Salmon Patties

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Flaky, moist, and full of flavor, these salmon patties (salmon cakes) are the ideal weeknight dinner. Serve them with a side of your favorite vegetables, and dollops of my creamy lemon dill sauce for a wonderfully light and fresh meal. 

Salmon patties in a casserole dish.
Photo: Gayle McLeod

Simple baked salmon (or air fryer salmon) will always be a staple in my house for an easy and healthy dinner. But one of my all-time favorite recipes from my childhood is salmon patties. They’re similar to tuna patties (it’s just a fish swap), a bit smaller than salmon burgers which means you can serve them up for dinner or appetizers, and a great way to use leftover cooked salmon. Here’s why I love this recipe:

  • No breadcrumbs are needed: Instead, I use a small amount of almond flour. It adds a lovely nuttiness, and doesn’t overpower the salmon flavor the way breadcrumbs can often do. If I’m making salmon patties, I surely want them to taste like salmon and not bread!
  • It’s elevated with fresh salmon: Although you can swap in canned salmon, I’m using oven-baked salmon for patties that taste incredibly fresh, with a tantalizing, robust flavor.
  • Perfect for meal prep: If you want a healthy salmon meal at your fingertips, these salmon patties are perfect! They’re freezer-friendly and easily reheatable. 
Ingredients for salmon patties.

Salmon Patties Ingredients

  • Fresh Salmon: I’m using fresh, wild-caught salmon – and I feel the flavor enhancement is worth the splurge. But I also understand substituting canned salmon if it’s a weeknight and you want a quick, healthy meal to throw together. For more details, I’ve got tips below!
  • Vegetables: A simple mix of onion, bell pepper, and garlic add a crunchy bite and fresh flavor.
  • Binders: The dry and wet ingredients you’ll need are almond flour, eggs, mayonnaise, and Dijon mustard. 
  • Fresh Herbs: I love a lot of fresh parsley and dill. They’re the perfect herbaceous pairing with seafood.
  • Creamy Lemon Dill Sauce: Although this is optional, I highly recommend it! It’s a great alternative to tartar sauce or garlic aioli. Just stir together mayonnaise, fresh dill, lemon juice and zest, salt, and black pepper.
Baked salmon filet on a baking sheet.

How To Make Salmon Patties

Bake the salmon. Drizzle oil over your salmon and season generously with salt and black pepper. Then, bake your salmon filet for 10 to 13 minutes at 425°F.  

While that’s baking, cook the veggies. Dice an onion and red bell pepper, then sauté both in a little olive oil until translucent and tender. Once the salmon is done baking, pop it back into the refrigerator for about 10 to 15 minutes to let it cool.

Cooked vegetables in a saute pan.

Make the patties. Once your salmon, onion, and bell pepper have fully cooled, add them to a bowl with the almond flour, mayonnaise, mustard, garlic, eggs, fresh parsley, and fresh dill. Use your hands to mix everything and form little patties about ½-inch thick. Don’t form too big of a patty as they’ll be harder to flip and will break apart.

Forming salmon patties on a baking sheet.

Cook the patties. Heat the oil in a sauté pan and cook them in batches for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. The outsides should be nicely golden.

Make the lemon dill sauce. Stir together the mayonnaise, chopped dill, lemon zest and juice, salt, and pepper, to serve alongside the salmon patties. This combo is my favorite for a refreshing, herby pairing!

Cooking salmon patties in a pan with oil.

Common Questions

What type of salmon should I use?

When I first made this recipe I used king salmon, and oh my word, it was so moist, tender, and buttery smooth. But I’d probably recommend using coho or sockeye salmon for a standard home-cooked dinner. It’s a bit cheaper, but still flavorful, flaky, and packed with tons of healthy Omega-3 benefits.

Can I use smaller salmon filets instead of one whole piece?

Yes, you can bake individual filets instead if you have those on hand. But you may need to slightly adjust the cooking time. They’re done when they easily flake with a fork. 

Can I use canned salmon and how much?

