Skillet Fried Salmon Patties are here to make dinnertime easy and delicious, especially when you’re looking for a quick meal made from scratch. This recipe transforms fresh salmon into golden, crispy patties with a tender, flaky center that’s bursting with flavor.
With thousands of visits and rave reviews, it’s one of the most-loved recipes on the blog!
This recipe was updated in November 2024 with new photos, video, and tips.
Pan Fried Salmon Patties
These salmon patties are freezer-friendly, beginner-approved, and perfect for anyone who loves simple, homemade meals without the hassle.
If you’re all about no-fuss cooking that delivers big on taste, you’re going to love this recipe!
If you’re new here, welcome! Take a moment to find more about The Yummy Bowl and explore how to create quick meals from scratch with wholesome, minimally processed ingredients. Don’t miss the Cooking Tips page for even more inspiration!
Served with delicious dill sauce, tartar, tzatziki, or spinach dip, these salmon croquettes make a perfect, no-hassle dinner. They're the best salmon croquettes you've ever tried!
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Ingredients
- Salmon - For this recipe, I use trimmed, skinless salmon, but you can substitute with packaged or canned salmon—just ensure it’s well drained. These cooking instructions also work for tuna or crab cakes!
- Breadcrumbs - Make your own breadcrumbs or use your favorite packaged ones. For a more crunchy exterior, try Panko breadcrumbs instead. Since I’ve added my own seasoning to this recipe, I didn’t feel it necessary to purchase seasoned breadcrumbs but you could as a way to adapt the recipe for extra flavor.
- Eggs - These help bind the salmon cake mixture and keep the cooked cakes from falling apart. Use medium or large eggs.
- Vegetables - Diced red onion, diced bell pepper (either red or tricolor), and garlic are included in the salmon cake mixture to add delicious crunchy texture and flavor.
- Sour cream or Mayonnaise - These options add tangy flavor and moisture to the salmon cakes. We love using a slightly healthier option such as Vegan Mayonnaise.
- Lemon juice - A touch of citrus is the perfect addition to fish and seafood. Use the juice from a fresh lemon, not bottled one for the best taste. Lime or orange
📋 You can find the full ingredient list in the Recipe Card below the article.
How To Make Pan-Fried Salmon Patties
- Prep. Dice the salmon fillets or fillets into small pieces (skin removed). Set aside.
- Heat olive or avocado oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté diced onion and bell peppers. Add fresh garlic and saute for 30 seconds more. If using garlic powder, add it in the next step.
- In a large mixing bowl, make a patty mixture, adding salmon, bell peppers, onion, and the rest of the ingredients—season generously with salt and black pepper.
- Form the mixture into 12 balls and flatten slightly. These patties are relatively medium-sized, not as big as you'd serve in a burger. Cook over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
- Transfer the patties onto a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil from cooking.
- Serve hot with chopped parsley, sliced green onions, lemon wedges, or lemon zest, and your choice of dipping sauce and garnishes. We like mashed potatoes.
Baked Salmon Patties - Oven Instructions
You can also bake this patty in the oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- For the oven, follow the recipe instructions as they are, but instead of using a skillet, transfer shaped patties onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Don't press down; leave them as they are shaped into balls, and spray lightly with cooking oil.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, then flip. Spray with oil again, and bake for another 5 minutes or until the patties have a golden brown exterior.
Tips
- Before serving, place your pan-fried salmon cakes on a paper towel for a minute or so to soak up any excess oil.
- For pan-frying these salmon cakes, I suggest using an oil with a neutral taste and a high smoke point, such as vegetable oil or canola oil. High-quality olive oil also works well.
- Cayenne pepper or red chili flakes can be added to the salmon cake mixture for a kick of heat.
- These salmon cakes are best enjoyed freshly made. It's normal for them to lose some moisture when cooked, stored, and reheated. It's also crucial not to overcook the patties to maintain flavor and texture.
- Fresh herbs for patties. Anything such as finely diced parsley, dill, green onion or scallion slices, cilantro, and basil is great here. Herbs add more flavor and freshness to the dish. For my son, I like to add just a little (a pinch) parsley, but I usually add a lot more parsley or cilantro for the rest of the family.
- Try this recipe for delicious salmon burgers. Make a larger patty (cooking time must be adjusted in this case) to serve between scrumptious toasted burger buns and toppings. These are fresh and healthy burgers as they come.
🐟 READ NEXT: What's The Best Salmon To Buy
Serving Suggestions
- Serve these salmon patties independently with a dipping sauce and a side salad. To make it a main course, add portion of rice, Mashed Potatoes, or Fries (Sweet potato fries).
- Green beans, asparagus and broccoli are excellent for serving with seafood too.
- Dipping sauces. For dipping, we love guacamole, spinach dip, avocado crema, Pico de Gallo, dill sauce, or literally any creamy-based sauce works so good!
- Side Salads. A healthy side dish we also love here is this Cabbage And Cucumber Salad or Mexican Coleslaw.
- Family friendly. And kids love these patties with a side portion of sweet potato fries or regular french fries (with or without truffle oil). Homemade is best, especially if you have an air fryer!
- With burger buns.
my favorite side
Sweet Potato Fries
Crisp and healthy, made in air fryer!
Freezing And Storing Instructions
- To Store. Cooked salmon fish cakes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- To Freeze. For optimal freshness, freeze uncooked patties instead. They can be frozen for 2-3 months. Just cook the amount you'll eat in one go.
- To Reheat. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat in a pan over medium heat with a bit of butter and cooking oil. Alternatively, you can reheat them in a preheated oven at 350°F for 10-12 minutes.
