Easy Salmon Patties
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This easy canned salmon patty recipe only requires four ingredients. It’s a quick weeknight dinner that’s super simple, healthy, and totally kid friendly.
I’ve probably made half a dozen different versions of a salmon cake or salmon patty over the years. All of the recipes have been tasty, and they usually get eaten, but they’ve all been a little too complicated to make it into our easy weeknight dinner rotation.
When I started researching non-dairy food sources of calcium, however, I was motivated to start making canned salmon patties more often. (My daughter has been allergic to dairy since birth, and I’m always on the lookout for whole food sources of calcium.)
After reading that canned salmon with bones is one of the most calcium rich foods you can eat, I decided I needed to find a way to get more of it into her diet. (If you’re thinking “ewwww” about the bones, note that the tiny bones in canned salmon are really soft, and when they’re mashed up with the rest of the ingredients they are totally edible, and you don’t even notice they’re there. Promise.)
My first goal was to come up with a canned salmon recipe that would taste good and be simple enough to whip up on a busy weeknight.
Salmon Patty Ingredients:
- canned salmon
- eggs
- frozen hashbrowns
- frozen spinach
My girls devoured these (and even asked for leftovers the next night), so you know they must taste good.
Don’t forget to thaw Your Ingredients!
The spinach and hash browns need to be thawed before you make the salmon cakes, so either put them in the fridge the night before, or thaw them on the countertop a few hours before you plan to cook.
Patty making tip
Make sure you do a good job of squeezing the water out of the salmon and the spinach so that the patties don’t fall apart while they’re cooking. Saute the patties in an oil-coated pan over medium heat for 5 minutes per side, or until golden on the outside.
Freezer Friendly
These salmon patties are very freezer friendly if you have leftovers, or if you want to stock your freezer with some pre-made meals. (I cook them first and then freeze them after they’ve cooled.) Just thaw the patties in the fridge and reheat in the microwave when you’re ready to eat.
Easy Salmon Patties
Ingredients
- 15 oz canned salmon, well drained
- 5 oz frozen spinach, thawed
- 3 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt*
- several dashes of pepper
- 2 tbsp canola oil
Instructions
- Squeeze water from spinach.
- Combine spinach, hash browns and drained salmon in a large bowl, using a fork to flake the salmon.
- Gently stir in eggs, salt and pepper.
- Heat a thin layer of oil in a skillet over medium heat.
- Form salmon mixture into palm-sized patties and add to pan.
- Saute in batches, cooking for approx 5-6 minutes on each side, or until the hash browns have turned golden brown on the outside of the patty and are tender on the inside.
- Serve alone or over a salad.
Notes
Nutrition Facts
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54 Comments on “Easy Salmon Patties”
This recipe was delicious and healthy. I will use this one often! Also, I added a tablespoon of mayo.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! The mayo is a great idea.
Sockeye salmon is my favorite and loved that you used it canned. These patties look so good and very easy to make. I will definitely add this to my recipes to cook next week.
I love a good quick meal that you don’t have to head to the shops to get all of the ingredients for and your recipe ticks all of those boxes. Plus it sounds delicious so win, win! Yum, what a great dinner recipe.
Wow! Can’t believe how easy these are and how few ingredients there are! They look delicious :)
These are so easy with only 4 ingredients and less than 30 minutes to prepare. Delicious and satisfying too!
Awesome recipe , seved with tartar sauce , incredible!
These salmon patties are so easy!
Dinner was late and I had no idea what to prepare…enter this super fresh recipe. Everyone loved them,
I topped with parmagiana cheese and
and served them with marina.
These could go south of the border
with shredded cheddar and salsa.
Thanks for sharing!
Have you tried with fresh spinach?
Yes – Fresh spinach works well, but it should be sauteed first.
I am going to using sweet potatoes and zucchini
How did it turn out with sweet potatoes?
This turned out so good. I used 2 cups mashed gold potatoes and 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs instead of hash browns then added some lemon zest. Winner!!! Thanks for sharing this recipe. Love it.
Thanks for your comment! I like the spin you put on it with the mashed potatoes – I’ll have to try that when I have leftover mashed potatoes.
What a great way to enjoy salmon! My kids will love these simple cakes!
Wow, only 4 ingredients?! Love the idea of using hash browns!
