Salmon patties were part of Granny’s regular supper rotation when I was little. I always liked them. We often had them with soup beans and fried taters. I like to dip mine in ketchup.
Salmon patties are like other traditional recipes—there’s a ton of different ways to make them.
I enjoyed Granny’s but after I was married I found the recipe I liked best.
Salmon Patties
- 15 ounces canned salmon drained
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup mayonaise
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1/4 cup crushed saltine crackers
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour divided
- Old Bay seasoning to taste, about 3 teaspoons for us
- Garlic powder, onion, powder, parsley (dried or fresh), and mustard powder to taste
- oil for frying
Mix ingredients (1/4 cup flour), shape into patties, dredge patties in remaining flour and fry in oil until golden brown on both sides.
A squirt of regular mustard can be used in place of dried. And you can add more or less chopped onion.
Sometimes canned salmon has bones in it. There are folks that remove them and others who leave them for added nutrition. I leave them and once the patties are cooked you never know they were even there.
I’ve read salmon patties became popular during the Great Depression when cans of salmon were often given to folks in need.
I’m always fascinated by the way food becomes tied to our taste buds and our memories.
Salmon patties were a cheap thing for us to eat when I was a girl and I’m sure both Pap and Granny ate them when they were growing up for the same reason. Although better times came along for them, and certainly for me, salmon patties remained a part of our regular diet.
Last night’s video: Too Cold for Popsicles but Our Cabbage is Planted.
Tipper
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Goodness, I love salmon patties. I don’t make them often because mine aren’t near as good as mama’s or granny’s were. I’ll try your recipe. Thank you for sharing and have a blessed day!
Tipper, I tried your Salmon Patty recipe and declare it better than the way I’ve always made them. I also added a bit of the Harrissa seasoning that I first heard of from Miss Lorie at Whipporwill Hollow. YUMMY !
Rita, that is wonderful 🙂
We pressure can trout and use it in place of canned salmon. Trout makes great patties, too.
We always made tuna patties!! Same recipe just tuna. It was even less expensive. and I still love them!
thank you ….I have never tried tuna….I love salmon patties and remember so well Mom making them for our family …we lived in Wrlest Virginia and I love and make all the same recipes as Tipper…..Nancy Eddy from Daybrook WV
I’m a great fan of salmon patties. Momma made them, but sadly I wasn’t as interested in cooking back then, I didn’t get a recipe. It’s been almost a century ago. LOL . When I make them I just pick and choose ingredients as I go along. I get suggestions from various recipes of salmon patties, sometimes they are delicious other times not as good. I’m going to try this recipe this week to see if the family, my husband, will like them. I think they’ll be wonderful. Yours is very close to how I’ve made the. I usually used cornmeal and flour but crackers sound great. Thanks Miss Tipper, I’m putting my faith in you. Love and blessings, to all the Acorns and especially the Presley and Wilson families. ♥️
Salmon patties was my Dads favorite meal. We always had rice and garden peas with salmon. We also had salmon casserole. It was basically the same as Pattie’s in a casserole dish with crushed corn flakes on the top. I always liked it but haven’t had it for many years. Maybe it’s time to give it a try.
Salmon patties were a weekly supper item when I was a child. Fried potatoes and butter beans as the sides. Brings back wonderful memories. I am going to try your recipe this week!
I’m weird, I know, but I will pick the bones out of the fish when I’m mixing the patties and eat them straight for the calcium. I have one recipe that uses baked sweet potato mixed into the patties; great way to get sweet potatoes into my family without their knowing it.
I grew up eating salmon patties. Our whole family loved them. That is what Momma made on Christmas Eve before our big feast on Christmas Day.
I am reading late today, but your recipe looks delicious. I am definitely going to try it. Grew up on my Grandmother’s salmon- pronounced saLmon, patties, and love them. The first time I made them for my husband, he called them a croquette. I explained if I was cooking, they were a patty. He grew up north of the Mason-Dixon, but has since been reformed in his ways.
