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These delicious Air Fryer Salmon Patties have a crispy outside with flaky, perfectly cooked salmon inside. They are packed with flavor and are a tasty freezer-friendly make-ahead weeknight dinner.
These quick and tasty air fryer salmon patties are the best weeknight dinner. Ready in under 20 minutes, they’re baked and not fried and still taste amazing. Oh, happy day!
If you want to take your delicious salmon cakes in the air fryer to the next level, top them with a dollop of our homemade tartar sauce.
ingredient highlights
- Salmon – leftover grilled or baked salmon works great, but I also love the canned wild Alaska Pink variety from Costco.
- Seafood seasoning – use your favorite store-bought variety or make a batch of our homemade seafood seasoning.
- Mayo – not a fan? Same! You can also use plain Greek yogurt; aim for 5% milk fat.
- Breadcrumbs – you can use regular breadcrumbs in place of panko. Start with 1 cup and add more if needed.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Don’t skip the step of spraying the panko before assembling the salmon cakes. This gives you the tastiest and crispiest coating!
- Use a fork to break apart the salmon prior to adding all the other ingredients, as clumps of fish can prevent the salmon patties from holding together during the cooking process.
- To freeze: place unbaked salmon cakes on a baking sheet lined with parchment or waxed paper. Freeze for 3 hours, and then transfer to freezer-safe storage. Freeze for 3-6 months. You can bake frozen salmon patties at the same temp, but add 2-3 minutes of cooking time.
Air Fryer Salmon Patties
These delicious air fryer salmon patties have a crispy outside with flaky, perfectly cooked salmon inside. They are packed with flavor and are a tasty freezer-friendly make-ahead weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
- 2 cups canned salmon {~16 oz}
- 1 1/4 cup panko
- 1 tbsp olive oil {divided}
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup celery {finely diced}
- 2 tbsp Frank's Red Hot
- 4 cloves garlic {finely minced}
- 1/4 cup red onion {finely diced}
- 2 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning {or another seafood seasoning mix}
- 1/2 cup mayo {or plain Greek yogurt}
Instructions
- Place a piece of parchment or waxed paper on a baking sheet or large plate.
- Drain the water from the salmon, and add the salmon to a mixing bowl.2 cups canned salmon
- Use a fork to break up the chunks of salmon.
- Add panko to a small bowl and spray it with olive oil to coat.1 1/4 cup panko, 1 tbsp olive oil
- Add panko, eggs, celery, Frank's, garlic, onion, Old Bay, and mayo to the salmon and stir to combine.2 eggs, 1/3 cup celery, 4 cloves garlic, 1/4 cup red onion, 2 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning, 1/2 cup mayo, 2 tbsp Frank's Red Hot
- Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop some of the mixture into your hands. Make a small patty and set on the baking sheet. Repeat until you've made 12 patties.
- {optional}: Freeze patties for 20 minutes. This will help keep everything together when you flip them.
- Preheat the air fryer to 350˚F for 3 minutes.
- Liberally spray the tops of the patties with the remaining olive oil. Let them sit for 2 minutes.1 tbsp olive oil
- Without overcrowding the basket, carefully place the salmon patties in the air fryer.
- Bake at 390˚F for 5 minutes. Flip and bake for an additional 2 minutes.
Notes
- You can use regular breadcrumbs in place of panko. Start with 1 cup and add more if needed.
- Don’t skip the step to spray the panko before assembling the salmon cakes. This gives you the tastiest and crispiest coating!
Place unbaked salmon cakes on a baking sheet lined with parchment or waxed paper. Freeze for 3 hours, and then transfer to freezer-safe storage. Freeze for 3-6 months. You can bake frozen salmon patties at the same temp, but add 2-3 minutes of cooking time. Stovetop Instructions:
Heat a skillet over medium heat for at least 5 minutes. Add butter or oil and let it warm up for 1-2 minutes. Add salmon cakes and cook until the bottom is light brown and has a crunchy sear (2-3 minutes). Flip and cook the other side. Remove to a plate lined with a paper towel or newspaper.
Nutrition
Serving: 2cakesCalories: 153kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 9gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 212mgPotassium: 139mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 94IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 107mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I know I’m late to the party with this, but we make these several times a year (and have been for years since the original recipe was posted). We make a combination of the OG salmon cakes and the air fryer recipe – depending on what we have on hand. We often double the recipe as the kids love it that much. The air fryer method makes meal prep a breeze. We pair with roasted broccoli or brussel sprouts and our version of colcannon with horseradish added (it’s on my list to try your wasabi mashed potatoes), Always delicious. Always the first of the prepped meals the kids take. Not going to lie – not all of the cakes make it to the containers!
Katherine, thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review. I’m thrilled to hear how much you and the kiddos like them!
The colcannon dish sounds INCREDIBLE!