These easy salmon patties are made with canned salmon and simple pantry ingredients that can be whipped up in 20 minutes! Perfect for midweek meals. Gluten-free adaptable.

two salmon patties on plate with slaw and sliced avocado, garnished with sesame seeds and cilantro.

When I rise up, let me rise up joyful like a bird. When I fall, let me fall without regret like a leaf.

Wendell Berry

Why you’ll love Salmon Patties!

This easy salmon patties recipe is a quick way to use up the canned salmon you have hiding in your pantry! A high-protein main dish made with simple pantry staples, it’s designed for busy weeknights when time is short. This recipe can be made gluten-free with gluten-free panko.

As a chef, I’ve worked with salmon in many forms-from fresh wild-caught fillets to pantry-friendly canned. These patties are a staple in my kitchen because they balance nutrition, versatility, and great flavor without requiring a lot of time.

Serve them up with a fennel orange salad, crunchy Asian slaw, or Korean Cucumber Salad, and dinner is ready! Or make a smaller version for an easy appetizer!

In addition to the basic salmon patty recipe, I’ve included four different flavor variations: Asian-Style Salmon Cakes, Mediterranean Salmon Cakes, Nordic-Style Salmon Cakes (with fresh dill and lemon-a reader favorite!), and Mexican-Style Salmon Cakes!

Ingredients for Salmon Cakes

  • Salmon: High-quality canned wild salmon (7-8 ounce can)
  • Large eggs: Eggs are the binder here, giving structure and airiness
  • Onion: Use green onions
  • Panko breadcrumbs: Panko will result in a lighter patty. I recommend unseasoned panko, as seasoned panko may result in an unsavory, bitter taste.
  • Fresh herbs: Dill, basil, parsley, chives, tarragon, or cilantro
  • Lemon juice: To add a little brightness
  • Mayo: This makes for a lighter, fluffier, and more bindable texture
  • Garlic powder, salt, and black pepper

See recipe card for a full list of ingredients!

How to Make Salmon Cakes

Salmon Patty ingredients in a bowl - egg, capers, dill, flaked salmon, and green onions.
  1. Mix patty ingredients in a large bowl. Drain salmon well. Using a fork, mix the salmon patty ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Let sit for 5-10 minutes. If the mixture seems wet, add more panko (up to 1/3 cup).
  2. Form salmon patties. With your hands, form 2-3 large salmon patties, about 1-inch thick. For a crispier crust, dredge in more panko and/or sesame seeds. Refrigerate for later (place salmon patties on paper towels) or move on to the next step.
  3. Sear the salmon cakes. Pan-sear in a large skillet with butter or olive oil (or a mixture) until crispy, cooked on the inside, and golden brown, about 4-5 minutes each side. The puffed center tells you the egg is cooked through.
two Salmon Patties coated with sesame seeds on plate with sliced avocado, cilantro, and slaw.

How to Make the Quick Creamy Sauce

  • Ingredients: 2 tbsp mayo, 3 tbsp sour cream or yogurt, a squeeze of lemon juice, a pinch salt and pepper, and 2 tbsp fresh dill (or scallions, cilantro, or Italian parsley)
  • Method: Mix everything together until smooth!

Chef’s Tips

  1. If patties are falling apart: Chill the mixture for 15-20 minutes before forming the patties, or add more binder (panko, breadcrumbs, or even a spoonful of mayonnaise or an extra egg for more liquid if dry).
  2. Make it low-carb or gluten-free: Swap the breadcrumbs with almond flour, ground sesame seeds, or gluten-free panko.
  3. Using fresh salmon: Cook salmon ahead, flake it, and use in place of canned. Leftover roasted salmon or poached salmon works beautifully.
  4. To grill the patties: Place patties on a greased grill pan to prevent sticking. Cook 3-4 minutes per side until golden and cooked through.
  5. Air fryer method: Preheat the air fryer to 375°F, lightly oil the patties, and cook 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway.
  6. How to tell when they’re done: Look for puffed centers, golden color, and crisp edges. The internal temperature should reach 145F.
  7. If the mixture is too wet: Stir in more panko or chill before searing.
  8. If patties aren’t golden: Increase skillet heat slightly (medium high heat) or add a touch more oil.

