SALMON PATTIES
Salmon patties go way back with this family. Nannie made them all the time when Mom was growing up. Mom continued the tradition and made them for us when we were kids, and to this day, it’s one of our most requested dishes. Anne and I always request salmon patties for our birthday. So many people great up on them. There is something about a good old classic dish that warms my heart. I love when a particular recipe holds memories and traditions, and this one certainly does.
YOU JUST NEED FOUR SIMPLE INGREDIENTS FOR SALMON PATTIES:
Canned salmon, undrained
Egg
Saltine crackers, crushed
Cooking oil (I use canola oil) for cooking
WHAT TO SERVE WITH SALMON PATTIES:
We always have our southern fried potatoes with salmon patties. Mom always made them that way growing up, and we’ve continued the tradition. However, every time I post this recipe on Instagram, over half the comments are that their mother or grandmother always served them with peas. So, you may want to add our creamed peas and potatoes to make this a full meal. Don’t like peas? Add this popular pasta salad!
HOW TO PREPARE SALMON PATTIES:
Curious as to how easy this recipe is? It’s SO simple! You just mix all the ingredients together, mold them into patties and fry. Yep, that’s it! This is a cheap old-fashioned dish that takes hardly any prep. You can add onion and green pepper, and some people roll theirs in cornmeal, but the only way my family likes them is the recipe posted below.
For a real treat, scroll down to read all the comments on this special recipe. It’s a memory maker for sure!
WHAT TO DO WITH LEFTOVERS?
Honestly, I think the leftovers are almost better. Place any leftovers in the refrigerator, and they keep for 3-4 days. I love them cold with mustard. We’ve never frozen them, but I assume they would freeze fine.
HERE ARE A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE REVIEWS:
“Just like the way my mom and I make them. I tried a couple of ‘fancier’ recipes but hated them. I guess simpler is better. Or maybe the food you were raised eating always seems to taste better.”-Charlotte
“These salmon patties are different from how I was raised on them, but they are WAY better!!! “-Hope
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Salmon Patties
Video
Ingredients
- 1 15 ounce can salmon, undrained
- 1 egg
- 1 sleeve of saltine crackers crushed
- 3/4 cup cooking oil I use canola oil for cooking
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Using your hands mix the ingredients together and shape into patties.
- Place the patties in the hot oil and brown on each side. Turn the heat down and continue cooking on low for about 20 minutes turning often. Let cook until the patties are brown and crusty.
Notes
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Excellent and so easy!!!
Love you guys!!
YAY!! So glad! We are thrilled you are here with us Andrew!
I love these! This is exactly how my mother taught me to make them, too. I’m 73, it was a long time ago, lol. The only thing I sometimes do differently is add a small can of tuna to increase how many I make, and I like the combination. But your recipe is simply perfect!
I love salmon patties. My mum shaped them into a pyramid shape & then baked. She then served them with creamed peas.
What do you do about the bones?
Nothing, we leave them in.
I love that this recipe is easy and simple
Grew up eating these, think saltines were used. I make them with the skin & bones & prefer them with more seasoning. Such a simple dish to have dinner on the table in a snap!
Hi, my name is Joyce. I use this recipe for years and years, but I put onions in mine and I love them and my family also loves them. Thank you so much.
In addition to your recipe my Mom added some onion, s/p, and 3 eggs vs your 1. She’d fix cubed/stewed potatoes with onions in them. And prepare slaw to go along with it. Was great then! I still fix. ❤️
I’m from TN. My mother used to make fried corn. Do you have receipt for it?
I love reading your recipes.
Yes, there is a recipe on our website, just use the search box on any page. With over 1600 recipes we have lots to look through. The search box is a great way to find a specific recipe.
What do you do about the bones?
I have a question on the seven layer bars (Dolly Bars) my question is can I eliminate the coconut. I don’t like coconut at all.
Thanking you in advance
Sure!!
Thanks for sharing. My mother cooks these all the time. This recipe is delicious.
Is it okay to use salmon leftovers that were cooked on the grill?
I dont know how that would work, I have never used cooked salmon. You can try it though.
Thank you for your recipe. I’ve been making salmon patties in an iron skillet, exactly like this recipe for, well…….decades. lol My momma made them this way, as did my MIL. I cannot eat them with onions or any of the other ingredients ppl add, like Old Bay.
These are yummy!
We agree… these are perfect!!!
Hi There , I use very fine fresh chopped red pepper to my salmon cakes
I use this recipe all the time. We will sit around talking about eating these as children and it makes us crave them. Thanks so much for providing this recipe.
We do the exact same thing. This recipe is so nostalgic.
