The Easiest Salmon Fishcakes {No Breadcrumbs!}

This version of salmon fishcakes lets you skip the hassle of creating a breadcrumb coating, as the patties will get a delicious crispy coating while pan-frying. This easy, tasty weeknight meal is ready in 30 minutes or less, making salmon fish cakes ideal for busy days. For another quick seafood dinner, try my Delicious Air Fryer Cod.

Why you’ll love this recipe

A quick, budget-friendly dinner that still feels like proper comfort food.

• No messy bread crumbs: Traditional salmon fishcakes are made with an egg mixture and breadcrumb coating for a crispier outside, but this salmon fish cakes recipe skips the breadcrumbs to make it easier, quicker, and less messy.
• Quick to make: These salmon fishcakes are ready in about 30 minutes (or less!), like my favourite Cream of Mushroom Chicken. But this salmon fishcake recipe could NOT be more straightforward.
• Make them your own: Easily customize the flavours of salmon fishcakes by using different sauces or seasonings in the patties. You can even pair them with Skillet Roasted Corn for a full feast.

Love salmon? Try these delicious recipes: Salmon Tray bake with Asparagus, Air Fryer Salmon Bites and Viral Salmon Rice Bowl.

Ingredients

Here are the key bits you’ll need for salmon fishcakes.

• Wild pink salmon: I like using tinned wild pink salmon for easy salmon fishcakes. It’s also great if you’re after tinned salmon fish cakes that are budget-friendly.
• Potatoes: You can boil potatoes as normal, or use leftover Mashed Potatoes to speed up salmon fishcakes.
• Courgette: Adds veg and helps keep salmon fishcakes tender, just make sure to squeeze it well so the patties don’t go soggy. Great if you have leftover zucchini from making my Baked Ravioli Casserole.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations/ Adaptations

Here are a few options for adjusting salmon fishcakes to meet your taste preferences.

• Gluten-free: use oat flour instead of regular flour for homemade salmon fishcakes.
• Add some spice: Add chilli flakes or fresh chilli to salmon fishcakes. My Easy Gyoza Dipping Sauce or sriracha mayo is an amazing pairing as a dip when you’re thinking about how to make salmon fish cakes with an extra kick.
• Use different salmon: Use fresh or leftover salmon, or try smoked salmon for a bolder flavour in salmon fishcakes.
• Make this recipe keto or whole 30: Replace the white potato with cauliflower rice. You’ll need to really squeeze out the excess moisture from the cauliflower to make sure they aren’t too soggy. To help bind, add a handful of grated mozzarella.

How to make Easy Salmon Fishcakes

1. Add the potatoes to heavily salted boiling water. Set a timer for 15 minutes and cook the potatoes until they are fork tender (Image 1). 
2. Add the grated courgette to a clean tea-towel and squeeze over a sink to remove the excess liquid (Image 2).  

3. Add the drained potatoes to a bowl and mash with a potato masher (Image 3). 

4. Season with salt and pepper, then add the courgette, salmon, spring onion, egg and chilli flakes (Image 4). 

5. Then add the flour and mix together to combine (Image 5).  

6. Start making up the fishcakes using a spoon to make up the round patties (Image 6). 

7. Make 8 salmon fishcakes from the mixture and place onto a floured baking tray (Image 7). 

8. Fry in a pan with 1 tbsp of olive oil and cook for 4 minutes (Image 8). 

9. Rotate and cook for a further 4 minutes (Image 9).  

10. Serve with sweet chilli sauce and enjoy!  (Image 10). 

Pair this fish cake recipe with some healthy side dishes like Roasted Tenderstem Broccoli, The Best Roasted Parsnips and Creamed Cabbage.

Tinned Salmon Vs Fresh Salmon

Tinned/canned salmon: I enjoy using canned salmon for salmon fishcakes, as it helps create them even quicker. It’s also more budget-friendly than purchasing fresh salmon fillets. I don’t find a huge difference between the flavours either, so I’m happy to go with tinned fish to cut down on cost and time.

Fresh salmon: If you have extra time and more wiggle room in your recipe budget you can use fresh. You’ll need to bake/cook it first, then remove the skin and shred/flake the salmon before following the recipe. This option also allows you to better control the amount of salt used, as tinned salmon usually has some salt already added. This is also a great use of leftover cooked salmon.

Serving Suggestions

These salmon fishcakes can be enjoyed for lunch, dinner, or even breakfast.

Try them with:

• Roasted Vegetables
• Halloumi salad
• Tenderstem broccoli
• Airfryer frozen green beans
• Easy rice with chicken broth
• Frozen chips in the air fryer
• Parmentier potatoes

Leftover Storage and Reheat Instructions

This recipe for tinned salmon fishcakes is actually great for meal prep, so feel free to make extra salmon fishcakes and follow the best practices below.

Refrigerator: You can assemble the fishcakes and refrigerate them as-is, then pan-fry for 8 minutes when you’re ready to eat. Cooked fish cakes with tinned salmon will last in the fridge for up to two days.

Freezer: Wait until the salmon fishcakes cool fully after cooking, then store in an airtight container and freeze for up to one month.

Reheat: I recommend reheating salmon fishcakes in an air fryer for 4-5 minutes at 350°F (180°C). If you’re reheating from frozen, allow the fish cakes to thaw overnight in the fridge first.

FAQs

Need inspiration for some main meal recipes? Try my Walnut Romesco Gnocchi, Simple Cod Curry and Spicy Tomato Rice topped with Halloumi and Coriander.