This post may contain affiliate links which will not change your price but will share some commission. Please read my privacy policy.
Salmon Cakes that are perfectly crisp on the outside and deliciously tender and flaky on the inside. Topped with a creamy Lemon Dill Sauce you’ll love! This Salmon Cake Recipe is my mom’s, so you know it’s gotta be good!
If you loved this salmon recipe, you’ll love this Asian Salmon Recipe and these Blackened Salmon Rice Bowls!
Growing up, my mom had 4-5 meals on constant rotation. These were things that she knew how to make and didn’t need to follow a recipe for. So we ate a lot of roasted chicken, pasta, and risotto.
But you better believe these salmon cakes were on that rotation! She didn’t make them every week, so they were special and more of a treat when she did.
I actually can’t remember the last time she made them for me, before Hanukkah of this year. I was thrilled when she asked if I’d like to have salmon cakes with the latkes this year!
Then I decided I HAD to share her recipe with all of you.
Salmon cakes are also known as salmon patties, so you might see me use both of those names interchangeably throughout this post!
Ingredients For Salmon Cakes
The ingredients for this salmon cake recipe are pretty simple. I used fresh salmon, but if canned salmon is easier for you, go for it!
- 1.5 lbs fresh salmon
- 1 shallot, minced
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1/3 cup celery, diced
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1.5 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1/2 lemon, juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper
How To Make Salmon Cakes (Salmon Patties)
1. Cook the salmon. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Brush a thin layer of olive oil over the salmon and season with salt and pepper. Bake the salmon for 10-12 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145 F. When the salmon is finished, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool. Remove the skin by sliding a spatula between the flesh and the skin. Place the salmon in a large mixing bowl and shred with two forks.
2. Make the salmon patties. Add the shallot, red pepper, egg, celery, breadcrumbs, dijon mustard, mayonnaise, lemon juice, dill, salt, and pepper to the bowl with the salmon. Mix until all ingredients are combined. To make the salmon cakes, form 1/4 cup of the mixture into patties on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 400 F.
Serve fresh from the oven with Lemon Dill Sauce and lemon wedges.
Lemon Dill Sauce
To make the Lemon Dill Sauce, combine greek yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, dill, and black pepper in a small bowl. Whisk until fully combined and serve over the salmon cakes.
Tips For Making The Best Ever Salmon Patties
1. I like to refrigerate the salmon after shredding it, or refrigerate the salmon cake mixture. Since there isn’t much filler in this recipe, this helps to hold the salmon patties together.
2. Since the salmon is already cooked, be careful not to overcook the patties. You don’t want to leave them in the oven until they char because they will dry out!
3. If you want to cut down the cooking time and effort spent making these salmon cakes, you can used canned salmon instead of cooking fresh salmon. You’ll need a 15 ounce can of salmon for this.
How To Serve Salmon Cakes
The easiest way to serve these is straight from the oven with a side salad or roasted potatoes. Don’t forget to top them with the Lemon Dill Sauce!
You can even use leftover salmon cakes to make a salmon patty sandwich with some lettuce and a tomato.
How To Make Salmon Cakes In The Air Fryer
If you have an air fryer, I highly suggest making them in there. They cook quickly and come out so juicy!
To make them in the air fryer, preheat it to 400F, spritz the top of the salmon cakes with a little bit of olive oil and air fry for 8 minutes. I like this refillable oil misters a lot for this!
Is Air Fried Food Healthy?
Air fried food uses far less oil and is much healthier in comparison to deep fried food.
Unless I am marinating something, I don’t use a lot of oil when cooking in the air fryer. I like to spritz the top of food like salmon or shrimp when I cook them in the air fryer to keep them from drying out.
You can use a cooking spray like this one or purchase a refillable oil mister.
Some Questions You Might Have About Salmon Cakes
What Are Salmon Cakes?
If you got all the way down here without knowing what salmon cakes or salmon patties are, I applaud you! 😄
Salmon cakes are a type of fishcake made from mostly salmon formed into a patty, similar to a hamburger. The salmon requires a binder to keep it all together.
Fun fact: salmon burgers are especially common in Alaska, where they are often offered as an alternative to beef hamburgers.
Are Salmon Cakes Healthy?
Salmon is high in heart-healthy omega-3s. It’s a low-calorie protein source that’s also low in saturated fat.
These salmon cakes have just enough filler to hold them together, making them a low carb, low calorie, and low fat meal.
Can Salmon Patties Be Made Ahead Of Time?
If you want to prepare the salmon mixture ahead of time, you can prepare it the day before and store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
You can store cooked salmon cakes in the refrigerator for up to two days in an airtight storage container.
Can Salmon Cakes Be Frozen?
If you’ve got leftovers (lucky you!), salmon cakes can be stored in the freezer for about 3 months. Make sure you put them in a freezer safe bag or storage container.
