Canned Salmon Recipes

Are you wondering what to do with the canned salmon in your pantry?

Here are 7 easy and tasty recipes you can make with canned salmon, as well as some quick suggestions for incorporating canned salmon into your diet.

Canned salmon is an overlooked ingredient, in my opinion. It's a fantastic source of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and calcium.

In addition, canned salmon is typically fresh caught vs. farmed, and inexpensive compared to its fresh counterpart.

So it's a great thing to buy and eat more of! Plus, the fact that it can be stored in the pantry makes it a great thing to stock up on for a busy night when you're wondering what to make for dinner.

That calcium component is especially important to me because of my daughter's dairy allergy. It's hard to find non-dairy foods that contain substantial amounts of calcium, and a 3.5 ounce serving of canned salmon contains as much calcium as a glass of milk!

7 Easy Recipes Using Canned Salmon:

1) Salmon and Hashbrown Patties

There are lots of salmon patty recipes floating around on the web, but I guarantee this is one of the easiest and tastiest you'll find.

I make these frequently for dinner, and my kids love them (including one who typically doesn't like salmon). They are super versatile. Eat them alone, put them on top of a salad, or chop leftovers and eat with scrambled eggs.

There are only four ingredients in these salmon patties, which are easy to stash in your pantry and freezer for a busy weeknight.

2) Canned Salmon Quiche

Sometimes the best recipes come from experimenting with whatever's in the fridge and/or pantry, and this delicious quiche made with canned salmon, goat cheese, and dill is no exception!

3) Salmon Nicoise Salad

Tuna is typically used in a nicoise salad, but salmon is every bit as good in this dish. And it goes so well with the mustard vinaigrette.

4) Salmon Flatbread

Grab a ball of pizza dough from the store, follow these tips on how to get a crispy pizza crust, and add these Mediterranean inspired toppings:

• Canned salmon
• Marinated artichoke hearts
• Fresh dill
• Capers
• Goat cheese or feta cheese
• Lemon juice

5) Canned Salmon Chowder

This is a highly rated recipe that pairs canned salmon with potatoes, dill, vegetables, and a creamy broth. It's a great way to get your salmon fix in the winter months.

6) Salmon Macaroni Salad

The wonderful thing about pasta salad is that you can store it in the fridge for an easy lunch or a quick dinner. A lot of pasta salads don't contain protein, but the canned salmon in this one gives it a great nutritional boost.

7) Southwestern Salmon Nachos

I never would have thought to put salmon on nachos until I saw this innovative recipe from A Cedar Spoon. What a great way to put a nutritious spin on a fun snack or easy dinner.

Other Quick Ways to Use Canned Salmon:

• Swap for tuna in a tuna salad recipe
• Mix with mayo and freshly cracked black pepper, and spread on crackers
• Toss into some easy fried rice.
• Use alongside leftover veggies in a "purge the fridge" frittata
• Add to a simple kale salad along with some hardboiled eggs and bacon

Can I Eat the Bones in Canned Salmon?

The bones in canned salmon are what give it all of its calcium. So if you're looking to add more calcium to your diet, don't get rid of them. They're actually very soft and they're meant to be eaten them. Just mash them with a fork after you take the salmon out of the can, and you won't even know they're there.

If the bones really bother you, you don't care about the added calcium benefits, or you're making a dish (such as a soup) where they might be more noticeable, you can pick them out fairly easily.