Learn how to make homemade healthy salmon patties with crackers that are perfectly crispy on the outside, flaky on the inside, and always moist! No bread crumbs or flour required, they’re a simple, family-friendly and low calorie option for a super simple dinner or easy packed lunch! {Gluten-free-friendly}
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Easy Salmon Croquettes with Crackers
These healthy salmon patties with crackers are one of my favorite ways to serve salmon. They’re perfectly crispy, totally crave worthy, and always a hit with the family!
Unlike classic salmon patties, this version is made without bread crumbs, flour, or potatoes and is instead loaded with veggies and crushed whole-grain crackers for a slightly healthier option.
Don’t worry, though. They’re still packed full of flavor with only a handful of pantry staples and have a classic flavor your family will love. We can’t get enough of them!
For more tasty salmon recipes, be sure to try my Sweet Potato Salmon Cakes, Walnut Crusted Salmon and Best Mediterranean Salmon too!
Why We Love These Healthy Salmon Patties
- Super simple recipe (mix, shape, and cook!)
- Can be made ahead of time for easy meals
- Can be frozen until ready to cook
- Loaded with flavor
- Contains veggies and healthy fats
- Kid-friendly way to serve protein
- Great on salads, dunked in your favorite sauce, on wraps, and more
Ingredient Notes
- Salmon: Make this recipe with fresh salmon or with leftover salmon; whichever you prefer! For a quick, budget-friendly option, you can even use canned salmon.
- Vegetables: Red bell pepper and green onions add a pop of color, extra flavor, and nutrients to these healthy salmon patties. You can also sub in another color pepper such as yellow or green peppers.
- Crackers: Used in place of breadcrumbs or flour, these help hold the patties together and offer some extra flavor too. I like to use whole-wheat saltine crackers, but you can use regular or sub in your favorite crackers. Some readers have reported that these also work really well with triscuits!
- Egg: Full of protein, eggs act as a binder and give the patties structure while “gluing” the ingredients together. If needed, you can swap it out for a flax egg instead.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic cloves add tons of flavor to your patties. If preferred, you can swap it out for garlic powder instead.
- Lemon: Both lemon zest and lemon juice are used to cut through the fatty taste of the salmon for light and refreshing patties that won’t weigh you down. Use fresh lemon juice for best results.
- Condiments: A combination of mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce combine for the most amazing taste and an ultra-moist texture.
- Seasonings: Salt and pepper are all you need!
- Olive Oil: Crucial to creating crispy salmon cakes, oil is used to coat the bottom of your skillet to help prevent the patties from sticking.
Step-by-Step Instructions
How to Crush Crackers
To make saltine cracker crumbs: Place crackers in a large resealable bag. Pound with a mallet or roll with a rolling pin until crackers are broken down into fine crumbs.
How to Make Salmon Patties with Crackers
- Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pepper, and cook for 3-4 minutes or until softened.
- Transfer the cooked pepper to a large bowl. Add the cooked salmon, cracker crumbs, beaten egg, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, green onion, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, salt, and pepper. Mix gently, being careful not to over-mix.
- Form the mixture into 12 small, tightly packed salmon patties. They should be roughly 1/2 inch thick.
- Place the salmon croquettes on a large plate or baking sheet, and freeze for 15-20 minutes. Or, let them refrigerate for 1 hour to firm up.
- In the same skillet used for the peppers, heat oil over medium-high heat until it’s sizzling hot. Place salmon patties in the hot oil, being careful not to overcrowd the skillet. Work in batches if needed.
- Reduce the heat to medium, and cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side or until the patties are golden brown and crispy on the outside.
- Drain on paper towels. Serve with sriracha mayo (see recipe below), seafood sauce, tartar sauce, or ketchup. Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon wedges, if desired.
Easy Sauce for Salmon Patties
For serving, I highly recommend mixing together 1/2 cup mayo, 1 tablespoon sriracha hot sauce, 1 minced clove of garlic, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice for a delicious dipping sauce to serve along with these salmon cakes.
Keep scrolling to the recipe card below for the full printable salmon patty recipe!
Tips for the Best Salmon Patties
- For faster prep: Make the salmon ahead of time to save time when prepping this recipe. Leftover fresh salmon works great, but you can also substitute 1 pound of canned salmon if preferred.
- Pack tightly: Be sure to pack the salmon mixture tightly together to help them better stay together when cooking.
- Don’t skip the freezing step. If you cook the patties right after forming them, they’ll most likely fall apart. Freezing them for 15-20 minutes helps them to firm up slightly and better hold together when cooking and flipping the patties.
- Only flip the patties ONCE and avoid handling the salmon cakes too much to ensure they keep their shape.