My mother made them regularly because one can of salmon could feed the 5 of us and times were tough in the 50’s. She was accomplished in many areas, but cooking wasn’t one of them, so these were not high on our favorites list. She served them with a heated up can of kidney beans and a wedge of iceberg lettuce with mayonnaise. I’m the only one in the family who always loved fish and still do but I hadn’t thought about those salmon patties for many, many years. Thanks for the reminder – adding it to my shopping list now.
We love salmon patties! My recipe is different from yours, but I’m going to try your recipe. My recipe has italian herbs and pimento added it and it’s really good too. I grew up eating salmon patties, and I love to eat them cold as a sandwich the next day.
It’s been more than half a century since I had a salmon patty.
My mother made them on occasion. I loved them. The smell was ‘a bit loud’ but the patties were always good.
The reason I’ve not had any is that my bride (of soon to be 65 years; yes 6 and a half decades) was made to eat them at her mother’s table and despises them. She tolerates the smell of other fish frying and smells I dislike, but she cannot tolerate salmon patties or side meat frying.
Now, I still eat side meat because I have a gas burner and cast iron pan that I use on the patio to cook it; but I haven’t tried doing salmon patties because she doesn’t like them. Maybe this post will prod me into cooking some.
My mama loves salmon patties and would make them fairly often growing up. Those were the nights I ate a can of soup or a little frozen pizza because I couldn’t (and still can’t) stand to smell them. Like ole Carl Childers said “They’re a little loud” lol
I grew up on mackerel patties–we usually had cream corn and boiled potatoes with lots of butter, sometimes also black eyed peas. I am sure we had mackerel due to it being much cheaper than salmon and though I prefer salmon I still seldom can afford a can. Mama did not season her patties at all, and used cornmeal rather than crackers or flour—yours looks and sounds very good and if I remember I will try it your way next time I buy salmon, but I have thus far always preferred the crunch that cornmeal gives the patties (I had my pca make me some the last time I had a can and I let her make it the way she makes for her family–I do not know what all she put in it but I just could not eat any more than the one I forced myself to eat in front of her lol).
had salmon patties and also scrambled eggs with salmon and grits growing up. It was cheap food then and not sure it still is. When we have them now I like them more than I did as a child. It’s comfort food that has memories of a better time and family that are gone.
I Grew Up Eating Salmon Patties. My Mother Made Them With Flour,Onion,Egg,Salt, Pepper. Hers We’re The Best. I’ve Tried To Make Them Like Hers But Nowhere Near As Good As Her’s.
yum! Love salmon patties, just made them recently. Did not eat them growing up. Started making them after I was married and they’ve always been in supper repertoire. we always have them with spaghetti o’s. I don’t use any flour, just egg and bread crumb and pretty much the same seasoning you do. My hubby loves them more when they’re cold than when they’re warm.
I’ve never been a fan of fish but ate salmon patties a few times growing up; my family never took the bones out when making them. Fast forward-Gilbert mentioned he liked them so I made them. He was shocked I didn’t take the bones out and explained that his mom removed the bones and started to explain to me how to do it myself-once removing the salmon from the can. Yea. Um…no. I’ve never made them since. Haha
Today I read this story telling him you didn’t remove them either. He says he doesn’t need them. have a great week!
Your recipe sounds wonderful! Salmon is so good for you. I get the big salmon filets at Costco quite often and cut them into smaller serving sizes and freeze them. Also, Publix has marinated salmon in their seafood department that is really good. I haven’t made the patties in quite a while because they’re a little more labor intensive, but I have a can of salmon in my pantry, so I think salmon patties are on the menu this week. YUM!!! Sooo good!
I grew up eating mackerel patties and sorta prefer their stronger taste and enjoy eating them on a sandwich with mustard and ketchup. One of my elders used to put less ingredients and make them like a batter and pour them out like a pancake or hoe cake and fry them thin with lots of onions.
