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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
Wonderful recipe!! It tasted great.
I made 1/2 of the batch in the fry pan & the other 1/2 in the oven (using foil with grape seed oil). Both turned out perfect.
Thank you so much for sharing that baking tip!! That’s awesome! 🙂
Loved this recipe!
I’m happy to hear that Sarah! Thanks for sharing 🙂
How many cans would you recommend? I have TJ’s 7.5 oz Sockeye Salmon cans.
Never mind just saw the answer in Notes but I don’t want to use mayo so will figure out another substitute.
What mayo substitute you came up with?
2 of those cans should be enough, well-drained of course 🙂
So good! Thank you for a great recipe again! I only had a half of a cup of breadcrumbs left so I just crushed some garlic croutons to make one cup.
You’re welcome Valentina! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Would these work with the salmon they sell at Costco in those blue trays? Im not familiar cooking with seafood just yet, kind of getting my hands on it cuz my husband is the one going fishing, cleaning and frying or smoking fish usually, I just eat lol but this recipe looks insanely delicious. And I just love fish, especially salmon😊
Hi Olga, I’m not sure which salmon you’re referring to. Maybe our Costco doesn’t have it? Just about any cooked salmon (not smoked salmon) will work for this recipe. You can used cooked salmon leftovers, or even well drained canned salmon.
These turned out fabulous even though I had to substitute with what I had on hand….three cans of Kirkland Salmon and a yellow bell pepper. Your recipes continue to be the best and never disappoint. Thank you dear Natasha.
You’re so welcome Zina! Thank you for sharing such an awesome review! 🙂
Hello Natasha! I have tried this recipe with fresh salmon and my family loved it! I have some canned salmon in my pantry and was wondering if you think that would taste good?
Hi Tanya, yes, absolutely! Just use well drained canned salmon. My reader Elaine reported the following when she tried canned salmon: “So good! We had to stop ourselves from eating the entire recipe! There’s only two of us. We have enough for another meal! This was a home run!”
Awww…our new family favorite! The kids and adults just loved it. Thank you very much for sharing, Natasha!
You’re welcome Maria! I am so glad to hear your family enjoys the recipe as much as mine does! 🙂
I had frozen salmon fillets sitting in my freezer for a while and didn’t know what to do with them as my children didn’t like baked/fried salmon. Then I came across this recipe and decided to give it a try. I started with 5 fillets and had only 3 left because after it was out of the oven, my kiddos (ages 3 and 2) devoured two pieces. But I managed to save 3 and made the patties, Along with the tartar sauce. These are so delicious!! Unfortunately for me and my husband, we didn’t have much left 🙁 my kiddos absolutely loved the salmon patties and tartar sauce!! Never going back to store bought sauce!! Thank you so much for this recipe!!!!!!
🙂 I’m just imagining the sweet scene of your family enjoying these salmon cakes and I’m so happy to hear you also loved the tartar sauce! 🙂 It pairs really well with any kind of fish sticks or seafood cakes/patties, you name it! Thank you so much for sharing your amazing review!
Made these today. I used salmon and roasted red peppers. So good!We had to stop ourselves from eating the entire recipe! There’s only two of us. We have enough for another meal! This was a home run! Thanks, Natasha.
Meant to say canned salmon.
Thank you so much sharing!!
Your review brought a smile to my face! Thank you for much Elaine 🙂
I do not like fish, but my husband does and I hardly ever make him fish ;( but I used this recipe with some canned skinless boneless sardines (Crown Prince Natural brand) I had on hand. My husband loved it (and told me I should make it again with the salmon like the recipe because he loves salmon), and I was able to eat it without gagging (which is the highest compliment I can give a fish recipe). All that to say, fabulous recipe. Thank you for sharing!
I am so glad you two enjoy the recipe! Let me know what you think when you try it with salmon! 🙂
I love salmon and eating it in any way I can find it! I would totally love this for dinner tonight!
They are amazing! Let me know what you think!
wow delicious salon patties. i like all kinds of patties. thank you chef miss natasha.
You are very welcome 😁.
Natasha, I love visiting your site…you’re so friendly and gracious! I’m trying to incorporate more salmon into our meals, and your teriyaki salmon is a favorite. Cannot wait to make the salmon cakes!
I’m so glad you are enjoying my recipes!! Thank you for sharing that with me 🙂
Hi Natasha, this is kristina and I have a question. Do you have a recipe for the tar tar sauce.?
Hi Kristina, Yes, I linked to it a couple of times in the post above. Click here for tartar sauce recipe. I hope you love it! 🙂
Hi Natasha this is kristina again thank you for the recipe for tar tar sauce it is very good!!!!!!:)
Awesome!! I’m so glad you liked it 🙂
They look soooo good thanks for this awesome recipe. Im going to try making them for sure.
They are delicious Vicki! Let me know what you think!
These look adorable and delish
Thank you so much Sara 🙂
I agree with you it looks so good
Will this recipe work with a different type of fish?
I haven’t experimented but I do think it would work well with a different kind of fish, or even real crab meat 🙂
Yum! Looks delicious! Definitely going to try. I’ve been trying to find a good crab cake recipe. Do you have one?
Hi Lidiya, I haven’t posted a crab cake recipe yet, but it’s on my list!! 🙂
Oh boy!!! These Salmon Cakes look so good! I am a huge fish lover 😛 Pinning it for later.
They are delicious! Let me know how you like them!