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My Salmon Patties Recipe Is Crispy, Fluffy, And Affordable
These salmon patties were basically a use-what’s-in-my-pantry experiment, in the best possible way. Between my mom and grandmas, I ate a lot of patties growing up, just never with this fish. But with a couple cans of salmon staring at me, there was a first time for everything! And needless to say, this salmon patties recipe is now part of my regular healthy dinner rotation. Here’s why:
- Crispy outside, tender inside – These salmon cakes fry up with a golden, crispy crust, a fluffy, tender texture inside, and so much flavor. If you like my tuna patties and chicken patties, you’ll like these, too!
- Quick and easy – This whole recipe takes just 20 minutes from start to finish. I often turn to it for a last-minute meal on busy weeknights.
- Pantry-friendly and budget smart – My salmon patty recipe needs just 8 basic ingredients, and all except the egg are pantry staples. And using canned salmon keeps it affordable.
So if you have canned salmon and are wondering what to do with it, make these with me!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my salmon patty recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Canned Salmon – I like this brand. Make sure to get the kind without bones or skin—I learned that the hard way after my husband grabbed the wrong one and I didn’t notice until it was already in the bowl. Picking out bones was not the fun part of dinner prep! Notes on alternatives:
- Leftover cooked salmon works just as well. I usually use canned for convenience.
- If you have fresh salmon that’s uncooked, I recommend making my salmon burgers, instead of the extra step of cooking it just for these salmon patties.
- Binder – I used to make this recipe with crushed pork rinds, but now prefer these clean-ingredient, gluten-free panko breadcrumbs. Any kind of breadcrumbs, or even almond flour, will work.
- Egg – Egg substitutes can work, but the patties might be more fragile.
- Mayonnaise – Helps keep the patties juicy.
- Grated Onion – My secret ingredient that I often add to various patties (and even chicken meatballs), because it leaves them so tender and flavorful! I don’t recommend dicing the onion, which makes the salmon patties fall apart more easily.
- Seasonings – Italian seasoning, black pepper, and a touch of smoked paprika. If you don’t have dried herbs, you can swap in a tablespoon of fresh herbs, such as parsley, dill, or chives.
- Olive Oil – For frying up the patties. Avocado oil or ghee make good alternatives.
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How To Make Salmon Patties
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Mix the base. In a large bowl, whisk together the breadcrumbs (or whatever binder you’re using), mayo, egg, grated onion, and seasonings.
- Add the salmon. Gently fold in the canned salmon.
- Form the patties. Use your hands to shape the mixture into 6 patties. They’ll be a bit sticky, which is normal. Place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and pop in the fridge to firm up. (This is important, or they’ll fall apart!)
- Fry until golden. Heat olive oil in a large skillet, and fry the salmon patties until golden brown on both sides. Flip carefully so they don’t fall apart. I like to serve them with lemon wedges — a squeeze of fresh lemon juice is delicious on them!
My Recipe Tips
- Drain the canned salmon well. If there’s too much liquid left, your salmon patties won’t hold together. I usually drain the can first, then wrap in paper towels to dry off any extra moisture.
- Mix everything else before adding the salmon, then fold in the fish gently. I do this because it leaves more of the salmon pieces intact. If you dump everything together or overmix after adding the fish, it can turn to mush.
- Don’t you need salt? No, I don’t find I need any because canned salmon is already salted. (In fact, my older version of this recipe had salt and many people complained it was too salty in the comments — this is fixed now!) However, if your salmon doesn’t seem salty enough for you, you can salt it to your taste before mixing with the other ingredients.
- Want extra flavor? Sometimes I throw in garlic powder and lemon zest, or a teaspoon of Dijon mustard.
- If the salmon mixture is hard to work with to form the patties, wet your hands with water or oil. This will reduce sticking to your hands. They’ll be less sticky for frying after you refrigerate them.
- How do you prevent the salmon patties from sticking to the pan? There are 4 things to watch for:
- Make sure you have a layer of oil coating the pan. This is especially important if you use a cast iron skillet like I do — it sticks a little more easily but you get nicer browning, and the oil fixes any sticking.
- Preheat your pan well before adding the patties. In fact, this is my rule for frying just about anything.
- Give them enough time to brown on the bottom before trying to flip. Moving them too soon will make them stick.
- Use a thin turner. This is my favorite because it’s so small and thin, but I used this one for the pictures and it also works well.
