Published March 4, 2022.This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
These homemade fresh salmon patties recipe is loaded up with peppers and fresh herbs and are pan-roasted to perfection. You will love how delicious and easy to make these are.
I could honestly eat salmon every single day of my life, I love it that much. If you’re like me and want to try out some new recipes then definitely make my Honey-Garlic Salmon or Blackened Salmon.
Salmon Patties
Salmon patties are small croquette-fritter-like cakes that are loaded up with ingredients like eggs, crackers, herbs, and vegetables that are fried in a small amount of oil until golden brown. They are often served on a bed of greens and accompanied with a sauce.
They became popularized during the great depression as a great source of inexpensive protein. Although it was canned, salmon was affordable and greatly enhanced when mixed with crackers and eggs to form patties. Recipes since, like mine, have been enhanced with other ingredients are still very popular today.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Salmon – Fresh wild caught salmon is best. If you do not have it, drained canned salmon will work.
- Onion – You can use red, white, sweet, or yellow onions in this.
- Garlic – I used 2 cloves of finely minced garlic but feel free to use extra or less.
- Peppers – Red bell peppers will help add a lot of flavors to these salmon patties.
- Herbs – I like to use fresh dill and green onions for this recipe.
- Eggs – You will need large, whisked eggs in this dish.
- Crackers – I like to use saltines, but you can substitute for matzoh crackers or butter crackers like Ritz.
- Seasonings – You will need salt and pepper, and I like to add a little Tabasco in it.
- Oil – Any oil is acceptable, but I prefer safflower, avocado, peanut, olive, or canola oil.
How to Make Salmon Patties
Follow these easy-to-prepare procedures and images to make salmon patties:
Remove the salmon skin, cut into large chunks, and place in a food processor. See chef notes about alternate ways to prepare.
Pulse on high speed until it becomes like a paste but also has some salmon chunks in it.
Transfer the salmon to a large bowl along with the prepared vegetables and herbs.
Add in crushed saltine crackers, whisked eggs, salt, pepper, and tabasco.
Mix well and form 12 like-sized salmon patties.
Cook the salmon patties in oil at 350° for 2 ½ to 3 minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked throughout.
Drain the salmon patties on paper towels and cook in batches if your pan is not big enough to cook all at once.
Serve the salmon patties on a bed of greens and alongside my lemon-dill sauce.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: These are meant to be eaten as soon as they are done cooking. You can optionally keep these warm in the oven at 200° for up to 30 minutes before serving.
How to Store: Cover them and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. They will freeze well covered for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.
How to Reheat: Place the salmon patties in a frying pan or on a cookie sheet tray lined with parchment paper and bake in the oven at 350° for 4-6 minutes or until hot. You can also reheat it in the microwave if you’d like.
chef notes + tips
- If you do not have a food processor, you can alternatively very finely chop it until it turns into a paste.
- Salmon patties can fall apart if there is not enough binder in there like eggs. If you are noticing when mixing the batter that things are not sticking together, mix in another whisked egg.
- I prefer to serve salmon patties on a bed of micro-greens or leafy greens like spring mix.
- If you do not have fresh salmon, substitute for two 14.5-ounce cans of wild salmon and reserve 1 to 2 tablespoons of the salmon juice from the can after draining and add to the batter to help ensure its moistness since canned salmon will make the salmon weight 4 ounces heavier than my recipe.
- You can substitute out the 2 tablespoons of fresh dill for 1 ½ tablespoons of dry dill.
More Salmon Recipes
- Pan-Seared Coho Salmon
- Salmon Burger with Dill Coleslaw
- Bourbon Glazed Salmon
- Hash Browns Crusted Salmon
- Homemade Smoked Salmon
Video
Save
Classic Salmon Patties Recipe
5 from 26 votes
These homemade fresh salmon patties recipe is loaded up with peppers and fresh herbs and are pan-roasted to perfection.
