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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
We used your salmon patty recipe tonight and they were great. Thanks for sharing this terrific recipe.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Steve!
These were great! My whole family loved it, I used fresh salmon, boiled it, and used sweet onion green onion and parsley, baked at 350 for 10 minutes first side, flip, 10 minutes 2nd side
I’m happy to hear that it was a hit to your family, Joe. Thank you for sharing that with us!
I add a squirt of dijon mustard to the recipe and it’s delicious!
Yum! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
I’ve made your recipe several times and love it. Just wondering if I can freeze them and if so, before or after cooking them?
Hi Krysia, yes, these can be made ahead, and freeze 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. I hope that helps you.
Perfection! I add minced mushroom as well just for more veggies. Love this recipe. Have made 10+ times.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
I was really surprised by this recipe. It is so flavorful and almost rich but with so little salt. I served it with a lemon garlic aioli, roasted potatoes and broccolini. This is a fantastic recipe for us because our local grocery store sells inexpensive salmon “bits” which are scraps from trimming their larger cuts. These are skinless so I just tossed them in olive oil before baking them. They cooked very fast. Now I’m inspired to find out what I can do with the whitefish bits they sell!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!
I discovered “salmon trimmings” at my store today which is what prompted me to try this recipe tonight. I’ve never seen them for sale before but hope this is a new regular item. At $4/lb they are a bargain compared to the whole fillets at $12-15/lb depending on the day. I grabbed them thinking I’d make a chowder but remembered I’d bookmarked this recipe.
Excellent salmon cakes. And top it off with your tartar sauce too, YUM!
Yes, tartar sauce sounds perfect!
These salmon cakes are so yummy! I baked them in the air fryer for 10 minutes at 400 and they turned out so crispy and golden.
These are seriously a treat! I’m so glad you loved these salmon cakes, Mary!
Natasha, these things are so good my kids don’t even make it to the table! They are theirs standing up at the island lol thank you for such a perfect recipe.
LOL, I love it when kids enjoy the food! I’m glad they loved the recipe, thank you for the review.
My husband recently had a heart attack so we are looking for low fat low sodium recipes. I halved the olive oil and butter and used 2/3 of the mayo. It turned out fine. Many thanks to Natasha.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Sara! Wishing a speedy recovery to your husband!
I made these tonight just as presented in your site and they are delicious. Had a lb. of fresh Salmon from Aldis and all the other ingredients and it was very easy. So good with your homemade tartar sauce. Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Mike!
Can I substitute the mayo with something else? My daughter has a dairy and egg allergy.
Hi Felicia, one of my readers wrote: “I made these and swapped in Greek yogurt for the mayo (I just can’t do mayo!) and they were excellent!”
Hi! Can these be frozen? If so…before or after sauteing?
Thanks very much!
MJ
Hi MJ, I haven’t tried freezing this myself, but here’s what one of my readers wrote: “I have frozen them and they are just as good when they are thawed and fried later.” I hope this helps!
Thanks very much Natasha! I am making them tomorrow and will give it a try. 👍
Hi Natasha!
I have been making your salmon cakes for a couple years now, and I (and everyone I’ve made them for) love them! I generally freeze part of my batch when I make them so I can enjoy them again later. I always freeze them after cooking (initially frying them to a golden color so when I defrost and reheat in the frying pan they do not get too brown). I wrap each patty individually in saran wrap and then put into a freezer bag. I usually take them out of the freezer in the morning of the day I intend on cooking them. I serve with remoulade sauce but tartar sauce tastes great too.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Deb!
I made these tonight with some leftover baked salmon from last night. I didn’t realize until last minute that I didn’t have any panko, so I put half of a sleeve of saltines into my blender. They worked like a charm! I also added a few shots of hot sauce, because we love a little heat! They turned out perfectly delicious and I made the yummy tartar sauce too! Thanks for the fantastic recipe!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Patti!
I’ve made this a few times and it’s delicious! Great recipe for those uneven pieces I don’t want to serve whole. My partner absolutely loves when I make these and asks me to make them all the time! Thanks for the recipe!
Hello Juan, great to hear that you always love making this recipe, Thank you for the review!
Natasha,
Thank you so much for this delicious salmon cake!!! It was superb! I’ve been meaning to make it for a long time but just able to do it tonight and wow! We are blown! So so good!
My no. 1 fan is my husband and I’m your no. 1 fan! Most of my cooking is from your recipes! Thank you so much!
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m all smiles!
I made these for dinner. I had canned salmon in so that’s the only change I made. I made cocktail sauce for dipping since others don’t like mayo. I’ll definitely make these again and i want to try them with fresh salmon too.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that lovely review with me, Wendy!
Having guests this coming weekend. Your recipe looks amazing! Once cooked, what’s the best way to keep the cakes warm while the rest of the dinner is being prepared, without drying them out? Thanks so much Natasha!
Hi Kathy, using the “keep warm” setting in your oven may be best. You can also reheat them.
I have never cared for salmon patties, because my country mom/grandmother used that odiferous, canned stuff with bones in it, and added just egg, a bit of onion, and crushed crackers. BLECCCH.
But on this chilly day, my mom, now in her 80’s, wanted salmon patties for lunch. I had two 5oz. cans of Starkist canned salmon in the pantry for salmon salad, so used those along with all the other ingredients (which I had on hand) Adjusted quantities slightly for the amount of salmon.
All I can say is WOW!!!
Mom said they were the most delicious she’s ever tasted, and I COMPLETELY AGREE! (I had three!)
Many, many thanks for a wonderful, keeper of a recipe! ♥️🤗✨
I’m so happy you found a new keeper on my blog, Neva! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
I hadn’t made salmon Pattie’s before with fresh salmon. SoI used this recipe. I had all the ingredients but the parsley, and I substituted fresh chopped kale, which worked fine. These are awesome! Never canned salmon again! Thank you!
I’m so glad you loved these salmon Cakes, Leslie! Thank you for your awesome review!