- Chilling the patties before cooking is crucial. You need at least 30 minutes to let them firm up, but you can also form them the day before and keep in the fridge overnight before you cook them.
- Grab your largest skillet. With my 12-inch cast iron pan, I can fit all 6 patties in one batch! If your skillet is smaller, you’ll need to cook in 2 batches, and I recommend adding more oil for the 2nd batch.
- Want to bake these instead? They’ll take about 15 minutes at 400 degrees F. They don’t get crispy on the outside that way, though, and I’d recommend broiling for a couple minutes at the end to at least get some browning.
Salmon Patties
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My salmon patties recipe is fast, crispy, and affordable, with canned salmon and pantry staples. A perfect easy dinner, lunch, or appetizer!
Instructions
[ See step photos See my tips ]Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the breadcrumbs (or binder of your choice), mayonnaise, egg, grated onion, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
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Add the canned salmon and fold in gently. Be careful not to over-mix.
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Using your hands, form mixture into 6 1/2-inch thick patties and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. The patties will be wet and sticky. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm up.
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Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the salmon patties to the skillet without touching each other, and cook for 3-4 minutes, until golden brown on the bottom. Flip carefully and cook for another 3-4 minutes, until browned on the other side.
Did you make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 salmon patty
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you to help you get crispy, golden patties, prevent them from falling apart when frying, notes about salt, optional add-ins for extra flavor, and a variation for baking them.
- Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.
- Meal prep: Since this salmon patty recipe needs to chill in the fridge anyway, I often form them the day before! Just keep refrigerated for 1-2 days before cooking.
- Reheat: I usually reheat in a hot skillet over medium-low heat, or pop them in the air fryer for 1-2 minutes.
- Freeze: You can freeze these salmon patties cooked or uncooked. I line squares of parchment paper between them to prevent sticking.
- Note on nutrition info: The numbers I have here are based on gluten-free breadcrumbs, which is what I use most often now. My original recipe had pork rinds, which you can definitely use for a low carb option (0.5g net carbs per serving). To see the full numbers, you can customize this recipe by swapping the ingredient in my Wholesome Yum App.
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Salmon Patties
Serving Ideas
These salmon patties are so versatile — I’ve served them for dinner, for lunch, as an appetizer, and even as a snack. Try them like this:
- Dips – My fave with these is garlic aioli (pictured above), but tartar sauce or tzatziki sauce also pairs well.
- Wraps – Wrap a salmon patty in a lettuce wrap or on your favorite bun with a little mayo (or pick from my sauces above), tomatoes, and red onions.
- Salads – Sometimes I serve these over artichoke salad or spring salad for lunch. In the summer, they make a lovely light dinner alongside my cauliflower potato salad or tomato cucumber avocado salad.
- Bowls – Serve them over a base of rice or cauliflower rice, and load up with fresh toppings. The ones from my salmon bowls work well.
- Vegetables – To keep it super simple, just roast asparagus or cauliflower in the oven to serve on the side.
176 Comments
Helen C Williams
0I made this recipe tonight and posted it on Instagram, in the 3 keto groups I am a member of and on my FB page with your recipe link. I didn’t season my patties enough as I have become sensitive to seasonings, esp salt since I’ve been on keto – but I followed your recipe to the letter with the exception of using pork rinds (didn’t have any) so I added an extra egg and used almond flour. I was happy with my results and will use the exact amount of seasonings you use next time. Also I think I’ll use red salmon next time for a richer flavor. This recipe is a keeper as my patties did not break apart and was good. Thanks for a lovely recipe.
Michele
0How much almond flour did you use?
Donna Stillwell
0My husband said I knew it would be good but I didn’t know it was going to be that good. We loved it.
William
0Great Keto Salmon Patty Recipe! Took another reviewer’s advice, crushed the pork rinds very finely. Also, next time will reduce the salt from 1 1/2 tsp. to just 1 tsp.
Nanette
0Unless the pork rinds are very well ground, any blobs absorb moisture and become yucky. Next time I’ll use a paper bag and a rolling pin (don’t have a food processor). Otherwise… Thanks!
Bianca
0KEEPER!! I’ve been on keto for three weeks and I felt like I was cheating it’s that good. For my preference, I did not use pork rinds since I didn’t have any and I added green onion. I ate two cakes from the skillet with an over medium (dippy) egg on it and it was soooooo good (just too salty for my taste). Can’t wait for the next batch!!
