Crispy Salmon Patties with Lemon Dill Sauce
Crispy Salmon Patties with Lemon Dill Sauce are healthy, satisfying and perfect for an easy dinner or appetizer. They’re low carb, gluten-free and come together in about 30 minutes!
Everyone in my family loves salmon, so I prepare it regularly. My lemon dijon baked salmon and blackened salmon recipes are my go-to’s, but sometimes I simply hit the pantry to make these Salmon Patties with Lemon Dill Sauce!
There’s so much to love about this recipe. It’s quick and easy, healthy, and it’s incredibly affordable because it utilizes canned salmon and a few pantry staples.
This recipe is extremely versatile as well, and can be served as an appetizer, for lunch along with a side salad, or alongside your favorite side dishes.
There’s simply no going wrong with salmon cakes. 🙂
See my collection of Pantry Recipes for more inspiration!
Table of contents
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- Salmon cakes are golden brown, crispy and served with a creamy flavorful lemon dill sauce.
- This recipe comes together quickly and it’s great for meal prep.
- It’s low carb and grain free, so it’s a great option for Whole30, paleo and keto diets.
- It’s extremely versatile and can be easily customized using ingredients that you have on hand.
Recipe ingredients
This salmon cakes recipe can be easily customized using ingredients that you have in your pantry or refrigerator.
- Salmon. Use canned wild salmon as it’s sustainable and very affordable. I prefer to remove the skin, but I do leave the bones as they’re perfectly edible, they add a crunchy texture and they’re packed with nutrients.
- Oil. Use a high heat oil such as avocado oil for best results.
- Egg. Provides structure to the salmon patties.
- Mayo. Adds moisture to the salmon cakes and is also used for the lemon dill sauce. Greek yogurt is a great substitute.
- Almond flour. Helps bind the salmon cakes together. It may be substituted with regular or gluten-free breadcrumbs or crushed crackers if you prefer.
- Lemon. Adds fresh flavor to the cakes and the sauce.
- Dijon mustard. Adds savory depth of flavor. May be substituted with yellow mustard.
- Dill. This adds freshness to both the cakes and sauce. Parsley, chopped chives or scallions are great substitutes.
How to make salmon cakes
This salmon cakes recipe comes together very quickly, making them perfect for busy weeknights.
Pro tip: Be sure that the salmon patties have a nice, even golden brown crust on the bottom as this will prevent them from falling apart when they’re flipped.
See the recipe card below for full instructions.
- Place the salmon cake recipe ingredients in a large bowl.
- Combine the ingredients gently with a fork.
- Divide the mixture into (8) cakes about 1/2″ thick.
- Fry for 2-3 minutes until a nice golden brown crust has formed evenly on the bottom. Flip and repeat.
FAQs
Fresh salmon filets or canned salmon may be used for salmon cakes. As long as it’s wild salmon, it’s all good!
I’ve never used fresh salmon for my salmon cakes as I have a hard time pulverizing a beautiful, fresh filet. Plus, canned salmon is more affordable and it’s already cooked.
To prep canned salmon, simply drain and remove the skin. You can remove the bones as well, but they’re completely edible and loaded with calcium. They also add some crunchiness!
The trick to keeping the salmon patties from falling apart is achieving an even, crispy sear on the bottom of the salmon cake before flipping. This will take 2-3 minutes, depending on how hot your pan is. The more golden brown and crispy your salmon cake is, the better!
The salmon patties may be assembled up to a day in advance and cooked when you’re ready. They may also be cooked then frozen for up to 3 months, making them a great meal prep option.
Serving suggestions
There are so many delicious side dishes for salmon patties as shown below, and they may be served up a number of delicious ways.
- Serve as lettuce wraps, atop butter lettuce salad or simply as-is.
- Salmon cakes are great served as burgers or sliders with your favorite toppings.
- They make a great appetizer served alongside a crudites platter.
- They pair perfectly with rice pilaf or crispy smashed baby potatoes. You can also go lighter by serving them alongside my broccoli slaw or coleslaw.
Recipe notes
- Pro tip: Be sure that the salmon patties have a nice, even golden brown crust on the bottom as this will prevent them from falling apart when they’re flipped.
- You may prepare the salmon cakes with crackers or panko breadcrumbs instead of almond flour if you’re not following a gluten-free or low carb diet.
- This recipe is easily halved if you wish to make a smaller amount.
