patty recipe to replace it and created this one. It's delicious, but if you loved the original, I will try to re-create and will send it to you if I can.
Katie
Agh, technical difficulties are the worst! So frustrating! I realized that my cooking app managed to save the ingredients, at least, and I remembered enough of the process to figure it out. If it helps, here they are:
1 russet potato, boiled & mashed
1 red bell pepper
1 stalk celery
2 green onions
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp old bay seasoning
1 egg
2 cups cooked salmon
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tbsp peanut oil
2 tbsp parsley
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp prepared horseradish
2 tbsp lemon zest
Colleen
You're amazing! Thanks so much for sharing this, Katie! ๐โค๏ธ๐
Loreto and Nicoletta
We love these old fashioned recipes, so budget friendly and so much history. We are all about repurposi g and always have leftover salmon. So in our eyes this recipe is a win win. Great color on yhe patties and love old bay seasoning. So flavorful. I use it in our seafood boils! โค๏ธ ๐ ๐
Hayley Dhanecha
These patties turned out so good for us, so surprise to see that they are easy and so simple to make.
Colleen
Hi Hayley, I'm happy to hear that the salmon patties turned out great. Thanks so much for sharing.
Tammy
I love salmon cakes and these look perfectly crispy. I just bought salmon so I know what I'll be doing with the leftovers ๐
Erin
These patties had just the right amount of Old Bay in them! So good and surprisingly easy. Thanks so much!
Colleen
You're welcome, Erin! Thanks for sharing.
Kathryn
I always love having these stored in our freezer for quick lunches. My kids even love them too so I need to make them again soon. Thank you for the recipe!
Colleen
You're welcome, Kathryn. It's great to hear the salmon cakes are kid-approved!
Veronika
Made these the other night and we were so happy we had some leftovers to enjoy last night! They were crispy on the outside and so flavorful. We'll definitely make them again!
Colleen
Hi Veronika, I'm so happy the salmon patties were a hit. Thanks for sharing.
Sean
Salmon patties have always been a comfort food of mine and these were so good and easy to make!
Colleen
Hi Sean, I love hearing this. Thanks for your comment.