My way to make Grammaw’s Salmon Patties includes salmon, mayonnaise, a sleeve of Ritz crackers crushed, salt and pepper. And I always fry them in Crisco.
I was born and raised in Monroe County, Indiana. Salmon Patties was regularly one of our meals. We used this same exact recipe.
Thanks for all the delicious food and warm loving memories you give me in all your recipes that I have not thought about which seems like forever. Please keep them coming and thanks for your hard work. Many blessings to you your sister and Mother
You are so welcome Sandra and thank you so much for the kind words. We are so glad you are here and enjoying the recipes.
My favorite. Make them for my son and my niece from Georgia. She is from New Jersey Yankees don’t usually like them. She requestes these when she comes for a visit.
Love this! Thank you for sharing.
This is exactly how my dad made them also & how I make them. I always have creamed potatoes & peas with them & my husband likes to have extra cream sauce to put on his salmon patties.
I love this recipe but can no longer eat the saltines. I have been subbing crushed pork rinds or almond flour.
I want to thank you for the wonderful recipes!!! This recipe is like my mother would make She was from Boston. She would make a white sauce to put over them and we would have them with leftover mashed potatoes that she would fry in a little bacon grease. What a wonderful memory!!! I love getting your e-mails….
You’re so welcome Tricia! We are so thrilled you enjoy the recipes and emails. This is one of our all time favorites!
Given the different types of packing these days, can you please indicate how much 1 sleeve of crackers is? Now days there are minis, fresh stack and probably more!
Its a sleeve of saltine crackers, in the most common size. I just counted the ones in my cabinet and its a whole sleeve, which is around 45 crackers.
This is the recipe my mama used when I was a child. About 83 years ago I would watch her make them and she would hand me some of the bones to eat. The only difference is that she added chopped onions and that is also how I make them. Thank you for these Southern recipes that bring back so many good memories.
You’re so welcome! Thank you so much for the comment!
I love this recipe! It’s so simple and light.
Hello! All of your recipes are very appealing and want to venture in making the salmon patties. One question:
Is there a different way to cook them than oil??? I have to watch any fried food??
Thank you
We have never tried baking them but that may work.
Perfect recipe. I can tell we are going to love this. One question… How fine to you crush up the saltines? And do you have a certain way to crush them up?
I just crush them up with my hands into the bowl. Hope you love it!
how many does this recipe make?
Its about 4 servings, makes about 9-10 patties depending on the size.
My mom made salmon patties, but she called them salmon croquettes. I was okay with eating them, but wasn’t excited about them.
We’ve always used Ritz crackers, instead of saltines, and a bit of minced onion and cayenne pepper. We serve them with mashed potatoes and roasted cabbage. Yum!
I make mine with cornmeal, egg and chopped onions, no crackers. My husband is fancy, salmon croquettes is what he calls them. Made like his mom did, he uses bread crumbs, oatmeal, an egg and onions. And he makes a curry gravy (cream of mushroom, milk, and curry powder). I admit the curry gravy is good over them, but I prefer MY way of the mixture. No need for the fancy!
We like ours with syrup and biscuit. A friend told me to try syrup and biscuit some years ago and thats the way we have eaten them ever since.
Love all your recipes.
On the Salmon Patties, We have always served them with “white sauce”, as we call it. It’s basic Bechemal Sauce, pour over the top. You can also add a touch of your facorite mustard or even horse(mild) sauce. Delicious. The bones are pure soft protein, so we add those also in half poprotion.
I always use about one half cup of self rising cornmeal instead of the crackers. and I roll them in cornmeal before frying and I also add onion and egg of course. That`s the way my son and husband like them. I wish I liked the taste of fish but I don`t!!! Fry in bacon grease of course
Love salmon patties. And I like mine with mustard too.
My late husband made them exactly like your recipe except he added onion. This is how I also prepare them.
This was my Moms recipe also.
My husband who is a true East Texas country boy use Martha White corn bread mix, egg, and salt pepper. They come out so light and crunchy. Yum!
This is such a great recipe. I do mine the same way except I add black pepper. My kids love them still and they’re grown. I’m enjoying my daily emails so very much. I love both the recipes and the stories. Thank you!
My mother made these once a week when I was growing up. Mother served them with mashed potatoes and spinach with boiled eggs on top. I made them for my children, and still make them once or twice a week for my husband (which is his favorite dish) and I. My youngest son, grown and gone, always request this when he comes home. The absolute best in my opinion!
Absolutely the BEST recipe for Salmon Patties but I sometimes add green or white onions to mine or a little milk and I remove the bones. If I have a patty left over for the next day…. I eat it COLD between two slices of white bread! Been cooking this way for over 70 years!
