Crispy Salmon Patties with a juicy and tender center. Learn how to make no-fail salmon burgers each time with your choice of add ons.
You'll love the spicy sauce!
Whenever I'm short on time or ideas for dinner (and this happens a lot, trust me!) I like to make patties or fritters for dinner. From our juicy and tender chicken patties with zucchini to crispy potato pancakes, these are the secret to making any dinner effortless yet incredibly flavorful.
Jump To
Why we love this
- The salmon becomes super tender and tasty when combined with the extra ingredients and the breadcrumbs or panko seals in the moist center
- Salmon fish cakes are easy and quick to make either by hand or using food processor
- This is for sure a kid friendly salmon patty recipe that even picky eaters will love!
- Freeze beautifully
- Healthy homemade patties without many extra ingredients
Ingredients
Salmon fish cakes are super easy to make. All you need is a bit of fresh or frozen salmon, simple seasonings, mayo, onion, lemon or lime juice, dijon mustard, and regular or panko bread crumbs (any breadcrumbs of choice will do!).
- Salmon - for a quick solution you can use leftover cooked salmon, canned salmon (well-drained prior). But for best results always use fresh raw salmon.
- Breadcrumbs - acts as a binder and no eggs are needed here!
- Mayonnaise - gives the salmon an extra tender texture.
- Dijon mustard - optional but I'd still recommend adding 1 teaspoon, if you like the flavor, increase to 2 or more spoonfuls.
- Lemon or lime juice - lemon usually goes well with any seafood, however, I found that if using both lime and lemon juice combined will be even more delicious.
- Seasoning - a generous amount of salt and pepper is essential. I also added cayenne just for that little extra flavor. You can even use red chili flakes, chili powder, or a drizzle of hot sauce. You'll only need a little bit just for some flavor. If making these for kids add less or omit the spicy seasoning.
For the full list of ingredients scroll below to find the recipe card!
Equipment
Instructions
Cut salmon into smaller chunks and put it into a container of a food processor.
Turn it on and let it run until the mixture becomes pasty, stopping to scrape down the sides if needed.
Once done, add mayonnaise, 4 tablespoons of breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, lemon juice, mustard, cayenne, onion to the food processor.
(If using parsley, add it in there now). Pulse a few times until all the ingredients are combined.
Add the remaining breadcrumbs to a medium plate. Divide ground salmon mixture into 6 equal parts or 4 large and gently form into balls.
To make it easier (although they form nicely!) have a small bowl with warm water next to you to dip your fingers in it.
Once the balls formed, dip each patty into breadcrumbs and flatten slightly.
Warm-up ⅓ cup oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet and once hot fry patties on both sides until crisp and golden brown (about 2-3 minutes per side). You may need to do it in batches.
Transfer the patties to a plate lined with paper towels to drain the excess oil.
Squeeze fresh lemon juice on each patty before serving (optional).
Assemble the burgers with your favorite lettuce and vegetables, add mayonnaise and a drizzle of hot sauce (e.g. Sriracha) on both bottom and top buns, serve while warm.
Tips
- To make sure your salmon patties are fresh and juicy avoid overcooking them. If making 6 patties then 2-3 minutes on each side is enough.
- Store the patties refrigerated in a closed food container for up to 2 days or freeze up to 3 months.
- For best flavor, use homemade ground salmon that you'll prepare yourself in a food processor. As an alternative you can dice the raw salmon fillets into very small cubes, but the texture will be not so smooth.
Storing Tips
These salmon patties freeze beautifully. Make a bunch of patties, cook only how much you need and freeze the rest.
Wrap each patty with a plastic wrap or spread out on a baking sheet/larger food container and divide each patty with a cut-out circle sheet of parchment paper.
It will prevent patties from sticking to each other.
Serving Suggestions
We love to enjoy our crispy salmon fish cakes in a burger bun or with a bowl of rice or mashed potatoes. We also like to serve them with:
- French fries - when serving these with burgers make sure that they are made same time with burgers so all the fried foods stay warm and hot when serving.
- Pan fried asparagus - citrusy asparagus works very well with fish dishes!
