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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 mayo
- 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
I have made these several times using canned wild red sockeye salmon. We love them. I freeze half uncooked cakes and let them thaw before sautéing. Excellent served with pickled beets!!
That sounds like the perfect side for these cakes! Thank you for sharing that with me!
Very, very, VERY good salmon recipe! AND with the right amount of effort to be happy being in the kitchen.
Suprisingly, I didn’t have wurshterishirre sause- only soy. UH!
That said- this was awesome easy and a keeper.
The ‘tarter’ sauce- eh.
It is certainly a fresher alternative to the jarred seafood section stuff. I read the labels on the jarred vs the jarred ingredients that I used- waaay better!
It just didn’t feel ‘tarter’ to me. Wondering if a less mayo option might do the job. All the same- awesome combo of food and feels. Thanks!
I’m happy you enjoyed that, Christopher! Thank you for shharing that with us!
I made them tonight with a bunch of left over grilled salmon and I used the Italian panko crumbs it was tasty I couldn’t stop eating it.
That’s so awesome, Connie! I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
I made these over the weekend & i must say these are the best tasting salmon cakes I have eaten. This is now my go to recipe. I didn’t have a onion so I used green onion instead. That was the only change. I shared one with a co-worker who really loved it as well. Making them again for the kids this weekend, can’t wait for them to try the cakes, they are my best judges. Thank you so much.
Hi Eric, Thank you for the wonderful review! I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Hi Natasha
I’m gluten intolerant so I couldn’t use the panko crumbs so I substituted with grated cauliflower,they were absolutely the best I’ve ever had ..yummy they certainly will be on our menu 😉
Thank you so much for sharing that with me Corinne, I love that you gound a gluten-free alternative!
I had these tonight and they are the best – yummy!!!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for the great review!
I love your site! Is there any way to substitute eggs for this recipe? My son is allergic. Thanks!
Hi, Elena, I haven’t tested that without eggs or with a substitution so I can’t advise. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
Darn, I’ve been scanning for someone who substituted the egg!
I don’t have panko crumbs, but instead have Italian bread crumbs. Could I just them in place of the panko?
Hi Tania! Several of our readers have tried and seemed to have had great results!
I made these with almond flour instead of bread crumbs. They came out very tasty! I processed dill pickle, mayo and truvia for a dipping sauce. Will make again!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
We had these for tonight for dinner. I made them larger and served them on toasted hamburger buns. They were delicious and the family loved them!
That’s a great idea! Thank you for sharing that great review with me!
This is similar to my recipe except after browning on both sides I put them in the oven for 10-15 mins at around 375 degrees and add a bit of dijon to the mix. I am going to try your mix this time. Love the website!
That sounds lovely! Thank you for sharing that with me!
I’ve made this recipe 4 times and they seems to get better & better with each try. So flavorful and light. I’ll be going for round 5 today. Thanks so much sharing this recipe.
That’s so great!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review with us!!
Natasha, these salmon cakes are amazing! They are so flavorful–absolutely delicious! They are not like any other salmon cakes I’ve ever tasted, and the tarter sauce is out of this world!!!
Thank you so much for sharing!
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review 🙂
To pronounce Worestershire Sauce .. “Woster-shear” Sauce, this is an easier way to pronounce it 😊 Your Salmon cakes look delicous
That one is always tough to pronounce. Thank you for the great review!
I have made these 3 times and they turn out perfect everytime, exactly like the picture and they get rave reviews, even from hubby who is not a great salmon lover.
Thinking of trying with smoked fish or tuna next time .. would that work?
Thank you for this awesome review Merle! That sounds delicious! I haven’t tried it with smoked or Tuna but that sounds amazing! I would love to know how you like that if you experiment!
We shop at Costco and there are only two of us. Buying the side of salmon their normally makes two or three meals. We freeze that which we don’t use for future meals. This time, we roasted the salmon side at one shot, eat what we wanted than shredded the rest and saved for your Salmon Cake recipe. Needless to say, your recipe is superb and gives us yet another use for our salmon fillets.
I froze the unused cakes for future meals. Thank you
Wow! Thank you so much for taking time to leave this thoughtful review, Jeff! We appreciate the feedback! Thank you!
Wow, these were superb! I made the Salmon Cakes exactly as written and wouldn’t change a thing. Your Tartar sauce was also perfection 🙂 I’m glad I found you and can’t wait to try some of your other recipes.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!
I made these last night – they were bomb!! i didn’t even get a chance to take a picture because we were eating them as we’re cooking them!
2 thumbs up!!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new family favorite!
These are wonderful. I used a good quality canned Salmon this time. I will try with fresh Salmon sometime. I’ve made alot of these in my life and I have to say these are my favorite. They stay together so well..Thanks
You’re so welcome, Rebecca!! I’m so happy you liked this!!
In case it is perhaps maybe not homade this really is a superb recipe and also also your sauce it’s not the same! I have been shifting the recipe in your home and made an Asian model having a hot broccoli slaw to consume top!
Thank you for your feedback and sharing your version with us, Lucy!
I made these today, along with your delicious tartar sauce, to take to a friend to help with her meals while a family member recuperates from heart surgery. I had to taste one, because in the past I usually just toss a few certain ingredients into the bowl, mix it up and fry them. It works okay, but the thing is, they taste different each time. I’d like to have a consistently good go-to recipe. I believe I have found it in this one. Another commenter was right about the cakes not falling apart – these were easy to manage while cooking. And I’ve always liked sweet pickle relish in my tartar sauce, but now I’m lowering my carbs so was willing to try the dill pickle instead. This sauce is really good, and easy to pull together. Thanks so much for the share!
Thank you so much for your thoughtful feedback Naomi! That was so nice of you to bring some to your friend!