This is the 40 years old, fastest way of how to make flavorful, Southern Fried Salmon Patties. See the unique, expert ways to save lots of time and have lots of options for variations. Also, this is part of our Seafood, Main Courses, Sandwiches, Holidays, Christmas, & Thanksgiving categories.
Southern Fried Salmon Patties vs Salmon Croquettes
While both are delicious, there is a difference between salmon patties and salmon croquettes. Salmon patties will appeal to having a heartier texture, richer flavor, and more ingredients. Croquettes are simpler and smoother, has less ingredients, and are more refined.
Selecting Your Ingredients for Southern Fried Salmon Patties
There are many options you can select from in making Southern fried salmon patties. So, keep reading to see your choices for the salmon, breadcrumbs or crackers, onions, and the spices.
Choosing Fresh Salmon, Canned Salmon, or Leftover Salmon
Yes, fresh salmon can be used instead of canned salmon. For those preferring fresh, simply cook the salmon in the microwave for about 2-3 minutes or use leftover cooked salmon. Remember, canned salmon is often cooked salmon, so both fresh and canned work well in a salmon patties recipe.
Using fresh salmon allows for a fresher taste and gives the cook control over the seasoning and overall flavor of the patties. Whether you opt for fresh, canned, or leftover salmon, all three types make for delicious salmon patties that are sure to delight.
Microwaved Fresh Salmon to Use as Cooked Salmon
The Option of Breadcrumbs or Cracker Crumbs
Feel free to use either panko breadcrumbs or crushed cracker crumbs. You can roll out any leftover crackers to crush them down reasonably fine. Also, you can cutup some bread slices into very small cubes if you like. The smaller and the drier are better, however.
Choice of Onions
You can use a regular yellow or sweet onion, diced very small. For a richer flavor, use green onions. If out of onions altogether, you can substitute onion powder. It’s about 3 teaspoons per medium onion; so, for 2/3 medium diced onion, you’ll use 2 teaspoons of onion powder.
Spices Options
You can use either Old Bay Seasoning or any kind of Cajun or Creole Seasoning. As a last resort minimal approach, you can use some salt, black pepper, and paprika. There are other spices not there but it’s better than nothing in a pinch. Here’s a real good approach to an Old Bay Seasoning substitute recipe from Clean Eating Kitchen.
How To Make Perfect Southern Fried Salmon Patties
All ingredients mixed together, ready for shaping into Salmon Patties
- Use only cooked salmon and not raw. You can use canned or leftover cooked salmon. If using fresh salmon, cook it in the microwave for about 2-3 minutes until done.
- Mix together all the rest of the ingredients as described in the recipe in a mixing bowl. Then, crumble up the cooked salmon into it, combining it all together.
- Form the patties with the salmon mixture and fry them (at medium or a little under medium heat) in a thin layer of oil in a preheated frying pan or skillet. They usually cook for about 5-7 minutes on each side.
Turning over Salmon Patties while cooking in skillet.
Serving Salmon Patties
Salmon patties are the main dish, on their own, or as a sandwich (nicknamed Salmon Burgers).
Popular Side Dishes for Complementing Salmon Patties
Here are some good side dishes that serve well with Salmon patties.
- Fried Zucchini and Squash
- Macaroni and Cheese
- Saffron Rice (Yellow Rice), Wild Rice, or Grits
- Country Fried Corn or Corn on the Cob from Oven
- Southern cooked cabbage or other Cooked Cabbage Ways
- Fried green tomatoes
- Sugar Snap Peas on Stovetop
- Mashed Potatoes
- Oven Baked Potatoes, Microwaved Baked Potatoes, or Loaded Baked Potatoes
- Air Fryer French Fries or Pan Fried Potato Slices
- Asparagus with Tomatoes
- Onion Rings
- Skillet Potatoes with Green Beans
- Cabbage Soup
Salmon Burgers: When Salmon Patties are Served as a Sandwich
Salmon Patties are also called Salmon Burgers. They go extremely well with this dill tartar sauce. They are served on a bun like a burger. And, they use condiments like tartar sauce or ketchup. And then, have such sides like fries, tater tots, or onion rings.
