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These salmon patties are flaky, tender and so flavorful. The crisp edges and big bites of flaked salmon are the hallmark of these salmon patties. They are the real deal! It’s no wonder these salmon cakes have been so popular (read the glowing reviews here).
This is an easy and excellent way to use leftover salmon and it is worth it to cook the salmon just for this (instructions below). For busy weeknights, you can substitute with well-drained canned salmon or the salmon in packets which you may already have in your pantry!
I hope you all love these salmon patties and the easy homemade tartar sauce that goes with them.
Watch How to Make Salmon Patties:
These salmon patties are such a treat and even folks who don’t normally like salmon enjoy this recipe. They always disappear fast!
P.S. Serve salmon cakes with this irresistible homemade tartar sauce. P.S. Once you try homemade and realize how easy it is, there’s just no going back to store-bought tartar sauce. It is so much better in every way!
⬇ Print-Friendly Salmon Patties Recipe:
Salmon Patties Recipe (VIDEO)
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh salmon filet*
- 3 Tbsp Olive oil, divided
- 1 1/2 tsp Garlic salt, I used Lawry's Brand, to taste
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper, or to taste
- 1 medium yellow onion, 1 cup, finely diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 3 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup parsley, finely minced
Instructions
- Preheat Oven to 425˚F. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment or silicone liner. Place salmon in the center, skin-side-down, drizzle with olive oil, and season with garlic salt and black pepper. Bake uncovered for 10-15 min (depending on thickness), or just until cooked through. Remove from oven, cover with foil, and rest for 10 min. Flake salmon with 2 forks discarding skin and any bones then set aside and cool to room temp.
- Heat 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, 1 cup bread crumbs, 2 beaten eggs, 3 Tbsp mayonnaise, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp garlic salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and 1/4 cup 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 cakes.
Notes
**Cook's Tip: If the salmon mixture is too dry to hold a patty shape, add an extra tablespoon of mayo and if it is too moist, add more bread crumbs. --Store Leftovers - Cool and place salmon patties in an airtight container. Refrigerate for 3 days or freeze for 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and then eat cold, or reheat in a skillet or air fryer until warmed.
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
That pretty blue serving platter can be found here. I have these in different sizes and colors. I love their bold colors and how sturdy and chip resistant Fiestaware is – meant to last a lifetime.
You can serve these for lunch, dinner, appetizers – they are so versatile and these salmon patties can even be used in sandwiches as salmon burgers, just form them a little larger. And if you LOVE salmon recipes, don’t miss our #1 of all time baked salmon recipe!
Q: Have you tried these yet? Let me know what you thought of them in a comment below.
Have a memorable and happy 4th of July!! 🙂 The 4th just happens to be my husbands birthday so if you’re on Instagram that day, feel free to flood his page with happy birthday wishes. Thanks friends!
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
First let me say Natasha, your recipes and videos are simply the best! I have made these salmon cakes over and over again! And I have shared this recipe with so many friends! Sockeye, Coho or Spring salmon turns out perfect every time.
My daughter and I make these all the time! So delicious with the homemade tartar sauce! I would like to freeze some….precook or freeze uncooked?
Hi Joyce, I have prepared and refrigerated them but we always run out before I could attempt freezing them. Here is what one of my viewers shared: “I make salmon cakes in large batches frequently and they are usually a close version to this recipe. I patty them up, pre-freeze on a cookie sheet, then vacuum seal them before storing them in the freezer. They are great and you can cook from frozen the same as fresh. I always cook mine on a greased cookie sheet at 400-425.” I hope that helps!
I make these if en and they are so delicious! I’m not a big fan of salmon but I really like these patties! 😊
I’m so glad you gave these a try and loved them, Cheryl! That’s so great!
Hey lady, this recipe was a hit!!! My friends really enjoyed it! This recipe was a bit unconventional for me but I’m glad I tried it! I almost always enjoy something new, and this was definitely a showstopper! Once all of those flavors married it was delicious!!
Can the patties be made a few hours early and kept in the refrigerator before frying?
Hi Kathy! Yes, you can pre-mold them and refrigerate them to make later in the day.
Salmon cakes were delicious! I used Dill as one of my herbs and the taste (for me) for superb! The only difference I made was to bake them in the oven at 425 for 25-to 20 min. I will certainly make this again!
I made these salmon cakes tonight and my husband said they were better than a 5 star restaurant!
Easy to make and delicious. I followed your recipe with the exception of substituting almond flour for the Panko breadcrumbs 1:1 (my preference, but my wife wanted fewer carbs). The result of using almond flour was that it made for a sweeter and slightly grainy taste/consistency, but was still tasty.
Thank you for sharing that with us.
These were delicious! I had a little trouble with the first batch being too crumbly. I added more mayo and the rest came out perfect. It was a lot for two people. I think I’m going to make tacos out of the leftovers, which were mostly the crumbly ones. I added jalapeños, but made no other changes. I used some leftover smoked salmon, so they were super flavorful.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review, Catherine!
Very good
Thank you so much for the recipe! Sounds great! But, what can I use as a substitute for the mayonnaise?
Hello Meriam! You can try plain Greek yogurt!
Delicious tho crumbly. It didn’t matter because we ate them too quickly. Saving this recipe for sure!
These are scrumptious! I had some delicious cooked salmon in my freezer from another meal and I made 7 good sized burgers with them! I also mixed some homemade pesto with mayonnaise and served them on a warm brioche bun with tomato and relish. Can’t wait to have them again tomorrow. Sooo good! Thanks Natasha!
I just ordered your cookbook and after looking at this salmon patty recipe wonder if if it may have been a mistake. I am a single male and do most of my cooking with cast iron. What the heck am I supposed to do with 14 salmon patties? I would hope your cookbook recipes are more reasonable in the size for smaller portions. If not I will return it as a bad investment.
Hi Ken, thank you for your comments and feedback.The serving size for this recipe is really 14 patties. In this recipe on my website, you may click on the number of servings, side it to the left to adjust the serving size and ingredients. But please take not that the instructions aren’t autmatialy adjusted, just the ingredients size.
They are the best! Grew up in the NW where I enjoyed lots of fresh salmon. I used the leftover Sockeye I had baked for dinner a couple of nights ago. EXCELLENT ingredients!
Hello can I use ground salmon if so do I cook it first? I would really love to try this recipe
Hi Germinia, I haven’t tested that to advise. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Natasha, they came out great! They are a hit with my husband and kids! Thank you for the recipe, the ground salmon worked fabulously
That’s so great, Germinia! I’m so glad this was a hit with your family!
These are the bomb! Not a fan of salmon, but this recipe is so delicious. My husband lives salmon, so I cook it for him, then take the leftover salmon, shred it up, and make patties with the leftovers. Freezes well, too.
Hey Bonnie, thank you for your good comments and feedback! I’m happy to know that you both enjoy this recipe!
Delicious! I followed your recipe except that I made the patties dinner size. My husband loved this dish. I paired it with veg fried rice. Thanks so much for your wonderful collection of recipes!
You’re very welcome, Bonnie!