First time eating these was when a coworker shared them, about 40 years ago or more. I loved them and got the recipe. This recipe sounds very similar. I got all my ingredients together, then opened the can and to my shock and quesiness, the salmon had skin on it!! If I hadn’t measured everything out, I’m sure I would have tossed that can, but I suffered through removing the ickiness and made the patties. They turned out very good and I was quite proud, not having much cooking experience at that time, but I’ve never made them again!
Hi Shirley. I agree wholeheartedly, that black skin has to go! My husband and I enjoy eating salmon patties and will be trying this recipe. May you have a blessed day..
I forgot to add that we also ate a lot of different shellfish and whatever else was available from the ocean – basically we lived off the land, from hunting, fishing and what we grew.
yes! the good ole salmon patties – often called ‘fish cakes.’ Since my Dad was a commercial fisherman – (gilnetting) – I grew up on a LOT of salmon of whatever variety there was to be caught – the ‘top’ or ‘king’ of salmon at that time was the Sockeye. We also ate (fried) the roe and the eggs – usually for breakfast alongside fried eggs – but mama cooked the rest of the salmon in a variety of ways, plus we canned much of it. Fish of any sort was a staple food back then for many – and it was plentiful. And I loved eating it whether for breakfast of any meal of the day. Your recipe sounds good Tipper, but I don’t recall using the mayonnaise in the making when cooking a pattie – only when making a cold salmon sandwich.
If you don’t want to measure your saltine crackers in a measuring cup just count out and crush 7 or 8. That will be close enough. Yes, I did go to google for that!
I grew up eating salmon patties and still love them but, no one else in my family cares for them so I don’t make them often. The recipe you use sounds delicious and I will have to try it if only for myself.
If it’s a hot-enough day and you just don’t want to cook, take those cans of salmon and make a salmon mousse out of them. You throw some heavy cream/cream cheese in a processor/blender and get it frothy and then set it aside, then take some fresh dill weed from the window box “herb garden,” lemon-pepper seasoning (or each individually) and throw it into the processor/blender along with the salmon, and get that down to pretty much a paste. Then stir the dairy product into the fish till completely mixed. Serve on toast with whatever you like to season and garnish fish with. The dirty secret is, if you make too much of it, you can always add an egg and crumbs in, make the patties and do the dredging, stick them in the freezer and you’ve got those patties for next week.
Glad you make ’em the right way, with saltine crumbs. My family always did that even though most people nowadays don’t.
I’ve made salmon patties. They were a quick, easy supper, but I haven’t made them in years.
Good morning, Tipper and Acorns. We love Salmon Patties. I air fry or bake mine. I use them skin on and bones in. I also use the liquid in the can. We like them with one egg and a full sleeve of Ritz vegetable crackers – crushed. We always eat them with thick n cheesy, stove top Mac n cheese. I like the cheese poured on my Patties. I like them with fried okra and fried green tomatoes too. I love them cold with ketchup the next day. My Paw (Mama’s Daddy) liked to eat it straight from the can. I like eating it from the can too. Every year on his birthday and Christmas I gave him a case. He would hide it so Little Granny wouldn’t cook it up into patties. My Daddy loved them and Mama made a big pot of soupy mac n cheese. Daddy liked a lot of milky cheese to sop with when he ate them. Mama made hers with one egg and a full sleeve of saltine crackers. She fried hers in an iron skillet in Crisco Shortening.
I grew up eating salmon patties and salmon croquettes. My Mom would serve them with grits. I never liked them and to this day, have never made them for my family. My husband grew up eating them and he says he liked them. the main reason I didn’t like them is because I remember biting down on a bone!
Those salmon patties look crispy on the outside and moist and delicious on the inside! I like salmon patties, but your recipe takes them up a notch in taste- I guarantee that! I will take a screen shot so next time I serve these, old boy (man who’s building me a dang nice coop as we speak for my friends) won’t know what hit him in the buds! No wonder yall are the healthiest bunch around!!! You eat like kings, but better… I love you all and pray for you all. I don’t know what you need, but I know the ONE who does so that’s my prayer… almost everybody in my country neighborhood has farm animals. I love it here…it’s better than Palm Beach…rich is what you think it is…and you know what I’m a’thinkn!!!
