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Salmon Fish Cakes

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5 from 5 reviews

These quick and easy crispy salmon fish cakes come together in about 20 minutes with just a handful of simple ingredients. They’re the perfect way to use up that leftover roasted salmon in the fridge. A quick shallow fry allows them to get deliciously crisp on the outside while staying tender on the inside, and they’re loaded with herby, lemon flavor!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 lb. roasted salmon (or about 3 cups flaked, cooked salmon) 
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup fresh chopped chives + more for garnish
  • 1/4 cup fresh chopped dill + more for garnish
  • Kosher salt
  • fresh cracked pepper
  • vegetable oil for frying

Serve with:

Instructions

  1. Flake roasted salmon into small pieces with two forks. Add salmon, breadcrumbs, eggs, lemon zest, mayo, chives, dill, and a couple large pinches of Kosher salt to a large bowl.
  2. Gently mix just until combined.
  3. Lightly oil the palms of your hands with vegetable oil and use a 1/4 cup scoop to portion salmon mixture into patties. Remember to pack the patties firm, but gently. 
  4. Add oil to a large saute pan until there’s about 1/4 of an inch of oil coating the bottom of the pan. Heat over medium heat.
  5. Add salmon patties in batches, cooking them for about 2-3 minutes per side or until a dark golden brown crust forms.
  6. Use a slotted spoon to transfer cooked salmon cakes onto a paper towel lined platter.
  7. Serve salmon cakes with my quick and easy dill yogurt sauce and garnish with fresh dill and chives!

Equipment

Notes

  • As you flake your roasted salmon, be sure to check for pin bones! Pick them out and discard them as you flake the salmon into pieces. Some of the small bones can easily be chewed and digested, but it’s best to remove as many as you can just to be safe.
  • Oil the palms of your hands before forming the patties. The salmon mixture is going to be a bit sticky/tacky – which is good because it means the cakes will hold together when they’re fried – so a thin layer of oil is going to help prevent the salmon mixture from sticking to your hands.
  • Pack the salmon fish cakes firmly, but gently. This will ensure that they hold together well as they fry and cook all the way through. If you pack the patties too tightly, they won’t cook through and will still be cold in the middle.
  • Don’t skip the Dill Yogurt Sauce! Herby fried salmon cakes pair best with a cool, lemon yogurt sauce. The contrast in temperature and texture is truly a delight for your taste buds. If you don’t have 3 seconds to make homemade yogurt sauce, grab some tzatziki from the store!

Nutrition