We love them cold too!
Am I supposed to leave the bones and skin in the undrained can of salmon. I don’t see anything written in the recipe about that.
Yes. That is correct.
How many patties does one 15 oz can make… Do most people eat just one… or two… or?
Probably 8-12 depending on the size you make them. Most people eat around 2 or so.
Oh my!What sweet memories these bring back! Just like my sweet Momma cooked when were growing up! She always picked the bones and skin out before mixing them up. We ate them with pinto beans, mash potatoes, and corn bread. I am 70 years old, and haven’t had any since I married and left home. Now, I have to make some! Thank you so much for all the down home recipes!
Those are the BEST memories! Thank you for sharing.
My family isn’t from the south but this recipe is just like my mother made with the exception that she always used bacon grease to fry them in. She also would leave the bones in and smush them up as she said it provided additional calcium. These salmon patties are my comfort food! (I also like them cold the next day, dipped in ketchup.)
This is exactly how my mother and my grandmothers made salmon patties. Boy does this bring back happy memories. They were usually served with potato salad, green beans and buttermilk biscuits. I can still picture my grandma in her apron, hair in a bun, singing Amazing Grace while she formed those salmon patties and plopped them in the hot oil. Those were the days.
Oh my goodness!!!! This is exactly how my grandma taught me to make them and we also
ate them maple syrup on them. I thought we were the only family that did that!!!! Glad to read that there are others that enjoy them that way 🙂
Grew up eating these with hot biscuits and rice. Delicious!
Can you use leftover cooked salmon to make these? I love these but have only ever made them with canned salmon.
I have never tried that.
I grew up in the South eating these. We always have them with fried summer squash, the patties are smothered in milk gravy and biscuits on the side. Nothing comes close as far as comfort food goes.
I want to pin this but can’t find a way. I copied it and will come back later and comment.
The pin button is at the VERY bottom of the recipe, if you can’t see it, then you probably run a system on your computer to block that type of content.
My Mother used cornmeal instead of crackers. Growing up we never had crackers in the house. So as an adult I also use cornmeal I also add two eggs and chopped onion. I got to have one as soon as they are done.
First comment here – I am in LOVE with your recipes. I have told everyone this is the only source of recipes where the food is made the right way! haha! I have never heard of using saltines in salmon patties – we use Martha White’s Buttermilk Corn Meal Mix and they turn out a drier than yours, I’m thinking. I also use that to make fried corn bread. I would love it if you’d try using that sometime and give me your opinion of which you like better – saltines or corn meal mix. Surely you use that mix for something, it’s a staple in our cooking. Thanks for all your hard work and sharing!
I have had salmon patties made with cornmeal many times and we prefer the saltines. Many people make them with cornmeal but we like them better the way we make them. It’s all a preference on what you grew up with. So glad you enjoy the recipes!
These salmon patties are cooked exactly the same way my grandmother taught me to cook them. My family always loved these and once in a while still make them. Love all your recipes. Do you have a cookbook with all your recipes available? If so, how
may I purchase this. Thank you for bringing back so many memories.
Hi Lana, thank you for the kind words! We don’t have printed cookbooks anymore. We have over 1500 recipes on our website and it wouldn’t be cost-effective to put them in a cookbook. We’re now focused on our digital magazine, Front Porch Life. You can learn more here.
Your site & recipes always evoke cherished memories of my mom & grandmother. I was raised on these, as were my kids! I always add a lil instant minced onion, lemon pepper, Old Bay and — don’t even recall how this happened — dried tarragon. Keep sharing these treasures!
My dad used to make Salmon patties, but he always had to buy three cans, because he said they always seemed to have as much skin as meat per can. He used to say they preferred to skin the customer, rather than the fish.
I don’t recall his recipe, and I lost my copy of our family’s home recipes. But I will try this recipe. Maybe things have changed in the fish packing industry.
Exactly how my mama made them!!! No need for anything else but this!! Thanks!
My mother made mash potatoes, she would always make extra. The next day she would make salmon patties with them. She didn’t use crackers. It’s very easy and so good.
Left over mash potatoes, a can of salmon, a bunch of green onions, two eggs and oil to fry them in. So amazing. We loved them.
My husband, a mighty picky eater, went back for a 3rd helping! (Bless his heart, he cain’t help it. He growed up in Wyoming and believes in beef every meal.) We’ve been married 52 years now, and he’s getting pretty good at understanding Southern Appalachian speech and and the importance of bacon grease in seasoning now.
Michigander here, of Eastern European ancestry. Grew up on salmon patties. Love ’em. Reminds me of my mom!
