Southern Salmon Patties, made with canned salmon and Saltine crackers, are one of the easiest, tastiest budget meals you can make! Sure to be a family favorite, these crispy, golden salmon croquettes are perfect for weeknight meals. Ready in under 20 minutes.
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What's the Story on Salmon Patties?
When I was growing up, our family's monthly dinner menu was pretty predictable. We always had roast on the first Sunday of the month (right after payday), which was followed by open-faced roast beef sandwiches followed by potato hash followed by beef vegetable soup. (Mom could get a lot of meals out of one little roast!) Then we'd have chili mac sometime in the middle of the month, and towards month's end it would be chipped beef on rice and stewed tomatoes. Standard fare for the times.
One of the meals I most looked forward to each month was Mom's fried canned salmon with crackers. Salmon patties were a dish that came directly from her Southern roots, and they were always a real treat. With just five ingredients, Mom's salmon patty recipe was as simple as they come, and I must have helped her make it at least a couple dozen times before I ever started school.
First she'd open up a can of salmon and clean out the skin and bones. She always gave the soft, crunchy bones to me to snack on (which now sounds kind of eww, but at the time I took as quite a privilege). She'd let me crush a tall stack of Saltines with her big wooden rolling pin, and then she'd toss the crumbled crackers into the salmon along with a couple of beaten eggs and some milk, and mix it all up. Sometimes she'd add sliced green onion if she had some, but it wasn't a requirement.
When it came to cooking them, calling what mom fried up "patties" is a bit of a stretch. Her preferred cooking method was to fry the salmon and cracker mix all in the pan at once, without any concern for form or structure. Personally, when I make canned salmon with crackers now, I'm about 50/50: I'll sometimes form the mix into patties, but I'm just as likely to go old-school and just fry it up as is. (More crispy edges that way!)
What Goes into this Easy Salmon Patty Recipe
Canned salmon? Yep! We live in the Pacific NW, and fresh salmon is a staple in our diet. However, canned salmon has its place. It's shelf-steady, budget-friendly, and always available: perfect for last-minute meals.
- Canned salmon: Use wild caught pink salmon. You can also use red salmon, but it is usually more expensive, and the flavor trade-off in this case isn't worth it.
- For a real time-saver, use salmon in pouches. It comes skinless and boneless, and requires no cleaning!
- Crackers: We recommend using regular or low-salt Saltines crackers for salmon patties.
- Eggs: We use USDA large eggs (EU size medium).
- Milk: Use whatever milk you have on hand. Alternative milks also work.
- Green onions: These are optional, but add a lot of flavor to the salmon cakes.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Salmon Patties with Canned Salmon
In a small bowl, beat the eggs and milk together. Set aside.
Drain the juice from the can of salmon and place the salmon in a medium mixing bowl. Use a fork to break up the salmon, and remove any skin and bones. (The bones are edible: you can leave them in if you like.)
Use a rolling pin to crush the crackers. (You want crushed crackers, not cracker dust, so don't pulverize them.) Put the the crushed crackers, along with the sliced green onion, pepper, and salt in the bowl with the salmon and stir to combine.
Fold in the beaten egg mixture. Allow the whole thing to set for a few minutes so the crackers can soak up any liquids.
There are three ways to form the salmon mixture into patties:
(1) Measuring cup: Fill a a ⅓ cup measure with the salmon mixture, and flip it out onto the hot skillet. (Be careful to avoid splatters!)
(2) Biscuit cutter: Build the patties inside a large (~3-inches) round biscuit cutter, cookie cutter, or canning jar lid.
(3) Free-form patties: Using your hands, form a ball of patty mix, and then flatten in lightly between your palms.
Hint: You can also form the patties ahead of time and refrigerate them until you are ready to fry them.
Heat the skillet over medium heat and add canola oil and butter (2:1); just enough to thoroughly coat the bottom of the pan. Heat the oil to about 325ºF (162ºC).
Place the formed patties in the preheated skillet. Do not the crowd patties. Fry on each side for about 3 minutes, until golden brown.
Remove the fried patties from skillet and place them on a paper towel. You may need to add a little more oil to the pan for additional batches.
Substitutions
- Salmon: You can use any cooked salmon, including leftover fresh cooked salmon.
- Crackers: Any neutral, crumbly cracker will work (e.g., Ritz, Carr's, Club, etc.). Some crackers are saltier than others, so you may need to adjust the salt.
- Green onions: Chopped red or sweet onion is also a good option.
Variations
This easy salmon patty recipe takes only five ingredients (four if you leave out the onions), is admittedly as basic as it gets, but that leaves lots of room for variation. Here are just a few options we especially enjoy:
- Spicy Salmon Patties: Add a half teaspoon chili pepper flakes, Old Bay, Creole, Cajun seasoning, and/or a finely chopped jalapeño to the salmon mixture.
- Ginger Salmon Patties: We love the combo of salmon and ginger! Add 2 teaspoons of grated ginger to the mixture before frying.
Equipment
The skillet you use can have a big impact on the outcome of any fried foods. For this recipe, we recommend using a heavy enameled cast iron or non-stick skillet, or an electric skillet. Avoid using light-weight, aluminum skillets.
