Salmon Cakes
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Made with fresh salmon and seasoned with Old Bay, these salmon cakes are a delicious upgrade from the canned version you might remember—and they can be made entirely ahead of time.
Photo by Johnny Miller (Clarkson Potter, 2021)
When I told my friend and Once Upon a Chef right hand, Betsy Goldstein, about these salmon cakes, she said, “Hmmm…I think I’ll wait until some of the reviews roll in to try those.” I laughed because I knew she was thinking of the version made from canned salmon that many of us grew up on. I promise: these are a whole different animal. Made from fresh raw salmon and seasoned with Old Bay, they’re as elegant and delicious as crab cakes—but far more budget-friendly. What’s more, they can be made entirely ahead of time and reheated.
I love these salmon cakes for brunch over a green salad with vinaigrette, but they also make a delicious dinner alongside rice pilaf and roasted asparagus. Either way, they are wonderful with tartar sauce on the side.
“Simply delicious and tastes like a fancy restaurant dish.”
What You’ll Need To Make Salmon Cakes
- Mayonnaise: Adds creaminess and helps bind the salmon cake mixture together. Always use a good-quality mayo, such as Hellmann’s or Duke’s.
- Fresh lemon juice: Provides a bright, tangy flavor that complements the salmon.
- Dijon mustard: Adds a subtle tang and depth of flavor.
- Old Bay seasoning: Enhances the savory flavor with a hint of spice.
- Salmon fillet: A rich, flavorful fish that forms the base of the cakes; always ask your fishmonger to remove the skin to make prep easier.
- Panko bread crumbs: Helps bind the mixture and creates a crisp exterior.
- Scallions: Add a mild onion flavor and a fresh pop of color.
- Celery: Provides crunch.
- Fresh dill: Adds a fragrant, herby note that pairs beautifully with salmon.
- Vegetable oil: Used for frying to create a golden, crispy crust on the cakes.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
To begin, finely dice the salmon into 1/4-inch pieces (or smaller). It’s important that the pieces are not too large or the cakes won’t bind together easily.
Set the salmon aside and, in a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, Old Bay, salt, and pepper.
Whisk to combine.
Add the diced salmon, ¼ cup of the panko, the scallions, the celery, and the dill.
Gently mix until uniformly combined.
Place the remaining 1 cup of panko in a shallow dish or pie plate.
Using a 1/3-cup measure, scoop the salmon mixture and form into a compact cake about 1 inch high. Place the salmon cake into the reserved panko and gently coat it all over in crumbs.
Repeat with the remaining mixture to form about 9 cakes. (At this point, you can refrigerate the cakes for up to a few hours before cooking, if you’d like.)
Heat the oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place the salmon cakes in the skillet and cook without moving until golden brown, about 2 minutes.
Carefully flip the cakes and cook until second side is golden brown, about 2 minutes more. Reduce the heat to medium if the cakes are browning too quickly.
Transfer cakes to a paper towel–lined plate to drain. Repeat with the remaining cakes (no need to change the oil).
Serve warm with tartar sauce and enjoy!
Video Tutorial
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Salmon Cakes
Made with fresh salmon and seasoned with Old Bay, these salmon cakes are a delicious upgrade from the canned version you might remember—and they can be made entirely ahead of time.
Ingredients
For the Salmon Cakes
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, from 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1¼ lb skinless salmon fillet, finely diced into ¼-inch pieces (see note)
- 1¼ cups panko bread crumbs, divided
- ¼ cup thinly sliced scallions, from 3 to 4 scallions, light and dark green parts
- ⅓ cup finely diced celery, from 2 stalks
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- Salad greens with vinaigrette, tartar sauce and/or lemon wedges, for serving (see note)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, Old Bay, salt, and pepper. Add the diced salmon, ¼ cup of the panko, the scallions, the celery, and the dill. Gently mix until uniformly combined.
- Place the remaining 1 cup of panko in a shallow dish or pie plate. Using a ⅓-cup measure, scoop the salmon mixture and form into a compact cake about 1 inch high. Place the salmon cake into the panko and gently coat it all over in crumbs. Repeat with the remaining mixture to form about 9 cakes. (At this point, you can refrigerate the salmon cakes for a few hours until ready to cook, if you'd like.)
- Heat the oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place half of the salmon cakes in the skillet and cook without moving until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Carefully flip the cakes and cook until second side is golden brown, about 2 minutes more. Reduce the heat to medium if the cakes are browning too quickly. Transfer cakes to paper towel–lined plate to drain. Repeat with the remaining cakes (no need to change the oil). Serve warm.
- Note: If buying a skin-on salmon fillet, purchase 1⅓ pounds of fish to yield 1¼ pounds of fish after skinning.
