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Salmon Cakes

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Made from fresh salmon and dill, these salmon cakes are as elegant as crab cakes but so much more affordable to make.

Salmon cakes on a plate.

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 as crab cakes yet so much more affordable to make. 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 my easy homemade tartar sauce.

What You’ll Need To Make Salmon Cakes

ingredients for salmon cakes

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.

chopping salmon to make salmon cakes

Set the salmon aside and, in a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, Old Bay, salt, and pepper.

mayonnaise and seasoning in bowl for making salmon cakes

Whisk to combine.

whisked mayonnaise and seasoning for salmon cake mixture

Add the diced salmon, ¼ cup of the panko, the scallions, the celery, and the dill.

chopped salmon, herbs and sauce in mixing bowl

Gently mix until uniformly combined.

mixing ingredients for salmon cakes

Place the remaining 1 cup of panko in a shallow dish or pie plate.

coating the cakes with panko

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.

coating the cakes with panko

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.)

salmon cakes on a plate ready to pan fry

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.

frying salmon cakes

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.

frying salmon cakes

Transfer cakes to a paper towel–lined plate to drain. Repeat with the remaining cakes (no need to change the oil).

draining salmon cakes on a paper towel

Serve warm with tartar sauce and enjoy!

Salmon cakes on a plate.
Photo by Johnny Miller (Clarkson Potter, 2021)

Salmon cakes Video Tutorial

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Salmon Cakes

Made from fresh salmon and dill, these salmon cakes are as elegant as crab cakes but so much more affordable to make.

Servings: 9 cakes
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 10 Minutes
Total Time: 30 Minutes

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.)
  3. 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.
  4. Note: If buying a skin-on salmon fillet, purchase 1⅓ pounds of fish to yield 1¼ pounds of fish after skinning.
  5. 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.
  6. 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

Powered by Edamam

  • 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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Comments

  • Perfect salmon cake recipe. I use it often!
    Thank you!

    • — Nancy Oliver on March 24, 2024
    • Reply
  • Dudette…these are the bomb. Following Keto so used Porq pork rind crumbs in place of panko, Tony Cacheres as I didn’t have Old Bay and avocado oil and they were absolutely to die for! Thank you so much for a great recipe that uses fresh salmon instead of canned!

    • — Mimi A on February 23, 2024
    • Reply
  • Absolutely fabulous! Made extra mayo, mustard sauce to use instead of tarter. So fresh and delicious.

    • — Simone Johnson on February 22, 2024
    • Reply
  • I dislike canned salmon so when I found your recipe for fresh salmon I immediately made them. I used a few substitutes as I live 12 miles from the nearest grocery store. (dried dill, regular mustard, onion).
    I cannot believe how wonderful these turned out! This is indeed a keeper recipe and I will be making it often for myself.
    I also used my food processer to pulse the ingredients and it worked out fine.
    Thank you so much.
    Paula Ward

    • — Paula Ward on February 19, 2024
    • Reply
  • These were some of the best salmon cakes that I have made. I did find them a little crumbly, but not to the extent that I couldn’t form and cook them. I didn’t have any panko, so used bread crumbs instead. That could have caused them to be a bit drier and, therefore, more crumbly.
    But, boy, were they good!

    • — Dan on February 14, 2024
    • Reply
  • Wonderful recipe! I followed it as written and my husband loved the salmon cakes. I have used Ina’s recipe multiple times and it is very good but labor intensive for me. This recipe is faster to get dinner on the table. Thank you and I am enjoying many of your recipes.

    • — Jackie on January 4, 2024
    • Reply
  • Hi again Jenn
    Could they be baked in the oven? If yes, what time and temperature please.

    • — Marta on January 1, 2024
    • Reply
    • Hi Marta, I prefer these pan-fried, but you can get away with cooking them in the oven. I’d use a combination of baking and broiling; bake them in a 350-degree oven on a lightly greased baking sheet for about 20 minutes, or until hot (and it’s not necessary to flip them), then slide them under the broiler for a minute to get them golden brown on top. Enjoy!

      • — Jenn on January 2, 2024
      • Reply
      • Great idea. Thanks again Jenn.

        • — Marta on January 11, 2024
        • Reply
  • Hi from Australia. Gosh! I love these and I love your recipes.

    • — Marta on December 30, 2023
    • Reply
  • So delicious!!! Served with some remoulade, absolutely outstanding. TY

    • — jenifer haehn on December 13, 2023
    • Reply
  • I have not made this recipe yet, but could they be cooked in an air fryer?

    • — Laura on December 10, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Laura, Thanks for your note. I don’t own an air fryer so unfortunately, I can’t tell you confidently whether or not this would work in one. These tips may help you to convert this and other recipes for your air fryer. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!

      • — Jenn on December 11, 2023
      • Reply

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