This is pretty much the same way I always made mine, but I added some sauteed finesly chopped onion and celery. One day I was making them and had everything dumped in the bowl except the cracker crumbs. It turned out I had absolutely no carackers of any kind and only a few sslice of bread that my husband needed for his lunch the next day. I scrounged around looking for something I could substitute, the only thing I found was potato chips. So I ground them in the food processor. They were the best I’d ever made! I make them like that from then on. Necessity is the mother of invention, they say.
Just like the way my mom and I make them. I tried a couple ‘fancier’recipes but hated them. I guess simpler is better. Or maybe the food you were raised eating always seems to taste better.
This is the way I learned to make salmon patties with two exceptions. We always added about a tsp of Dijon Mustard and I guess it depends on your taste but for us 5-7 crackers is more than enough. These days I use Ritz Crackers. Great Sat. Night comfort food.
This is the way I make salmon patties with the addition of 2 Tblsp. of cornmeal. Many times I use mackerel since canned salmon is a bit pricey now. This is also the way my mother made them and always used mackerel since it was cheaper. I serve them with hot water fried cornbread, macaroni and cheese and peas. My husband loves this meal.
The perfect meal!
I love these. My daddy grew up eating the patties with pancake syrup. We still eat them that way. Don’t knock it til you’ve tried it.
So happy to try this recipe!
I’ve made salmon patties for years, numerous recipes. These are by far THE BEST ever. They held together perfectly. I added 1/4 c. finely diced onion and a tsp. dry dill weed. I did dredge in a seasoned flour-based seafood breaded. But the key here is the quick brown followed by the slow cook for the crispy golden exterior. I’ve never seen that suggested, but they were beautiful!
Thank you! We loved them! They were BETTER than my mother used to make!
So glad they were a hit!!
Actually you only have to heat them through after brewing them as the salmon is already cooked when using canned salmon
I love salmon croquettes it’s a childhood favorite and I still make them and my husband loves them I add some onion , Old Bay seasoning (it just brings out the flavor with any seafood) I also add 3Tbs of Mayo, and I use Louisiana Fry (seasoned) to fry them in and it’s. AWESOME!
I’ve never seen a recipe like how my Mom made salmon patties anywhere. She used 2 cans of salmon, 2 eggs beaten, 4 or 5 slices of white bread tore into pieces, a slash of worcesteshire sauce and salt & pepper to taste. She mixed all together and formed her patties. She would roll in flour & fry in a couple inches of oil in a frying pan till brown & crispy. I still make them that way today & everyone loves them. BTW I also love them cold the next day.
Question: Have you tried making these in an air fryer? Wonder how long to cook and if they are good. Thanks!
Sorry, I have never made them in an air fryer so cannot advise you.
Sounds perfect. I also ate the bones. My 98 year old Mom always makes a white sauce with sliced hard boiled eggs in the sauce to serve over the patties…try it!!
Just made this for dinner and it was a hit!served with coleslaw and cornbread it was very quick and easy. I used veggie ritz crackers and added Parmesan cheese flakes. Will definitely be making these again!
So glad it was a hit! Your additions sound amazing.
My mother would give me a little smacke on the back of my hand when I would pick out the bones and eat them right out of salmon as she was making the patties, they were made exactly like your recipe, I’m 70 years old they bring back wonderful memories with every bite.
Thank you so much for your kind comment, David, and your wonderful rating. I have been making them like this for years and so did my mother before me. So happy to hear you are enjoying the recipes. I get about 6 to 8 patties depending on the size I make them. They have made the contents of the cans today so much less then they used to be that you can’t get as many. My sister and I ate the bones, too, and like your mother did you, we got scolded for it. The bones contain lots of calcium and are good for you. I don’t pick mine out but lots of people do before cooking. Have a great weekend and happy to have you as part of our community.
My Dad’s family loved salmon…all you had to do is call some of my aunts or uncles and say “cooking salmon” they would come! We made it breakfast with biscuits light brown gravy ,eggs, fried potatoes ! Was a real special time with my family! Maybe would make with cornmeal ,others flour. Could be with crackers. Good whatever!
What great memories! Thank you for sharing!
I will be making these tomorrow night.. My husband and I aren’t a fan of salmon (canned salmon), so we will have tuna… I love all your recipes and you have everything so well balanced in the ingredients… So glad on your site …
thank you…Sue
Thank you, Sue. So happy to have you in our community and have a great week ahead.
I use tuna also, using this recipe. My husband named them tuna pooties. Southern Lady is the best recipe site.
Thank you for the kind words! Have a wonderful week 🙂
I use cornmeal instead of crackers, but otherwise the same recipe. Great taste.
