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
I only have mini peppers, what would the amount be, a cup or half cup? I cant wait to make these!
Hi Debbie. I don’t have that exact calculation.
Love this recipe. Except I fry in small amount of oil. They never fall apart. This is my go to recipe every time I have leftover fish—Cod, Maui Maui,salmon, trout and it’s delicious every time. Thank you so much!
So glad to hear that!
This is my first time making salmon burger. It turned out real good. Thank you.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Mj!
Approximately how many patties do you get from this recipe? I see 14 mentioned but that seems like a lot. If you are getting 24 are they small in size likely?
Hi Sean! This recipe yields about 14. Watch my video so you can see about what size they are.
I loved this recipe, the bell pepper was a beautiful addition. I did change it slightly, I used 1 T. of mayo and 2T. of Dijon mustard instead of 3 T. of mayo. I like the kick it gives it. My husband loved it, he requested it again already! I’m not the main cook in the household so if he requested a repeat you know it’s good.
Hi Angie! I’m so glad it was a hit. Thank you for the wonderful feedback.
Made these for my grandchildren and son and they really enjoyed them had made others but these were the nicest yet.
So glad to hear that, Mary!
These salmon patties are delicious! No need for tartar sauce. My girlfriend who doesn’t like salmon even ate them. Made with frozen salmon fillets.
That’s awesome! Great to hear that you both enjoyed our Salmon Patties Recipe.
Your recipe for the salmon patties was amazing, and we used smoked salmon we had leftover last night at a neighbors barbecue. I wouldn’t change a thing. If you have a chance to use smoked salmon and your recipe it was so delicious, crispy on the outside and so melt in your mouth.
That sounds amazing, Lisa! Thank you for the feedback.
We love this recipe, bought a bigger salmon just to make more for the freezer…Thanks!!
We love having extras! So glad you love this recipe, Wendy!
Soooo good, made enough for a couple days. I will try to remember to take pictures tomorrow and post them. Thank you for this tasty recipe.
You’re welcome! Yes, we’d love to see the photos. You can share them on our Facebook page or group so others can see them too!
These are by far my favorite salmon patties! I grew up on the Oregon Coast and we ate a lot of salmon. The only thing I add is a lot of fresh dill. So good! Thank you!
Hello Melani, thanks for sharing. We’re happy to hear that this is your favorite salmon recipe!
I’m of Latvian-Swedish descent. I grew up on the Columbia River on the Oregon side and my step-dad was a commercial fisherman back in the 60’s. We ate salmon a bajillion different ways. I’ve since moved and I was craving salmon patties but couldn’t remember the exact ratio of ingredients. Your recipes have always been excellent so I checked your blog to see if you had one for salmon patties. YES, YOU DID! They were fantastic! They were very similar to my Finnish step-grandma’s salmon cakes. Thank you for helping with my craving.
That’s wonderful, Robin! You’re very welcome. So glad you found this recipe.
These were delicious and easy to make. My husband enjoyed them and he doesn’t like salmon. Thanks for sharing. By the way I’ve your videos!!
That’s wonderful, Diane! I’m glad they were a hit!
Hi, can non flavored Greek yogurt be used in place of the mayonnaise?
Hi Diane! I think that could work. Let us know how they turn out.
Hi there, do you think I could freeze these if I made them ahead of time? Thanks
Hi D, I saw someone else shared this. “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!
This has been my go to recipe for salmon patties! I just never took the time to leaving a comment. I always cook an extra piece of salmon specifically to make these patties. Awesome recioe!!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Peggy! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Great recipe. Used canned salmon. Excellent! Also used it with crab meat. Almost as good. Maybe would add some lemon juice with crab (?). Thanks, this one’s a keeper.
I’m so glad you loved this recipe, Jim! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
I have seen other recipes for salmon cakes that start with raw salmon. Is it necessary to cook it first?
Hi Maryann, you may need to adjust the recipe a bit if starting with raw salmon, but it may work. We like to bake it first.
Best salmon patties I have ever tasted! Hubby loved and my neighbor that doesn’t like fish cakes loved them and asked for the recipe. I also tried the recipe with crab and was delicious! Thank you!
Hi Kristy! That’s great to hear. Thank you for sharing.
EXCELLENT recipe! Very flavorful and the patties didn’t fall apart while cooking! I used two 7 ounce cans of canned salmon instead of fresh. Delish!!
Hi Connie, great to hear that it was a success! Thank you so much for sharing that with us.
Love this recipe! It turned out delicious and the ice cream scoop ideal worked nice and kept the patties consistent.
I love hearing that, Kate! Thank you for sharing your lovely review with me!