Here Are Some More Delicious Salmon Recipes You Might Like
- Pistachio Crusted Air Fryer Salmon
- Whole30 Green Goddess Salmon Bowls
- Pan Seared Salmon With Avocado Salsa
Best side Dishes To Serve With Salmon Cakes
- Broccolini With Marcona Almonds
- Harvest Salad With Champagne Apple Cider Vinaigrette
- Lemon Garlic Green Beans
- Mushroom And Herb Couscous
WANT TO TRY THIS SALMON CAKE RECIPE?
PIN IT to your salmon recipes, seafood recipes, or dinner recipes board to save it for later!
Find me on Pinterest for more great recipes. I’m always pinning!
Did you make this recipe? Post a photo on Instagram and tag me @JZEATS or #JZEATS so I can see! Leave a comment below and let me know what you think, too!
Mom’s Salmon Cakes With Lemon Dill Sauce
Ingredients
For the salmon cakes
- 1.5 lbs fresh salmon
- 1 shallot, minced
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1/3 cup celery, diced
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1.5 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1/2 lemon, juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper
For the lemon dill sauce
- 1/3 cup greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 lemon, juice
- 3 tablespoons dill, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
Instructions
For the salmon cakes
- Preheat the oven to 400 F. Brush olive oil over the salmon and season with salt and pepper. Bake the salmon for 10-12 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 135 F. (It should be ever so slightly undercooked) When the salmon is finished, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool. Remove the skin by sliding a spatula between the flesh and the skin. Place the salmon in a large mixing bowl and shred with two forks.
- Add the shallot, red pepper, egg, celery, breadcrumbs, dijon mustard, mayonnaise, lemon juice, dill, salt, and pepper to the bowl with the salmon. Mix until all ingredients are combined. To make the salmon cakes, form 1/4 cup of the mixture into patties on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 400 F.
For the lemon dill sauce
- Combine the greek yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, dill, and black pepper in a small bowl.
- Serve the salmon cakes with the lemon dill sauce and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Video
Notes
- Undercooking the salmon slightly will keep the salmon cakes from drying out while they bake in the oven.
Fabulous! From an avowed (former) salmon hater. My doctor told me to eat more salmon for my high triglycerides. I splurged on fresh salmon – Chilean is what we can get around here. Made exactly as per recipe, including chilling the mix before forming patties and air frying, Fresh Dill is where it’s at for both recipe and sauce. Family is very happy, and they are not fish lovers, trust me. Tell your mom A+.
Thank you so much!
Wow! Your mom really goes all out with her salmon cakes. Oh, and the sauce was lovely too.
She sure does 😉
The flavors in these cakes were outstanding, I never get a chance to buy crab and we always get salmon so this was a win win for me thank you DELICIOUS!
This quickly became a favorite at my house!! Thanks for the recipe!
These are absolutely amazing and with the lemon dill sauce…MMM. Everyone loved it! Thank you!
I love this recipe! The lemon-dill sauce was amazing and perfect with the flavors of the salmon cakes!
Good. But did I miss the measurement for the greek yogurt? I could not find it but I winged it
Hi! Yep – the measurements are all in the recipe card at the bottom of the page. Glad you enjoyed 🙂
I am making these today. Can the salmon cake mixture be frozen prior to baking?
I haven’t tried yet, but I don’t see why not. Just make sure you thaw them before baking. If you freeze them, let me know how it went!
Lamian gyod cya..Salamat Jz eats.
Really, actually and no kidding, the best and maybe only good salmon cake recipe I’ve ever had. My (normal oven) baked ones made from canned salmon didn’t look half as good as those pictured, but they are delicious!
Will definitely make this again.
Wow I love to hear this! So happy you loved them 🙂
Just wondering why ours didn’t come out that crispy….my husband even tried the cast iron pan….but I thought maybe it needed a sheet pan to have more room between them….any suggestions?
your salmon could have had too much moisture in it. You can give the broiler a try next time!
I came from Maryland many years ago before leaving and going to Florida. I do miss the recipes from Maryland when I go out to eat since I can only get great recipes from Maryland seafood at home these days. I see you do not precook your veggies prior to making the salmon cakes. Most of the time, I precook veggies so that they are not extra crispy or hard due to the seafood has already cooked. Can you tell me if that was an oversite or explain the reasoning why. Thanks so much and the only thing I miss from Maryland is seafood out! 🙂
Hi! I miss Maryland seafood too 🙁 to answer your question, I don’t cook the veggies first. I finely dice them so that they do cook in the oven. They aren’t very crunchy but they do provide a little bit of texture, and I enjoy that. If you prefer to cook your veggies first, that’s ok too!
Salmon is a delicious and healthy way to enjoy fish, and many different sauces can be served with them to add flavor and moisture.