Brings back good memories, my Grandmothers,Mother and my Daddy would fix them and as we three children increased in age I had started cooking , it depended on who got home 1st we had the patties cooked biscuits done then my Daddy or Mother would fix tomato gravy if not we would fix cole slaw with biscuits! Makes me hungry now!
What wonderful memories! Thank you for sharing 🙂
You make yours like I do but I use about 1/2 sleeve. Depends on how much liquid is in the can…
I thought a roll sounded like too much also. I do mine by looks, maybe 10-15 crackers. Also roll them in a few crackers too. I have to have minced onions in it too. Love them, first thing my mom showed me how to make. We would have them with creamed corn and black-eyed peas.
I’ve also lightly rolled mine in Panko crumbs. I also serve with creamed corn and either peas or green beans and sometimes lima beans.
Love salmon patties but have to have onion in mine. Back in the 40’s and 50’s, when I was growing up, this was a staple to get us thru the month, along with salted cod. Inexpensive and very nutritious. Not inexpensive now and salted cod is almost impossible to find.
Not every recipe is for everyone 🙂
Grew up on this same recipe. My mom served them with a side of real grits with black pepper and real butter…… so southern and so good….. now Im hungry.
Never tried the biscuits with them but my mom always added onions. She would fry potatoes to go with them. This meal was always one of my favorites. I make them often and always take the bones and skin out.
I chop carrot, celery and onion really finely, like in a food chopper and then add the eggs and crackers crumbs. I like them cold also. I forget to add them to my dinner food but then realize how much I like them. Enjoy!
Some of us were talking about salmon patties just yesterday at the beauty shop and one of the ladies said the only time she uses her electric skillet is to fry salmon patties–on the back porch. My grandmother put just a dab of instant potatoes in her salmon mixture—–when instant potatoes hit the shelves years ago. Other than that, 3 generations have made them like this recipe. Occasionally, I will sprinkle a few dry minced onion flakes in–if I think about it.
What wonderful memories. Thank you for sharing! Have a wonderful weekend.
I was raised on salmon. My aunt and uncle were Alaskan fisherman. Every year they would bring my Mom several big salmon. She would can them in half pint jars and she would use them for salmon patties, salmon loafs, creamed salmon, sandwich spread etc.
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE salmon patties! I, too, grew up with a Mom who made the croquettes & I was the only one of her children who liked them. Of course, I was also the weird child who liked cream of mushroom soup & brussels sprouts!!! LOL She always served the croquettes with creamed peas…so did our Catholic school cafeteria. I sometimes serve them with the peas…sometimes with a delicious sauce made with sour cream & red peppers, but I do add chopped green onion & pimiento to the patties. I also like them cold…which disgusts my husband. 🙂
We love them cold too!
My mom used to make salmon “croquettes”. I wasn’t a fan then. I have made them for my family since, as an adult, I decided I enjoyed the taste of salmon. I use one sleeve of saltines, one sleeve of Ritz crackers (usually generic), some dehydrated onion, two eggs, some Old Bay seasoning AND, I use one can of salmon and 2 5 oz. cans of Albacore tuna packed in water. They are a family favorite. Next time I make them, I’ll try them with salmon only. They are a treat!
Love these! We add onion and finely chopped celery and dredge in cornmeal. My kids are grown now and still ask for them!
1. Glad to see the comment about reducing the “odor” with vinegar on the side. That has been my drawback to preparing salmon patties.
2. I like the idea of serving with tomato gravy.
3. Now, my idea on how to prepare: I remove the skin, but leave in the bones. The bones are easily located. Just crush them to a fine pulp, this is easy even with your fingeritips. The bones are where most of the nutrition is found in salmon.
My mom always made these when I was growing up. When Salmon went up in price, someone told her tuna worked just as well. My dad hated tuna, so when she made these she would hide the tuna cans from him. He loved these, even told her to go back to the other brand of Salmon when she bought Salmon instead of tuna once!! It brings back lots of memories for me!
These salmon patties are different from how I was raised on them but they are WAY better!!! I did add a few of the ingredients from our old recipe like diced onions & a splash of milk. I also use Paula Deen’s house seasoning to taste. My husband use to turn up his nose when I would make them the old way but now requests these quite often. They are amazing! We eat them with stewed tomatoes cooked with macaroni moods. YUM!!
This is exactly how I make salmon patties. My mother and grandmother made them the same way. We always serve them with macaroni and tomatoes and a green vegetable of some sort. Sometimes slaw or green beans or spinach.
Love them!