I make salmon patties often. Growing up my mother made mackerel patties because she said it was cheaper than salmon. We like both!
Salmon patties were the only food I can remember turning down at home when I was young. I simply did not like them, but by my thirties, I could eat my weight in them. I still love them today. We make them almost identical to some of the descriptions above and always with biscuits and gravy.
My mother made Alaska Nuggets from the Pillsbury Bakeoff cookbook. The recipe is basic salmon patties rolled into a ball with a cube of cheese poked into the middle and then fried. I haven’t had them in years but this post inspired me to make them again.
Thank you for the recipe that sounds like it might have more flavor than the simple recipe I have used for years. Instead of flour, I use cornmeal in the mix and also to coat them in before frying. Other than cornmeal, I add an egg, onions, salt, and pepper. Either way, they are best served with soup beans and fried taters. Canned salmon is not cheap nowadays.
My grandma thought that always, but loved salmon patties so my mom bought a case of the cans when she’d visit her. In the end after she developed dementia, she slept most of the day and only ate once and always wanted salmon patties, slaw, green beans and iced tea.
The subject today made me smile. Salmon was always mispronounced at my house. I don’t know exactly when I learned that the word should be pronounced sammon. I don’t know why. We loved to dig into a platter of patties, and Mom would sometimes make a salmon stew, a takeoff on oyster stew, I guess. We couldn’t afford oysters.
My wife and I have operated a food bank and several food pantries through the years. One place we had people bringing back green beans and salmon because, “My kids won’t eat these.” We had life skill classes for the clients and I ran a 220 line to the classroom and bought a used stove. We then had cooking classes. We put bacon bits and garlic powder in the green beans and my wife had a recipe for salmon patties. They tasted them and said, This is good. I bet my kids will like this.” We had cooking /canning classes on a regular basis to show different ways to prepare the foods we gave out.
That’s smart! Thanks for your work.
On Wiggins Creek fish of any kind was a rarity. We ate whatever we could catch from the Little Tennessee. Mostly catfish. I never developed a much of a taste for fish of any kind. I can’t remember ever eating salmon patties though surely I did somewhere along my journey to old age.
I’ve been warned about gout flare ups caused by eating fish. Some say salmon is good for gout and some say don’t. I was tempted to try your salmon patty receipt but then I reckon I’d better not, yet. I am only taking Allopurinol presently for gout but it’s been only a month since I came off of Colchicine and Diclofenac.
Allopurinol is good medicine for gout if I am a good example. Anyone who is stricken by gout as I am should talk to their doctor about it.
My mother-in-law made the best salmon patties. Her recipe was very similar to yours. She would always make a big pan of fried potatoes to go with them. Such a yummy meal.
I love salmon patties but have never put mayo in them but will give it a try next time!
Happy Spring! It’s exciting to go to the nursery and look for perennials. After seeing your hostas through the years, I want to try them.
We, too, had salmon patties when I was growing up. I didn’t exactly look forward to them, but didn’t dread them. My mom’s recipe was similar to yours but also added finely chopped celery. Now, a meal I did look forward to was ham and ham gravy. My mom pan fried a ham steak until it had bits of brown on it and in the bottom of the skillet, then she’d remove the ham and pour in the half and half. She’d scrape the bottom til all the flavor mixed into a golden liquid. We’d sop up that gravy with a piece of white bread. Yummm!!! Served as a side was canned Franco American spaghetti. Such an odd combo but I didn’t question it one bit! The funny thing was that the other 95% of the time my mom made very tasty but totally nutritious meals. Such a sweet memory ♡
I was surprised to see this post …..I had planned to make them today! Your recipe is similar to what I do, but not exactly. I will try yours today. Sounds good.
