A really simple recipe for Salmon Fishcakes that kids will love. A great way to get more fish in your diet, with minimal ingredients and ready in under 20 minutes (even less if you use leftovers). Creamy mashed potato mixed with flakey salmon and coated in a crispy breading.
Light and fluffy mashed potato with flakes of salmon and plenty of herbs, all in a crispy panko breading. This salmon fishcake recipe makes an easy healthy meal that is easy to adapt.
We all want to eat more fish, and this is an easy and family friendly way to do that. Kids will love getting involved with making them and they are great for finger food for younger kids.
If you are looking to get more seafood into your diet, take a look at our Healthy Fish Pie, Mediterranean Cod Bake or our easy Homemade Fish Fingers. We also have a whole section of Seafood Recipes.
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Why you will love them
- Light and healthy - These are perfect for a light meal, or even a snack if you make mini ones and they are super nutritious too. More on that below!
- Quick - These salmon fishcakes take just 20 minutes to make, and even less if you use leftovers of canned fish.
- Easy to adapt - There are a few different ways to adapt these salmon fish cakes with added vegetables and different fish.
- A good way to introduce kids to fish - It can be difficult to get kids to eat enough fish, but these always go down well in our house. I think it's the crispy coating that wins them over. You could also shape them in to different shapes to make them more appealing.
- Freezable - These salmon fish cakes freeze really well, making them perfect for batch cooking and keeping in your freezer for busy weeknights.
How to make salmon fishcakes - Step by step
One: Put the potatoes in a pan of boiling water and simmer for 12 minutes, until soft enough to mash.
Two: Meanwhile, place the salmon fillets under the grill (broiler) and cook for around 8 minutes minutes, until the salmon is cooked through.
Three: Once the salmon is cooked through, flake using a fork and put in a mixing bowl.
Four: Add the mashed potato, chopped parsley, mustard, lemon, salt and pepper.
Five: Form the salmon/potato mixture into eight thick patties. Then dip each one in to the flour, then egg and coat in breadcrumb.
Six: Heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry the fishcakes for 6 minutes or until golden brown. Flipping carefully half way.
Health benefits
Salmon is the star of these fishcakes and it is a really healthy fish, with many nutritional benefits. Here are just a few:
- It is one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been proven to reduce inflammation and lower blood pressure.
- Salmon is rich in protein - a 100g (3.5oz) portion contains 25g of protein.
- Contains high amounts of B vitamins. These are good for repairing DNA and reducing the causes that can lead to heart disease. B vitamins also help maintain optimal brain and nervous system functioning.
- Contains antioxidants.
Variations
You don't have to use salmon in these fishcakes, and any fish will work - have you seen our Tuna Fishcake recipe? We do love salmon though, and it works really well as an ingredient for fish cakes as it has so much flavour. The best other types of fish to use are firm fish such cod, haddock or pollock.
These salmon fishcakes are really easy to adapt with different flavours. If you want some spice in them, then add some red chilli flakes, chopped jalapenos of a splash of your favourite hot sauce.
You could even do a Mexican version with some chipotle paste or a Thai version with Thai curry paste and a little fish sauce and extra ginger if you like.
We love anything that we can add some vegetables in to and it is super easy with these fishcakes. You can chop up some spinach or grate some courgette to mix in to it. If you are using courgette, make sure to squeeze out any excess liquid before adding it to the mixture otherwise they might get soggy.
You could also cook some broccoli and/or cauliflower with the potatoes and them mash them all together for some "hidden" veg.
What to serve them with
These will go really well with a homemade baked fries, a simple green salad, some steamed vegetables and some coleslaw.
Some other great sides you could serve with fishcakes are:
Another perfect accompaniment to these fishcakes is some tartar sauce. You can, of course use store bought, but we have made our own tangy tartar sauce that goes great with many fish recipes. To make the sauce mix together mayonnaise, chopped gherkins, chopped capers, some chopped parsley, salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. Check out our Easy Tartare Sauce recipe.