This is the way I learned from My Mother to make Salmon Patties (we called them Croquettes, as we made them in the shape of a triangle – still do). One of the first things I learned to cook, my Mother worked til 6:30, and I had to have dinner ready when she arrived home. Still make them the same way, my Son loves them, and makes them, too. We serve with Cole Slaw and a green veggie. Put Catsup, tartar or cocktail sauce on the ‘side’.
Just as my GG taught me! Always with green peas and mashed potatoes as our sides!
We love Salmon Patties but hate the fact the house smells like fish for a day or so. Any ideas how to avoid that?
Have a bowl with white vinegar on the side. The vinegar will absorb the smell. Cheep and efficient.
Plug in electric skillet outside and fry them there on back porch! No smelly house!
Good idea Lu, I could do that.
When I was young if my mom made these for breakfast I would pour syrup over mine, if she fixed em for supper I would put homemade tomato soup over em. This does bring back memories every time I fix em.
My mother always picked the skin and bones out, but the only difference is she added onion to ours. That was the one meal she would make biscuits. We would have salmon patties, homemade biscuits with butter and real cane syrup, usually Blackburns or Eagle. DELICIOUS! Like a lot of other comments, this was one of our “poor man” meals. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
I remove the bones after draining . I add onions, celery, eggs and bread crumbs and then fry the patties.
My Mom made these (with a bit of onion) and 1/2 recipe of white sauce. She also used crushed Post Toasties (cereal) as the coating. Waaaay good!
my mom would make these and then do creamed corn and pour that over the salmon patties. loved them……….i havent made them in years and without the creamed corn as my hubby hates anything creamed.
This is how my late Mother made them, sometimes she added onion. But we NEVER had them without Tomato Gravy! I’m the only one in my family that likes them, I never make them just for myself.
My dad made salmon croquets with this recipe or similar, plus onion and bell pepper. What a great memory! Thank you. Guess what Im having for dinner tomorrow? 😉
Mine are very similar , I add about a TBs. of ole yellow mustard. It adds a little kick. I usually cook then on my griddle that I have just barely oiled. Mac & cheese & vinegar based coleslaw were a meal we are often at home.
The only thing my mom would do different is to put a light coating of flour on her patties. We were not “rich” growing up so mom would use the canned Mackrel instead of Salmon. We never new it was the cheaper version. Oh how I miss them!
I always used Mackerel. My kids loved them. I added flour and onions also. Loved them!!
The first time I made salmon patties (exactly like these) as a newlywed, my husband asked where the pancake syrup was. I was dumbfounded. lol I am from Oklahoma and had always eaten them all my life with ketchup. I thought he was joking. But he was serious. He grew up in Kansas and his mom always served them with syrup. I tried it and loved it!
This is exactly how my mother made them, and they were delicious. Even though, as a child, I often helped her in the kitchen, and would make this myself, I didn’t try it as an adult for a long time. Then when I did, it really bothered me trying to get the bones out, so I didn’t do it again, until I found the cans of boneless salmon. I still use the boneless kind. I don’t think I could eat it knowing the bones were in there. LOL.
This is how I make mine except I add just a little flour to help hold them together. We always have macaroni and cheese and blackeye peas with salmon patties. In fact, this is what I am making for supper tonight!!
Please don’t remove the bones… if you must remove the skin okay.. but never remove the bones.. When I was pregnant and could not keep anything down (including my vitamins) my doctor had me eat salmon to make sure I got enough calcium. The bones are the best source of calcium you can find… Plus If you mix the salmon and fry it you should never see a bone.
these are the best, my Mom had taught me how to make them just like this. The BOMB! They are great with macaroni and cheese and stewed tomatoes.
This is the exact way l make mine. If I don’t have salmon, I use tuna. I also make a cheese sauce to put on them. Th I s is my families favorite.
Can you use cracker crumbs or do you have to crush a sleeve of crackers?
Cold the next day…yum!
can they be baked instead of frying?
Thank you for the wonderful recipes!
Yes, they probably could but they won’t have the crunchy outside crust that frying gives them.
Spray both sides with canola or olive oil liberally,Bake at 325°for 24 mins.turning 1/2 way through.That should make them crispy.:-)
I have baked them in the oven. I brush them with canola oil first on both sides. I also make sure I turn them over half way in between.
I think you can bake them but, I use canola to fry them in and then put them on a paper towel and they are not real greasy either.
I’m a good deal older than most of you and this, with the addition if a little onion, was my mom’s recipe. It was ‘broke’ food in our house. You know, the cheap thing to fix for dinner just before payday. Ours was served with fried potatoes and canned peas. I loved this meal and every time I fix it I think of my mom. I miss her everyday.
Thanks for the post. I’ll be making salmon patties again soon.
This is the same meal my Mom had when I was growing up. Usually creamed peas though.
