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Air Fryer Salmon Patties are crispy on the outside, moist and tender on the inside & filled with fresh vibrant flavors. You'll love these air fryer salmon cakes because they are made with budget friendly canned salmon & only fraction of the oil.
Check out our Air Fryer recipes collection for new recipes from time to time and here's our Skillet Salmon Patties with flour, they are amazing too!
Air Fryer Salmon Cakes
Salmon cakes with canned salmon are so much flavorful and easy to make. You can get them ready under 30 mins with a few simple ingredients only.
Salmon patties in air fryer turn out the best with the addition of old bay, red bell pepper & fresh parsley or dill. You can shape these simple salmon cakes quickly by adding a small amount of panko. You won't need much!
Make these healthy salmon patties with fraction of the oil & store them for future. Your whole family will enjoy these air fryer salmon salmon cakes with panko.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Find the Ingredients with actual measurements at the bottom of the post. The list below is just a reference.
- Salmon: Wild caught canned salmon is a budget friendly and easy option. Buy the low sodium variety and don't hesitate to buy canned salmon with bones. The fish bones are a breeze to remove.
- Egg: I used one large egg. You can also use one medium egg.
- Breadcrumbs: I used panko. You can use regular breadcrumb as well.
- Seasonings: Old bay, sweet paprika, crushed black pepper, salt according to your own personal taste preference.
- Mayonnaise: Use real mayo for best flavors.
- Mustard: Use either dijon mustard or yellow mustard. This will add a subtle zing to the patties. So good!
- Red bell pepper: Adds a hint of sweetness. You can also use yellow or orange bell pepper. Do not use green bell pepper.
- Fresh Herbs: Chopped fresh parsley. You can sub the parsley with fresh dill.
- Cooking oil spray: Avocado cooking oil spray is our favorite. It has a high smoke point and hence very good for air frying food at high temperatures.
Best Tips
- Best Canned Salmon: We prefer the low sodium wild caught canned salmon. Do not hesitate to buy the canned salmon with bones. They are a breeze to remove with a fork or your hands. Just pick the bone and discard before mashing the salmon. Also, drain the canned salmon well in a colander to remove any excess moisture.
- Best Patty mold: Use a measuring cup (½ cup) as your patty mold. They will help you form equal sized patties which will eventually result in uniform cooking. So much better than just eyeballing the patty mixture!
- Gorgeous golden patties: The secret to gorgeous golden salmon patties is the right cook time. I tested this recipe using Bella air fryer and also the instant pot air fryer lid, the 12 mins cook time on 390 F worked every time. You might need to slightly adjust the cook time depending on your air fryer model. I would keep on checking the patties from 10 mins onwards and add more mins if needed.
- Avoid dry patties: Do not be tempted to add more breadcrumbs than mentioned in this recipe! ¼ cup breadcrumbs is just perfect. If you add more you'll end up with dry patties that will not taste good.
- Crispy patties: Do not over crowd the air fryer. Layer the salmon patties in a single layer (refer the step photos above), do not stack them. You need to allow proper air circulation inside the air fryer to crisp up the patties on all sides. There's no need to flip the patties half way. Cook the salmon cakes in batches if you are making for a large group.
How to make salmon patties in the air fryer?
Find the detailed step by step recipe along with measurements + Video at the bottom of the post.
Cooking salmon cakes in air fryer is a breeze. Anyone can make it! Here's how to make best salmon patties recipe:
Step #1 Make Patty Mixture
- Make Patty Mixture: Add all the ingredients in a large bowl. Mix everything well with a spatula or your hands to form a crumbly patty mixture. Avoid over mixing and forming a paste.
Step #2 Shape Patties
- Shape Patties: Scoop out equal size patty mixture with the help of a ½ measuring cup and place it on your palm. Form a round flat patty by gently taping the mixture with the help of your fingers. Place it on a plate. Repeat this process until you are done shaping all the salmon cakes.
Step #3 Air Fry
- Air fry: Pre-heat the air fryer at 390 F. Spray the air fryer basket with cooking oil spray and arrange the salmon patties in a single layer inside the basket. Spray the patties with cooking oil spray. Air fry at 390 F for 12 mins. Check the patties from 10 mins onwards. You might need to slightly adjust the cook time depending on your air fryer model. No need to flip the patties half way.
- Serve: Serve the air fryer salmon patties with your favorite sauce, a side salad or seasoned rice and enjoy!
What is a good sauce for salmon patties?
- Aioli.
- Dill Sauce.
- Spicy Sriracha Mayo.
- Creamy Mustard Sauce.
What goes best with salmon patties?
You can serve the following with easy salmon cakes:
- Instant Pot steamed broccoli.
- Any crisp green side salad.
- Fries like potato fries or air fryer healthier turnip fries or air fryer butternut squash fries.
- Air fryer baby gold potatoes.
- Instant pot green beans.
- Instant pot beets.
- Instant pot carrots.
Can you freeze cooked salmon patties?
Yes, you can freeze cooked salmon patties for up to 3 months. Follow the reheating directions shared below.
Storing Tips
Fridge: You can store the air fryer salmon patties for upt o 7 days in the fridge. Follow the reheating directions shared below.
You can also store the uncooked salmon patties and store them in the fridge for 2 days. In that case use a parchment paper to stack the salmon patties otherwise they'll stick with each other. Store them in an air tight container and always use parchment paper.
