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Salmon Cakes are an easy way to spice up your weeknight salmon meal and very similar to crab cakes! If you like crab cakes, you’ll love these crispy little patties.
I actually hated making these for a while. Growing up, these were made with canned salmon. My mom was always able to mask the metallic-y flavor that came from using canned salmon. When I would cook them though, I could not get that icky taste out. One day my mom said, “You know you can just use fresh salmon too?” My mind was blown.
Prep
I usually bake the fish early in the day to give it time to cool. I rub the salmon with ghee, then add half my seasoning on top, sprinkle fresh garlic on the salmon and then bake on 350 F for 10-15 minutes. The salmon is going to be pan fried so make sure not to overcook it!
The other ingredients in the Salmon Cakes are:
- Green Pepper
- Onion
- Panko Breadcrumbs
- Mayo
- Sour Cream
- Dijon
- Cornstarch
- Worchestire
- Eggs
Cooking the Salmon Cakes
I recommend pan frying these in ghee. Ghee is clarified butter that has a high smoke point. That and coconut oil are my favorite “oils” to fry foods in. I try to stray away from vegetable, canola, soybean oils, etc., because they’re highly processed.
You want to coat a heavy bottom pan with ghee and have the salmon cakes partially submerged, about a little less than half way. If you put more oil than that, they will fall a part and become a soggy oily mess.
Aioli to Top It Off
This isn’t a real aioli but a quick sauce to go on top of the salmon cakes. I toss some mayo, a little Old Bay, dash of lemon juice and fresh dill together to make this sauce. It’s soo good and really completes the dish!
Salmon Cakes
Equipment
- Heavy Bottomed Frying Pan
- Wire Rack for the salmon to cool and stay crisp
Ingredients
The Salmon
- 1 ½ lbs Sockeye Salmon You can use other salmon, this is just my preference
- 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
- Ghee
The Mix
- 3/4 Cup Yellow Onion, chopped
- ½ Cup Green Pepper
- ½-1 Cup Panko Breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp Mayo
- ¼ Cup Sour Cream
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 1 tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- ½ tsp Paprika
- ¼ tsp Chili Powder
- ½ tsp Cajun Seasoning I use Slap Ya Mama
- 1 tbsp Flour
- 2 tsp Cornstarch
- 2 Eggs
- 1 tsp Worcestershire
- Ghee
Instructions
The Salmon
- Heat oven to 350°F
- In a small dish, mix the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, chili powder, and cajun seasoning together.
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Add the fresh salmon. Coat the salmon about 1 tablespoon of ghee or butter. Rub half of the seasoning mix on top of the salmon, then rub the minced garlic on top.
- Place the salmon in the oven and bake for 10-14 minutes. Bake time really varies depending on the thickness of the fish. Remove from oven – fish should flake off easily. Allow to cool.
The Mix
- When the salmon has cooled, remove the skin. Flake the salmon apart until it's a nice mince.
- Add the salmon and all the mix ingredients to a bowl + the remaining seasoning. Mix with your hands until fully incorporated.
- Scoop some of the salmon out of the bowl and begin forming the cakes with your hands. Once all cakes are formed, align them on a sheet pan. Place in fridge.
- Add the ghee to the pan.Remember you don't want to completely submerge the salmon cakes in oil, so don't add a ton.
- Place the pan over medium heat and allow it to get hot. Add a few salmon cakes at a time, careful not to overcrowd the pan. Let each cake fry for about 3-4 minutes on each side, or until they're golden brown (see photos).
- When the salmon cakes are done, remove them from pan and add them to the wire rack. The wire rack helps get rid of any excess oil and keeps the salmon cakes crispy.
- Serve over salad with an aioli or as appetizer!
Notes
- For the aioli, just mix 1/2 cup mayo, 1 tsp Old Bay, 1 tsp lemon juice, and 1 tsp fresh dill together.
A good southern meal–salmon patties! I love that you use fresh salmon!
Oh my, these salmon cakes are calling my name. Perfectly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Yummy!
These look so divine and yet are so simple! The aioli sauce on top is just perfect. I can’t wait to try this recipe.
These salmon cakes look incredible and I love the use of all those spices! Definitely the perfect option for weeknight meals.
These salmon cakes look so perfect. My mouth is watering. I have saved the recipe to try during the weekend. Thanks so much.
Perfect amount of flavor from these tasty, crispy salmon cakes. Loved the dipping sauce, too!