What did you call these in your family? Salmon Cakes? Salmon Patties?
I actually grew up calling them Salmon Croquettes. *fancy* My mom would make these on special occassion, and it would always be such a treat when I would see that red can of salmon in the pantry!
If you’ve never had salmon cakes, think of them as crab cake’s cousin from a couple of blocks down. I usually add in a chopped green bell pepper for some veggies. Seasoned with Old Bay seafood seasoning, you really can’t go wrong with these; they are juicy on the inside and have a beautiful crisp crust on the outside.
Of course, we grew up eating pan-fried salmon croquettes since there weren’t any of the fancy kitchen gadgets that we have available now. However, I’ve included instructions to air-fry these babies as well!
You’re going to get the same taste and overall feel regardless of how you prepare them. Pan-frying in a bit of oil gives that beautifully seared crust, where air-frying saves you those calories while still creating a tasty patty.
A quick tip: Before you add your beaten egg, taste the seafood mixture and adjust the seasonings to your preference. Sometimes you may want to experiment with spices, but you can’t do that when you’ve added the raw egg in! (Disclaimer: I fully eat cookie dough with raw eggs because I do live life on the edge.)
Try this with a homemade remoulade sauce, and serve as an appetizer or over some lettuce leaves for a salad as I did for lunch! To really treat yourself, have a seafood feast with some of my other favorite seafood recipes.
Easy Salmon Cakes (Pan-Fried or Air-Fried)
Ingredients
- 1 ct. green bell pepper
- 15 oz. boneless, canned salmon
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp Old Bay seasoning
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp hot sauce
- 1 ct. egg beaten
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil (if panfrying – skip if you are using the airfryer!)
Instructions
- Dice the green bell pepper into even-sized cubes. Add it to a skillet and sauté for 6-8 minutes, until soft, and remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, add canned salmon, sautéed bell pepper, panko, mayo, Old Bay seasoning, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, and hot sauce. Stir with a fork until combined.
- Taste, and adjust seasonings to your preference if necessary. I also add a little garlic powder and onion powder.
- Add in the beaten egg and stir again until well combined. Cover the bowl, and chill the mixture in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Using your hands, create salmon cake patties from the mixture.
If pan-frying:
- Coat a non-stick skillet with vegetable oil.
- Sauté for 5 minutes on one side until golden brown, then flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and serve with remoulade sauce. Enjoy!
If air-frying:
- Spray the air-fryer basket/bottom with non-stick cooking spray.
- Cook on 375°F for 10-12 minutes until golden brown, flipping one halfway through the cooking time. Enjoy!
The Coined Breakdown
- Total Cost per serving: $1.14
- Total Cost (6 patties): $6.82
- Those Other Guys: $9.99 per serving
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