This Old-Fashioned Salmon Patties Recipe is simple, delicious, and just how grandma used to make them! These salmon patties are crispy, flavorful, and come together in no time.
When my grandma would make dinner for us, she would make one of two dishes; either fried spaghetti or these salmon croquettes. Now it’s my mom and myself who makes these and we love them just as much every time!
Why this recipe is the best:
Easy: This recipe only has a few ingredients and is really simple and straightforward.
Time: The salmon patties use canned salmon and saltine crackers- which is easy to have stored in your pantry for a quick lunch or dinner!
Taste: It’s hard to go wrong with fried food, but this old-fashioned salmon patties recipe is extra delicious with the saltine crackers and Worcestershire.
Dip: For extra tastiness you have to try these dipped in the delicious lemon dill sauce!
What you need for salmon patties?
- Canned Salmon
- Egg
- Seasoning: Salt and Pepper- feel free to add extra seasonings like garlic powder, onion powder, or Italian seasoning!
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Oil for frying
- Dill Sauce: Greek yogurt, lemon juice, dill, garlic powder, and salt
How to make salmon patties?
- Drain the juice from the canned salmon and crush the crackers.
- Remove any large bones or cartilage, you can leave them in since they are soft, but I like to pick out the bigger ones.
- In a large bowl combine salmon, egg, crushed crackers, salt pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Add a little water if the mixture is too dry and not sticking together well enough to form patties.
- Shape into patties then fry in hot oil.
- Fry the patties until they are golden brown on one side, then flip and fry until they are golden brown on the other.
Helpful Tips
Bones: After draining the salmon, press it between your hands to find any hard bones. Any other bones will be soft and can be left in.
Dry: If the salmon mixture seems a little dry add 1-2 tbs of water.
Oil: When frying use enough oil to so it comes up at least halfway on the side of the patties. This ensures a golden crispy outside around the entire patty.
Shaping: Use your hands to shape the patties- it’s easy, fast, and works the best!
Variations
Spices: Add onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, Italian seasoning, or even chipotle powder for some extra flavor!
Veggies: Freshly chopped onions, bell pepper, or green chile would be a tasty addition to these!
Bread Crumbs: Toss in homemade bread crumbs, panko, or crushed croutons instead of saltine crackers!
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Lemon Dill Sauce
This recipe is great but dipping these salmon patties in my lemon dill sauce is amazing!
All you need to do is mix everything together. We make some version of this sauce every week and eat it with chicken, steak, and homemade fries!
How to make salmon patties stick together?
The egg and crackers help the patties stick together. If the patties seem to be a little dry, add 1-2 tbs of water to help hydrate them and get them to stick, pressing firmly into patties with your hands.
Why do salmon patties fall apart?
It’s either because they are too dry or too wet. If the mixture is too wet, leaving lots of liquid in the bowl after it’s mixed, add in a few more crush crackers.
How long do salmon patties take to cook?
Depending on how hot your oil is and how big your patties are they will take between 2-5 minutes to fry, once everything is mixed and shaped.
How to store salmon patties?
Store leftover salmon patties in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
How long do salmon patties last?
Salmon patties will last 3-4 days if refrigerated.
Can you freeze salmon patties?
Yes, but they are best when frozen before frying. Separate patties with parchment paper, then place flat in a Ziploc bag. When you are ready to eat them, defrost overnight in the refrigerator then fry up as normal.
Is canned salmon good for you?
Yes! It has all the nutrients as fresh salmon just conveniently canned.
What to eat with salmon patties?
These are great with some Thanksgiving creamed corn, easy deviled eggs, green bean casserole, or sweet potato rolls, as well as broccoli slaw and sour cream mashed potatoes!
Old Fashioned Salmon Patties Recipe
Ingredients
- 14.5 oz canned salmon
- 1 egg
- ¾ sleeve of saltine crackers crumbled in to coarse chunks
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Oil for frying
- 1-2 teaspoon water if mixture is too dry
Lemon Dill Sauce
- 8 oz Greek yogurt
- 2 tbs lemon juice
- 1 tbs dill fresh or ½ tbs dried
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Drain juice from14.5 oz canned salmon, remove any bones or cartilage.*14.5 oz canned salmon
- In a large bowl combined salmon, 1 egg, ¾ sleeve of saltine crackers, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce.1 egg, ¾ sleeve of saltine crackers, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Shape into 6-8 patties. If the mixture is too dry the patties won’t stick together- to fix that add 1-2 teaspoon water if mixture is too dry to the salmon mixture and mix thoroughly.1-2 teaspoon water if mixture is too dry
- Heat Oil for fryingl in a large skillet over medium high heat. Once hot fry the patties 1-2 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown and crispy. You want enough oil to come up half the side of the patty.Oil for frying
- Serve with dill sauce and enjoy!
Lemon Dill Sauce
- In a small bowl mix together the 8 oz Greek yogurt, 2 tbs lemon juice,1 tbs dill, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and½ teaspoon salt8 oz Greek yogurt, 2 tbs lemon juice, 1 tbs dill, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt
Notes
- *I like to remove the bigger bones that I can see. All the bones are soft enough to be eaten so if you miss any you won't notice when eating.
- Nutrition info is an estimate and does not include oil for frying.
Patty Paul says
Can you use Alaska Sockeye Salmon instead of can?
Lisa Killian says
I don't see why not as long as it's already cooked :).
Lisa says
These are so good! Love how crispy they get and how easy they are to make!