Salmon Cakes With Fresh Salmon
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Salmon cakes with fresh salmon are a delicious and surprisingly quick meal, making them ideal for a weeknight dinner. While one can purchase frozen salmon cakes, as with most convenience meals, they are loaded with preservatives and unnecessary fillers.
These fresh salmon cakes are made with just a handful of ingredients. They take less than 10 minutes to prepare and about 5 minutes to cook. One serving is 31 grams of protein and just 15 grams of carbohydrates making them a high protein, low carb dinner option.
Why can some fish cakes taste fishy?
Aside from the obvious, which is buying the freshest fish possible, cooked fish can also have a strong smell. According to Cook’s Illustrated, fish cakes that have been twice-cooked (leftover cooked salmon, or salmon cakes made with fresh salmon then oven-baked) release an odorless compound that emits a fishy smell during the cooking process. Whereas salmon cakes made with fresh salmon and then quickly pan-seared are the mildest in both taste and odor.
Should you rinse salmon before cooking it?
There is no reason to rinse fish before cooking it. You can read more about the why there’s no need to rinse fish before you cook it here.
Ingredients for salmon cakes
One pound of fish will make 8 fish patties, two per person, which works out to about $3-4 per serving.
- fresh wild Alaskan salmon fillets
- panko breadcrumbs
- fresh parsley
- mayonnaise
- fresh lemon juice
- green onions
- shallot
- Dijon mustard
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Cayenne pepper
- vegetable oil or avocado oil to fry the salmon cakes
How to make fresh salmon cakes
The salmon is hand-cut into 1″ pieces and then pulsed in batches briefly. Working in smaller batches prevents the fish from turning mushy. Don’t over-process the fish; there will be some larger and some smaller pieces.
- Combine 3 Tablespoons panko bread crumbs with parsley, mayonnaise, lemon juice, green onion, shallots, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a medium bowl.
- Cut salmon into 1-inch pieces. In a food processor, briefly pulse the salmon in three separate batches, about 3-4 pulses.
- Salmon should be in 1/4″ pieces, but not mushy. Don’t worry if the pieces aren’t uniform.
- Transfer each batch of salmon into the bowl with the panko breadcrumb mixture.
- Mix the salmon mixture until combined. Using a 1/3 measuring cup or ice cream scoop, make 8 patties. Place them on a baking sheet.
- Place panko into a pie plate or dish and coat each salmon cake. The formed patties should be about 1″ thick and about 2 1/2″ in diameter.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add oil and heat until shimmering. Fry salmon cakes for 2 minutes, then flip and cook an additional 2-3 minutes until dark golden brown.
- Transfer salmon cakes to a plate lined with paper towels.
- Serve at once with lemon wedges, Lemon Tarragon Sauce, or mayonnaise with lemon juice and capers.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, pan-fry very briefly to avoid a fish smell.
Optional add-ins and substitutions
- For a spicier salmon cake, add 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning, and reduce the kosher salt by 1/2 teaspoon.
- Swap out the parsley for fresh dill.
What to serve with salmon cakes
Keep it low carb with this Mediterranean Cucumber Salad.
Rice is a traditional accompaniment to fish dishes: Mediterranean Rice Pilaf.
Looking for more fish and seafood recipes?
These Salmon and Potato Cakes are another variation of a salmon patty.
Crab Cakes with Lemon Tarrragon
For the smoked salmon lover
Pasta with Smoked Salmon and Fresh Dill
Salmon Cakes with Fresh Salmon
Ingredients
Salmon Cakes
- 3 Tablespoons panko bread crumbs
- 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley minced
- 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
- 4 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 green onion sliced thin
- 1 small shallot minced, about 1/3 cup
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 20 ounces skinless salmon filet cut into 1" pieces
Breading and frying
- 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs (about 1.3 ounces)
- 1/2 cup olive oil or avocado oil
Instructions
- Combine the ingredients for the salmon cakes; breadcrumbs through black pepper in a medium bowl and mix well.
- In the bowl of of a food processor, pulse 1/3 of the chopped salmon 2 or 3 times or until they are about 1/4" pieces. Don't over process the fish, not all the pieces will be even, but they should be mushy.
- Transfer the processed salmon into the bowl with panko mixture, and continue processing the 2 batches of remaining salmon, one at a time.
- Once all the salmon has been processed, gently mix with the panko mixture until evenly distributed.
- On a parchment lined baking sheet, measure out 8 salmon cakes using a 1/3 cup measuring cup.
- Place 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs in a pie plate or dish. Coat each salmon patty with bread crumbs, forming them into patties about 1" by 2 1/2".
- In a large skillet, heat oil until shimmering over a medium high heat. Fry cakes about 2 minutes. Carefully flip salmon cakes and fry an additional 2-3 minutes or until deep golden brown.
- Transfer salmon cakes onto a paper towel lined plate. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.
Yes! It adds a lot of flavor!
That’s a really simple recipe with few ingredients. A quick fix that tastes good. Like that you mention the gluten free ingredients too.
Yes, easy…fast and gluten free!
Such an easy and elegant recipe! I bet tastes awesome too.
Delicious and simple!
This looks fabulous! I love to serve salmon for dinner!
Salmon is my family’s favorite fish!
Just pinned this and can’t wait to try it! Yummmm… I was just thinking the other day that I need new salmon recipes, and here you are! 🙂 Thanks for the recipe inspiration!
it’s so easy too!
EASY-QUICK-TASTY. We live in Alaska & so have some fantastic salmon, but the problem is cooking it too long, so it becomes rubber. This recipe was fast & easy & a huge crowd pleaser. Now it is one of my go-to recipes.
So glad! We love salmon around here!