Fresh Salmon Patties (Salmon Croquettes)
These are no-can salmon patties — I skip the canned stuff and start with real fresh salmon, the same thing you'd order at the seafood counter. I bake the salmon just enough to flake it, fold it into a quick seasoned mix, then bread and fry the patties until they're golden and crisp all the way around. A short chill in the fridge before frying is what keeps them holding their shape. I love these with yellow rice, beans, and a little sweet cornbread.
This video started from one promise: if you've never had a salmon croquette made with real salmon, I've got you. The shopping part is one sentence — walk up to the seafood department and ask for about two pounds. From there the oven handles the salmon, and the whole mix comes together in one bowl with simple pantry seasoning.
The trick worth stealing here is patience in two spots. I pull the salmon while it's still a little underdone in the middle — on purpose, because the fry finishes the cooking (honestly, that's how I like my salmon anyway). And I don't skip the 20-minute chill before breading. I slow the video down through the dredge because that part gets messy for me too, and the chill is what keeps the patties in one piece.
Watch me make it — video from my YouTube channel
The recipe
Fresh Salmon Patties (Salmon Croquettes)
Ingredients
- about 2 pounds fresh salmon
- white onion, diced, to taste
- sweet chili peppers, diced, to taste
- 2 eggs (for the mixture)
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- hot sauce, to taste
- fresh parsley, to taste
- mayonnaise, to taste
- breadcrumbs, enough to bind the mixture (this is the binding agent — I never call out an exact amount)
- all-purpose flour, for dredging
- 2 eggs, beaten (for the egg wash)
- panko breadcrumbs, for coating
- oil, for deep frying
How to Make It
- Bake the salmon at 450°F for about 8 to 10 minutes, until it flakes easily — don't worry if the middle is still a little underdone, because the fry at the end finishes the cooking.
- Transfer the salmon to a bowl and break it down into flakes.
- Add the diced white onion and diced sweet chili peppers.
- Crack in 2 eggs.
- Add 1 teaspoon Old Bay, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon paprika, and 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
- Add hot sauce to taste.
- Add the fresh parsley and the mayonnaise.
- Mix everything together well.
- Add the breadcrumbs and distribute evenly to bind the mixture.
- Form the mixture into patties.
- Place the patties in the fridge for about 20 minutes to firm up so they hold their shape.
- Beat the 2 dredging eggs together in a bowl.
- Dredge each patty in flour first.
- Dip the floured patty into the beaten egg.
- Coat the patty in panko, then set aside.
- Heat the frying oil to 350°F.
- Fry the patties for about 5 to 6 minutes, until completely golden brown, shaking them gently so they don't stick to the pan or to each other.
- Drain and serve. I like them with yellow rice, beans, and sweet cornbread.
Curtis's Tips
- No-can is the whole point — I use real fresh salmon, not canned. Just ask the seafood department for about 2 pounds.
- The salmon doesn't have to be cooked all the way through at the bake stage; it's fine if it's still a little raw in the middle since it gets fried afterward. I like salmon that way anyway.
- Trust the seasoning process. I'm not fussing with exact measuring spoons here, but the measurements are there if you want them.
- Use any hot sauce you like.
- The breadcrumbs in the mix are a good binding agent — distribute them evenly.
- The 20-minute fridge chill is what keeps the patties firm enough to stay together while you dredge and fry them.
- Honest warning: the breading and dredging part can get messy and the patties may start to fall apart. This part is a process — just try to keep them together.
- Frying browns the outside and cooks the egg mixed into the patties; about 5 to 6 minutes gets them golden brown.
- Shake the patties a little in the oil so they don't stick to each other or to the pan.
Why this works
The oven and the fryer split the work on these croquettes. The bake only needs to get the salmon flaky enough to break down into the bowl — which is why I don't panic when the middle is still a touch underdone. The fry at 350°F handles the rest: it browns the panko shell and, just as important, cooks the eggs I mixed into the patties. In between, everything is about holding shape — the breadcrumbs in the mix are the binder, and the 20-minute chill firms the patties up enough to survive the flour-egg-panko dredge.
- Breadcrumbs in the mix — the binding agent; distribute them evenly so every patty holds together.
- The 20-minute chill — what gets the patties firm enough to stay in place through breading and frying.
FAQ
Can I use canned salmon for these?
This recipe is me making the case for skipping the can. Everything here starts with fresh salmon from the seafood counter — that's the version I walk through start to finish, and it's the reason I made the video. If you've only ever had the canned kind, consider this your sign to try the real thing.
The salmon still looked a little raw after baking — is that a problem?
No — that's on purpose. Eight to ten minutes at 450°F gets it flaky enough to break down, and it keeps cooking when the patties hit the oil, so you don't have to worry about it being undercooked. Me personally, I like my salmon a little on that side anyway.
Why do my patties fall apart when I'm breading them?
That part is genuinely a process — mine started to fall apart a little on camera too. Two things keep them together: don't skip the 20-minute chill, which is what firms them up so they stay in place, and make sure the breadcrumbs in the mix are evenly distributed, since they're the binder. Then take your time through the flour, egg, and panko.
How do you keep the patties from sticking in the fryer?
You'll see me dip each patty into the oil and pull it right back out, then give them a little shake — that's just to keep them from sticking to the fryer or to each other. After that, leave them alone for about five to six minutes until they're completely golden brown.
Did you actually measure those seasonings?
Honest answer: no. I eyeballed everything on camera — no measuring spoons — but I still give you the amounts: a teaspoon each of Old Bay, paprika, and garlic powder, plus half a teaspoon of salt. Trust the seasoning process. And the hot sauce is whatever brand you like.
Estimated nutrition, per serving (recipe makes about 4 servings): ~975 calories · 57 g protein · 67 g fat · 36 g carbs. Computed from the ingredient list using standard reference values — an estimate, not a lab analysis; your exact brands and portions will vary.