I’m hungry just looking at the photos! I can’t wait to make these delicious cakes for lunch or dinner very soon.
Can you bake them instead of frying?
I don’t recommend baking them – the pan frying helps the potatoes to become crispy and also gives the patty its shape. If you use a nonstick pan, you shouldn’t have to use much oil.
A+ for this recipe. All they needed was Lawry’s seasoning salt after cooking on a nice bun. Good full meal with the potatoes and spinach. I made a bunch and have some in the freezer.
Perfect! Thanks for your comment, Ken. :)
I took one of the frozen patties out of the freezer yesterday. They were separated by wax paper. I left it in the refrigerator overnight in a plastic container to thaw. I cooked it for dinner tonight. Still excellent! So, they do freeze/thaw well. Thanks, again for this recipe.
Could you use fresh salmon instead? With all the issues going on with salmon at the moment I don’t quite trust canned.
Hi Hayley – Yes, you can use fresh salmon. I’d just make sure to season it throughly because it won’t already be salted like the canned salmon is.
Could you use tuna. Thanks.
Hi Doris – You could, but I’m not sure the flavor profile would work as well. There’s something about salmon & potatoes together that just works! :)
Do you happen to have the nutritional information for these??
Thanks!!
Can’t wait to try these. I never thought of adding hash browns. Great idea. I have always used grated zucchini & onion so spinach will be a change. Thanks for sharing.
I wish at some point you would have indicated the number of servings. If I missed that I apologize
Hi Penny! It makes about 10 patties. It says it at the very top of the recipe, but it’s easy to miss. I might be changing my recipe card plugin soon to make the info a little easier to see.
Could you just grate fresh potatoes instead of frozen hashbrowns? Can’t find any whole 30 compliant
Hi Jessica – I’m not sure they would turn out the same because the frozen hashbrowns are usually slightly pre-cooked/blanched before they’re frozen, so you’re essentially just heating/crisping them up instead of fully cooking them. I would recommend using cooked, mashed potatoes instead if you want to use whole, fresh potatoes.
How would you sub the mashed potatoes?
I don’t know what the exact measurement would translate to, but I’d just add enough potato to the salmon/spinach/egg mixture until you’re able to form a cohesive patty. Perfect way to use up leftover mashed potatoes from Thanksgiving! :)
Trying tonight, thanks!
Can these be made ahead of time and frozen?
Yes! I like to cook them first and then freeze them. They won’t be quite as crisp as they are right out of the pan, but they’re still yummy.
Thanks for a great recipe! They were a hit for my whole family and have way more flavor than my old recipe for salmon patties! They really have a lot of flavor. I’m making them again tomorrow!
That’s fantastic, Sarah! Thanks so much for commenting. :)
What a great idea putting hasbrowns and spinach in your cakes!! I once bought canned salmon that had bones in it and was HORRIFIED haha. I ended up passing it along to my mom. It’s good to know the bones aren’t hard though!
So funny! The bones do look a little “ewwww” when you first open the can, but you really don’t notice them at all once you take a fork and mash up the salmon.
Canned salmon with the bones nutritionally beneficial in a big way, so don’t shy away.
Yes! And when you smash the salmon with a fork, you don’t even notice they’re there.
I love how you added the hash browns to the salmon cakes. These look fabulous.
This is such a great idea! I love trying new things that don’t require a million ingredients! Thanks for sharing :)
YUMMY! I have this TJ’s sockeye salmon in my pantry right now. I can’t wait to make these healthy, delicious salmon cakes! Plus you’ve made this recipe too easy not to try!!
These look much prettier than mine! I will make this recipe next time.
You’ll love it! It’s seriously SO easy.
Oh I LOVE this idea! Those look amazing and amen to finding calcium without being able to eat dairy. My daughter is in the same boat. Yum!
I’m so glad to help out another dairy-free mom! It can be such a challenge to find enough nutrient dense foods for allergic kids.
I have always wondered how to make these but never looked up a recipe. These look super easy. thank you!
These are definitely the easiest I’ve ever made. And they were just as tasty as the more complicated versions I’ve tried.
Sounds good and easy and we love salmon. By the way, on a different note, I made the tator tot nachos the other night……YUM!
I’m so glad you liked the nachos!