Our southern-inspired salmon croquettes are pan-fried until a golden crisp crust forms for the perfect crunchy-tender ratio. These flavorful salmon patties are quick and easy to make in under 25 minutes!
Why this recipe works
You may also know salmon croquettes as salmon patties, salmon cakes, or fish cakes. Whichever way you call them, they are simply salmon-packed balls shaped into a patty that are pan-fried until golden and crispy. One bite into its soft interior and crunchy crisp exterior and you’ll understand why they are so popular.
Our take on salmon croquettes begins with a flavorful mixture of mayo, soy sauce, ground mustard, horseradish mayo, bell peppers, green onion, salmon, and bread crumbs. This blend of ingredients creates a flavor blast of savory pan-fried salmon patties that everyone will rave about.
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
BREAD CRUMBS – Breadcrumbs are the baseline of salmon croquettes that work to keep the salmon patties from falling apart. We are using regular bread crumbs, but you can certainly use seasoned or even substitute with panko or crackers. If you end up using panko bread crumbs, you may need less compared to regular as they are thicker in texture. Start with a bit less and work your way up to a stable patty.
SALMON – Some canned salmon will contain the skin and spine and you will have to remove those upon opening. You can also use pouches of salmon.
How to Make Salmon Croquettes
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- In a medium bowl whisk together mayonnaise, soy sauce, ground mustard, egg, and horseradish mayo.
- In a large bowl, combine drained salmon, red bell pepper, green onion, garlic salt, and bread crumbs.
- Add the mayonnaise mixture to the salmon mixture. Using gloved hands, combine all ingredients well and form into 7 patties.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot, but not smoking. Oil will be shimmering.
- Carefully add croquettes to the hot oil. Cook over medium-high for 1.5 minutes per side. Flip again, cooking an additional 1.5 minutes per side for a total of about 6 minutes. Your salmon is already cooked, so the only thing you are doing is cooking the egg and browning the outside of the patties.
- Remove from heat and drain on paper towels.
- Serve with tartar sauce or cocktail sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
The main reason your patties are falling apart is because they likely don’t have enough bread crumbs to hold them together. Try adding more bread crumbs to firm them up. If the patties are too wet, they lose their structural integrity. It’s also important to use an egg to bind the ingredients together, you do not want to skip out on these two main ingredients!
Though salmon croquettes are best served immediately, you can store fully cooled leftovers in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Reheat in the air fryer or oven at 350F until warmed through.
Yes, you can easily freeze your cooked salmon patties. To do so, place the patties in a large ziptop bag or air-tight container separated by parchment paper between each layer. Freeze for up to 2 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in the oven set to 350F until warmed through.
Serving Suggestions
Salmon croquettes can be enjoyed as both an appetizer and main course. Serve with tartar sauce or cocktail sauce for dipping. For sides, try steamed or sauteed vegetables, grits, or fries.
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Salmon Croquettes
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons ground mustard
- 1 large egg
- ½ Tablespoon horseradish mayo
- 14 ounces canned salmon drained
- ¼ cup red bell pepper diced
- 2 Tablespoons green onion chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- ¼ cup bread crumbs
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
Things You’ll Need
Before You Begin
- It’s best to use a fish turner or spatula rather than tongs to avoid the possibility of breaking the patties.
- Some canned salmon will contain the the skin and spine and you will have to remove those upon opening. Another option is to use the pouches of salmon which contain only the meat.
- Breadcrumbs are the baseline of salmon croquettes that work to keep the salmon patties from falling apart. We are using regular bread crumbs, but you can certainly use seasoned or even substitute with panko or crackers. If you end up using panko bread crumbs, you may need less compared to regular as they are thicker in texture. Start with a bit less and work your way up to a stable patty.
Instructions
- In a medium bowl whisk together mayonnaise, soy sauce, ground mustard, egg, and horseradish mayo.
- In a large bowl, combine salmon, red bell pepper, green onion, garlic salt, and bread crumbs.
- Add mayonnaise mixture to the salmon mixture. Using gloved hands, combine all ingredients well and form into 7 patties.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot, but not smoking. Oil will be shimmering.
- Carefully add croquettes to the hot oil. Cook over medium high for 1.5 minutes per side. Flip again, cooking an additional 1.5 minutes per side for a total of about 6 minutes. Your salmon is already cooked, so the only thing you are doing is cooking the egg and browning the outside of the patties.
- Remove from heat and drain on paper towels.
- Serve with tartar sauce or cocktail sauce.
Nutrition
Chef Antoine Davis
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Roni King says
These are amazing. I will say, I love salt more than I should but these were too salty even for me. I made a sour cream based sauce to balance it. Next time I’ll change the soy and garlic salt unit of measurement to teaspoons but 9/10. Thank you!!!
Amanda Formaro says
Thank you for the feedback. After further review, we have adjusted the recipe to reduce the amount of garlic salt from one tablespoon down to one teaspoon.
Donna STAMATAKIS says
Can’t wait to try these recipes. Yummy
Mary says
Do you drain the liquid from the canned salmon?
Amanda Formaro says
Yes. Thanks for pointing that out, I have corrected the recipe.