Easy Salmon Cakes Recipe Variations & Substitutions

  1. Nordic-Style with fresh panko, fresh dill, and capers, and a creamy dill sauce
  2. Asian-Style coated with sesame seeds, ginger, cilantro, and green onion
  3. Mediterranean-Style with dijon mustard, lemon zest, garlic, and herbs
  4. Mexican-Style with cilantro, lime zest, cumin, dried oregano, and chili powder, served with Chipotle Mayo, avocado, and Mexican Slaw.
  5. Salmon: Sub leftover cooked Salmon
  6. Onion: Sub Red Onion
  7. Panko Breadcrumbs: You can use sesame seeds, toasted breadcrumbs, or crushed saltine crackers. For gluten-free, use gluten-free panko or sesame seeds!
  8. Garlic Powder: Sub onion powder

How to Store Baked Salmon Cakes

Leftover salmon patties will keep up to 3-4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Let the cooked patties cool before storing. Or freeze seared salmon patties (wrap tightly) for up to 3 months. Thaw leftover patties in the fridge before reheating. To reheat, gently warm in a skillet with a little oil, reheat in the oven with tented foil, or microwave.

What to Serve with Salmon Cakes

Easy Salmon Cakes Recipe FAQS

What kind of Salmon to use?

Fresh wild salmon always makes for the best salmon patties, either cooked or raw, but in a pinch, good quality canned wild salmon pulled from the pantry can be a total lifesaver!

How do you keep salmon cake patties from falling apart?

An egg and panko bread crumbs serve as the main binder here. A little mayo also helps. Feel free to experiment with gluten-free bread crumbs or even gluten-free flour. A flax egg will also work in a pinch, although I prefer the lightness the real egg gives the cakes.

Can salmon patties be made ahead?

Yes, they can be made ahead and be stored in the fridge, to pan-sear later. Store on a paper towel. You can even pan-sear them ahead and either refrigerate or store in the freezer.

Salmon cake with dill and capers, topped with creamy dill sauce on a plate with slaw, sprouts, and lemon.

Once you make the salmon patties, I know that you will come up with your own creative variations! Hope you enjoy this easy recipe made with simple ingredients!

More Fish Recipes You May Enjoy

how to make salmon Patties! | 60-sec video!

After you try this salmon patties recipe, let us know how it turns out in the comments below. Your review will help other readers, too! Sign up here to join our community and receive our latest recipes and weekly newsletter! xoxo Sylvia

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How to make Salmon Patties- a simple pantry recipe made with canned salmon that can be whipped up in 20 minutes, perfect for midweek meals!

Recipe for Salmon Cakes with Canned Salmon

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 54 reviews
  • Author: Sylvia Fountaine
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 15
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 2 1x
  • Category: Main, Fish, Pantry
  • Method: Stove top
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Diabetic
Print Recipe

Description

These easy salmon patties are made with canned salmon and simple pantry ingredients that can be whipped up in 20 minutes! Perfect for midweek meals. Gluten-free adaptable.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Basic Salmon Patty Recipe (see variations below)

  • 1 can wild salmon (7-8 ounces), drained (or feel free to use leftover cooked salmon)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon mayo (this makes for a lighter, fluffier and more bindable texture)
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or onion powder)
  • 1/4 cup panko, (or toasted bread crumbs) see notes
  • 1– 2 scallions, sliced (or sub 2–3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion)
  • generous pinch salt and pepper (about 1/8 teaspoon each – see notes)
  • 1–2 tablespoons olive oil.

See variations below.

Instructions

  1. Drain salmon well.
  2. Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl using a fork. Let it stand 5-10 minutes so the panko soaks up some of the moisture.  If the mixture seems wet, add a little more panko (up to 1/3 cup total)
  3. Shape. Divide the mixture into 2 larger patties, pressing them together with your hands. If you like a crispy crust, dredge in more panko and/or sesame seeds before searing. At this point, you could refrigerate for later, laying on a paper towel.
  4. Sear. Heat olive oil or butter (or a mixture is nice) in a skillet over medium heat. Sear the salmon cakes for 4-5 minutes on each side until beautifully golden and slightly puffed. (The puffed center tells you the egg is cooked through.)
  5. Serve with the suggested sides, the Quick Creamy Sauce, or on their own with a side salad.