If you opt for canned salmon, I recommend looking for wild Alaskan salmon. My favorite brand of canned salmon is Wild Planet and it’s sustainably caught in Alaskan waters. As for how much, there’s one pound of salmon in the recipe (which is 16 ounces), and most cans are 6 ounces, so you’ll need three cans. Note: Canned Salmon can be dryer than using fresh salmon. You may want to double the amount of mayonnaise to 1/4 cup to keep your salmon patties nice and moist.

Can I bake these in the oven?

Yes! Place parchment paper on a baking sheet, or spray it with olive oil. Then bake the patties at 400°F for 10 to 12 minutes on each side, for a total of around 20 minutes.

What can I serve with these patties?

I love pairing salmon with some sort of vegetable side dish. For a warm side, roasted broccoli, sauteed green beans, or sauteed cabbage taste great. For something refreshing, toss together a quick side salad with your favorite leafy greens, sliced red onions, sliced cucumbers, and a lemon vinaigrette.

Salmon patties with a side salad on a plate.

Storage Instructions

  • To store for the week: Any leftover patties can be stored in the fridge for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container. Perfect to enjoy throughout the week.
  • To freeze for later: I love how freezer-friendly these are, so I always make a second batch. Just make sure to let them cool completely before storing them away in the freezer. Note: Make sure to put parchment paper in between each patty to prevent them from sticking. 
  • Tips for reheating: Salmon can dry out a bit when reheated. But you can splash a bit of water on the patties or cover with a damp paper towel when reheating in the microwave.

More Salmon Recipes

I hope you love these salmon patties as much as I do! If you make them, I’d love to hear how they turned out in the comment box below. Your review will help other readers in the community.

A casserole dish with salmon patties.

Salmon Patties

4.99 from 151 votes
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Author: Lisa Bryan

Description

Flaky, moist, and full of flavor, these salmon patties are the ideal healthy weeknight dinner, especially with the creamy lemon dill sauce! Watch how I make these in my kitchen in the video below.

Video

Ingredients 
 

  • 1 pound fresh salmon
  • cup olive oil, divided
  • 1 medium onion, finely diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
  • 1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ cup almond flour
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
  • kosher salt and black pepper

Lemon Dill Mayonnaise (optional)

  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
  • ½ lemon, zested and juiced (about 1 ½ tablespoons juice)
  • kosher salt and black pepper

Instructions 

  • Bake the salmon. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Drizzle the salmon with a tablespoon of olive oil and generously season with salt and black pepper. Cook for 10 to 13 minutes, or until just cooked through. Then, remove the salmon from the oven and cool completely in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes.
    Baking a salmon filet on a sheet pan.
  • Cook the vegetables. While the salmon is cooling, add one tablespoon of olive oil to a large pan and sauté the onion and bell pepper for 6 to 8 minutes, or until soft and translucent. Remove from the heat and let cool.
    Cooked vegetables in a pan.
  • Make the patties. Use your hands to flake the cooled salmon (removing the skin) into a large mixing bowl. Add the onion, bell pepper, dill, parsley, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, garlic, almond flour, and eggs. Combine all ingredients with your hands until well-mixed. Then, form the salmon mixture into small patties with your hands and place them to the side. Pro Tip: I like to place the formed patties on a parchment lined baking tray to easily move them to the stove.
    Making salmon patties.
  • Cook the patties. Heat several tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan on medium heat and cook the salmon patties for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove the salmon patties to a paper towel-lined plate.
    Cooked salmon patties in a pan.
  • Make the lemon dill sauce. Add the mayonnaise, chopped dill, lemon zest and juice, salt, and pepper to a small mixing bowl and stir to combine.
    Stirring lemon dill sauce in a bowl.
  • Serve. Serve the salmon patties with the lemon dill sauce.
    Salmon patties in a white dish with sauce.

Lisa’s Tips

  • To bake these in the oven rather than pan fry: spray a baking sheet with oil spray (my favorite is avocado oil) and bake at 400°F for 10 to 12 minutes on each side.
  • King Salmon has a high oil content and is naturally a more moist fish. You may only need one beaten egg if using King Salmon.
  • Canned Salmon can be dryer than using fresh salmon. You may want to double the amount of mayonnaise, to 1/4 cup, to keep your salmon patties nice and moist.
  • I’ve made a large batch of these for meal prep and they’re delicious. They freeze and reheat beautifully.

