There are some recipes that you come back to over and over again and are always a hit, right? This is one of mine. Keep reading for the best damned salmon cakes that will ever hit your mouth. I promise!
I originally made these salmon cakes for a wine pairing menu for Sandhill Wines last year but they got lost in the post; there was a lot going on, so I figured I would pull them out of the abyss and show them off for you again. I made them for our company the other night and as usual, a TOTAL HIT! The secret to these salmon cakes is the mix of both fresh and smoked wild salmon and the magical homemade dill tartar sauce that will make you wonder where these have been all your life!
I paired these with the Sandhill Pinot Gris, a crisp fresh white wine that pairs so perfectly with the salmon and the creamy dill tartar sauce. You can make these into smaller portions (2 tablespoons) and serve them as an appetizer or make them as I did here for a main dish (the perfect brunch or lunch dish!) alongside a green salad. You can use any type of wild salmon you wish, and as usual, do your best to source a local source. There’s a 100% chance these are going into the cookbook my friends!
Salmon Cakes
These salmon cakes are packed with rich flavour, and make an amazing appetizer or a main if served with a light green salad. This makes a lot of salmon cakes, so cut the recipe in half if you're only serving a small crowd. WINE PAIRING: Sandhill Pinot Gris
Ingredients
Salmon Cake Ingredients:
- 3 cups 1/4" diced raw wild salmon, skin removed
- 1 cup 1/4" diced cold smoked wild salmon
- 2 tablespoon finely diced chives
- ¾ cup mayo
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- ½ cup finely diced red onion
- ½ cup finely chopped fresh dill plus extra for garnish
- 3 tablespoon chopped capers
- 3 cups panko divided
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 3 free range eggs beaten
- neutral oil for frying ie: avocado or canola
Tartar Sauce Ingredients:
- ¾ cup mayo
- ¼ cup finely chopped dill pickles
- ¼ cup finely chopped red onion
- juice of 1 lemon
- ¼ cup chopped fresh dill
- 1 teaspoon drained capers chopped
Instructions
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In a large bowl combine both types of salmon, chives, mayo, dry mustard, red onion, dill, capers, salt, pepper and 1 cup of panko and mix thoroughly. Mix in the eggs until combined.
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Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the 2 cups of panko on a large plate. Using a large (size 8 or ½ c.) ice cream scoop or your hands, form each salmon cake and carefully place it onto the plate of panko, gently pressing some panko on the top of the cake. Using a metal spatula, carefully lift the salmon cake onto the prepared cookie sheet and repeat until all of the salmon mixture is used up. Refrigerate the salmon cakes for 30-60 minutes and prepare the tartar sauce by combining all of the ingredients together in a small bowl.
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Line a large plate with paper towel. Add oil to a large frying pan until it is ½” deep. Heat over medium-high heat and fry the salmon cakes in batches, careful not to over crowd the pan (we used a large pan and cooked 4 at a time), until the salmon cakes are golden on each side. Remove from the pan with a metal spatula and repeat with the remaining salmon cakes. Serve immediately with the tartar sauce and fresh dill as a garnish if desired.
Recipe Notes
WINE PAIRING: Sandhill Pinot Gris
The original wine pairing post was sponsored by Sandhill Wines.
Photography by Mackenzie Dempsey of Mackenzie Jane Photo
Hi. These look so delicious. Will be making them tomorrow. Did you ever freeze them? I’m thinking of freezing half. What do you think?
Hi Sandra I think you could on a baking sheet! You would just need to completely thaw them before cooking to make sure they get cooked throughout. Please let me know if you try! Tori
So delicious!!! I added 1/2 cup of bell pepper as well to give it a little color. And I was impatient and just popped them in the freezer for 15 min and they seemed to do fine. This will now be a staple in our salmon rotation!!!
So glad you liked them!!
Hi Tori. I made these salmon cakes a couple of nights ago and they were absolutely delicious! I felt like a gourmet chef! 🙂
So glad you liked them! Thanks for following along!
Hi Tori, have you ever tried baking these?
Hi Amy no I haven’t but would love to hear if you try!
Hi – I just baked them and they are delicious!! I did 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
Could the salmon mixture be made in advance and stored overnight in the fridge? Then take them out the next day to bread and fry?
Looking to prep in advance for a party!
Sorry one more question – how many cakes does the recipe make using a smaller scoop roughly?
I assembled them the night before and coated them with the panko crumbs and when I cooked them for dinner they were great!! I froze the left overs (cooked) so hoping I can heat them in the oven. I made 12 of them.
Tori, hands down these are the best salmon cakes I’ve ever made!
Hey Liane! Thank you so much. It’s great to hear you enjoyed.
A regular in our family dinner rotations! Thank you!!
Thanks Sharon! I love to hear it’s a favourite of yours! Tori
Do you think you could cook these in an airfryer?
Hi Donna I don’t know but I am sure you could – I haven’t tried but would love to hear if you do! Tori
Oh my GOSH! These were so YUMMY!
Thanks. Love your recipes! ❤
Thanks Carol! I am so happy you loved them! xx Tori
So this Albertan used canned salmon due to the price of fresh fish out here on the prairies and they turned out fabulous! So delicious!
Hi Kristy! That is SO great to know that it works. I am thrilled it was fabulous! xx Tori
I made these as an appetizer. They were a huge hit! Thank you.
Wonderful! Thank you so much