Old Fashioned Salmon Patties
These simple Old Fashioned Salmon Patties makes an excellent main dish or appetizer. They have a crispy coating on the outside that is almost tempura-like!
Old Fashioned Salmon Patties will take you back to grandma’s kitchen.
This particular recipe, which I found in a 1970s Southern cookbook, also has a secret ingredient: baking powder!
The powder creates bubbles when it mixes with the salmon juice and introduces air into the salmon mixture. When the patties are fried, the air bubbles create a crisp, tempura-like texture on the outside.
Plus, if you’ve never tried homemade tartar sauce, now is the time! I never made it before discovering this recipe and was surprised at just how good it tasted. It does have green olives in it, but I honestly don’t think the olive-haters would know they are there.
If you love seafood, make sure to check out three more classic recipes: Easy Cold Crab Dip, Shrimp Dip with Cream Cheese, and Shrimp Scampi Recipe Without Wine.
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📖 Recipe
Old Fashioned Salmon Patties (with Homemade Tartar Sauce)
Ingredients
For the salmon patties:
- 1 can pink salmon (14.75 oz )
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup onion, finely chopped
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1½ cups vegetable oil (or other neutral oil like canola or corn)
For the homemade tartar sauce:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup onion, finely chopped
- 3 large pimento stuffed green olives
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped pickles (dill or sweet)
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained
Instructions
For the salmon patties:
- Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet (such as a cast iron pan) over medium heat. It should be 350°F–375°F Don’t fill the skillet more than half full with oil.
- Drain the salmon and reserve 2 tablespoons of the juice in a small bowl. Pick out any bones.
- Whisk the egg in a large bowl. Add the salmon, onion, flour, and salt.
- Whisk the baking powder into the reserved salmon juice. Pour that into the salmon and flour mixture, and mix gently until combined.
- Shape the mixture into patties, roughly 2 inches in diameter. Pack firmly but not too tightly. This helps them not to become crumbly.
- Fry in hot oil for 2–3 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom. Flip and continue cooking until golden brown on the other side, another 2 minutes.
- Drain on a paper towel lined plate.
For the homemade tartar sauce:
- Place all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix to combine.
- Serve salmon patties while still warm with tartar sauce on the side.
Notes
Nutrition
Ingredients
For the Salmon Patties
- I used Trader Joe’s Wild Alaskan Canned Pink Salmon but you can use any brand of canned salmon available to you.
- Onions give these salmon patties their classic flavor. I recommend finely chopping them—especially if you’ve got picky eaters.
- My secret ingredient for this recipe is baking powder! When mixed with the salmon juices, baking powder produces bubbles. The bubbles make the final cakes light and airy, almost like tempura.
- These salmon patties are lightly fried. I like to use vegetable oil but you could also another neutral oil like canola or corn oil if that’s what you have on hand.
For the Tartar Sauce
- Mayonnaise forms the base for the Tartar Sauce. Use your favorite brand.
- Onions give the sauce some of its zing. Again, I highly recommend finely chopping them so that they aren’t overpowering in any one single bite.
- Pickles—you can’t make tartar sauce without them! My preference is to use dill pickles but you can also try the sauce with sweet pickles if that’s more to your liking.
How to make Old Fashioned Salmon Patties
Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet (such as a cast iron pan) over medium heat. It should be 350°F–375°F Don’t fill the skillet more than half full with oil. This leaves some space for the patties to cook without the skillet overflowing.
To make the salmon patties, drain the salmon and reserve 2 tablespoons of the juice in a small bowl. Pick out any bones—don’t skip this step!
Whisk the egg in a large bowl. Add the salmon, onion, flour and salt.
Whisk the baking powder into the reserved salmon juice. Pour that into the salmon and flour mixture, and mix gently until combined. It’ll bubble up!
Shape the mixture into patties, roughly 2 inches in diameter.
Fry in hot oil for 2–3 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom. Flip and continue cooking until golden brown on the other side, another 2 minutes.
Drain on a paper towel lined plate.
To make the tartar sauce, place all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix to combine.
Serving suggestions
- Serve this Old Fashioned Salmon Patties Recipe while still hot with lemon wedges and homemade tartar sauce on the side.
- Keep warm in a 200°F oven for up to 30 minutes if not serving right away.
- Don’t have time or don’t want to make your own tartar sauce? These salmon cakes are delicious with Caesar or Ranch salad dressing. You could also try my Dill Dip with Sour Cream.
Sides for salmon patties
- A leafy green salad
- Baguette
- French fries
- Baked beans (like my Calico Beans)
- A creamy salad like Macaroni Salad with Shrimp or The Best Red Potato Salad.
- Hearty potato dishes like Extra Cheesy Mashed Potatoes or Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
Make ahead and storage instructions
The salmon patties can be made up to 2 hours in advance; place the patties in a single layer, cover, and refrigerate until ready to fry them. The tartar sauce can be made several days in advance; refrigerate until ready to serve.
Cooked salmon patties can be stored for 4–5 days in the refrigerator. When you are ready to reheat them, shallow fry for 1–2 minutes per side OR heat in a 350°F oven for 5–7 minutes.
The tartar sauce will last for one week in the refrigerator.
haven’t had a good salmon croquette in a long time since I was a child looking forward to Preparing this meal
I hope you enjoy them—thanks for commenting!