Storing Salmon Patties
You can keep salmon patties in the fridge for about 3 days, if already cooked. Just keep them in an airtight container. They’ll make a great comeback when reheated as a main dish or as a sandwich.
Can salmon patties be frozen?
Yes, both fried and unfried, can be frozen. And, if stored properly, they’ll last about 3 months. Use “patty papers” or wax paper to keep them separated so you can pull them apart to remove only what you want to reheat. or just store them individually in sandwich bags and then grouped together in a larger food storage bag.
Nutritional Values of Southern Fried Salmon Patties
These pan fried salmon patties have a little over 300 calories each. The usual serving is 2 per adult. Also, more detailed nutritional values are in the <Print Recipe> option.
Why Do Salmon Patties Sometimes Fall Apart?
There are several reasons salmon patties fall apart. Also, this is the most common issue people experience. One key reason is that one or more of the ingredients are too big. For example, the onions must be diced very small. Another example is the salmon wasn’t shredded down or crumbled down enough to be small in size. Next, if using cracker crumbs, ensure you roll them out to be tiny crumbs. And finally, eggs were left out of the recipe. The eggs add a holding factor that some recipes leave out. If the mixture is too dry, it won’t bind together very well to keep its patty shape.
During cooking, be sure you don’t turn over the patties before the first side gets cooked well enough. The first side should have the most time for cooking before flipping it over for the other side. This is the final tip for keeping a salmon patty from separating or falling apart.
Conclusion of Southern Fried Salmon Patties
You’ve now seen how to make this flavorful, Southern fried salmon patties recipe. Initially, you saw how you can choose to use fresh salmon, canned salmon, or leftover salmon. Then, you saw how easy it was to just dice up the onions and toss all the ingredients into a mixing bowl. Finally, you learned to form the patties and fry them in a thin layer of oil in a skillet or frying pan. For completeness, you also saw what sauces and side dishes go best with it. You even saw about storing leftovers or even freezing uncooked salmon patties for later frying. So, let me know how yours went by leaving a comment!
Related Dishes to this Salmon Recipe
You can have an appetizer dish such as this recipe for crab dip. Or, you can see the alternative items below. Also, there are several listed in our “Recipe Ideas for Salmon” article. Also, there’s a very fast and simple Cook Salmon in a Pan recipe.
Flavorful Southern Fried Salmon Patties Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1½ lbs salmon cooked filets or canned salmon
- 1 cup bread crumbs Italian flavored preferably
- ⅓ cup parsley flakes
- 2 large eggs beaten
- ⅔ medium onion diced fine (or substitute ⅔ tsp onion powder per ⅔ onion)
- 1½ Tbsp Old Bay seasoning
- ¼ tsp Ground Black Pepper
- 1½ Tbsp minced garlic or ½ this amount garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 3 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp olive oil or peanut oil or good vegetable oil
- 3 Tbsp olive oil for skillet only, for frying patties
Instructions
- Rinse the salmon filets in cold water. Press with paper towels to remove excess water. Cook salmon in microwave for about 2½ minutes. Or, pan fry, if desired to cook it that way. Then, set aside to cool.1½ lbs salmon
- Add all Patties Ingredients (except hot salmon) to mixing bowl. Then, if salmon has cooled enough to handle, break it apart and add to the same bowl. Remove most skin to discard, where possible.1 cup bread crumbs, ⅓ cup parsley flakes, 2 large eggs, ⅔ medium onion, 1½ Tbsp Old Bay seasoning, ¼ tsp Ground Black Pepper, 1½ Tbsp minced garlic, 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce, 3 Tbsp mayonnaise, 1 Tbsp olive oil
- Mix all ingredients thoroughly by hand. Add a very small layer of oil to frying pan and heat to medium.3 Tbsp olive oil
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