Notes

Salmon Patty Variations

Asian-style: add 1-2 teaspoons ginger paste (or finely chopped ginger) and 1/8-1/4 cup chopped cilantro to the cakes. Add 1-2 tablespoons sesame seeds to the panko mixture for dredging. Serve with Asian Slaw or Asian Cucumber Salad.

Mediterranean-style: add 1 minced garlic clove, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, and 2 tablespoons chopped parsley. Serve with Leafy green salad.

Nordic style: add 1 tablespoon capers and 1/8-1/4  cup chopped dill. Serve with a Quick Creamy Sauce (below).

Mexican Style: add 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, 1 teaspoon lime zest, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, and 1/2 teaspoon chili powder. Serve with Chipotle Mayo, Avocado and Mexican Slaw!

Quick Creamy Sauce: Mix 2 tablespoons mayo with 3 tablespoons sour cream or yogurt, a squeeze of lemon, a pinch of salt and pepper, and two tablespoons fresh dill, chopped (or sub scallions, cilantro, or Italian parsley).

Panko: Use unseasoned panko. Gluten-free is just fine! Seasoned breadcrumbs seem to add an unsavory, bitter taste.

Salmon: Try to use the best quality canned wild salmon you can find- this does make a difference.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 salmon patty
  • Calories: 259
  • Sugar: 0.9 g
  • Sodium: 564.2 mg
  • Fat: 14 g
  • Saturated Fat: 2.8 g
  • Carbohydrates: 4.2 g
  • Fiber: 0.5 g
  • Protein: 27.2 g
  • Cholesterol: 162.8 mg

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Comments

  1. I have made salmon patties in the past, but these variations sound much more appealing. I will probably try the Mediterranean first, since I seem to be hooked on that region currently. Thanks for all the great ideas!

    Reply

  2. Thank you for the salmon cake recipes. I started a keto lifestyle and these are keto friendly as are other of your great recipes.

    Reply

  4. This recipe has entered my rotation in a big way. I almost always buy too much salmon for a roasted salmon meal–which means we have just the right amount of leftovers for these salmon cakes, a perfect (and quick!) second salmon dinner of the week for my husband and me. I’ve tried only two of the variations (because they are so good it’s hard to move on)–the Asian and the Nordic. The creamy dill sauce is sublime, which is one reason I like making the Nordic cakes. But then there’s the beautiful Asian slaw to go with the others. It all depends on what else I have in the fridge that week.

    Reply

  5. “When I rise up, let me rise up joyful like a bird. When I fall, let me fall without regret like a leaf. ~Wendell Berry” I love your quotes almost as much as your recipes. And i love your recipes! Of all the times I have made salmon, I have never made salmon cakes and can’t wait to try them, starting with the Nordic. Living in the Northwest, I will probably use fresh salmon (cooked first?), not canned, or as someone suggested, add some smoked salmon.

    Reply

    1. Thanks Jennifer, and yes, you can use fresh salmon- and I think raw would work here too!

      Reply

  6. Love this recipe. Easy to do with canned salmon (if needed, can pick out large bones and skin). Great weeknight dinner.

    Reply

  7. Hi Sylvia, I have made these salmon cakes several times! They are fast and delicious in each variation! We are fortunate enough to have a friend who gifts us smoked salmon and when available I add a portion of the smoked salmon to the canned salmon for another tasty variation! I love your site, which is my go to site for recipes and inspiration/techniques! Thanks for all the good eating!!

    Reply

    1. Glad you enjoyed this! I Love the smoked salmon addition! Brilliant ✨

      Reply

  8. Excited to try these salmon patties today with my fish loving grandsons. In fact, they’re gonna be the chefs!

    Reply

  9. Having never used canned salmon before, I was not expecting much. I’ve now made this 3 times in the Asian & Mediterranean versions, and absolutely love it. It’s quick, inexpensive, and delicious. I pair it with the suggested Asian slaw and creamy sauce. I buy canned wild salmon without bones or skin. Thank you for this recipe!

    Reply

  10. I’ve made these four different times now. Each time they turn out excellent!! I like the Nordic version the best because I love capers and dill! But I’ve also made the Mediterranean and Asian versions, and those are also so yummy. I like serving them on a bed of greens dressed with some light lemon, olive oil, and salt. The quick creamy sauce is perfect. When I made these a few days ago, I was feeling like a little bit of a lighter sauce so I increased the ratio of yogurt to mayo and it worked out well. Thanks for another incredible recipe!

