Basic crispy salmon fish cakes

Last Updated on 17 Mar 20

I’m a big fan of salmon but struggle to find ways to serve it in interesting ways. Enter these basic crispy salmon fish cakes. They aren’t posh, but they’re quick and easy to make and full of subtle flavours. 

Fish cakes are another one of those dishes, just like fish pie, that grab my attention on a menu.

The only thing is, in recent years fish cakes on menus when you eat out are usually a bit fancy. Typically they’ll be Thai fish cakes. Don’t get me wrong, these are delicious and I’d order them in a heartbeat, but whatever happened to plain old fish cakes – just fish and potato with a few flavourings and a lovely crispy exterior?

Use a cheaper fish if you like!

So this is the sort of fish cake I wanted to recreate for today’s recipe. Well, actually I’m fibbing to you slightly because the most basic fish cakes I’ve eaten have been made with a simple white fish like cod or haddock (or whatever white fish is commonly available).

I’ve used salmon of course, but that doesn’t mean you have to. Any kind of fish at all will do, even tinned. In fact, the next time I make these I’m definitely going to use tinned salmon because I have a tiny bit of fresh salmon left over in the freezer but not enough to make this recipe again. Smoked fish would work brilliantly, or even canned tuna.

Ingredients in basic salmon fishcakes

Because these are so simple, what I was aiming for was a recipe with a nice ratio of salmon to potato i.e. not too much potato, and some nice additions that don’t overshadow the delicately-flavoured fish.

So all I add into these (apart from the fish and potato) is a bit of lemon zest, some chopped parsley, mustard, squashed peas, some chili flakes and sharp cheese to give a bit of extra oomph, and a bit of mayonnaise to bind everything together.

How to make them

After shaping the mixture into fish cakes, all you do is roll in panko breadcrumbs (or any breadcrumbs really) and pan fry in a little oil for 5 minutes or so on each side.

Delicious. And very easy.

How to serve fishcakes… and how to freeze them!

We love eating these with coleslaw and a fresh salad on the side. That’s really all they need.

Fishcakes freeze brilliantly too. Just freeze between layers of baking paper in a storage container with a lid after adding the breadcrumbs. When you want to eat them, defrost in separate layers and cook as you would from fresh.

So do you think you’d enjoy a basic fish cake like this? What other kinds have you tried?

More easy fish dinners

• Liking the fishy vibe in this post? This lemon butter salmon with potatoes and asparagus is another popular recipe on the blog. If asparagus is out of season, just substitute with broccoli!
• Want even more fish recipes? You have to try this Greek baked fish!
• This easy tuna salad is a great quick and easy dinner for when it’s too hot to turn on the oven. We make this again and again and it never disappoints!
• Crispy fish pie! (Just trust me on this one – it’s easy and delicious!)
• This jerk salmon with yogurt potatoes is the wild card recipe – a little bit different, but a really delicious way to serve salmon, especially in the summer.

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4.25 from 4 votes

Basic crispy salmon fish cakes

Fish cakes! These are nothing fancy, but are full of delicately flavoured salmon and fresh, subtle flavours. My favourite part is the crispy exterior – mmmmm!

Course Main Course

Cuisine British

Keyword fish, fish cakes, salmon

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 4 -5 people (based on 2 fish cakes each)

Calories 348kcal

Author Helen

Ingredients (UK/Australia? Click button below for grams & ml)

for the fish cakes

• 14 ounces potatoes peeled and diced (about 4 smallish potatoes)
• 2.5 ounces peas frozen
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 9 ounces salmon I used 3 portioned fillets
• 1 lemon (zest)
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• parsley one handful, finely chopped
• 1 ounce grated cheese about a handful (I used a sharp cheddar but any strong cheese works e.g. parmesan)
• 1 pinch chili flakes optional
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• salt and pepper

for the crispy coating

• 3 tablespoons flour (roughly)
• 1 egg whisked
• 4 tablespoons breadcrumbs (roughly) I used Japanese panko, but any work

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Cook the potatoes in salted boiling water until tender (about 15 to 20 minutes). Add the peas for the last few minutes. Drain then return to the pan and lightly mash with the butter (I prefer to leave the potato a bit ‘chunky’). Tip into a large bowl.
• Meanwhile, put the salmon in a microwavable dish with 100ml milk, then cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 2 minutes or until just cooked.
• Flake the salmon into the bowl with the potato, then add the lemon zest, mustard, parsley, cheese, chili flakes, and mayonnaise. Add a generous grinding of salt and pepper and mix well.
• Cool the mixture for a while in the fridge (half an hour is fine), then take golfball-sized amounts of mixture and shape into 8 to 10 fish cakes.
• To coat the fish cakes, put the flour, egg and breadcrumbs in separate dishes, then roll the fishcakes first in the flour, then in the egg and lastly in the breadcrumbs. Place on a plate or baking tray ready to cook.
• Heat up a good drizzle of oil in a frying pan, then pan fry the fishcakes for about 5 minutes on each side or until golden and crispy. Serve immediately.

Notes

These fish cakes freeze really well. Simply freeze them between layers of baking paper in a Tupperware. When ready to eat, defrost in separate layers then cook as from fresh.

I used salmon but any fish would work. I think smoked fish would work especially well. You could even use tinned fish (which would probably be cheaper!).

Don’t waste the milk you cook the fish in! Freeze it and use it for the sauce when you make this fish pie!

Nutrition

Calories: 348kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 256mg | Potassium: 837mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 380IU | Vitamin C: 32.7mg | Calcium: 124mg | Iron: 5.1mg

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