This Salmon Patties Recipe makes flaky, tender, and flavorful fritters with crisp edges and plenty of flaked salmon, the hallmark of the very best salmon patties. These are so easy to make with leftover cooked salmon or canned salmon and work great as an appetizer, side, or main dish.
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Each week, my whole family gathers at my mom’s house for Sunday night dinner, potluck style. I love to bring easy-to-transport appetizers and sides, like my Jalapeno Poppers, Stuffed Mushrooms, and Grape Jelly Meatballs, that make it easy for a crowd of people to feast!
These Salmon Patties are perfect for our family meals since they travel well, stay crispy, and can be served using just your fingers (ok, you could also use a serving utensil, but that’s extra dishes!).
Easy Salmon Patties Recipe
My whole family loves to eat these easy salmon patties, especially served with my Homemade Tartar Sauce, and I love how easy it is to make!
If you’re looking to start with fresh salmon, you’ll love our Salmon Cakes Recipe, but this recipe for salmon patties is a smart way to make a quick batch on busy weeknights with either leftover cooked salmon or well-drained, canned salmon (or even salmon packets) which you may already have in your pantry.
These are such a treat, and even folks who don’t usually like salmon enjoy this recipe. They always disappear fast and are even faster to make.
How to Make Salmon Patties
- Cook the Veggies – Saute the onion and bell pepper in a pan for 7-9 minutes and then remove from heat.
- Mix the Patties – Mix salmon, peppers and onions, bread crumbs, egg, mayo, Worcestershire, garlic salt, pepper, and parsley in a large bowl. Then, use a heaping Tablespoon to measure the mixture and your hands to form patties.
- Cook the Patties – Melt oil and butter in a clean skillet, and place the salmon patties into the skillet in one layer, sauteeing each side for 3-4 minutes until browned. Place cooked patties on a paper-towel-lined plate, and then serve, garnished with fresh parsley.
How to Serve Salmon Patties
You can also serve these salmon patties for lunch, dinner or appetizers – they are versatile and can even be served in Hamburger Buns as salmon burgers, simply form them a little larger in step 3. They also pair well with these dishes:
- Strawberry Salad with Honey Vinaigrette
- Tomato Cucumber Mozzarella Salad
- Macaroni Salad
- Avocado Corn Salad
- Smashed Potato Salad
- Creamy Cucumber Salad
- Oven Roasted Broccoli
Make-Ahead
Cool any leftover salmon patties and store them in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.
- To Refrigerate: place in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: freeze for up to 3 months
- To Reheat: Thaw overnight in the fridge. You can eat the patty cold or reheat in a skillet or air fryer until heated through
This recipe for Salmon Patties will soon become your favorite appetizer or main dish. The crispy outside and moist, flavorful inside work perfectly with my homemade tartar sauce. Try this easy recipe today!
More Easy Salmon Recipes
Once you have tried this Salmon Patties recipe, check out some of my Best Salmon Recipes.
- Baked Salmon Recipe
- Honey Glazed Salmon
- Air Fryer Salmon
- Brown Sugar Glazed Salmon
- Teriyaki Salmon
- Tuscan Salmon
- Pan Seared Salmon with Lemon Butter
Easy Salmon Patties Recipe
Ingredients
- 14-15 oz canned salmon or salmon in packets, well drained
- 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 1 medium yellow onion, 1 cup, finely diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 2 Tbsp mayonnaise*
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp garlic salt, or sub with 1/2 tsp fine sea salt and 1/4 tsp garlic powder, or season to taste
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup parsley, finely minced
Instructions
- Set a medium skillet over medium heat with 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1 Tbsp butter. Add diced onion and bell pepper and saute until golden and softened (7-9 minutes) then remove from heat.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flaked salmon, sautéed pepper and onion, bread crumbs, beaten eggs, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, garlic salt, black pepper, and chopped parsley. Stir to combine. Form into patties (about a heaping Tablespoonful each) and mold with your hands into 2" wide by 1/3 to 1/2" thick patties.*
- In a clean non-stick pan, heat 1 Tbsp oil and 1 Tbsp butter until hot then add salmon patties in a single layer. Saute for 3 to 4 min per side or until golden brown and cooked through. If salmon patties brown too fast, reduce heat. Remove finished patties to a paper-towel-lined plate and repeat with remaining oil, butter, and salmon patties.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
Don’t let mail or yogurt what can I use instead of mayonnaise in my salmon patties
I can only recommend plain Greek yogurt or sour cream.
fell apart, threw it out. I think it needs flour, will definitely not be making this recipe again.