Next time, I’ll will cut wayyyy back on the salt and add cut up celery as suggested by another reviewer.
Fred
0I’ve made the recipe about 5 times now and my friends and I seem to enjoy it more each time. Recipes like this make it so easy to eat healthy keto meals. Thanks!
Martin
0Wow! Excellent recipe on all counts. Very easy. Clear instructions. Delicious! I used almond and coconut flour since I didn’t have pork rinds, but it worked great anyway. Thank you!
Francie
0Can I use fresh raw salmon in the recipe or do I need to cook it first ? I have made this recipe with fresh salmon that I had cooked the day prior in the past and it was AMAZING. Salmon cooks pretty quickly, any reason I couldn’t use the fresh uncooked stuff I have in the fridge ?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Francie, I would recommend cooking your salmon before making this recipe. I have never made salmon patties with raw salmon but if you do let me know how it turns out!
Kathy
0Could this recipe be used for salmon loaf?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Kathy, I have not tested that, but the recipe itself should work fine in a loaf style. Please let us know how it turns out if you decide to give it a try!
Nikki
0Yummy, and faster,
I substituted almond flour for the pork rinds because I do not eat pork.
This is really good, and I did not know that I could save the uncooked mix (refrigerated in a glass bowl)to cook the next day.
A lovely Sunday dinner. Easy and yummy and I can eat healthy.
Thank you!
CW
0In the recipe it says to use olive oil, but in the video it shows avocado oil. Which do you prefer? I have been liking the avocado oil,as you can get it hotter. I’m patiently waiting for the 30 minute rest in the refrigerator time. I added a little chopped celery. I used avocado mayo too.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi CW, You can use either oil you prefer, but avocado does hold up better to hotter temperatures.
BJ
0Love these patties. We used leftover baked fresh salmon.
Mery
0I’m making this tonight but it looks tasty and easy to prepare!
Catherine
0Hi. I love salmon patties. I have a favorite recipe but it calls for flour and cornmeal. YOUR salmon patty(cake) recipe is very good. I never would have thought Italian seasoning would be good with salmon.
I made 1 change only added 1/2 tsp salt. We try not to use a lot of salt. We really enjoyed these patties a lot. My only issue is it didn’t have that fishy(salmon )taste. Don’t get me wrong they are delicious I ate 3. My can salmon was a 14.5 oz ,got an extra patty.
THIS is a Keeper.
Thank you for your time and recipes!
Looking forward to trying more recipes!
Beatriz Ferrer-Quiles
0Greetings! The salmon patties turned out well and look amazing, but turned out too salty. 🙁 going to have to reduce the amount of salt next time….
Carol Guyette
0Thank you for this recipe. My son is on the keto diet he loved this recipe. We will make this often.
Shelbel
0Thank you for this recipe. I made this for dinner last night – quick and easy to make, moist and delicious! I loved the addition of the smoked paprika. I did skip the sea salt since the salmon is already salty.
I did make the following substitutions: Instead of pork rinds I mixed 1/4C almond flour combined with 1 oz hard parmesan cheese hand-grated added directly to salmon. This added very little of a cheesy taste to the patties where I was concerned that using cheese whisps would definitely give it more of a cheesy taste. I also wanted to use my leeks so I precooked 1/4C chopped leeks (instead of the onions). The can of “pink” salmon I used was 14.5 oz. This made 5 nice sized patties (I felt making 6 patties was making them too small for a dinner portion).
Looking forward to these as leftovers tonight!
Laura
0These sound perfect! Unfortunately, I saw the pork rinds at Costco today but did not pick them up. But I am gonna gamble and try these with some smashed Whisps, kinda like pork rinds?! We shall see. Thanks for the delicious recipe minus the onions —- not a fan or those and paprika is a no, due to nightshade issues.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Laura, I have not tried them this way, but they should work. Let us know how they turn out!
Tammy
0Delicious. I didn’t have pork rinds, so I used herb seasoning peppridge farms dressing for breading
Shelley
0Could you fry this in lard?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Shelby, Yes! Lard will work just fine here. Enjoy!
Kattie B.
0I failed to see the use of pork rinds.Do you crush them and put them in the mixture,or do you batter the pattie as if using panko?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Kattie, The pork rinds are crushed and act as a replacement for bread crumbs. It helps to hold the salmon mixture together. I hope this helps!