Salmon Cakes are similar to crab cakes but easier on the budget and loaded with good quality ingredients. They contain just enough filler to hold them together without being heavy. A creamy lemony sauce is the perfect accompaniment. The fresh flavours work so well together and that extra crunchy golden panko coating steals the show.
For the best tasting Salmon Cakes use good quality canned salmon. Look for red salmon instead of pink. You can buy skinless and boneless canned salmon now but it’s fairly mushy and they sneak that salmon into smaller cans. Make sure you buy the typical salmon can size which is a little larger than a can of tuna. If you’re lucky enough to have a friend who goes on salmon fishing trips but doesn’t want the salmon, ask them to have the fish canned and shipped home. It’s excellent!
Canned salmon contains some liquid and parts you don’t want in your Salmon Cakes. Drain it very well and squeeze out any extra liquid. Then pick off all the dark coloured skin and remove any bones. The odd tiny bone is ok. Break up the salmon with a fork but don’t worry if there are a few little chunks, that’s actually desirable. You want to be able to see that you’re eating salmon and not a bunch of filler ingredients.
Speaking of filler, you do need a little bread to help hold everything together. But not dry breadcrumbs. You’ve got the crunchy component covered by coating with panko but the interior should be soft. If you have a mini chopper, tear a piece of bread into chunks and pulse until it’s quite fine. A blender will work too.
Egg is also used for binding. But here’s a trick. Instead of adding the whole egg, add the yolk only to the filling. Then whip the egg white until very stiff. I stole this tip from my mom who used egg whites to lighten up tuna filling while making tuna tarts for a party. Once all the filling ingredients are combined, gently fold in the egg whites right before shaping and frying the Salmon Cakes. It may seem like extra work but I highly recommend taking the time. The result is lighter Salmon Cakes.
Cut the celery and green onion into lengthwise strips then into small pieces. These add a nice crunchy component to the Salmon Cakes without having big chunks. That’s why these are so good. They’ve got authentic salmon colour with hints of green and a mixture of textures and flavours. It’s important to use fresh lemon juice and fresh dill. They really elevate the quality of these cakes.
Capers. Oh yes, I sure love capers. I can’t resist eating a few right out of the jar. But if you prefer, you can use dill pickles instead. Either way, chop them up into very small pieces, similar to the size of your green onion and celery. You don’t need a lot. Just enough for a salty briny surprise inside. Mix in the rest of the Salmon Cake ingredients and get ready to fry them up.
Yes, you can make these as Crab Cakes if you like. In fact you wouldn’t really need to change anything else in the recipe, although I would likely replace the dill with parsley or maybe even a mixture of fresh herbs like parsley, thyme and tarragon.
How to make Salmon Cakes
These Salmon Cakes are delicate so here’s a few tips to prevent frustration while shaping and frying.
- Spread lots of panko bread crumbs into a wide dish. A pie plate works well. Season with salt and pepper and mix.
- Spoon filling into a 1/4 size measuring cup. Don’t press down too much because you don’t want to deflate your egg whites. Then tip the measuring cup over and drop onto the panko.
- Using your hands, sprinkle bread crumbs on top of the each cake and press gently. No need to flip over because the crumbs will also be stuck to the bottom. You can also help shape the cake at this point by pressing the outside edges and spinning the cakes around. It’s ok if you get some panko breadcrumbs on the edges.
- Heat a wide non stick skillet to medium and add a small amount of light oil such as vegetable or canola. Olive oil will also work because you aren’t cooking on high heat.
- When oil is heated, carefully add cakes in small batches using a thin wide spatula. Brush off excess panko before adding to pan. Then, press down very gently to ensure good contact with the hot pan and to slightly spread cake out but not so firmly that the salmon case starts to break apart. When you can see the breadcrumbs are browning around the bottom edges, after a minute or so, slide the spatula under the cake using a fork in your other hand to assist. Then flip carefully. Press gently and fry until golden on the other side.
- Remove Salmon Cakes from the pan to a plate and keep in a warm oven until all the cakes are ready.
- If you have a lot of very dark panko crumbs left behind after the first batch, simply wipe out the pan, add more oil and fry the rest.
What kind of sauce goes with Salmon Cakes?
This cool tangy sauce uses the same flavour components found in the cakes and helps balance the richness. You can make it in advance and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve the Salmon Cakes. There’s no need for salt in the sauce because the capers are very salty. You can even make the salmon filling ahead but not more than a day. And don’t add the egg whites until you’re ready to shape and cook. The cakes lose their crunchy coating if they’re refrigerated so be ready to dig in while they’re still warm.
If you try these and you love them, consider leaving a comment or rating below! Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients
Salmon Cakes
- 2 cans red salmon use good quality, ie wild pacific red salmon
- 1 slice bread white or brown, not grainy
- 1 stalk celery, finely minced
- 2-3 green onions, sliced lengthwise then minced
- 2 tsp finely chopped capers or dill pickles
- 1 Tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped if using dried dill use 1/2 tsp only
- 1 egg, separated separate white into larger bowl
- 3 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 tsp dijon mustard plain or grainy
- splash of lemon juice use rest of lemon for the sauce
- salt and pepper
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
- salt and pepper
- 2 Tbsp oil use a light flavourless oil like vegetable or canola
Lemon Sauce for Salmon Cakes
- 2 Tbsp plain yogurt or sour cream
- 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 tsp horseradish
- ½ tsp dijon mustard not grainy
- 1 tsp finely chopped capers or dill pickles
- 1 tsp fresh chopped dill or ¼ tsp dried
- 1 lemon, juiced about ¼ cup
Instructions
- Make the sauce by combining all ingredeints together and refrigerate. Squeeze most of the lemon juice into the sauce and save a splash for the cakes.
- Drain salmon well. Pick out any discoloured skin and bones. Add to mixing bowl and break apart with fork.
- Tear a slice of white or brown bread into chunks and pulse in a food chopper until small crumbs. Add to salmon.
- Using the tip of a sharp knife, slice celery and green onion into lengthwise strips, then chop into small pieces. Mince dill. Drain and chop capers. Add to salmon along with mayo, dijon, salt and pepper.
- Squeeze a little lemon juice into mixture from lemon used for sauce.
- Separate egg. Add yolk to salmon mixture, combone all ingredients well.
- Beat egg white until thick and stiff. Fold gently into salmon mixture.
- Add panko breadcrumbs to wide shallow plate. Season with salt and pepper.
- Heat a wide non stick pan to medium heat and add 1 Tbsp oil.
- Spoon salmon mixture into ¼ cup measuring cup and press gently. Drop onto panko crumbs. Sprinkle crumbs over top and press, shaping into thick round cakes. Using a wide thin spatula, carefully place 3-4 salmon cakes into hot pan.
- Gently press cakes down with spatula to ensure a good golden crust. After about 1 minute when edges of crumbs at bottom are golden brown, carefully flip using a spatula and fork and fry other side.
- Remove cakes to a plate and keep in a warm oven while cooking second batch. Add 2nd Tbsp of oil to pan after first batch. Wipe out any dark bits of panko after first batch if necessary.
- Serve warm with sauce and garnish with extra dill if desired.
what to serve with crab cakes
Sheet Pan Asparagus with Tomatoes
Spicy Thai Grapefruit Salad with Shrimp
Strawberry Mandarin Salad with Sweet Onion Vinaigrette
The cakes look delicious. I will have to try them. Interesting with the egg whites.