This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
These salmon cakes are crisp on the outside with tasty bites of flaked salmon – YUMM!! It’s mostly salmon which makes every bite such a treat! These salmon cakes always disappear fast and are well loved by the kids and grown ups in our family. I love that there isn’t a hint of fishiness in them.
It’s a smart way to use up leftover cooked salmon, but it’s worth the extra 10 minutes it takes to roast salmon just for this recipe. These salmon patties are THAT GOOD! p.s. You can also use well-drained packaged or canned salmon if that’s what you have on hand.
Make sure to serve with this homemade tartar sauce – it’s the easiest sauce to make, keeps well in the fridge, and once you try homemade, there’s just no going back to the store-bought muck. The same goes for these salmon cakes – they are truly delicious!
Ingredients for Salmon Cakes:
1 lb fresh salmon filet*
Garlic Salt – I use Lawry’s brand
Black Pepper
Olive Oil
1 medium onion (1 cup finely diced)
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
1 cup Panko bread crumbs (Japanese Style crumbs)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 Tbsp mayo
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
*Note: Fresh salmon is best, but it can be substituted with leftover cooked salmon, or 14-15 oz of well-drained canned salmon, or three 5 oz salmon packets. If mixture is too moist to hold the patty shape, add more bread crumbs and if it is too dry, add an extra Tablespoon of mayo.
Watch How To Make Salmon Patties:
How To Make Salmon Cakes (Salmon Patties):
1. Preheat Oven to 425˚F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or a silpat. Place salmon skin-side down, brush with olive oil and season with garlic salt and black pepper.
Bake uncovered for 10-15 min or just until cooked through (my thinner cut wild salmon was closer to 10 minutes). Remove from oven, cover with foil and rest ten minutes. Discard skin, flake salmon with forks, remove any bones, and cool to room temp while prepping remaining ingredients.
2. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp butter and finely diced onion and bell pepper. Saute until softened and golden (7-9 minutes) then remove from heat.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine cooled flaked salmon, sautéed onion and pepper, 1 cup bread crumbs, 2 beaten eggs, 3 Tbsp mayo, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp garlic salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and 1/4 cup fresh parsley. Stir to combine then form into 13-14 patties. I find it’s easiest to portion the patties using a flat ice cream scoop then pressing them into 1/3 to 1/2″ thick patties.
4. Heat 1 Tbsp oil and 1 Tbsp butter in a large pan over medium heat and once butter is done sizzling, add half of the salmon cakes and sauté 3 1/2 to 4 minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked through.
If salmon cakes brown too quickly, reduce heat. Remove to a paper-towel lined plate. Add remaining 1 Tbsp oil and 1 Tbsp butter and repeat cooking remaining salmon cakes.
I can’t get enough of those big flakes of salmon! Major Cravings for salmon cakes with homemade tartar sauce right now. Hands down, these are the best salmon cakes I’ve ever tried and they are so easy!
P.S. If you love this recipe and salmon in general, our famous baked salmon is a must try!
Salmon Cakes Recipe (Salmon Patties)

Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh salmon filet*
- Garlic Salt - I use Lawry's brand
- Black Pepper
- olive oil
- 1 medium onion, 1 cup finely diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 1 cup Panko bread crumbs, Japanese Style crumbs
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 3 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat Oven to 425˚F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or a silpat. Place salmon skin-side down, brush with olive oil and season with garlic salt and black pepper. Bake uncovered for 10-15 min or just until cooked through (my thinner cut salmon was closer to 10 min). Remove from oven, cover with foil and rest ten minutes. Discard skin, flake salmon with forks, remove any bones, and cool to room temp.
- Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp butter and finely diced onion and bell pepper. Saute until softened and golden (7-9 minutes) then remove from heat.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine cooled flaked salmon, sautéed onion and pepper, 1 cup bread crumbs, 2 beaten eggs, 3 Tbsp mayo, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp garlic salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and 1/4 cup fresh parsley. Stir to combine then form into 13-14 patties. It's easy to portion patties using a flat ice cream scoop then pressing them into 1/3 to 1/2" thick patties.
- Heat 1 Tbsp oil and 1 Tbsp butter in a large pan over medium heat and once butter is done sizzling, add half of the salmon cakes and sauté 3 1/2 to 4 min per side or until golden brown and cooked through. If salmon cakes brown too quickly, reduce heat. Remove to a paper-towel lined plate. Add remaining 1 Tbsp oil and 1 Tbsp butter and repeat cooking remaining salmon cakes.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Love these and I’m not a fish fan! Have you ever air fried these? I’m thinking it would work but thought I’d ask the expert.
Hi Barb! I’m glad you love the recipe! One of my readers reported good results baking them in the oven but did not share baking time/temp.
Another reader baked them in the air fryer for 10 minutes at 400 and they turned out so crispy and golden.
I had a good amount of left over salmon from a dinner party buffet and decided to hunt for a recipe for salmon cakes. Natasha’s Kitchen NEVER disappoints. Thanks for another great recipe. Everyone loved these.
I love the taste of these, but I am having trouble with them sticking to my pan, and then they fall apart. Any suggestions to keep this from happening?
Hi Ginny, it definitely helps to use a good non-stick skillet and be sure to grease the skillet. Also, make sure not to use too many bread crumbs. If using a finer crumb breading, make sure to use less.
One of our favorite dinners! I am in a cooking mood today so I made these with the Cauliflower recipe and your amazing Brownies for dessert!
Don’t you just love it when that cooking mood hits! Thank you for your wonderful feedback, Pam!
Just made these for lunch with the homemade tartar sauce. So delicious! I’m always happy to see a recipe from you for anything I google! First time posting, but I’ve made so many of your dishes and always a hit! Laurie
Hi Laurie! Thank you so much for taking the time to review the recipe. It helps the recipe reach a larger audience. I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipes. We love these with our homemade tater sauce!
Can these patties be formed and frozen and then cooked at a later time?
Hi Brian! Yes, these can be made ahead, and frozen until ready to cook. I would cook the salmon to form the patties and then freeze them before cooking the patties. We keep them in an airtight container separated by parchment paper.
Well, that was delicious. The only thing I didn’t have was the fresh parsley, so I put about a half a Tbs of dill in and I used homemade breadcrumbs. These are going to be a definite meal at the marina. I will cook ahead of time and just warm them on the grill.
Salmon cakes, while not sweet, are still delicious!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Shem!
How to pronounce Worcestershire= wuh-ster-sher.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Made this tonight- amazing! Have never made anything like this so. Added a spicy aioli – so good! Cannot wait to make this again!
Cut the Salmon in half down to 1/2 lb as we wanted more them less fishy. Left everything else alone. So wonderful! We have added this meal to our regular fish dinner routine.
Hi Ken! I’m so glad you loved the recipe. Thanks for sharing your experience.
I have made this recipe numerous times (as well as the home-made tartar sauce). It is delicious and a great way to use frozen salmon. Instead of using 1/2 red pepper and a medium onion, I saute up a large red pepper and a large onion and use half in the recipe and freeze the other half for the next time I make them. Because I know I’m going to be making them again!
Absolutely delicious! I love salmon, but was getting bored of it on its own. This recipe kicks it up several notches on the flavor level! I did not have a garlic/salt mix, so I just used half of each. I also used a whole red pepper instead of half. BUT my pepper was on the smaller side.
Have you ever made these ahead and froze them uncooked? I’m trying to get some meals prepped for my daughter before she goes in for surgery.
Hi, that should work too! Place your uncooked salmon cakes in a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Store them in a freezer bag or an airtight container for about 2-3 months.