Salmon Croquettes – pan fried, protein-packed, bread crumbed rolls made with salmon and aromatics. It makes a quick and tasty appetizer, breakfast or dinner fix. Very budget-friendly and simple to make!
Depending on your family history, these Salmon Croquettes are also referred to as salmon cakes or salmon patties. But one thing is for sure, this is a tasty and easy recipe that saves you not just time, but also money.
This recipe is a Southern favorite. It is often served at home and even in bars and restaurants. What makes this dish a surefire hit is that it’s easy to assemble and very budget-friendly. You’ll find that it only calls for a couple of simple ingredients that are probably sitting right in your pantry now.
Aside from that, these croquettes here are quite tasty, too – inside and out. It’s packed (but not overwhelming) with onions, garlic and savory herb flavor which is pretty basic yet indulgent.
The use of minced garlic for this recipe allows the garlicky flavor to disperse easily and incorporate well into the salmon mixture.
To amp up the flavor, I used creole seasoning – yes, I just can’t live without it. Makes everything taste better! To coat the salmon mixture I used panko bread crumbs – any would do just fine, actually.
But if you don’t have easy access to it, you can simply make your own homemade seasoned breadcrumb with stale white or wheat bread. Or you can get fancy by adding a little more seasonings depending on your preference.
You can shape them into patties or balls but I do prefer them in oval-shaped as they look pretty convenient to eat with dippings and sauces during parties and game days.
Want an easy baked salmon meal instead? Try this Oven Baked Salmon is moist, flaky, highly-seasoned salmon fillets with a lemony and spicy kick. A great no-fuss low-carb or family weeknight meal!
Looking for some serving suggestions for these croquettes as an everyday family meal? I got your back. You may serve this salmon croquettes with mashed potatoes, roasted or steamed veggies, fresh salad or enjoy it on its own.
You may want to restrain yourself from eating the whole batch as they are simply addictive. Happy eating!
If you prefer using fresh salmon, check out this other recipe HERE.
Tips and Notes:
- You may dip in lightly beaten eggs before coating in bread crumbs, for extra crispness.
- If you’re not a fan of anything canned, you may poach a one-pound salmon fillet, then simmer in a lightly seasoned liquid, flake it once cooked and proceed to the next step.
- After mixing the whole ingredients, let it sit for 15 minutes in the fridge to firm up before you start rolling them.
- If planning on pan frying then shape into patties – it cooks faster .
Watch How To Make It
Salmon Croquettes
Ingredients
- 1 1 14.75 ounce (418.16 g) can salmon, drained and flaked
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten ( plus extra egg) optional see notes
- ½ cup (75 g) onion, diced
- ½ teaspoon (3 g) minced garlic
- 1 cup (125 g) bread crumbs (divided)
- 1 teaspoon (1.80 g) white pepper
- 1-2 green onions diced (about ¼ cup)
- ½ -1 teaspoon (2.3 - 4.7 g) hot sauce
- ¼ teaspoon (1.42 g) salt, adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon (2.60 g) cajun seasoning
- oil (for frying)
Instructions
- Drain the liquid from the canned salmon into a measuring cup. Flake the salmon into a large bowl . Set aside.
- In a large bowl, gently mix together the canned salmon, eggs, onion, garlic, ¼ cup bread crumbs, white pepper, green onions, hot sauce, cajun seasoning and salt.
- Grab about 2-3 Tablespoons each of the salmon mixture – shape into croquette using your hands, into an oval shape – just like an egg.
- Lightly dip the croquettes into the extra egg mixture until it is completely coated, if desired ,then drenched in bread crumbs. Set aside.
- Heat a small non-stick frying pan with a medium-high heat, then add oil about ½ cup. Let oil heat until it reaches about 350 degrees F.
- Gently place croquette in oil using a frying spoon, if needed, then fry about 2 minutes per side or until golden brown. You may have to do in batches to prevent croquette from being soggy.
- Transfer to a plate with paper towels and serve warm with remoulade sauce.
Nutrition Information:
How to Make Salmon Croquettes
Drain the liquid from the canned salmon into a small bowl. Set aside. In a large bowl, gently mix together the canned salmon, eggs, onion, garlic, ¼ cup bread crumbs, white pepper, green onions, hot sauce, cajun seasoning and salt.
Grab about 2-3 tablespoons each of the salmon mixture –  shape into croquette using your hands into an oval shape – just like an egg.
Lightly dip the croquettes into egg mixture, if desired – it’s optional – until it is completely coated, then drenched in bread crumbs. Set aside.
Heat a small non-stick frying pan with a medium-high heat, then add oil about ½ cup. Let oil heat until it reaches about  365 degrees F. Gently place croquette in oil using a frying spoon, if needed, then fry  about  2 minutes per side or until golden brown. You may have to do in batches to prevent croquette from being soggy.
Transfer to a plate with paper towels and serve warm with remoulade sauce.
Stewart brashear says
Love me some salmon cakes! As for the liquid,I put it in a container and freeze for later use in any kind of seafood chowder or soup. Works great. Ciao!
Larry says
This recipe turned out great; however I was confused about a direction. You said to drain the salmon into a measuring cup. So I did, but there is no further direction about what to do with the drained liquid, so I poured it over the cat’s dry food (she loved it). If it’s supposed to be discarded, why save it in measuring cup? What is supposed to be done with it? Please clarify. Thanks…and the croquettes turned out just wonderful!
Immaculate Bites says
Hi Larry! Thank you for making this and glad that it turned out great. I’m sure your cat loved the salmon liquid, too 😀
As for the drained liquid, you can add a bit of that to the mixture if is too dry to form into patties.