Crispy Salmon Cakes

These flavorful Salmon Cakes cook up perfectly crisp on the outside and deliciously tender and flaky on the inside! Serve these fresh salmon patties with Sauce Gribiche and asparagus for a dish that’s sure to impress!

Almost everyone loves a good seafood cake. The usual is in the form of a crab cake, which can be hit or miss. Some crab cakes taste more like bread than crab, but it sure is amazing when you come across a crab cake that is crispy and full of succulent crab meat. This post is really nothing about crab cakes, but about salmon cakes, which I think might even be better.

We almost always have salmon in the freezer from relatives who love to fish and share their catch. While the salmon is wild and top quality, frozen is never as good as fresh salmon when eating it as a seared filet. When I saw America’s Test Kitchen make these salmon sakes, I just had to give it a try. Now we’re totally hooked (no pun intended) on these absolutely delicious cakes that are super easy to make.

What is Sauce Gribiche?

Sauce Gribiche is a classic French sauce that combines chopped hard-boiled eggs with lots of herbs, acidity from lemon juice, vinegar, and fat from olive oil. It tastes much like a vinaigrette but with even more complexity and depth. In some recipes, the egg is blended and emulsified to give it more of a cream consistency. I kept this one very rustic by only chopping the egg, which gives it great texture. Gribiche is a classic with Asparagus, and I think it goes pretty darn well with these crispy salmon cakes too.

How To Make Crispy Salmon Cakes

Start this recipe for crispy salmon cakes by combining the 3 tablespoons of Panko breadcrumbs, parsley, mayonnaise, lemon juice, scallion, shallot, mustard, salt, pepper and cayenne in a bowl.

Add diced salmon to a food processor in three batches, pulsing about two times to make 1/4-inch pieces. 

Combine the initial ingredients with the diced and pulsed salmon to gently form an even consistency.

Use a 1/3 cup measuring cup to make even portions of salmon cakes (should be about 8) and place on a parchment lined sheet pan.

Place the remaining panko in a pie dish and coat each cake generously with the bread crumbs.

Return the cakes to the baking sheet and gently push them into a 2 3/4″ ring mold (or carefully push the cakes together with your hands).

Heat the oil in a large nonstick or cast iron skillet until it is shimmering.

Fry the salmon cakes on the first side for about 2 minutes. Turn the cakes and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Transfer salmon cakes to a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess oil.

How To Make Sauce Gribiche

Sauce Gribiche looks a little complicated with all the ingredients, but it’s really not. Just do a little chopping and mix everything together.

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients and let sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes.

You can make the sauce a day or two ahead of time to really let the flavors combine. Be sure to let it sit out at room temp for at least thirty minutes before using.

To cook the asparagus, simply blanch it in salted boiling water, then shock it in an ice bath to stop the cooking and preserve the color. Just before serving, you can sauté in a little olive oil + butter, chopped shallots and salt + pepper.

Asparagus and Sauce Gribiche are a classic. You could really just serve it like pictured below as an awesome little appetizer.

This whole meal was packed with so much flavor! The salmon patties turned out tender and flaky on the inside, golden crispy on the outside and absolutely delicious. Give this salmon recipe a try and I know you’re sure to love it just as much as I did!

More Delicious Salmon Recipes

Salmon Poke Bowls

Beer-Battered Deep-Fried Salmon

Simple Smoked Salmon

Simple Baked Salmon

Crispy Salmon Cakes

Savor the crispy exterior and tender flakiness of our Salmon Cakes, paired with Sauce Gribiche for a burst of flavor. These super flavorful cakes are a delightful twist on the classic seafood favorite.

5 from 2 votes

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Course: Main

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 searvings

Author: Justin McChesney-Wachs

Ingredients

Salmon Cakes (makes 8 cakes)

• 3 tablespoons plus 1+ cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley minced
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 4 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 scallion sliced thin
• 1 small shallot finely minced
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 1 1/4 pound skinless salmon fillet, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil for frying

Sauce Gribiche (makes about 1/2 cup)

• 1 small shallot finely minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoon capers finely minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cornichon finely minced
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tablespoon egg white hard-boiled, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon egg yolk hard-boiled, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon tarragon finely minced
• 1 teaspoon Italian Parsley finely minced
• 1/2 teaspoon chives finely minced

Instructions

Sauce Gribiche

• In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients and let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Salmon Cakes

• Combine the 3 tablespoons panko, parsley, mayonnaise, lemon juice, scallion, shallot, mustard, salt, pepper, and cayenne in bowl.
• Add the diced salmon to a food processor in three batches, pulsing about two times to make 1/4 inch pieces.
• Transfer the salmon to the bowl with the panko mixture and very gently stir to combine together until it is an even consistency.
• Use a 1/3 cup measuring cup to make even portions of salmon cakes (should be about 8) and place on a parchment lined sheet pan.
• Place the remaining panko in a pie dish and coat each cake generously with the bread crumbs.
• Return the cakes to the baking sheet and gently push into a 2 3/4″ ring mold (or carefully push the cakes together with your hands).
• Heat the oil in a large non stick or cast iron skillet until it is shimmering.
• Fry the salmon cakes on the first side for about 2 minutes. Turn the cakes and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.
• Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain any excess oil.
• Serve the salmon cakes with the sauce gribiche and asparagus.