Servings: 12
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds of skinless fresh wild-caught salmon
- ¼ peeled and small diced red onion
- 1 seeded and small diced red bell pepper
- 2 finely minced garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 4 thinly sliced fresh green onions
- 3 whisked eggs
- 1 sleeve of saltine crackers, crushed
- 1/3 cup of oil for frying
- salt, pepper, and Tabasco to taste
Instructions
Cut the salmon into large chunks and place it in a food processor. See chef notes about alternate way to prepare.
Pulse on high speed until it becomes like a paste but also has some pea-sized salmon chunks in it.
Transfer the salmon to a large bowl along with the red onion, peppers, garlic, dill, green onions, whisk eggs, crushed crackers, salt, pepper, and tabasco sauce.
Mix well using your hands or a spatula and form 12 like-sized salmon patties, which are about 3-4 ounces a piece.
Add the oil to a large frying pan over medium-low heat and heat to 350°. You will know it’s done when you sprinkle in a little flour, and it fries but does not burn.
Cook the salmon patties in the oil for 2 ½ to 3 minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked through out.
Drain the salmon patties on paper towels and cook in batches if your pan is not big enough to cook all at once.
Serve the salmon patties on a bed of greens and alongside my lemon-dill sauce.
Notes
Make-Ahead: These are meant to be eaten as soon as they are done cooking. You can optionally keep these warm in the oven at 200° for up to 30 minutes before serving.
How to Store: Cover them and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. They will freeze well covered for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.
How to Reheat: Place the salmon patties in a frying pan or on a cookie sheet tray lined with parchment paper and bake in the oven at 350° for 4-6 minutes or until hot. You can also reheat in the microwave if you’d like.
If you do not have a food processor, you can alternatively very finely chop it until it turns into a paste.
Salmon patties can fall apart if there is not enough binder in there like eggs. If you are noticing when mixing the batter that things are not sticking together, mix in another whisked egg.
I prefer to serve salmon patties on a bed of micro-greens or leafy greens like spring mix.
If you do not have fresh salmon, substitute for two 14.5-ounce cans of wild salmon and reserve 1 to 2 tablespoons of the salmon juice from the can after draining and add to the better to help ensure its moistness since canned salmon will make the salmon weight 4 ounces heavier than my recipe.
You can substitute the 2 tablespoons of fresh dill for 1 ½ tablespoons of dry dill.
Nutrition
Calories: 158kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 13gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 44mgPotassium: 331mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 438IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 18mgIron: 1mg
Course: Appetizer, Main
Cuisine: American
Author: Chef Billy Parisi
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46 comments
- GT
Made this over the weekend. My family loved it! The sauce is amazing.
- Reply
- Deanna Reyes
I love this classic recipe. I’ve been mixing these up since I was old enough to do it and learned from my mother. Usually serve with herb roasted potatoes or mac n cheese and corn as sides or sometimes a special and tasty cornbread.
- Reply
- sue
Thank you Chef Billy going to so enjoy 😋this recipe 😁😋
- Reply
- sue
Thank you Chef Billy going to so enjoy 😋enjoyed salmon patties 😁😋
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- Cindy
Quick & Easy! Made earlier and put patties in fridge til ready for dinner. 6 minutes later eating dinner! Served with Spring salad and sweet potatoes! Yummy!
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- Janet
These are absolutely our family favorite! Healthy and nutritious, packed full of flavor. We add siracha Mayo on bun.
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- Chef Billy Parisi
sounds great, thanks for trying this!
- Reply
- joan
my husband doesn’t like salmon so i make these with tuna fish instead and they’re delicious
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- Donna Woods
Amazing how much better these are than the way I used to make them. Best Salmon cakes EVER!!!
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- Kathryn Knox
Excellant. Better than Mom’s.
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- Jeanne Stephens
These salmon patties were phenomenal! I didn’t have fresh salmon so I used canned. The best I’ve ever tasted!