Storage & Reheating Guidelines
To make ahead: Combine the ingredients and form into patties. Place the salmon cakes on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid. When ready to cook, allow the patties to thaw for several minutes before cooking according to recipe instructions.
Storing leftover patties: Store the the patties in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To reheat: Heat a lightly oiled skillet over medium heat. Then, add a small amount of water along with your patties, and cover with a lid to lock in moisture and prevent your fried salmon patties from drying out. Heat until just warmed through.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Canned salmon is a great budget-friendly option. Just be sure to drain off any excess liquid before combining it with the rest of the ingredients.
If your patties fall apart, it can be due to a few reasons. First, it’s important to pack the mixture together very tightly so that the salmon cakes stay together after flipping. Also, you’ll want to make sure that you freeze them for several minutes before cooking to help them solidify. Additionally, it may be because they’re too wet. Make sure your salmon is not overly moist and that you crush your crackers finely enough.
Not all salmon patties are created equally. Some are made with refined flour or bread crumbs and lots of oil for frying, making them less nutrient-rich and more calorie dense.
These mini salmon cakes are made with veggies and whole-wheat crackers, so they’re packed full of protein, healthy fats, whole grains, fiber, vitamins, and minerals making them a healthier recipe that the whole family will love.
What to Serve with Salmon Patties
These salmon patties with crackers are super tasty served both warm and cold.
For a complete meal, serve them up with our favorite sides like:
- Garlic Baby Potatoes
- Baked Sweet Potato Fries
- Tossed Green Salad
- Couscous Asparagus Salad
- Green Beans with Red Peppers
- Greek Quinoa Salad
- Roasted Broccoli with Lemon and Parmesan
- Steamed rice
Recipe Variations
- To make gluten-free: Use gluten-free crackers instead of saltines.
- To make spicy: Add extra hot sauce to the patties or toss in some red pepper flakes. If you serve them along with the sriracha mayo dipping sauce, that also adds a spicy kick!
- Extra seasoning: If you want to add an extra pop of flavor, Old Bay Seasoning or Cajun seasoning is a great addition.
- Add fresh herbs: Try some chopped fresh parsley, dill or cilantro!
- Use canned salmon: Instead of fresh or leftover salmon, you can also use red or pink canned salmon.
- To make into salmon burgers: Form the salmon mixture into larger patties instead of mini ones.
More Recipes You’ll Love
- Chickpea Veggie Burgers
- Zucchini Turkey Burgers
- Chicken Feta Burgers
- Pesto Chicken Burgers
- Frozen Burger Patties
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a star rating and review!
Easy Salmon Patties with Crackers
Ingredients
- 1 pound cooked pink salmon, flaked
- 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
- 20 whole-wheat saltine crackers (or about 3/4 cup crushed crackers)
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Zest of half a lemon (about 1 teaspoon lemon zest)
- Juice of half a lemon (about 2 tablespoons lemon juice)
- 1/4 cup diced green onion
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
For garnish:
- Fresh parsley
Instructions
- Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3-4 minutes.
- Transfer the pepper to a large mixing bowl. Add the salmon, cracker crumbs, egg, garlic, lemon zest and juice, green onion, mayonnaise, Dijon, worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and salt and pepper. Stir gently to mix. Do not over-mix.
- Using your hands, form the salmon mixture into 12 small tightly packed patties, about ½ inch thick. Place the patties on a large plate or baking sheet.
- Place them in the freezer for 15-20 minutes to allow the patties to firm up. You can also refrigerate the patties for at least 1 hour, or until firm.
- In the same skillet used to cook the peppers, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until sizzling hot.
- Place the patties in the hot oil, cooking in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the pan. Reduce heat to medium and cook until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes per side. Flip the patties only once.
- Drain on paper towels. Serve with sriracha mayo (see recipe in notes), seafood sauce, tartar sauce, or ketchup. Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon wedges, if desired.
Notes
- To make sriracha mayo sauce: Mix together 1/2 cup mayo, 1 tablespoon sriracha hot sauce, 1 minced clove of garlic and 1 teaspoon lemon juice for a delicious dipping sauce to serve along with these salmon cakes.
- For faster prep: Make the salmon ahead of time to save time when prepping this recipe. Leftover fresh salmon works great, but you can also substitute 1 pound of canned salmon if preferred.
- Pack tightly: Be sure to pack the salmon mixture tightly together to help them better stay together when cooking.
- Don’t skip the freezing step. If you cook the patties right after forming them, they’ll most likely fall apart. Freezing them for 15-20 minutes helps them to firm up slightly and better hold together when cooking and flipping the patties.
- Only flip the patties ONCE and avoid handling the salmon cakes too much to ensure they keep their shape.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted in September 2022 and the text and photos were updated in January 2025.
I followed the recipe and these came out pretty delicious!
So happy you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks so much for returning to leave a rating and review!