Freezer: You can freeze the cooked salmon cakes as well as uncooked salmon cakes for up to 3 months.
Our favorite way is to freeze the uncooked salmon cakes in a parchment layered baking tray first and than pop the individual frozen patties into a heavy duty freezer safe bag and store them. You can follow the same method while freezing the cooked salmon patties.
Thaw them overnight in the fridge and than follow the reheating directions below.
Reheating Directions
Air Fryer: Preheat the air fryer at 350 F and reheat the thawed & cooked salmon patties from the freezer or fridge for 5 mins or so. You can add a minute or two if you prefer really hot patties.
Oven: Reheat in the preheated oven at 350 F for 15-20 mins or so.
Microwave: Reheat in the microwave oven for 1-2 mins.
NOTES: Reheating the cooked air fryer salmon cakes will make them lose a bit of moisture. For best result reheat and serve them immediately. Avoid reheating multiple times.
FAQs
You can prevent the salmon patties from falling apart by using panko breadcrumbs or regular breadcrumbs as a binder. If you are on a gluten free diet you can add almond flour as a binder.
You need to cook salmon patties for 15 to 18 mins depending on your air fryer model and cooking temperature. Take this as the base time and adjust the cook time according to your air fryer model. The salmon cakes would turn nice and golden brown around the edges when done.
Add panko breadcrumbs or regular breadcrumbs to make the salmon patties firmer.
Yes, you can make salmon patties ahead of time and store them in the fridge for 2 days and than air fry. You can also freeze the uncooked salmon cakes for 3 months and than defrost and air fry them when ready to serve.
Salmon patties will fall apart if they contain excess moisture. It's tough to shape the patties when the mixture is too wet.
Yes, you can bake salmon cakes for 20-25 mins at 350 F pre-heated oven. Broil for an extra 2-3 mins for a crispy edge (optional).
You can make salmon cakes without eggs. Simply skip the egg from the recipe and add a little bit less panko breadcrumbs to bind the patties.
More Air Fryer Recipes
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Air Fryer Salmon Patties
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Ingredients
- 14 ounce salmon (**canned salmon drained well and bones removed.)
- 1 medium Egg
- ½ cup red bell pepper (**finely chopped.)
- ¼ cup Panko Bread crumbs.
- ¼ cup Mayonnaise
- 2 tsp mustard (**use either Dijon mustard or yellow mustard.)
- 2 tbsp Parsley (**fresh chopped parsley. You can use fresh dill as well instead of parsley.)
- cooking oil spray (**we prefer using avocado oil spray due to its high smoke point. You can use any cooking oil spray.)
Seasonings
- ½ tsp old bay seasoning
- ½ tsp Ground Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Paprika (**use sweet paprika. DO NOT use smoked paprika.)
- Salt (to taste) (**use according to your own personal taste preference.)
Equipment Used
Instructions
Make the patty mixture
- Drain the salmon from the can with the help of a colander and remove any bones with the help of a fork or your fingers. Discard the bones,
- Now, add all ingredients in a large bowl except the cooking oil spray. Mix well with the help of a spatula to form a crumbly mixture. Avoid over mixing otherwise the patties won't become flaky.
Shape the salmon patties
- Take a ½ cup measuring cup and scoop out the patty mixture into your palm and form a flat round patty shape by gently taping the edges of the mixture and pressing it down. A measuring cup will help you form equal size patties which will result in uniform cooking. Repeat this process until you are done shaping all the salmon patties. Set them aside in a plate.
Air Fry Salmon cakes
- Pre-heat the air fryer at 390 F. Spray the air fryer basket with cooking oil spray. Arrange the salmon patties in a single layer, do not over crowd and do not stack them. Spray the patties generously with cooking oil spray. Air fry at 390 F for 12 mins. I used a Bella air fryer and tested the recipes using an instant pot air fryer lid, & this cook time is perfect. You might have to slightly adjust the cook time depending on your air fryer model. I would frequently check them past 10 mins.
Serve
- Serve the air fryer patties with your favorite sauce, a side salad or even seasoned rice. Enjoy! Find the storing, reheating directions and best recipe tips by scrolling above.
Notes
- Best Salmon: Buy the low sodium wild caught canned salmon. It tastes so much better & so much economical than fresh wild caught salmon. Discard the bones and keep the skin.
- Spicy Salmon Patties: Add 1 tsp red pepper flakes or 1 tsp finely chopped jalapeno peppers. You can also add about 2 teaspoons sriracha sauce while making the patty mixture. Todays recipe is not spicy at all.
- Making for a huge crowd: Form the patties ahead of time and freeze them according to the freezing direction provided in this post, scroll up to find it! You can freeze the patties for 3 months. Thaw and air fryer in batches when ready to serve to your guests. You can also store the air fried salmon cakes for up to 2 days in the fridge!
- Panko breadcrumbs: DO NOT be tempted to add more breadcrumbs. It'll make the patties hard & distasteful. ¼ cup is the perfect amount to use in todays recipe.
- For smaller patties: Use a ¼ or ⅓ measuring cup instead of a ½ cup to shape the patties.
- Cook time: The cook time will depend on your air fryer model. I tested this recipe using a Bella air fryer and also an instant pot air fryer lid and 12 mins turned out to be the perfect cook time. If you prefer extra crispy salmon patties do add 1-2 mins to your cook time.
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