- Make-Ahead: The salmon cakes can be fully cooked and refrigerated up to several hours ahead of time. To reheat: preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the salmon cakes in the oven and cook until crisp on the exterior and warm throughout, 10 to 15 minutes. The cakes may also be frozen for up to 3 months; defrost in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cooked salmon cakes can be frozen for up to 3 months. Once cool, lay them out on one (or more) foil-lined baking sheet(s) and cover them loosely with plastic wrap. Freeze the patties in a single layer for about an hour, then remove them from the freezer. Wrap the cakes individually in plastic wrap and then put them together in a freezer bag or airtight container. Before serving, defrost in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1 salmon cake
- Calories: 280
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 6 g
- Sugar: 0 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 14 g
- Sodium: 222 mg
- Cholesterol: 37 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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“These don’t look good but they taste AMAZING!” hollered my 7-year old at dinner tonight. I have to disagree with him on the first point – these salmon cakes looked good and tasted better! My husband showed up with 6 massive sockeye salmons last night and we filled them. Or tried to. We had lots of bits and pieces left, and as I don’t throw any food away, I immediately thought of these cakes. I didn’t have Old Bay seasoning, so omitted that. It took me much longer than 30 minutes to put on the table, but the effort was well worth it! Thank you, Jenn, for another wonderful recipe – your website is my go to and I am getting your cookbook as well!
Oh Wow! These were excellent. I’ve made them several times. The first time, I forgot the dill so used the dill to make an aioli which was great. On subsequent efforts, I used the dill in the recipe, plus made the aioli.
This recipe gets extra credit because you don’t have to use top quality salmon to get an excellent result. Frozen Coho salmon works just fine.
Hi Jenn,
These salmon cakes are so delicious! I made half the recipe to try for my husband and I. I was so impressed with the taste! I’m making them for dinner guests this Friday. I plan to serve your Parmesan Smashed Potatoes. Love that the salmon cakes can be made in advance, so convenient when entertaining. By the way, I bought your beautiful cook book…love it so much.
Raved about it to my sister and she also bought one.
Thanks so much.
Glad you enjoyed these enough to serve to company! (And thanks so much for purchasing the cookbook.) 🙂
I am looking forward to making my first batch ever of salmon cakes. I imagine this would taste fine without the Old Bay seasoning? Has anyone else made it without using the Old Bay? I am unlikely to purchase it, and while I do have some of the ingredients required by the copycat recipes on Genius Kitchen and elsewhere, I don’t believe I will be looking to make the additions to my spice collection at this time. The salt, pepper, mustard, mayonnaise and lemon juice, along with the fresh herbs, sound like a winning combination already and maybe I can wing it a bit by adding some other spices to taste.
These salmon cakes are PDG!! Not being a fan of celery, I nevertheless did use, though I sauted it along with a small thinly sliced/chopped shallot (forgot to buy scallions), hoping to decrease any chance of finding crunchy bits in the cakes. I also cooked the cakes about 4 minutes a side..they were very crunchy after that, but I could not bear the thought of raw salmon. While crunchy on the exterior, they remained moist (and cooked!) on the
interior. I did let the cakes rest (refrigerated,,of course) for an hour or so before frying, as I find this necessary in order for breaded items to maintain their integrity during the frying process.
I made the tartar sauce as directed: very nice! When I make these next time, I will cut the salt by about 1/2, as I thought they were a tad salty.
Easy and delicious!!!
Salmon Cakes. The recipe was DELICIOUS! Light and fresh with the bed of greens. Great for a hot summer night. I made a substitution for the Mayo sauce with Greek Yogurt, Lemon Juice and Dill Sprigs. For those who can’t eat Mayo, it was a great substitution that didn’t disrupt the amazing recipe 🙂
These salmon cakes were wonderful! My husband and I enjoyed them with a simple green salad and a glass of white wine. Followed the recipe precisely, other than using course ground dijon. I did reheat the leftovers the next day in the oven as directed, and while they did get crisp (and were still delicious), for me the flavors and freshness became a little muddled. The tartar sauce is a must have with these! Thanks for a great recipe and wonderful blog.
If I wanted to roll these into balls as an appetizer, how long would you suggest I bake them for and at what temperature? I made them for Mother’s Day for an appetizer and they were so good!
Hi Cristin, I’m guessing 15 to 20 minutes in a 350° oven but they won’t be quite as crispy and delicious as they are pan-fried. Hope that helps and please let me know how they turn out!
Love your recipes and your site, Jen. I often have leftover salmon (grilled or baked) and was hoping I could use this recipe for leftovers. Would I need to make any changes to the recipe in order to use cooked fish rather than raw? Thank you
Hi Charlene, I might just reduce the salt just a bit if your cooked salmon is heavily seasoned. Enjoy!