Mother always fixed salmon patties when I was growing up and I continue doing it as she did. We make ours using cornmeal and onions. Actually, I just smush the bones into the salmon, as they are really good for you to eat. I love salmon patties cooked in the old cast iron skillet and hot, or cold the next day is great for me.
My family version is a salmon cake. We mix the salmon with mashed potatoes and seasonings and put them in bread crumbs then cook. I still make them as a regular part of my meal plan. Everyone enjoys them and they make great leftovers too.
Wow, late last night I wrote a note to myself on the kitchen counter to make salmon patties today. It’s meant to be! 🙂 My two year old LOVES them and says, “More? More?” Thanks for the recipe, Tipper. I’d love to try your version sometime soon. It has a lot of similarities to mine but also differences! Have a blessed Monday, everyone!
My recipe is similar, but don’t use flour. I use Ritz garlic crackers instead of saltines and also put chopped green pepper in.
I love salmon patties but don’t make them very often. Mama always bought Double Q brand and that’s what I buy now. We never really seasoned ours. Mama used an egg and corn meal and maybe a little flour. I use crushed saltines instead of corn meal. And I always save a bite to eat before it’s cooked. I know I’m risking my life with the raw egg, lol! I also love them cold the next morning. I’ll have to get a can next time I buy groceries. Whenever I make them it brings back memories of my Mother and Grandmother!
I have such happy memories of my Mom’s delicious Salmon Patties! Mom would make homemade French fries and cole slaw to serve with the Salmon Patties. Such a sweet memory this morning. Thank you, Tipper.
My mom made us “salmon loaf” from canned salmon… looked like meat loaf but made with canned salmon. It had lots seasonings, celery, etc., and was very good. She also made a homemade white sauce to go over it. A newer recipe that she made up a few years ago, and shared with me, was a cold salmon salad using canned salmon, diced celery, green onions, diced hard boiled eggs, tomatoes, a dab of mustard, all mixed with fresh lime juice and served on lettuce leaves.
My mother made salmon patties when I was growing up. She made them the same way you do, Tipper except for the Old Bay Seasoning, mustard powder and parsley. I ate the bones and ate them with soup beans, taters, cornbread and sometimes Cole slaw or chow chow.
My mother fix salmon patties when I was growing up. I can’t remember what happened but I learned to hate them. Luckily for me when she made them they, she fix me something else. When I got married , my wife had no idea what they were and for 55 years I’ve kept it that way. strange thing though, we both like and eat crab cakes.
Lol! I was just thinking that the ingredients are similar to crab cakes.
The kids & I love salmon patties. I make them similar to you. My husband isn’t much for them though so I usually have them for lunch or a night he’s out. I actually learned about them when I was reading about how people fed their families during the depression times.
I make salmon patties often. They are inexpensive and so good for you. I do take out the bones. I like to make homemade honey mustard to dip them in. They are also good with a little dallop of homemade thousand island dressing. My favorite way to eat them, though, is plain and cold from the refrigerator as a snack. Your recipe is similar to mine except I have never added mayonnaise or flour. Mine are pretty simple. I will try your recipe next time. Thank you.
We never had them growing up as far as I remember, but we ate fresh fish and daddy took sardines in his lunch sometimes. I have to steer away from ALL FISH. I have been allergic to it for years. God bless. As of last year, we are just planting a few of the things we love to eat.
We’ve always eaten salmon patties. Momma said once in a while they would get a can when they were younguns and they’d fuss over trying to get the bones first. I’m sure it was a treat to get something different. I don’t want the bones in mine. I know they are soft and you can’t tell they’re in them. We typically have tomato macaroni, mashed taters, and buttered carrots with ours. It varies.
Thank you for posting the apple doll link. I thought that’s what it might be, but wasn’t sure. Beautiful, unique work. Years ago a lady came to a local festival and presented her apple dolls. I thought then that took so much talent. I haven’t seen anyone doing that in many years.