Using mostly pantry and refrigerator staple ingredients, these easy Salmon Patties are a delicious dinner in under 20 minutes. Flaky and tender on the inside and crispy around the edges, these flavorful patties are pan-fried to perfection.
This tried and trusted recipe is a lifesaver when it comes to getting a home cooked dinner on the table in a hurry. These salmon patties (aka salmon cakes) are hearty, satisfying and budget-friendly, too!
I like to serve these with a leafy green salad or coleslaw. Don’t forget the tartar sauce for dipping!
Your Simple Ingredients
- Vegetable oil
- Canned salmon
- Old Bay Seasoning
- Lemon juice
- Green bell pepper
- Garlic
- Yellow onion
- Egg
- Saltine crackers – Bread crumbs or panko can be substituted
- Salt and pepper
How to Make Salmon Patties
Making these patties is basically effortless and takes very little time!
- You’ll start by draining the juices from the canned salmon. Place the salmon in a large bowl and pick out any bones and discard (see notes below regarding bones).
- Flake salmon with a fork and add crushed saltine crackers, egg, garlic, lemon juice, onion, green bell pepper, Old Bay Seasoning, salt and pepper. Combine and form into 5 patties.
- Fry in vegetable oil approximately 3 minutes on each side in a nonstick skillet (the patties are fragile – using a nonstick skillet helps to keep your patties from breaking when flipping). Place on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
Do You Pick Out the Bones in Canned Salmon?
I personally choose to pick out the bones (I don’t care for their texture), but it’s totally personal preference. The bones in canned salmon are edible and are a rich source of calcium. Be sure to mash the bones with a fork in the mixture if you decide to leave the bones.
How to Reheat
Salmon patties are best when reheated on the stove top. Spray a skillet with cooking spray and reheat over medium heat (on both sides) until heated through.
How Many Patties Does This Recipe Make?
I use ½ cup of salmon patty mixture for each patty, which yields 5 (3-inch) patties.
Hooray for quick, delicious and budget-friendly dinners!Â
More Seafood Dinner Ideas in 30 Minutes or Less
Salmon Patties
Ingredients
- 1 (14.75 ounce) can salmon, drained
- 20 saltine crackers crushed (about ¾ cup)
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup diced yellow onion
- ¼ cup diced green bell pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil
Instructions
- Place drained salmon in a large bowl and pick out any bones and discard*. Flake salmon with a fork.
- Add crushed crackers, egg, garlic, lemon juice, onion, green pepper, Old Bay Seasoning, salt and pepper. Mix ingredients with your hands or a large spoon. Form into 5 patties (½ cup of salmon mixture for each patty).
- Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add patties and cook until browned and cooked through, about 3 minutes on each side. Place on a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.
Notes
- *If you choose to include the bones, mash them with a fork into the mixture.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To reheat, spray a skillet with cooking spray and reheat on the stove top over medium heat (on both sides) until heated through.
Nutrition
If provided, nutritional info is a courtesy, is not guaranteed and should only be considered as a guideline.
Originally published March 2016. Updated and republished January 2020 with new photographs and helpful tips.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this recipe ! It comes the closest to my Mom’s 80+yr-old recipe in ingredients, and I can’t wait to try it. Yummy, comforting memories !
Thank you so much, Alfreda – I hope you enjoy the salmon patties!
Yummy, I’ve always been a fan of salmon patties. I just forget about them, thank you for an excellent reminder
Amazing Salmon Patties! I made one mistake… I put Olive oil (on purpose) in the Salmon patties not in the skillet. Tender and as tasty as could be! Great Omega 3’s for the day.
theyd be real tasty with stewd tomatoes on top
Made these for dinner today. DELICIOUS does not describe these! Will definitely make again. Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes.
Thank you so much, Rose – So glad to hear you enjoyed them! 🙂
The sweet peppers and onions make it go farther and make it super fresh.
Great recipe Amy! Live in Idaho and this is a great way to use our rainbow trout. I just baked the fish for a bit and and flaked it in with the rest of the ingredients, worked perfectly.
Thanks so much, Deb! That sounds delicious with rainbow trout, so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Hi there, it looks great and easy to make. I am going to give it a try this weekend. The thing is Old Bay Seasoning is not available in my country. What would make for a suitable substitute for that seasoning? Your advice is appreciated.
Hi Herbal… according to the can, Old Bay is a mixture of celery salt, red pepper, black pepper and paprika. I would adjust those seasonings to your taste. Hope you enjoy them!
Hi Amy, I put in paprika and red pepper in place of old bay seasoning and it still turned out good. Thanks for the suggestion 🙂
So glad it turned out good and you enjoyed it! 🙂
On a kick to fry with my Philips Air Fryer. Made these per recipe but had to use bread crumbs. Used 1/2 cup with additional 1/4 cup grated parmesan. Made 4 patties. Sprayed each with olive oil mist and cooked in air fryer at 360 degrees for 10 minutes… It is an understatement to say they were delicious… 5 STARS and yet another excuse to use my air fryer… Oh yes, another thing… I only had to wipe the air fryer grid out with a paper towel… Can you say “easy cleanup”…
Thanks Amy…
Sweet! Thanks so much… now you’ve got me wanting them and I’ll add some Parmesan next time (YUM!). Love the idea of easy cleanup, too! 🙂
Loved this recipe! Easy and the lemon was a great addition!
Thanks so much, Dawn! 🙂
These look terrific. I’m always looking for new ways to incorporate salmon into my meals. And, it’s SO healthy!
Thanks so much, Amy… I love salmon, too! 🙂
Hi made these delicious babies for dinner along with some white rice. So delicious. I used an entire can and made 12 patties. This was the best recipe for pink salmon patties. They were full of flavor and even before I cooked them they were smelling so good. Thank you so much for this darn good recipe.
Thank you so much, Antoinette! So glad you enjoyed them!