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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
Can I use coconut flour instead of bread crumbs??
Hi Reenu, I haven’t tested this with coconut flour but here is what one of our readers tried it with “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 hope that helps.
Can I sub Canned Salmon for this Recipe?
Hi Bonnie, you can use well-drained packaged or canned salmon if that’s what you have on hand.
These turned out awesome. We used left over copper river salmon, and gluten free breadcrumbs. Thanks for a quick, yummy dinner idea!
You’re so welcome May! I’m happy you enjoyed this recipe!
Save your time and your pricey salmon and skip this recipe. These were very boring – no flavor beyond salt and salmon, probably because there isn’t enough aromatic ingredients (onion, celery, parsley, fresh garlic). Against my better judgment, I used the garlic salt goes, which was a mistake (the oils in garlic go rancid when stored for any length of time). I like Ina Garten’s recipe much better.
Hi Cathleen, this recipe normally gets rave reviews and is very flavorful with all of the aromatics that are added to it: onion, bell pepper, parsley… I wonder if it was due to a bad ingredient you had – as you said you had something that went rancid. I suggest checking the expiration date on spices that you might not use often.
I made these today for lunch using leftover salmon from dinner yesterday. Excellent. The best salmon cakes I’ve ever had. Thank you for the excellent recipe.
That’s just awesome Melanie!! Thank you for sharing that great review with us!
These salmon cakes were great. Used left over salmon and it was perfect. Thanks
Hi Donna! I’m so happy you loved the salmon cakes!
I made these awesome Salmon cakes today .I added about 1/4 teaspoon of old bay seasoning. I did use fresh leftover salmon.My husband loved these cakes.😊
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing that with me!
This is quite tasty thank you. I had everything except the bell peppers and used canned. Paula Marie
I’m happy you enjoyed that, Paula! Thank you for sharing your review with me!
I made the salmon cakes last night, following the recipe at this website, and they were a huge hit with my husband.
This recipe is a keeper, for sure! Thanks, Natasha.
You’re so welcome! I happy you both enjoyed this recipe, Anna!
I watched the video and read the reviews, and I am going to make these salmon cakes TONIGHT!
I loved your video, Natasha! Thanks!
You’re welcome! I hope you love it!
I am from South Louisiana and know how to cook. All I can say is this recipe is phenomenal!!! The seasonings are absolutely perfect! I had leftover salmon from a cedar plank grilling. It had some jalapeño slices on it when I put it in the Cuisinart with the shredder blade, so that may have added a little flavor; but, otherwise, very much kudos to you, Natasha! I will look for more of your recipes.
Wow! Thank you Stephanie! I’m so happy you enjoyed our recipe!
My five-year-old son loves these salmon patties, and he asks for them all the time! I use 3 – 6 oz. cans of wild salmon to save time and $$ but otherwise keep the recipe as-is. Delicious!
That is the best when kids love what we moms make. That’s so great!
Jami, How did you cook the canned salmon? Did you bake it?
We had leftover fish fry (haddock) and used it in this recipe instead of salmon. They were terrific!
That’s so great Nicole! Thank you for that wonderful review!
I made these for lunch (substituted cilantro for parsley, because I didn’t have any parsley). They were amazing, including the leftovers two days later.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!
I’ve made these a couple times now. Comes out delicious. I got adventurous and added in mushroom and zucchini to the sauteed onions and pepper. Great way to sneak extra veggies in to the kiddos!
That sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing that with us Francine!
I used honey smoked, cracked pepper crusted salmon and omitted the spices. The salmon is plenty spicy and has olive oil. It saved some time and was delicious!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
Love the flavors! I’ve made this twice now and both times, the cakes fall apart on the pan and I find them a little too moist. Not sure how everyone else is getting theirs perfect.
Hi Teresa, I’m so sorry to hear that! Was anything altered in the recipe? Ours have stayed together so well!
Amazing! Easy to fix and extremely taste. I’m hooked…
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
These are fantastic! I made them for dinner for the first time tonight. The flavors are all so complimentary. I would serve these to guests!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
Love the recipe it was absolutely amazing – using fresh salmon was clutch and I felt the panko added a perfect crunch.
My only changes were adding shallots instead of onion and we like a more citrus dipping sauce, so instead of tarter I made an avacado cream sauce
Half cup sour cream, juice of one lime, one avacado blended together, tsp salt and tsp pepper – perfect light citrus sauce for contrast to the savory sweet flavors of the cakes.
Thanks so much for the recipe
You’re so welcome, Eric! I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
Just made them, wow, great.
But I didn’t made them as cakes, I made patties, used puffed pastry .
Success assured !
Made them a little bit more spicy.
That sounds lovely! Thank you for sharing that with me!