Salmon Cakes From Fresh Salmon
A fresh Salmon Cake Recipe from one of the internet’s top salmon recipe sites. This restaurant-quality recipe has the perfect amount of finely chopped veggies and savory seasonings.
This Recipe For Salmon Cakes is a Dinner Winner
If you’ve made it here, you’re probably looking for a recipe for salmon cakes made with fresh (not canned) salmon.
You’re in the right place. This is my favorite way to make salmon cakes. Nothing against the canned salmon lovers, but this dish doesn’t HAVE to be a last-minute pantry dinner situation. It CAN be something truly magnificent by using fresh salmon.
On my way to developing some of the internet’s top salmon recipes (like creamy salmon pasta and salmon pesto pasta), I ended up with a lot of leftover, cooked, fresh salmon.
I experimented with recipes for fresh salmon cakes for years before landing on the one below. It has the exact right amount of finely chopped veggies, and lots of savory seasonings in the form of Old Bay, soy sauce and ground mustard.
It’s flavorful yet mild enough for kids, and it’s the #1 best thing to do with leftover cooked salmon.
Why You’ll Love this Fresh Salmon Cake Recipe
- They’re packed with omega-3 fatty acids, protein and essential vitamins, so they’re just as nutritious as they are delicious.
- They’re super versatile. Enjoy them as a main dish, as an appetizer or even on a bun as a sandwich.
- Even picky eaters usually love the mild yet delicious taste of these salmon cakes.
Salmon Cake Ingredients
- salmon – we’re using fresh salmon instead of canned salmon here. You’ll need a 1/2 pound fillet.
- olive oil – for cooking the salmon, and later on, for frying the salmon cakes.
- salt and pepper – to season everything to perfection.
- eggs – one of the binding agents for the salmon cakes.
- garlic – adds lots of aromatic flavor.
- soy sauce – adds umami and seasons the salmon cakes.
- Old Bay seasoning – a blend of spices that is such a classic for seafood dishes.
- hot sauce – just a few dashes adds a touch of heat. I like Tabasco here but sriracha works too.
- ground mustard – adds a mild tang.
- panko breadcrumbs – provides structure and texture.
- green onions – adds a mild onion flavor without being overpowering.
- red bell pepper – contributes a sweet flavor, crunchy texture and pop of color.
- mayonnaise – adds moisture and richness.
- parsley – provides a fresh herbaceous note.
How to Make Fresh Salmon Cakes
Because I made this recipe with fresh salmon, I started by roasting the fresh salmon until it was cooked through (you can also start with my oven baked salmon recipe or baked salmon with pesto for extra flavor).
From there it was as simple as flaking the salmon and combining it with vegetables, seasonings, mayonnaise and breadcrumbs.
The salmon mixture should be refrigerated at least 30 minutes (or even overnight!) so that it has plenty of time to chill. This will help the cakes not fall apart when you pan fry them.
Even after refrigeration, the salmon mixture will be a little soft. Just gently form it into patties, and trust the pan frying process. The browning in the skillet will help the patties hold together, I promise!
Use a nonstick skillet with a little bit of olive oil to fry the salmon patties until they are golden brown.
Canned Salmon or Fresh Salmon?
This recipe uses cooked fresh salmon (so this is a go-to if I have leftovers from grilled sockeye salmon or salmon sandwiches).
If you’d like to use canned salmon, I recommend my recipe for canned salmon patties.
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Home Chef Tips
- Make sure the green onions and red bell pepper are very finely chopped to create a uniform mixture, which helps the cakes hold together better.
- Don’t overmix the cake mixture. Just gently mix it together to keep the texture light and airy.
- Be sure to cook the fresh salmon cakes over medium heat. Too high of heat will cause the cakes to burn on the outside while being undercooked on the inside.
How to Serve This Recipe For Salmon Cakes
I served these cakes with a squeeze of lemon juice over the top and a simple salad with miso dressing. Mashed potatoes with heavy cream and air fryer brussels sprouts are also an excellent side dish choices!
And if you’d like a dipping sauce, check out my sauce for salmon patties and recipe for tartar sauce.
How to Store
If you have leftovers, transfer them to a storage container and place them in the fridge uncovered for a few hours until they are fully chilled, then cover them with the lid and keep in the refrigerator up to 2 days.
Can You Freeze Salmon Cakes?
Yes, these freeze well! In fact, I made a batch and froze them so that I would have a quick meal for my daughter on busy nights.
For best results, prepare recipe as written. Then, place the salmon cakes on a plate or small baking pan and transfer them to the freezer until completely frozen. Then, transfer them to a freezer bag for storage up to one month.
To reheat, I recommend baking them in a 350 degree oven until heated through.
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Salmon Cakes (Fresh Salmon)
Ingredients
- ½ pound fresh salmon
- 2 teaspoons olive oil plus more for frying cakes
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon Tabasco sauce
- ¼ teaspoon ground mustard
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup finely chopped green onions about 6 onions
- ½ cup finely chopped red bell pepper
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons minced parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place salmon on rimmed baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Transfer to oven and bake 18 to 20 minutes or until salmon is almost opaque throughout and internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes.
- Slip spatula between salmon skin and flesh to remove skin; use fork to flake salmon into small pieces.
- Meanwhile, place eggs in large bowl and whisk until smooth. Add garlic, soy sauce, Old Bay seasoning, Tabasco sauce and ground mustard; whisk until well combined.
- Stir in breadcrumbs, onions, bell pepper, mayonnaise, parsley and flaked salmon. Cover and transfer to refrigerator at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Shape salmon mixture into 8 patties.
- Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add just enough olive oil to cover bottom of skillet. In batches, add salmon cakes and fry 8 minutes or until dark golden brown, turning once halfway through cooking. Transfer browned salmon cakes to rimmed baking pan and transfer to oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining salmon cakes. Serve immediately.
Notes
- If you’d like a dipping sauce, check out my sauce for salmon patties and recipe for tartar sauce.
These are good even without the Old Bay seasoning (haven’t had any on hand the two times I’ve made them). But the 8 min of frying is way too long; I did about 90 seconds on each side and still a few came out a bit more fried that I’d prefer. Still tasty though.
Glad they came out tasty, Anne!
My twin daughters find it difficult to eat seafood. I am going to make this for them with the hope that if your folks loved it, they should love it too.
Thanks for sharing this.
I hope they love it. Have a great week!
Made these tonight – so so yummy! I’ll definitely make again!
I am so glad to hear you liked them, Audrey. Thank you so much for stopping by!
Thanks for including my general malaise towards salmon … Because I truly did love these salmon cakes. I thought they were delicious. Might it have been my love of Old Bay or the fact it was in cake form? Possibly to probably. But it was a very tasty recipe. Well done.
I definitely think it was simply the Old Bay that won you over 🙂
These look amazing. I used to love it when my mom made salmon patties (what we called it) when I was a kid. Many years later I went to make it for myself and couldn’t believe it when I opened the can and found it full of tiny bones. I called her absolutely horrified. She laughed and said it was normal and very healthy. I like this recipe though since it uses fresh salmon.
Thank you so much, Heather. Yeah, canned salmon freaks me out a bit. At least with fresh, I can assure there’s no bones!