Nutrition

Serving: 1patty | Calories: 355kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 211mg | Potassium: 304mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 638IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Main Meal
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Salmon Cakes, Salmon Patties, Salmon Patty Recipe
Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!

Recipe originally posted November 2017, but updated to include new photos and information for your benefit!

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About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

4.99 from 151 votes (7 ratings without comment)

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374 Comments

  1. Lisa, an optional take on this you might love is to pulverize skinned raw salmon in a food processor (make ground salmon), mince your veggies very fine, and add them straight to the mix and cook as planned. Also, adding some ground mustard powder is delish.4 stars

  2. Love your appreciation for healthy recipes. I keep kosher and also look for no sugar, low carb recipes. Love to hear about substituting ingredients.

    1. A general rule of thumb is that raw meats lose 20% to 25% of their weight once cooked. Canned salmon varies in water content between brands. I’d start with two cans of very well drained canned salmon, you’ll need to PRESS the salmon using the lid but save that liquid if you have a cat or dog. :-) You don’t have to be super precise.

  3. So excited to try these. Was thinking of making ahead for this weeks meals and saw you could freeze them. Do you usually freeze them after they are fully cooked or just after they’re patties?

  4. Do you think I could use lump crab meat instead of salmon in this recipe to make crab cakes?
    Thank you.

  5. Made the Salmon Patties the other day and not all the kids are too fond of salmon. But this was a great success :) They all loved it and it was easy to make.5 stars

  6. These are so delicious. I finally got around to trying this recipe and it has been a hit for my family. I was asked to make a double batch so my family could have some to take home after dinner, that’s how much my picky ones loved it. I did add more parsley because I love the flavor and color it adds. I am curious as my patties sometimes don’t stay well formed when frying. Any tips?

    Overall amazing recipe, easy to make and a total hit!5 stars

    1. I’m happy you and your family love these salmon patties, Karina! As for keeping them well formed, it really depends on if they’re too wet or too dry. If too wet, you can always add a bit more almond flour. If too dry, you can add another egg. Enjoy!

  7. Made these yesterday with Lisa’s homemade mayonnaise and baked them in the oven. They had so much flavor and were so delicious!! It was my first time making salmon patties and we loved them! The sauce puts them over the top! I added a little extra fresh dill since we love dill. We have more salmon in the fridge so I’m going to make another batch!! Thank you Lisa for this easy to make, tasty recipe!!!5 stars

    1. Hi Susan – Thrilled to hear you’re loving these salmon patties! It’s always a great thing to have prepped in the fridge or freezer.

  8. Made your salmon patties twice now. I’m not fond of a lot of peppers so used only part of the red pepper. Delicious! Will remain in my rotation. I like to serve a lot of salmon for it’s health benefits and this is a nice change instead of my usual baked salmon.5 stars

  9. This is a great recipe. I used Wild Caught Canned Salmon and since I was using mayo with avocado oil in it, I went with a 1/4 cup and I only used 1 egg and just a 1/4 c of gluten free flour and reduced the Dijon to 1/2 T. And I also added a 1/2 t. of Old Bay seasoning. It turned out great!5 stars

  10. This was excellent! I actually used Wild Caught Canned Salmon because I had a bunch of cans and did not know what to make with them that would taste good! So I gave this a go and it was absolutely gourmet! Thanks to the excellent ratios that you provide, I did not actually even need extra mayo ;) I am GF and DF and so appreciate the ease of all of your recipes ;) This was a home run and I will absolutely be making batches to freeze etc! We also had your air fryer carrots with this meal which was yummy too!

    Would love to share the picture we took, but maybe down the line you will have the option for us to share images!5 stars

  11. This was delicious. However, I mixed it up and made it with crab. Yum! I followed the recipe as shown, just used crab instead of salmon.