- Reply
so good!!
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- Malia DAVIS
These made the best salmon patties!!! Such a great recipe. Love all of Billy’s recipes. These have become a regular staple in my home!! Yum yum!! 🤤
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- Renate Hepher
Did you chop the other ingredients in a mixer or by hand, Billy?
Canned salmon – they must taste quite different?
Thank you so much!- Reply
all that info is in the vide.
- Reply
- Jeanie Kristek
I’ve made salmon patties before and never thought of pulsing the salmon in the blender. Great tip and the addition of garlic made it even better.
- Reply
appreciate you trying it
- Reply
- Charlene LaFontaine
See AlsoEasy Shrimp Etouffée RecipeThis is a favorite of mine midweek. I love your recipe for these. I don’t usually add any Tabasco sauce but I tried it this time and it took these Pattie’s over the top! Like you I like them over a small bed of lettuce. Add a small dollop of your dill sauce and these are as you say, “man-o-man these are delicious 😋.”
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yum!!!
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- Frannie
I cannot wait to make this….a childhood favorite. AND! It is LOW SODIUM!!! Thank you! Love all your recipes and appreciate your educational tips.
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- MJ
This salmon recipe with the lemon dill sauce is a keeper! Everyone liked it. Thanks, Chef!
- Reply
so good!!
- Reply
- Christine Perez
I’ve made these twice now,and they are always a hit. & The sauce is really good too.
- Reply
Love it!
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- Kathleen Laird
Made this last night with the lemon dill sauce and it was delicious. I thought I’d point out though that the video shows you adding the zest and and juice of a lemon to the salmon mixture but the actual ingredients list and the method in the body of the recipe does not. So if you don’t watch the video you won’t add the lemon. You’d definitely be missing out.
- Reply
Thanks for giving it a shot!!
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- Frannie G.
This is absolutely delicious! Great sauce. Followed your recipe and will be making this very often! Thank you for the recipe and info.
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Awesome!
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- SCWhite
Hi Chef! Usually make these with canned salmon and had my doubts with using fresh! 🤯 😊 Had a request that I put capers in them. Turned out delish!! And the sauce — ooo la la! ❤️
- Reply
awesome!
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- Deborah
These were delicious. The whole family loved them. I chopped my salmon up as well as I could. It didn’t turn into a paste, but it still worked fine. I wanted to use gluten free matzoh crackers, but the store was out so I used simple mills gluten free crackers instead. Thank you!
- Reply
thanks for giving it a shot!!
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- Gipsie
I love so many of your recipes. This one is my ultimate comfort food!
- Reply
so good!!
- Reply
- Melissa Morgan
Love salman patties. This is a great recipe! Easy and healthy!
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thanks for giving it a shot!!
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- KellyM
Oh my! No more canned salmon for salmon patties. This recipe elevates this old fashioned recipe ten-fold. I’ve made for family and friends and they agree! I add additional herbs and can’t get enough!
- Reply
so good!!
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- Jeanne Stephens
These salmon patties were so delicious! My family loved them and the sauce. Wouldn’t change a thing. The recipe makes about 12 patties. My grandson is requesting them again.
- Reply
Amazing!
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- Carol
These had so much flavor! I added some fresh chopped spinach. My 100 year old Mom said they were the best! She said she can’t wait for the leftovers! Thanks for a great recipe, Chef Billy!
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- leslie
is there a gluten free option for the saltines?
- Reply
You could try using gluten-free crackers, but gluten-free is not an area of expertise for me.
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- Lois Sanders
Made these salmon patties tonight. First time I made patties without using canned salmon. What a wonderful difference. The patties held together nice and the red pepper made the patties pop with flavor. Will make these again. Thank you for a great recipe!
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- Jude Garvey
I am so looking forward to trying the salmon patties, they look delicious 😋
- Reply
- Catrina Watkins
Love Salmon patties. Thank you
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