    Reply

  11. I LIKE MY SALMON CAKES WITH CURRY POWDER AND A COUPLE TABLESPOONS OF CHOPPED APPLE FOR SWEETNESS.

    Reply

  12. So fast and easy to make!! I subbed the egg for a flax egg and it worked great! This will be on our weekday dinner rotation for sure!!

    Reply

  13. BEWARE TINNED SALMON! Let me lead with, like 95% of recipes on this site, the final product was delicious and enjoyed. The mayonnaise does indeed add something special and these cakes- a doubled recipe- were fully consumed by my 3 hungry kids and 1 hungry husband. I served with FAH’s asian salad which went really well. That all said, the tinned salmon was a nightmare. It was a whole section of fish in a can, vertebral column, spinal cord, and all. There were about 10^6 bones that all had to be carefully picked out of the tin-mush. The skin was on the fish and had turned into a black mush. Bleh. I need a better type of tinned salmon because working with pre-cooked fish was great and waiting on this recipe until there are salmon leftovers would be a shame.

    Reply

    1. Oh dear Alison- that canned salmon doesn’t sound good at all. I usually get mine at Trader Joe’s- and it is like tuna- boneless, skinless. Sounds like you made it work, despite that!

      Reply

      1. The bones in canned salmon are soft and safe to eat because the whole thing has been pressure cooked.I have seen my mom take the bone colum out and eat it.Canned salmon can be treated like canned tuna..My mom grew during the depression in the hills of ky and they would have canned salmon at times..must have been way less expensive then.She said the bones were good for our bones.That said,I am now vegetarian. It does gross me out too.However,my kitties absolutely love the bones and skin .as well as the juice!

        Reply

        2. I agree with your mom, I think they are good for our bones too!

          Reply

  14. These were really good! We had them crumbed in panko and sesame seeds with a side salad of julienned daikon, carrot and snow peas. Do you reckon you make these up to the stage before pan frying and then freeze them?

    Reply

    1. I think I would pan fry then freeze. Probably either way would work. 🙂

      Reply

  15. Great recipe – tasty, inexpensive, and packed with nutritional superpower. I used the Asian version with panko crust, Asian slaw, and sliced avocado. P.S. I’m so surprised canned salmon can taste this good! Thank you, Sylvia!

    Reply

  19. This was an outstanding recipe. I have doubled the recipe and made it twice within four days. The first time, I made half the batch with the salmon cakes dredged in GF Panko breadcrumbs and sesame seeds and the other half without. There is no comparison—with the breadcrumbs. The second time I made the recipe, we did not have salmon and I used tuna. It was delicious, but better with the salmon.

    Also, as far as the creamy mayo/yogurt topping, use more yogurt than mayo and make it Greek yogurt. I also experimented and used thyme, rosemary, and sage instead of dill. Both work well!

    Reply

  20. These were the best thing my boyfriend and I have cooked this year! Absolutely delicious ..can’t wait to eat them again. Just recently found your blog, loving all your recipes and beautiful imagery.

    Reply

  22. Can I use fresh, uncooked salmon with this recipe or should I be cooking the salmon first? Thanks!

    Reply

  23. I loved the recipe and added extra ginger to the Asian variation. 100% could have gone without that dying cat/dead mouse story in the intro though.

    Reply

  24. Loved these thanks! Made the slaw and salmon cakes. Added in sweet potato and broccoli I needed to use up too. Just a question it would be amazing if you could help me with please. I made a few extra but we couldn’t manage them all! Can you freeze them do you know? I used fresh salmon I cooked. If so would you freeze once you’d let the cakes cool after mixing all together and add the sesame seeds and crumbs before seating or do you think you make the entire cake including seeds etc and then sear and freeze? Can’t decide!! Also would you defrost or cook from frozen? Any help would be much appreciate, a bit new to cooking!

    Reply

    1. I bet either would work, but I would probably sear and freeze. May stay together better? Just guessing here….

      Reply

  25. Cooked some salmon in the sous vide while I prepped everything else. Delicious!! Second recipe I’ve made from feasting at home, and it did not disappoint! The slaw on the side was a wonderful addition.

    Reply

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