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
Made these twice, the second time I didn’t bake the salmon, just pulsed it in the food processor and they came out even more moist and delicious! Highly suggest using raw salmon, it will cook through in the pan:)
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Hey Natasha! Love your recipe! Is there any ways that I can prepare the Salmon without baking them since I don’t have an oven at home but I don’t want to use canned salmon as well. I am a beginner in cooking and really want to try cook this fantastic dish! Thank you so much!!
Hi Iris! I think frying the salmon on low heat may work if you don’t want to use an oven. 🙂 I hope this helps
I have made these several times and we love them. Have always used home canned salmon and generally use a can of red and a can of smoked.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
Yes I made them a month ago and my husband and son couldn’t get enough. So I’m making them again and I’m sure they will love them again. By the way I’m making extra!!! Lol
These go fast don’t they!? I’m so happy your family is enjoying that!
I’ve made this recipe over 20 times. Its an easy way to eat salmon. I love the way all the ingredients taste together.
Thanks!!!
Sounds like you found a favorite Anjela!! Thank you for sharing this review with us!
First time cooking salmon and made these as a side dish for lunch today. I couldn’t stop eating it, it was so awesomely delicious.
My daughter loves salmon so I think I will be making more of these sooner than later. Thank you so much for the recipe.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite! Thank you for the wonderful review, Wasan!
Great recipe! The freshly cooked Salmon makes all the difference-plus much healthier-no additives for preservation as in the canned product. Thank you-I always love a great tasting recipe that takes minutes prepare!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Wow!! I tried these patties last night with some salmon that I had left over and they were amazing. They were not at all dry. I didn’t have all the ingredient to make the sauce but will try it next time I make the patties. Thank you for all the recipes that you share with us!
My pleasure Larysa! I’m so happy you enjoyed these!
These were amazing, my husband was obsessed with them, this recipe is a keeper !
Thank you for this awesome review, Aldi!
These sound amazing! Could you bake them instead of frying them?
It is so good! One of my readers reported good results baking but I haven’t heard back with the details on bake time and temperature. If you test it out that way, let me know how you like them baked. I have found that it helps to control splatter when I sauté things in my dutch oven since it has tall walls and contains the oils 🙂
Hello Natasha
I live on Vancouver Island and am very fortunate to always have an abundant supply of wild Chinook and Coho salmon on hand.
Your recipe for salmon patties is the best I’ve ever had. I now make a triple batch, vacuum pack them in dinner size amounts and freeze them. The only tweak I make to the recipe is adding a few drops of Maggi sauce. Thanks for this great recipe Natasha, keep up the good work. Cheers. Ron.
Hi Ron! That’s so awesome! Thank you for this amazing compliment! I’m so happy you love this so much to make a triple batch!!
Amazing recipe ! Made them
So many times now , and directed all my friends to your website to try out this recipe !
Thank you for
Sharing this with us !
I’m so happy you enjoyed that Sharon!!
Hi, Natasha!
we are always on the lookout for a good salmon patty/cake/burger recipe. So far none have been satisfying. However, I made your recipe using canned wild caught red salmon (2 – 7 ounce cans) and these were amazing salmon patties! This is a keeper recipe for sure! Thanks!
Thanks so much for this awesome review, Karen!! Thank you for sharing this with us!
Super delicious, thanks Natasha!!!
My pleasure!!
I’ve made several salmon cake recipes but this one is by far my favorite. I like to double it and put them in food saver packets of 4 each.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
I’ve been wanting to try this recipe for a long time.. Finally made it tonight to serve along with the ribeyes we were having.. Everyone raved about them 🙂 We will be trying them again but bigger next time to make salmon burgers. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful recipe!! 🙂
You’re so welcome, Debbie!
Out of the world and is so good! so glad you shared this every time I make salmon patties I don’t really like them but this is divine. Never had made with fresh salmon always use canned and I did it this time with fresh it was so good and the homemade tartar sauce my family loved it my husband told me it was better than store-bought and so did my daughter they just wanted to eat it 😂
Wow! Thank you so much for this awesome review, Linda!!
Hi! These look delicious – going to try them immediately! Your pronunciation of ‘worchestershire’ made me chuckle though! I’m from the UK so if you will allow me to help – it’s pronounced “Wuss-ter-sheer”. (Although most brits call it Wuss-ter sauce – a lazy nickname for it!) Hope that makes things easier for you in the future!
Thanks for the suggestion Emma!! I appreciate that.
hey, thanks for the pronunciation breakdown…I’ve mangled that word for years… lol
Hi Yuliya, thank you for sharing that substitution with us.
Hi Natasha … A hit once again!! Love your recipes. My daughter and her family said the salmon cakes were delicious! In fact, every recipe of yours I’ve tried is being added to my hand written cook book (I’m from that generation). Keep up the great work!!
I love that Anna! I’m so happy you all enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for the thoughtful review!
Someone actually bothered to make a comment about beautiful hair being in the way lol Lord.
Anyway, made these and substituted panko for almond flour since hubby and I eat lowcarb.
DELICIOUS!! Will definitely make these as appetizers for our next family get together
Thank you!!
Hi Gennel! Thank you so much for your amazing feedback! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed that!
Hi Natasha! I am excited as I just subscribed after a few recipes posted on FB. I am going to try these Salmon Patties for company coming from the Oregon Coast. I am sure the Salmon won’t be as good as the fresh Salmon my folks use to catch up there, but I think they’ll love them. My Mom used to make them and Tuna Patties when we were kids, but not quite as fancy as these! I also like the ideas from some of your other followers such as the Lemon Zest, Dijon Mustard. etc. I’ll bet pinch of Dill would be too. I’m also sure that Crab meat would be a great substitute! Can’t wait to try it!
Hi Steve! I think this would be the perfect dish to serve for family! I love that you are planning ahead! I look forward to hearing how you like this recipe!