- Parsley, chives or scallions are great substitutes for the dill!
- Store leftover salmon cakes in the refrigerator for 3-5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
More salmon recipes you’ll love!
- Air fryer salmon
- Broiled salmon
- Miso salmon
- Salmon nicoise salad
- Salmon tacos by Gimme Some Oven
- Smoked salmon appetizer
- Teriyaki salmon
Did you try this recipe? If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram
Crispy Salmon Patties with Lemon Dill Sauce
Ingredients
For the salmon patties:
- 1/4 cup oil for frying; use high heat oil such as avocado oil
- 2 14.75 ounce cans wild salmon drained and skin removed if desired (bones do not need to be removed, and they're loaded with calcium!)
- 4 tablespoons mayo
- 4 tablespoons almond flour sub with breadcrumbs or crushed crackers
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the lemon dill sauce:
- 1/2 cup mayo sub with Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon freshly chopped dill
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Prepare the salmon patties:
- Combine the salmon, mayo, almond flour, eggs, lemon juice, zest, dill, dijon and pepper to taste in a large bowl with a fork.2 14.75 ounce cans wild salmon, 4 tablespoons mayo, 4 tablespoons almond flour, 2 large eggs, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, 2 teaspoons dijon mustard, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Divide the salmon mixture into (8) cakes about 1/2″ thick.
- Heat the oil over medium high heat in a large cast iron skillet or sauté pan. There should be enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan.1/4 cup oil
- Working in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan, add the salmon cakes to the hot pan. Cook 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown and crisp. Be sure there is a good crust on the bottom before flipping or the cake can fall apart! Cook on the other side and place on a platter and keep warm. Repeat with any remaining salmon cakes, adding additional oil as needed.
Prepare the lemon dill sauce:
- Place all sauce ingredients into a small bowl and whisk well to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.1/2 cup mayo, 1 tablespoon freshly chopped dill, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, salt and pepper
- Serve the salmon cakes topped with the lemon dill sauce and serve with your favorite side. Enjoy!
Notes
- Pro tip: Be sure that the salmon patties have a nice, even golden brown crust on the bottom as this will prevent them from falling apart when they’re flipped.
- You may prepare the salmon cakes with crackers or panko breadcrumbs instead of almond flour if you’re not following a gluten-free or low carb diet.
- This recipe is easily halved if you wish to make a smaller amount.
- Store leftover salmon cakes in the refrigerator for 3-5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Parsley, chives or scallions are great substitutes for the dill!
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
**This post was originally published in March 2019. The text has been restructured for better readability and has been modified to include more recipe information.
10 Comments on “Crispy Salmon Patties with Lemon Dill Sauce”
I remember trying salmon cakes with the boys when they were first starting out with solids, and they loved them, but for some reason, like you say, I stopped making them! Now that Hattie is chowing down, I will have to give your recipe a go!
I guess we just got tired of them or something??? If Hattie is chowing down now, these would be great to revisit. haha Thanks Katherine!
Salmon is something both my husband and I can agree on as a meal. So I’ll definitely be giving these a try some time. And thanks for the tip on keeping them from falling apart. It happens to me any time I make fish cakes. I’m too impatient and flip them too soon! 🙂
I relate about getting impatient and flipping too early, but then my salmon cakes pay the price! haha Thanks Leanne! 🙂
Marcie, I know what you mean about forgetting favorite recipes. I think if I really like something, I cook it too often then the kids get tired of it. So I stop making it and forget all about it. It’s too bad because some of those forgotten recipes were really favorites. These salmon cakes look so delicious! Those crispy outsides with that creamy sauce – perfection!
That’s exactly it — I think we all get tired of it and I stop making it. The best part is when you revisit an old recipe, it becomes exciting again. 🙂 Thank you Kelly!
We have salmon cakes once a week at our house! Like clockwork haha And I’m with you – I always used canned for patties … I just can’t bring myself to mash up a beautiful fresh piece! I need to try these this week … I usually do the same seasonings (kinda more mexican-ish) but this sounds fantastic!
I haven’t had salmon cakes in years and yours sound especially good. I can see why they quickly disappeared.
The first section of the recipe has mayo, but the second half has vegan mayo. I don’t understand this…
Sorry about the confusion. When I first wrote up this post years ago I specified vegan mayo, then I modified it for any type of mayo. I have corrected this now.