More Patties and Fritters
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Recipe Card
Skillet Fried Salmon Patties
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INGREDIENTS
- 1 lbs salmon, trimmed, skinless
- ½ cup bread crumbs, GF or regular, panko works too
- ½ cup red onion, finely diced
- 2 tablespoon sour cream or mayonnaise, we like to use vegan mayonnaise (healthier)
- 2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
- ½ cup bell pepper, red or tricolor, diced small
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 medium garlic clove, or substitute with garlic powder about 1-2 teaspoons
- 2 tablespoon cooking oil
INSTRUCTIONS
- Dice the salmon fillets or fillet into small pieces (skin removed). Set aside.1 lbs salmon
- In a large skillet, over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil. Saute diced red onion and bell peppers. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds more.½ cup red onion, ½ cup bell pepper, 2 tablespoon cooking oil, 1 medium garlic clove
- In a large mixing bowl make patty mixture adding salmon, bell peppers, onion, and the rest of ingredients. Season generously with salt and black pepper.1 lbs salmon, ½ cup bread crumbs, ½ cup red onion, 2 tablespoon sour cream or mayonnaise, 1 pinch salt, 1 pinch black pepper, ½ cup bell pepper, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
- Form the mixture into 12 balls and flatten slightly. These patties are relatively medium sized, not as big as you'd serve in a burger.
- Place patties in the same pan, add one remaining oil and cook over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Transfer the patties onto a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil from cooking.
- Serve hot with chopped parsley, sliced green onions, lemon wedges or lemon zest and your choice of dipping sauce and garnishes. We like mashed potatoes.2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, 3 tablespoon parsley
VIDEO
NOTES
- These Skillet Fried Salmon Patties are golden brown and crispy on the outside with a flaked salmon center, mixed with creamy mayonnaise (or sour cream), lemon juice, garlic, diced red onion and bell pepper. The best salmon patties you ever tried!
- Store cooked but cooled salmon fish cakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
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ADD YOUR OWN PRIVATE NOTES
NUTRITION
Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on the products used.
Full Nutrition Disclaimer can be found here.
Salmon Patties: FAQs
It’s certainly an excellent way to use up any leftover salmon. I recommend taking the extra time to cook fresh salmon specifically for making these salmon cakes—it will seriously elevate the flavor and texture.
This recipe calls for breadcrumbs to hold the salmon cake mixture together so that the pan-fried cakes don’t fall apart.
You can use gluten-free breadcrumbs in this recipe to make it safe for anyone with gluten sensitivities.
Absolutely! Frying salmon cakes in the air fryer reduces the oil needed, which is always the healthier option.
Simply brush the air fryer basket lightly with oil and add the salmon cakes evenly spread out on the basket so that sufficient air circulation crisps the outer edges. Cook the salmon cakes for 8 minutes at 400F, flipping them halfway through.
Yes! I love these salmon cakes for many reasons, but you can use this recipe with different types of fish.
Traditionally, fish cakes are made with salted fish, but you can use cod, haddock, or even pollock.
Easy Salmon Recipes
See all our recipes in the Recipe Index here.
Judy
Can these also be made with canned salmon? Great with fresh but would also like to use canned in a pinch.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
yes, for patties this should be okay!
Judy
julia can these patties be made with canned salmon?
A Smyer
Did you cook salmon before dicing& mixing to form patties?
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
No, never, otherwise salmon will become a dry overcooked mess. Just make sure to dice the salmon small or you can also process it in in food processor but then you'll need to cook the patties for less minutes.
Kushigalu
WOW. Those patties look fantastic. Thanks for the great recipe.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
Thank you!
Judy Hart
Can I use canned salmon for this recipe?
Helen
I think my family would love these! Bookmarking to give them a whirl sometime soon - yum!
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
thank you!
Amanda Wren-Grimwood
Such a delicious family dinner and this version makes a change from using mashed potato to bind the patties together. Delicious with the avocado crema too.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
We both like simple recipes, thanks Amanda!
Ieva
We love this recipe. Made it twice already, and really enjoy these patties both warm and cold on top of salads the next day! Beautiful with zingy guacamole!
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
oh yum! Thank you Ieva
Farah Maizar
This looks so good! The photos are absolutely beautiful, and I love the idea of a light and delicious main meal. Can't wait to try these salmon patties out!
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
Thank you so much Farah!
Elizabeth
Hi! How did you make the dipping sauce? There's no recipie for the dipping sauce here. I tried a couple from the internet in the past and they were not that good, so I am a bit confused as to what would be a good dipping sauce for salmon patties. I like the salmon patties I I make them good, my recipie is very similar to this one, but no luck on the sauce yet. I will try a tahini based one next, maybe that one will be better!
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
hi Elizabeth! So for the dipping sauce, we do avocado crema or simple sour cream with ranch packet dressing and add some fresh dill inside. I don't really enjoy the tar tar sauce that many suggest because it is too overpowering. I have mentioned a few in the Serving Suggestions paragraph and I actually do have one nice Tahini based sauce: (https://theyummybowl.com/sweet-and-spicy-tahini-dressing-vegan/) but haven't tried it with these patties yet. What a great idea!!! if you do, let me know how it was? Thank you Elizabeth!
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
The best kid friendly patties served with dipping sauce and a portion of fries are sure to be praised by your kids.
Kathy Jo
Being born & living half my life in Alaska I've eaten hundreds of salmon patties. This is by far the BEST recipe. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
thank you Kathy!