Hi CP! I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy these. Did you drain the canned salmon well? I would look over the ingredients again to see if anything was missed or measured incorrectly. We make these often with good results. I also have some additional notes at the bottom of the recipe card to help troubleshoot further.
You could have put it in a loaf pan and baked it up like a meatloaf. No need to waste good salmon.
No bell peppers, added fzn spinach instead of forgoing the veg, a bit of pork panko & spiced crumbled a bit of seasoned spare thanksgiving bread crumbs to mitigate the xtra liquid, while adding additional flavors, it worked! (can’t follow a recipe to save my soul, always the age old “hmmm that might go with it, oooh how’bout some this” ) Thanks for the inspiration!
Made these and the family loved them. Added a hint of Dijon mustard to set it off.
That’s so great, Jill! I’m happy you loved it.
I made these with some fresh salmon. Best salmon patties EVER!
These are delicious salmon patties. I used canned salmon and followed the recipe except I omitted the bell pepper because I didn’t have one. Next time I will add the bell pepper to make them even better. So so good! Thank you!
These salmon patties are in my regular diner rotation. My family, esp my picky eater son, love these! I also love your tartar sauce. I don’t like buying condiments filled with all sorts of bad ingredients so I esp like your easy to make, delicious tartar sauce too!
I made them tonight without the red pepper or parsley (didn’t have and didn’t want to run to the grocery) and they were delicious. Definitely will make again and will try with the red pepper and parsley since I’m sure they be wonderful. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
I made these and they were delicious! My whole family ate them up!
Thank you for sharing, Jessica! I’m glad your family loved the Salmon Patties!
I had left over salmon from a recipe with maple syrup glaze and pecan crusted. I used that for my salmon patties nuts and all. It was fantastic. I may always add pecans to this already delicious recipe .
umm does it really say 14 cans of salmon for this recipe or is this a misprint?! if so seems to me like you would get more than 14 patties with 14 cans???
Hi Mimi! It’s 14 or 15 ounces of salmon total, whether that’s from canned or packaged salmon.
It says 14-15 ounce can, not 14 cans. But a GREAT recipe!! So delish
My husband says these are delicious!! I like them because they’re quick and easy! Thank you!!
I’m glad the both of you enjoyed the Salmon Patties!
Delicious and easy to make. I added a little dill weed as well just because I like it with salmon. I used canned salmon.
I bet the dillweed adds a wonderful aroma to it! I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Nicole.
This is an excellent recipe. I make them often, my family loves them. I do have a problem with them breaking apart, what am I doing wrong?
Hi Lisa! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe. Did you drain the canned salmon well? I would look over the ingredients again to see if anything was missed or measured incorrectly. I also have some additional notes at the bottom of the recipe card to help troubleshoot further.
I refrigerate my patties, that have not been dredged in the bread crumbs for 15 minutes at least up to a day ahead of time, covered in plastic wrap. Hope this helps.
I would add an egg for binding and it can only add as egg being a protein!
Just wanted to confirm egg quantity. Ingredients state one egg but instructions refer to eggs.
Thank you.
Hi Peter, if you used the recipe slider to adjust the recipe, you will want to go off of the ingredient list. I used 1 egg if you are making one recipe (14 patties).
Love them!! Family favorite every time I make them. Easy to make.
Great recipe. Love your list of ingredients. Easy to prepare. Your recipe confirmed to the younger generation that Salmon Patties are made on the stove, not microwave, & recipe requires eggs, not flour. Thank you
No temperature specified. It would really help if you mentioned that in your recipe. I guess I will just try and figure it out.
Hi Heather! These are cooked on a skillet or non-stick pan on the stove top, not baked.
These are so good. I used water-packet salmon but only had 10 oz of salmon. This gave me 6 medium sized patties for dinner.
Absolutely phenomenal. Just got off the vegan train and this firmly planted me on the meat wagon for life!