- Sweet potato fries - same tips as with the french fries!
- Crispy onions
- Green salad
- Coleslaw
- Pickled onion and radish
- Green or other sprouts
- Yellow Mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise and ranch dressing as an alternative to honey mustard sauce
- Pickled jalapenos, onions
But you are not limited to these options and can eat the salmon patties on their own with a sauce. They are delicious!
FAQ
For best results on keeping salmon patties in shape without falling apart is to buy the whole salmon or salmon filets and pulse them in a food processor until so almost smooth. You'll end up with a smooth ground salmon which is already easy to work with and adding breadcrumbs and mayonnaise will allow you to shape perfectly round salmon patties.
If the salmon patties mixture looks too dry add an extra tablespoon of mayo and a drizzle of citrus juice. If too moist then add breadcrumbs. However, if you have already cooked your salmon patties and they look and taste dry it is for the above reason or you simply have overcooked them.
We bind our salmon patties with breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, and sour cream. The key here is to use the correct amounts and not go overboard, especially with wet ingredients as they add too much moisture to the patty, which will make it fall apart.
And the best thing with salmon fish cakes is that they freeze beautifully. Make a bunch of patties, cook only how much you need and freeze the rest. Wrap each patty with a plastic wrap or spread out on a baking sheet or larger container and divide each patty from another with a smaller cut-out to each individual patty size sheet of parchment paper. It will prevent patties from sticking to each other.
Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy these salmon patties,
Rita
Easy Patties Recipes
Our family loves easy dinner recipes, especially fritters and patties. Try my crispy on the outside and tender Breaded Chicken Patties, classic all-time favorite Russian Potato Pancakes, kids favorite Zucchini Corn Fritters or Green Patties for a wholesome vegetarian meal. And don't forget these favorite dips:
- Jalapeno Pimento Cheese Dip
- 10-Minute Roasted Pepper Hummus
- Avocado Crema With Jalapenos
- Cold Spinach Dip
Easy Dinner Recipes
- Slow Cooker Beef Stew With Mushrooms (Gluten-Free)
- Crispy Chicken Burgers
- Baked Pasta With Pepperoni
Did you make this Salmon Patties recipe? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below. Thank you!
📖Recipe
Salmon Patties /Salmon Burger
Ingredients
- 1 pound salmon skin and bones removed
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 medium brown onion diced
- ⅓ cup oil
- 2 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 pinch cayenne
- 2 teaspoon chopped parsley optional
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the sauce (can use tartar instead either homemade or store-bought)
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise for each burger
- Drizzle of hot sauce such as Sriracha for each burger
Instructions
- Cut salmon into smaller chunks and put it into a container of a food processor. Turn it on and let it run until the mixture becomes pasty, stopping to scrape down the sides if needed.
- Once done, add mayonnaise, 4 tablespoons of breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, lemon juice, mustard, cayenne, onion to the food processor. (If using parsley, add it in there now). Pulse a few times until all the ingredients are combined.
- Add the remaining breadcrumbs to a medium plate. Divide ground salmon mixture into 6 equal parts or 4 large and gently form into balls. To make it easier (although they form nicely!) have a small bowl with warm water next to you to dip your fingers in it. Once the balls formed, dip each patty into breadcrumbs and flatten slightly.
- Warm-up ⅓ cup oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet and once hot fry patties on both sides until crisp and golden brown (about 2-3 minutes per side). You may need to do it in batches.
- Transfer the patties to a plate lined with paper towels to drain the excess oil.
- Squeeze fresh lemon juice on each patty before serving (optional).
- Assemble the burgers with favorite lettuce and vegetables, add mayonnaise and a drizzle of hot sauce on both bottom and top buns, serve while warm.
Notes
Store the patties refrigerated in a closed food container for up to 2 days or freeze up to 3 months.
Want more? Subscribe to my newsletter, and follow Cookrita on Pinterest, Facebook, or Instagram for all the latest updates!
[…] Best enjoyed with fried foods like out Crispy Chicken Burgers or Salmon Patties. […]