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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
B.L.
0To reheat in skillet do you have to add oil to the skillet?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi there, Yes, I recommend a little oil in the skillet to reheat.
Rhonda Hill
0What can I use to replace the mayonnaise? I don’t like the taste.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Rhonda, You can’t really taste the mayo in these. You can try Greek yogurt, though.
Kerri
0I have tried to make salmon patties for years and never liked how they turned out. I followed the recipe and used homemade mayo and the Panko. I used my large cookie scoop and made them like chicken nuggets shape, then air fried at 400 degrees for 5 min. They are PERFECT!! I made a double batch and will flash freeze, then store. Perfect chunk of protein and salad topper!!! Love this recipe!
Wholesome Yum D
0Kerri, turning them into nugget shapes and air frying is such a great idea! I love that you’re making a double batch to freeze. So glad this one finally worked out for you!
Barbara
0I made these the other night & they were good…a little dry but still good. When I reheated them, I added a little water on top and spread a little bit of mayonnaise before reheating. Will make them again!
Wholesome Yum A
0That’s great to hear, Barbara! I’m glad you still enjoyed them, and that’s a great tip for reheating. If they turned out a little dry, it can sometimes be due to overmixing or not mixing everything first, before adding the salmon. Make sure to check the tips in the post next time you make them for the best texture. Thanks so much for sharing!
Maureen
0I made the salmon patties for dinner tonight. They were absolutely delicious! I would not change anything!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so glad to hear that, Maureen! Thank you.
Patrick
0Was looking for some more traditional flavorful dishes and the salmon patties really hit the spot on my keto diet. Thank you for a great recipe and for helping to keep me on this diet which can send time be bland.
Wholesome Yum D
0Thanks so much, Patrick! I’m really happy to hear the salmon patties hit the spot for you, that’s exactly what I was going for. Keto doesn’t have to be bland at all, and I’m so glad this one brought some extra flavor to your day. Appreciate you being here!
Sheri
0I love this recipe so much that I just made a gigantic batch so that I can have something to eat and some to freeze. They are warm weather dish! I did add some garlic powder, but other than that I followed the recipe. Highly recommend them! Thank you so much.
Wholesome Yum D
0I love that, Sheri! Making a big batch sounds like the perfect way to stay stocked up — especially for warm weather meals. So glad you enjoyed them!
Sheri Winston
0I liked this recipe so much I’m going to double it next time and freeze some. I used pork rinds to make them low carb. And I did add a teaspoon or so of garlic powder. Highly recommend!
Wholesome Yum D
0Love that, Shari! That’s such a great idea to double the batch. And I bet the pork rind version was extra tasty!
Kristi
0This is super easy, healthy and delicious. My husband and son also thought they were very good. I would omit the salt because the pork rinds are salty. I used 14 oz salmon and worked fine.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much, Kristi! I agree with you, I’ll be updating this recipe soon to adjust for the salt.
Howard
0My cakes fell apart when I flipped them.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Howard, I’ve added some tips above to help with this.
Yvonne Rainford
0I love low carb recipes for myself and husband. Love salmon and so these salmon patties look delicious and easy to make 🙂 Thank you for the recipe.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Yvonne! I’m glad you liked these.
Taimi Shelton
0I was a bit skeptical because I’ve never been a fan of pork rinds, but these salmon patties were delicious! My only suggestion is to use Avocado Mayonnaise (I use Primal Kitchen) instead of regular mayonnaise to eliminate seed oils from your diet. Also, next time I will probably only use a tsp of salt instead of 1-1/2. They were less crispy when reheated, but the flavor was still awesome! Perhaps next time I will use my air fryer to reheat them.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m glad you liked these, Taimi! Yes, I actually plan to update this recipe very soon to reduce the amount of salt, I agree the original amount was too much.
Debbie
0This was delicious! I used one and half pounds of fresh salmon. I didn’t have any pork rinds so I used almond flour which I added at the end to make it the desired consistency. I omitted the paprika as I don’t like it and added some onion powder instead of fresh onions. Served with keto tartar sauce.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m glad you liked these, Debbie! Thank you for sharing your variation.
Sandy Spencer
0What can you use in place of the pork rinds? Haven’t tried recipe yet, but plan on trying as soon as I find what I can replace the pork rinds with.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Sandy, I have substitution options in the post above. You can use almond flour instead, though the texture will be a bit different. Hope you love these salmon patties!
Ron Stelmak
0Overall great recipe but it came out so extremely salty that it overpowered what seemed to be an otherwise nicely flavored patty. It was so salty that I could not finish more than 2 patties and tossed the rest. I weighed and measured all the ingredients so no slip up there. Bumble Bee canned salmon and Pork King Original ground rinds that had 280 mg sodium per 0.5 oz. Patties had good texture and cohesion.
Not sure where the extreme saltiness came from so I am not posting a rating but did want to share the comment.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Sorry to hear that happened, Ron! It could be the brand of salmon and pork rinds? You can try using less salt next time.
Jeremy Barker
0One of my favorite recipes! I had a friend who hates fish and she absolutely loved these! I omit the yellow onion (never have on hand) and I sub the sea salt for some smoked salt (I smoke my own salt and paprika). I also add a little granulated garlic to it as well. If I don’t have mayo, I will use sour cream instead. I just use the blender to crush the pork rinds and since I use crushed pork rinds a good bit, I have an empty big spice container from Sam’s Club that I will store it in.
I like to makes these with some Keto Cheddar Bay Biscuits.
Side note, where do y’all find 12oz cans of salmon? All the ones I see around here are 14oz (or maybe it’s 14.5oz).
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0So glad you like this recipe, Jeremy! Those additions sound delicious. For the salmon, the cans I get are 6 oz each, so I use 2 for the recipe. If yours are larger, you can always weigh it, or just leave a little bit behind in the can. You might be able to get away with using 14 oz instead, but I’m not sure if the patties would fall apart.
Donna
0The family loved these. The only tweak I made was to add a teaspoon of garlic powder. I will definitely make these again.
Rita
0Loved it! Only thing I’d change is no salt. Maybe the canned salmon I had more salt in it. Still great tho. I chose the almond flour. Will def make again. Thanks!
Anna Flaherty
0I made this recipe this evening and the patties were the perfect texture. CAUTION – learn from my mistake. If you use store bought crushed pork rinds, careful with the salt measurement. I will make these again without adding salt. Plenty of it in the panko/bread crumb pork rinds.
Tammy
0The only salmon patties we eat, that’s something, because we eat them at least once a week. I do use almond flour in lieu of pork rinds. So thankful for this recipe!