Salmon cakes are a tasty budget-friendly fish cake that can be served as an appetizer, in-between-meal high-protein snack, or made part of a main dish. They’re versatile, pair well with sauces, and can be shallow-fried, pan-fried, or air-fried.
About Salmon Cakes
This canned salmon recipe is the perfect solution for adding protein to your meal or an easy appetizer for a gathering. They’re also great for potlucks because one tin yields around 8-10 patties, but you can make more if you make them smaller. Salmon cakes are budget-friendly, quick to prepare, and pair beautifully with various sauces like mango salsa, creamy salsa dressing, or simple tartar sauce.
I like to incorporate these into my Caribbean meals like serving them with dhal and rice or stuffing one between two slices of bread for a quick fish sandwich. It’s also great as the protein on a salad. These salmon cakes are also great as an after-school snack. If your kids like fish sticks, try making these smaller for a fun alternative. And the best thing about them is you can coat them in breadcrumbs or a thin coating of flour, shallow fry, pan fry, or air fry, and I’ve included instructions for all three.
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Ingredients
- Canned pink salmon – one 14.75oz can of wild-caught pink salmon is what you’ll need for this recipe
- Cooked onion, garlic, bell peppers – Sautéing these ingredients before adding to the fish mixture adds more flavor, but you can add them raw to save time if you prefer
- Dried herbs – pantry staple herbs like basil, oregano, or parsley work easily here
- Dried seasonings – everyday pantry seasonings like paprika, garlic, powder, black pepper, or whatever you like works easily here
- Mashed potato – a small potato boiled and mashed then added to the mixture helps to bind and give the salmon patties shape
- Mayonnaise – a bit of mayonnaise adds moisture but isn’t necessary
- Flour + egg wash + breadcrumbs – this gives a nice crust to the salmon cakes, you can use plain panko here or simply coat the fish cakes in flour then cook them
*See the recipe below for quantities of each ingredient
Prepping the fish
Place the fish in a mesh strainer and drain it over a bowl or the sink. While rinsing is optional, I prefer to do so. The bones are soft and typically break down during cooking, but I like to remove them by gently separating them from the flesh with a fork before discarding them.
Instructions
Step 1: Sauté the onion, garlic, and bell peppers in a skillet until tender.
Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, add the cooked aromatics along with dry seasonings, herbs, and mayo to the fish. Mix everything well.
Step 3: Add the mashed potatoes.
Step 4: Use a small spatula to combine until the mashed potato is mixed in completely.
Step 7: Dip each fish cake in flour first, then egg wash, and finally in the breadcrumbs and set it on a plate. Alternatively, you can omit the breadcrumbs and simply coat them in a thin layer of flour and fry them how you like.
Step 8: Shallow fry, pan fry, or air fry the salmon cakes and place them on a dish lined with paper towels.
Substitutions and Variations
This recipe is versatile and easily customizable based on what you have available in your fridge or pantry. Here are some ideas to change things up!
- Vegetables and peppers – Any finely minced or shredded vegetables will work here like shredded carrots, steamed cauliflower or broccoli finely chopped, corn kernels, yellow or orange sweet peppers, or diced jalapeno peppers
- Binders – I used potato to hold the mixture together but you can use eggs, mashed cassava, mashed eddoe, mashed green plantain with butter
- Herbs – any fresh or dried herbs will work in this recipe based on what you prefer. Finely minced rosemary, dill, sage, parsley, cilantro, or thyme
Salmon Cakes (using canned salmon)
These delicious salmon cakes, made with canned salmon, bell peppers, and fresh herbs, offer a burst of flavor in every bite. Perfect for a quick dinner or a delightful appetizer, they're versatile and easy to prepare. You can shallow fry, pan fry, or air fry them.
Ingredients
For the salmon mix
- One 14.75 oz can pink salmon, drained
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon basil
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup onion, finely diced
- ¼ cup bell peppers, finely diced
- ¼ cup scallions, green parts finely minced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 small potato, boiled and mashed (about ½ cup)
- Neutral oil such as grapeseed, avocado, or light EVOO for frying and/or oil spray
Breading
- ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- 1 large egg + 1 tablespoon water
- 1 cup plain panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
Prepare the Salmon:
Drain and rinse the canned salmon in a mesh strainer. Transfer the salmon to a large mixing bowl, flake it with a fork, and remove any visible bones.
Boil and Mash the Potato:
For this recipe, you’ll need about ½ cup of mashed potato. Peel and boil a small potato until fork-tender, then mash it into a smooth consistency.
Cook the Aromatics:
Add a small amount of oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the diced onions, bell peppers, scallions, and minced garlic. Cook for a couple of minutes until the onions are tender. Set aside to cool slightly.
Mix the Salmon Cake Ingredients:
In the bowl, add the cooked aromatics, mashed potato, paprika, black pepper, oregano, basil, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, salt, and mayonnaise to the salmon. Mix everything until well combined.
Shape the Patties:
Divide the mixture into nine equal portions. Gently flatten and shape each portion into small patties.
Bread the Patties:
- Set up a breading station with three shallow bowls: one with flour, one with the beaten egg and water, and one with panko breadcrumbs.
- Dredge each salmon patty first in the flour, then dip it in the egg wash, and finally coat it with panko breadcrumbs.
For Airfrying:
- Preheat your air fryer to 350°F (175°C).
- Lightly spray both sides of each salmon cake with oil.
- Place the cakes in the air fryer basket in a single layer, making sure they don't overlap.
- Air fry for 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and crispy on both sides.
For Shallow frying
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan.
- Fry the salmon cakes on each side for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown.
- Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain any excess oil.
For Pan-frying (flour dusting only, no breadcrumbs):
- Dust each salmon patty lightly with flour.
- Heat a pan over medium heat with 3-4 tablespoons of oil.
- Pan-fry the patties on each side for 3-4 minutes until golden and crisp.
Serve:
Serve the salmon cakes with your favorite dipping sauce or a fresh salad in a wrap or make it the protein part of a complete meal.
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