Air fryer salmon cakes are simple, quick, healthy, and delicious. Served with a homemade creamy dill sauce, these cakes are perfect for lunch and dinner. Above all, these cakes are easy to store and an excellent choice for meal preps.
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Why should you make salmon cakes in an air fryer?
Salmon cakes are not just tasteful but are a healthy seafood choice as well. These are made using simple ingredients and are a perfect choice for a salmon lover. These patties are versatile, so that you can enjoy these in different ways. Try them as a burger, with sauce or alone!
Although you can bake or pan-fry these salmon cakes, I recommend making them in an air fryer. That’s because an air fryer is very convenient to use. Plus, it doesn’t require a lot of oil. It is easy to use and gives you perfect results.
recipe instructions
Before you begin, preheat your air fryer to 390° for 5 minutes.
tips
When making air fryer salmon patties, keep these few points in mind:
- You can either use fresh salmon or canned salmon for this recipe. If you use canned salmon, you can get it from your closest grocery store or Amazon. Certain brands offer canned wild salmon, which is tastier than farmed.
- Grease the air fryer basket lightly with either olive oil or cooking spray. It will not only make these cakes crispy but will also prevent them from sticking and breaking.
- Make sure you don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket. Work in batches. This way, the salmon cakes will cook evenly and perfectly.
- Don’t forget to flip the cakes halfway into the cook.
- Make sure you don’t make large-sized patties. They won’t be easy to flip and will break in the process. Always make medium to small-sized patties.
recipe substitutions
Here are a few ingredients that you can substitute to get perfect results:
- Mayonnaise: You can use light mayonnaise instead of your normal mayonnaise. Moreover, if you want to skip it altogether, use sour cream or Greek yogurt.
- Italian herbs: Adding Italian seasoning or dried herbs of your choice brings a rich distinct flavor and aroma to these salmon cakes.
- Without egg: If you don’t have egg or don’t want to use it, add breadcrumbs or panko. They work well in binding.
- Breadcrumbs: If you don’t want to add breadcrumbs or looking for a gluten-free option, use almond flour instead.
best sides for salmon cakes
Salmon patties are not just delicious but are versatile as well. They go well with almost everything. You can enjoy them as an appetizer, snack, or main course. Here are a few sides that go very well with these salmon patties:
- Salads/coleslaw: Whether it is a fresh garden salad or a creamy potato salad, salmon cakes go very well with all sorts of salads. Moreover, you can serve with coleslaw as well. The creamy dressing and the crunchy cabbage pair perfectly well.
- Fries: Fries go well with almost everything. Whether you can serve salmon cakes with potato fries, sweet potato fries, or potato wedges, the combination is just right!
- Dinner rolls/buns: Turn your salmon patties into a burger. Top it up with freshly sliced cucumber, pickled onion, and tomato, and enjoy a wholesome meal!
- Roasted veggies: You can enjoy delicious herb roasted vegetables like Brussel sprout, asparagus, potatoes, green beans, etc.
how long does salmon last in fridge
These air fryer salmon patties are super easy to store for leftovers. Place them in an air-tight container and refrigerator for up to 3 days. Moreover, you can also freeze uncooked or cooked salmon patties and reheat them later in the air fryer. This way, you can make these in large batches and store them for later.
Recipe FAQ
How to make them extra crispy?
You can coat the cakes with egg wash and breadcrumbs or dip them in all-purpose flour to make the top extra crispy.
How to prevent salmon cakes from crumbling?
Salmon patties fall apart when they lack a binding agent, or the mixture is too runny. Ingredients like egg, breadcrumb, all-purpose flour, almond flour, and corn starch act as a binding agent and ensure the mixture into runny. These ingredients give the cakes a shape and thus prevent them from falling apart. Also, making large-sized cakes also causes the patties to fall apart.
How to freeze and reheat salmon patties?
Freezing salmon patties is super easy. All you have to do is let the cooked patties cool down a bit. Place them on a baking tray and flash freeze for 3 hours. Now stack them on a zip lock bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
To reheat, simply place them in the air fryer and air fry until they are done.
Air Fryer Salmon Patties
Equipment
- Air fryer
Ingredients
salmon patties
- 14.5 oz canned salmon
- ½ cup bread crumbs seasoned / Italian
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika or Old Bay seasoning
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- 1 tsp dill
creamy dill sauce
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp horseradish
- ¼ tsp garlic salt
- ½ tsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp dill fresh is best
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 390° for 5 minutes.
- Combine the salmon, bread crumbs, egg, sour cream, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, garlic powder, paprika, salt, parsley and dill in a bowl.
- For small patties, use a ¼ cup measuring cup, for larger ½ cup. Scoop out the salmon and form into small patties. Continue until all the salmon has been used. Make sure the patties are all the same thickness for even cooking.
- Place patties in the air fryer basket. You may need to do this in batches. Spray with cooking or olive oil spray. Place in the air fryer and set at 390° for 3 minutes. Remove, flip and respray. Return to the air fryer and fry an additional 2 minutes for small patties, or 5 for larger patties.
- Combine the ingredients for the dill sauce and serve with the hot salmon patties.
Notes
- For extra crispy patties, spray when you place them in the air fryer, then again, halfway through the cooking time.
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer. It needs room for the air to circulate and fry properly.
- Most canned salmon will contain bones and skin and this is perfectly fine to eat and gives more flavor as well as calcium and other nutrients.
- Cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- You can form the patties, place on a parchment lined pan and freeze for 2 hours. Remove and place in a large ziplock bag, squeezing all the air out of it before sealing it. Freeze up to 3 months.
Nutrition
more seafood inspiration…
Air Fryer Calamari
Shrimp and Grits
Air Fryer Fish Sticks
Susan
I just love these thick patties 😍