I even like them cold the next day.
I just lost my moma and it make me smile to see these. I made them for her and she loved them. I put onion in mine too.
Sorry for the loss of your Mom. Makes some Salmon patties and think of your Mom. God bless.
That is just how I make them except l add onion. And flour them.
Good cold the next morning for breakfast or anytime.
Does anyone have a recipe for codfish cakes? My mom used to make them & I loved them! I never did get her recipe. Thanks
I don’t use recipes, per se, but what I learned from my mother is to use salt cod, soaked over night in fresh water, then rinsed a couple of times. (I put it on to soak before going to bed then replace the water and let it soak all day, then rinse a time or two as I prep it.
I break the fish up into flakes and rinse on last time them combine with eqaul volume of mashed potatoes (reserved left-overs or made new and cooled enough to handle).
Form into patties, salt and pepper to taste, and place carefully in pretty-hot (not smoking) oil (I use olive) or bacon fat. Cook undisturbed until browned, flip, brown again, and serve.
I use oatmeal instead of crackers same taste as crackers.
Sharon – how much oatmeal do you use?
I just had salmon patties last night for dinner! I mix in a little more to mine, seasoned salt, black pepper, a little red pepper, a little garlic powder, lemon juice and a little ketchup and yellow mustard. They were great. Served them with hashbrowns and baked beans. Glad to see all these people still enjoying them too!
Yes, yes. My mouth is watering. Your recipe is similar to mine. These can also be frozen.
I make them the same way but add a little onion, serve with soup beans, fried potatoes and cornbread…..
I love soup beans, haven’t heard them called that since my Mom passed. Love me some Salmon patties too!!!!!
This is exactly how I make them as well! Also an substitute canned tuna if you don’t have salmon on hand and they are just as good. I love your web site !
Thank you so much Laurie.
COSTCO has a canned salmon that is really good quality. No bones or skin in it. I live in the northwest so when family gives me fresh salmon I bake it and use the leftover for salmon patties
Like I make them except usually the filler is day old bread soaked in a little milk and the juice from the salmon. I have used saltines and it turns out almost the same. We like Stewed tomatoes over rice and collard greens with ours. They are also good with grits!
Grew up on this recipe. When grocery money was tight we used the cans of mackerel instead. Add home made biscuits, pork n beans or, in the summer home grown boiled little potatoes, big slices of tomatoes, and green onions.
I have always made them exactly the same way! And we are even worse as we have to have peas and mashed potatoes with them. Creamed peas preferably! Yum!
Mom always fixed salmon and/or mackerel patties the same way, with a chopped up onion for extra flavor, and oh ya, always served with marshed tators and creamed peas .. Passed down like our DNA, I found myself fixing salmon the very same way for my kids and grand-kids
Good evening, I made your salmon recipe last night and it was very good. I love salmon and biscuits with a touch of mustard, yummy! Thank you for another way of fixin’ these yummy creations!
I love my Southern cooking, and love to find one of my family’s recipes on here!!! Been making these just like my Mama did when I was growing up, for oh about 50 years!!! And yes, they make a terrific sandwich the next day!!!
This is the exact way I make Salmon Patties my mother did as well as her mother,we think they are the best!
I just found your sight and love it,I am a true southern girl and love southern cooking. I now live In calif but still love that good old southern cooking
I like them as you posted, I serve them with Roulade sauce.
Salmon patties are a great thing to serve I make corn fritters with mine and fried potatoes, some times bake beans with extra brown sugar in them. I also have mixed a can of mackerel and salmon togeather. for a filler. also make good ole mac and cheese for a side dish.i live here in the cold country ( MICHIGAN ). TEMP RIGHT NOW IS -4.
Thank you for this recipe! Years ago I attempted to make salmon patties, I didn’t realize there were bones and skin in the can… I’m a country girl and it shouldn’t have grossed me out, but it did. I grew up on salmon patties and never knew I was eating the skin and bones too. I started using tuna… It was good but not like I remember as a kid. Then I ran across this recipe a few months ago… I’m so glad I did! I gave salmon another chance and discovered cans of boneless, skinless salmon….. I’m in heaven! This recipe is so easy and soooo delicious!! I now make salmon patties often. I’ve just talked myself into making them for diner tomorrow…. 😉
Try adding green onions to the mix… It’s yummy!! 😉
I’ve tried many of your recipes and have loved each one!! Thanks for sharing!!
Happy New Year!!
Happy New Year, Sherry. So happy you are enjoying salmon again.
Back when canned salmon was cheap, this was ‘broke food’ in our household often served just before payday. It was served with mashed potatoes, peas and salad. It was then and is now one of my favorite meals. With the addition of a little finely chopped onion, this is the recipe that my mom used.