FAQs
As well as all of the health benefits of the salmon that we have mentioned above, these are really filling. You can also make them much more nutrient dense with some added vegetables.
If you wanted to save yourself a bit of time and effort, then you could use tinned salmon. Fresh is always best, and I think it has a better flavour and texture, but it works in a pinch. You could also use smoked salmon for a more intense flavour.
If you have any leftover, then you can store them in an air tight container in the fridge for 2 days. To reheat, just heat a little oil in a frying pan and then heat them through.
Fish cakes definitely taste best when cooked fresh, but you can freeze them and they’ll still be really good once reheated.
Make sure the fish cakes are cooled completely, wrap individually and then put in a freezable container. Defrost in the fridge overnight, then reheat in the oven at 180°C/350°F/Gas 4 for about 10 minutes, until piping hot all the way through.
Yes, you can make this with leftovers and it will make the recipe much quicker. You can mix together leftover mashed potatoes and leftover cooked and flaked salmon with the rest of the ingredients and then fry them.
If you use gluten free breadcrumbs and gluten free flour, then these can be gluten free. Just make sure there is no cross contamination from other ingredients.
Yes, you can make these in advance. Mix everything up, form the fishcakes and bread them and then keep them in the fridge until you are ready to cook them. You may need to cook them for a couple of minutes longer if they are cooked cold from the fridge.
More salmon recipes
If you’ve tried this salmon fishcake recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
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Recipe
Salmon Fishcakes
Ingredients
- 480 g (1 lb) Salmon fillet
- 800 g (1.75 lb) Potatoes - peeled and chopped
- 4 tablespoon Fresh parsley - chopped
- 0.5 Lemon - juice only
- Sea salt and black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 50 g (0.75 cups) Plain flour
- 2 Eggs - whisked
- 180 g (3 cups) Panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil
Instructions
- Put 800 g Potatoes in a pan of boiling water and simmer for 12 minutes, until soft enough to mash.
- Meanwhile, place 480 g Salmon fillet under the grill (broiler) and cook for around 8-10 minutes minutes, until the salmon is cooked through.
- Once the salmon is cooked through, flake using a fork and put into a mixing bowl.
- Add the mashed potato, 4 tablespoon Fresh parsley, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, juice of 0.5 Lemon and Sea salt and black pepper.
- Put 50 g Plain flour in a bowl, 2 Eggs (whisked) into another bowl and 180 g Panko breadcrumbs into a third bowl.
- Form the salmon/potato mixture into eight thick patties. Then dip each one into the flour, then egg and coat in breadcrumb.
- Heat 2 tablespoon Olive oil in a frying pan and fry the fishcakes for 6 minutes or until golden brown. Flipping carefully half way.
Notes
- You can add a little mayonnaise into the mixture to help bind it.
- If you don't have Panko breadcrumbs, then regular breadcrumbs would work.
- You can swap the parsley for dill or chives. Always use fresh herbs though.
- Serve them with a homemade tartar sauce or some Tzatziki.
- You can use leftover salmon or mashed potatoes to make this.
- If you want spicy fish cakes, then add some red chilli flakes or a splash of your favourite hot sauce.
- For a more intense flavour, try using smoked salmon.
- Give these fishcakes a green boost by mixing in some peas or chopped spinach to the mixture.
S Martin
Although it said "made with fresh coriander, dijon and spring onions" I couldn't find them at all in the ingredients or recipe! I added spring onions anyway and used parsley and dill.
Carrie
How do you prepare them after freezing? Do you freeze before cooking, defrost or cook from frozen? Can they be cooked in the oven rather than fried?
Dannii
I would make them and freeze before cooking. Then let them fully defrost and cook them as normal.
Beth Miller
Love your attitude and recipes. I always leave in the salmon bones, they are quite soft and can be mashed up quite well. A good source of calcium. I also saute' in coconut oil, tasteless but nutritional. Keep up the good work, please.