Storage
Refrigerator: Place cooled, cooked salmon patties in an air-tight container, and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Freezer: Cooked salmon patties can be frozen for up to 6 months. Wrap each one individually, first in plastic wrap and again in foil. Freeze wrapped patties together in a resealable freezer bag. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
Top Tip
Salmon Patties make delicious sandwiches! One we particularly enjoy is an English Muffin Brunch Sandwich: salmon patty, avocado, and fried egg with sliced tomato, cheese, and red onion on a toasted English Muffin.
FAQ
They all mean basically the same thing; the difference in verbiage is more of a regional dialect issue. Salmon patties are most often referred to in the Deep South as croquettes, where they became popular during the Great Depression.
This recipe was featured on the Weekend Potluck! Check it out!
More Budget-friendly Recipes
Looking for more budget family meals? Try one of these easy ideas!
- Creamy Pumpkin Pasta with Parmesan & Sage
- Vegas Quickie Wedding Soup
- Easy Oven Egg Bites
- Homemade Salisbury Steak
Serving & Pairing
Serve fried salmon patties plain, or with ketchup, cocktail sauce, tartar sauce, or remoulade on the side. While technically a hot dish, we also love to eat salmon patties as a cold snack right out of the fridge.
Salmon patties aren't fancy, and they aren't picky about what they pair with either. (Mom always served them with mashed potatoes and a green vegetable.) Try them with a simple green salad, fried green tomatoes, cornbread, smashed or roasted potatoes, quinoa, couscous, summer squash, cucumber salad, asparagus, mac & cheese, fresh tomatoes, or anything else that sounds good.
- Rosemary Roasted Potatoes with Honey-Lemon Butter
- Garlic Roasted Baby Squashes
- Grilled Eggplant & Tomato Stacks
- Mango Quinoa Salad
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Southern Salmon Patties
Equipment
- 1 electric skillet or large heavy skillet
- 1 Spatula
Ingredients
- 1 15-oz can pink salmon (with or without bones)
- 20 whole Saltine crackers crushed*
- 2 large eggs beaten
- ¼ cup milk
- 2-3 whole green onions thinly sliced; about ½ cup
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper or ground black pepper
Oil for Frying
- 2 tablespoons canola oil or vegetable, safflower oil, peanut oil, or avocado oil
- 1 tablespoons butter more or less
Instructions
- In a small bowl, beat the eggs and milk together. Set aside.
- Drain the juice from the can of salmon and place the salmon in a medium mixing bowl. Use a fork to break up the salmon, and remove any skin and bones. (The bones are edible: you can leave them in if you like.)
- Use a rolling pin to crush the crackers. You want tiny little cracker pieces, not cracker dust, so don't pulverize them. Put the the crushed crackers, along with the sliced green onion, pepper, and salt in the bowl with the salmon and stir to combine.
- Fold in the beaten egg mixture. Allow the whole thing to set for a few minutes so the crackers can soak up any liquids.
- There are three ways to form the salmon mixture into patties:(1) Measuring cup: Fill a a ⅓ cup measure with the salmon mixture, and flip it out onto the hot skillet. (Be careful to avoid splatters!)(2) Biscuit cutter: Build the patties inside a large (~3-inches) round biscuit cutter, cookie cutter, or canning jar lid.(3) Free-form patties: Using your hands, form a ball of patty mix, and then flatten in lightly between your palms.
- Heat the skillet over medium heat and add canola oil and butter (2:1); just enough to thoroughly coat the bottom of the pan. Heat the oil to about 325ºF (162ºC).Place the formed patties in the preheated skillet. Do not the crowd patties. Fry on each side for about 3 minutes, until golden brown.
- Remove from skillet and place cooked patties on a paper towel. You may need to add a little more oil to the pan for additional batches.
Notes
Storage
Refrigerator: Place cooled, cooked salmon patties in an air-tight container, and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freezer: Cooked salmon patties can be frozen for up to 6 months. Wrap each one individually, first in plastic wrap and again in foil. Freeze wrapped patties together in a resealable freezer bag. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.Nutrition
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
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Sarah says
Could you bake these instead of frying them? If so, what temp and time would you suggest?
Renée B. says
I suggest baking them at 425°F (220°C) for 15 minutes, then flip them over and bake for another 5 minutes, or until they are golden brown on both sides. Hope this helps!
Place them on parchment to bake.
chris H says
This recipe is Awesome with a capital A. I haven't had salmon patties for 40 years (honestly) when my mother made em. thank you so much for the recipe.
Renée B. says
You had me at Awesome. I'm so glad we could rekindle the memory - you made my day!
Pam says
Love it my mom cooked it just like that never had any for left….. lol 😂 Thanks for the memories we were from Louisiana.
Renée B. says
We never had any left either!
David Downing says
Frequently, your sign-up for recipes comes up while I am reading a recipe. Fortunately I have followed you for quite some time. The 'problem' is getting past the sign-up and back to the recipe.
Perhaps you might have your techie address this?
David
Renée B. says
Hi David - Thanks so much for the feedback - your experience on the blog is one of our highest priorities.
P.S. Just FYI, I am my own techie 😉
Esmé Slabbert says
Hi Renee, We love salmon, fresh or tinned and this is a perfect recipe to try out. Pinned it.