  12. Outstanding! These were so delicious! I used gluten free oat flower to avoid nut allergy and then took the recommendation from another comment and added the capers to aioli. Used dried dill cuz its all I had on hand. Definitely will be making these again. I’m already craving more!5 stars

  13. These were SO delicious and flavorful! The whole family loved them. Thanks once again for another great recipe!5 stars

  14. Thank you again for another fabulous recipe, Lisa. I made these tonight using wild caught canned salmon (draining, squeezing out excess liquid and removing a few bones 1st.) The only step I added was to put a light dusting of almond flour on both sides of the salmon patties just prior to frying them which helped crisp them up a bit. Yummy!5 stars

  15. I made these for dinner tonight and they were delicious. I used Fresh wild caught sockeye salmon and served them with your lemon dill mayonnaise and roasted asparagus. These will be in regular rotation. Thank you for sharing5 stars

  16. These are fantastic!!! And I think you could be creative with flavors/mixins. Add extra almond flour if they’re a little too wet. Far better than any frozen salmon patty at Costco5 stars

  17. I am new to air frying, but I was wondering if you could cook these in the air fryer and if you think they would turn out as well? If so, what would be your recommendation for the procedure?5 stars

  18. I implore anyone who likes salmon to make these. I recently made them and heading to the grocery store to buy items to make another batch and freeze them. And I’ve sent the recipe to my family and friends.
    I just started really digging into your recipes and everything I have made tastes exceptional, easy to follow and I love your calm demeanor and presence in your videos. You are great at what you do! Thanks for sharing such wonderful, healthy and oh-so-flavorful recipes!5 stars

  19. Can a gluten free all purpose flour be substituted for the almond flour? We don’t do nuts due to an allergy.

  20. A FIVE STAR little patty of fantasticness. Not only gf but grain-free with a protein punch. And flavorful!!!!! Made a batch last night and will make another today to freeze so I am never without!5 stars

  21. I can’t thank you enough for this delicious recipe that I can actually eat!  I’ve been on a gluten-free, restricted diet for years and like you, to find a recipe like this is a game changer.

    1. Happy to hear you’ve found what you’re looking for and can make delicious, gluten-free recipes now :)

  22. Hi Lisa ! What would be a good substitute for mayo here ? I don’t have a blender and there is no way I will ever buy mayo in the  store after trying your recipe of it 

  23. Fabulous!!! I made these last night using frozen, boneless, skinless king salmon pieces I buy from Vital Choice Seafood. I thawed in refrigerator before hand and followed Lisa’s directions for cooking except lowered the cooking time to around 8-10 minutes. I used gluten-free breadcrumbs since I can’t have the almond flour. I used 1 egg but next time I will add the 2 eggs for the extra binding. I did have to look up the “cup” equivalent to a “medium” onion. LOL It’s around 2 cups for reference. I followed the recipe as written for everything else. It took a little trial and error flipping the first 2 patties, but after that there were no problems. Adding the 2nd egg next time should give extra flipping assurance. :) Served on a bed of butter lettuce and fresh sliced heirloom tomatoes. Whatever you do…DON’T skip the Lemon Dill Mayo!!! It took these salmon patties over the top! Unfortunately, I’m allergic to shellfish, but these salmon patties were the closest thing to the crab cakes I’ve been missing! Definitely a “make again” as my family said. We also love Lisa’s Carrot and Cannellini Bean Fritters with Herb Yogurt Sauce from her cookbook and will be batch cooking both of these recipes from here on out!5 stars

  24. Lisa, what sides do you recommend with this recipe other than the lemon dill mayo? I’m thinking my son would love some potato wedges (like from your cookbook) or sweet potato fries. :)

  25. Hi! So we get the wild sockeye salmon from Whole Foods (frozen) will that work instead of fresh ? I would use a fillet that is closest to 1 lb.

    Also, would avocado mayo work? I cannot use your the homemade recipe for mayo due to the raw egg

    1. Yep, you can use frozen salmon! Just make sure to thaw before cooking. As for the avocado mayo – that works just fine.