My grandma made the best salmon patties ever, but unfortunately I don’t know what all she put in them. I make mine the same way as your recipe except I add a little onion, lemon juice, and dill. I love your site…I am a southern girl all the way and the recipes on your site are what I grew up on. Thank you so much for taking the time to share with us.
Nothing better than these with some Mac & cheese .
Made them this way for years. So good.
Hi…. Kentuckian here…live 60 miles east of Lexington….Love Love salmon patties, onions egg crackers….I buy the red salmon, so much better taste
I’m about 60 miles east of you on WV, Ky border. Thats how we make our salmon patties, got to have onion,
I’m from Lexington KY too, I add a little mayonnaise. I tried it as an experiment, and it was good!
Yes my Mother made both Salmon patties and Loaf. She made a dill sauce for patties and served creamed peas with the loaf. Yummy good!
and by the way I forgot to say I love your site, it is food and ingredients and terms I grew up on !!!
My mama made salmon patties all the time …we loved them …seems just like your recipe !!!
Gonna try these soon I love Salmon Patties
In high school, my best friends mom would makes these for us all the time! Several years have passed now and forgot about them until now! I made these tonight and my husband has requested to have these on our weekly menu! So delicious and just they way I remember them!
This is the way my Mom always made them! No one else I know makes them this way. Glad to see I’m not alone!
We use rolled oats instead of cracker crumbs.
I add onions and a little bell pepper finely chopped! 🙂 yummmmmm
This is my recipe almost to a ‘t’, except I also add a lil lemon pepper. 🙂
tuna works, you can also use half tuna and half salmon. instead of crackers we have always used hushpuppy mix 🙂 nothin better than salmon patties, pintos beans and fried cornbread!
Love salmon patties they are delish all different ways, I like to add finely chopped onion and bell pepper a little salt pepper and creole seasoning
ON A COLD WINTER’S NIGHT WE ALWAYS LIKED TO HAVE THEM WITH SYRUP AND BISCUITS. SOOOO GOOD!!!!!
I drain the salmon, remove bones, and use fat free crackers. I also add a small chopped onion.
Thanks! I’ll give that a try. I keep thinking she added diced pickles or relish as well.
I never pick through the salmon. It’s all digestible and can’t hurt you. Actually, I do sometimes pick the dark part and nibble on it while making the cakes.
Just discovered your site today and I have already spent a couple hours on it! I am a true southern gal from Memphis but home is now Paducah, KY. Anyway, is there a trick to picking out the bones in the Salmon? I made s. patties once in my life years ago and swore I would never do it again if I had to pick those bones out! 🙂
Hi Crystal and welcome to the site. I used to pick them out, too. I read somewhere that they are full of calcium and really good for you. I don’t pick them out any more and you cannot tell they are there when you add the crackers and egg. I have never had anyone say anything about them being in the salmon. Hope you enjoy the recipes and thank you for being a part of the site. Have a great day.
You don’t have to pick the bones out. They have been pressured and they are great to eat and good for you.
this is exactly how I make mine. Sometimes, I’ll add a can of tuna fish to make it go a little farther.
we love salmon patties and this is how I make mine. I serve macaroni and tomatoes with mine. Oh so good!!!!!
To get my son to eat salmon patties. I call them CRABBY PATTIES. (Sponge Bob food). I also like to add some Cajon seasoning to mine, just to spice things up a little.
I first learned to make salmon patties this way when I worked for my uncle in a local restaurant in Mayfield, KY and this is exactly how they made them! They served them with some sweet pepper relish on the side and they always ran out early in the evening. These are some of my kids favorite things to eat and I try to make them when they come for a visit now… The menu usually consists of fried taters and homemade biscuits and gravy to go with them! Reading this brought back wonderful memories of my uncle and of my kids when they were little! I love your site!!
Thank you so much for your wonderful comment. My kids love these salmon patties, too. You menu sounds a lot like mine. From one Ky. girl to another, I am so happy to have you here and hope you drop by often. So nice to meet another Kentuckian always.
Just the way my mom taught me to make them and one of my three sons still loves for me to make them for him. I like hominy and pork-n-beans with mine when there hot. Ohhh but later cold and with a sweet pickle. LOL
I love, love, love these!! I wish I had some right now!
Love you Mom!
Leigh
I haven’t made salmon patties in years, Judy, but I think I might try your recipe today. Your patties look exactly like the ones my Daddy used to make. He didn’t cook much, but he had a couple of “specialties.” And salmon patties were one of those. They were really, really good. Thanks for another wonderful recipe!