Fresh salmon fillets are perfect to make into crispy, flaky salmon cakes. Pair them with a homemade buttermilk sauce for a great combo.
Jump to RecipeThe next time you want a salmon meal, try making some salmon cakes. They are a delicious mix of a soft salmon mixture with a crispy outside and perfect for dipping.
I used to not eat salmon, but it’s grown on me lately. If you aren’t a fan of salmon, you can try other fish in these, too. We’ve made fish cakes out of tilapia before, and that gave me the idea for salmon cakes.
They use a similar concept of mixing the fish with some other seasonings and forming it into a patty. You could also leave them in a ball shape, but they will take a little longer to cook through.
And, just like the other recipe, I wanted some type of dipping sauce. This time, we went with one made of a buttermilk base. It’s a bit more creamy and the flavor mixes well with the salmon.

Salmon Cakes Step by Step
Ingredients
Salmon Cakes
- 1 cup olive oil
- 3/4 lb skinless salmon fillet, thawed
- 1 green onion, chopped
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 ½ cups panko

Dipping Sauce
- 1 tbsp parsley
- ½ tbsp buttermilk
- ½ tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- ¼ tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
Preparation
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Finely chop the salmon and place in a medium mixing bowl. Add the green onion, salt, pepper, and 2 tbsp of mayonnaise, stirring to combine.

Use your hands to grab a golf-ball-sized amount of salmon mixture and flatten it into a patty. Immediately coat the patties in panko. Continue until you use all of the salmon mixture.

Place the salmon patties into the warm oil and cook until golden brown, turning at least once, about 3-5 minutes per side.

Remove from the pan and place on a wire cooling rack to let the excess oil drip off.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk the parsley, buttermilk, soy sauce, lemon juice, sugar, and the remaining 2 tbsp of mayonnaise.

Drizzle the salmon cakes with buttermilk cream and garnish with parsley to serve.

Leftovers
Store leftover salmon cakes in a separate container from the buttermilk sauce. Both should be placed in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat the salmon cakes in an air fryer or in a skillet just until warmed through. Serve with buttermilk sauce.

Recipe
Originally Published On: May 24, 2021
Last Updated On: July 31, 2023

Salmon Cakes with Buttermilk Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup olive oil
- 3/4 lb skinless salmon fillet (thawed)
- 1 green onion (chopped)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 ½ cups panko
- 1 tbsp parsley
- ½ tbsp buttermilk
- ½ tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- ¼ tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat
- Finely chop the salmon and place in a medium mixing bowl
- Add the green onion, salt, pepper, and 2 tbsp of mayonnaise, stirring to combine
- Use your hands to grab a golf-ball-sized amount of salmon mixture and flatten it into a patty
- Immediately coat the patties in panko
- Continue until you use all of the salmon mixture
- Place the salmon patties into the warm oil and cook until golden brown, turning at least once, about 3-5 minutes per side
- Remove from the pan and place on a wire cooling rack to let the excess oil drip off
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk the parsley, buttermilk, soy sauce, lemon juice, sugar, and the remaining 2 tbsp of mayonnaise
- Drizzle the salmon cakes with buttermilk cream and garnish with parsley to serve
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
Salmon Cakes FAQs
Well they wouldn’t be “salmon cakes” if you use another fish. But yes, you can use another type of fish in these.
You would have to change out the buttermilk. To do that, use 1/2 tbsp of almond (or other dairy-free) milk with a few drops of lemon juice. Let that sit for about 10 minutes to make a dairy-free buttermilk.
Other Fish Recipes to try
- Broiled Tilapia Parmesan
- Fried Tilapia Sandwich
- Sheet Pan Baked Tilapia with Roasted Vegetables
- Lemon Rosemary Tilapia
- Dijon-Herb Tilapia
- Tilapia with Pinot Noir Sauce
- Coconut-Turmeric Tilapia and Rice
- Tilapia with Lemon Butter Sauce
- Swai Fish with Orzo
- Cornmeal-Crusted Salmon
- Sheet Pan Salmon with Smashed Potatoes
- Orange-Ginger Salmon with Toasted Snow Peas
- Salmon Cakes with Buttermilk Sauce
- Super Simple Cilantro and Lime Fish Dinner
- Avocado Fish Tacos
- Fish Cakes with Dipping Sauce
- Teriyaki Salmon
- Sesame Salmon
- Salmon with a Bold Soy-Molasses Glaze over Rice and Vegetables
Other Fried Food Recipes
- Fried Chicken and Waffles
- Southern Fried Chicken with Gravy Sauce
- Creamy Buttermilk Chicken-Fried Chicken
- Fried Tilapia Sandwich
- Pan-Fried Pork Chops with Easy Brown Gravy
- Crispy Fried Mozzarella Cakes Recipe with Fresh Cheese
- Fried Eggs Over-Hard Recipe
- Chicken Schnitzel
- Salmon Cakes with Buttermilk Sauce
- Potato-Crusted Pork Chops
- Parmesan-Crusted Chicken with Balsamic Ketchup
- Homemade Chicken Tenders
I am not a salmon person but my husband loves it! I bet he would love this recipe!
I wasn’t for a long time either, but it’s grown on me lately. These are a great introductory recipe since the fish isn’t the only flavor.
This looks really delicious! I have to share this with my mom as she is a huge salmon fan. When we lived in Alaska when I was little, my mom and dad would always catch fresh salmon.
Oh man, I bet that fresh-caught salmon was delicious!
Uber cool and easy salmon cakes.. I’m definitely trying .. Always love such minimal ingredients and easy dishes !!
I love recipes that are easy to make and clean as well 🙂
Made these with GF breadcrumbs and they turned out great! A fun way to switch up how we enjoy salmon.
I’m glad the GF breadcrumbs worked, too!
These salmon cakes with buttermilk sauce were so good, and my kids especially loved them. I can’t wait to make these again soon!
It’s always a win when the kids enjoy the meal, too.
These salmon cakes are so easy to make and absolutely delicious! The buttermilk sauce really adds a ton of flavor.
Yes! Having a sauce makes everything better 🙂
The dipping sauce is so delicious with this salmon! I love how easy it is to make this too.
Easy recipes are the best! 🙂
I actually have some salmon in the freezer and was looking for a recipe. These sound yummy so I will be following your recipe soon.
I can’t wait to try these! I love salmon patties. There’s nothing better than that salmon flavor covered in a crispy coating. I love this buttermilk sauce, too. I’ve never tried them like that before.
These salmon cakes look heavenly…I love salmon and would have it every week if possible. I can’t wait to make these salmon cakes.
My family loves anything that includes salmon. I am sharing this with them, they will enjoy giving the recipe a try!
Wow this recipe looks so delicious! I want to make it soon!
Yum! We love salmon here but usually just have them as a baked fillet however that does get a bit boring and this looks like a great crowd pleaser and very nutritious too which I’ll have to try!
I love a good fishcake but have never made a sauce for them before and this buttermilk sauce sounds so good. I may have to give these a try and see how they come out x
That seems like a delicious, quick, and easy thing to make to fill you up. Thanks for sharing!
Sounds like a delicious combination! I haven’t made something with buttermilk in quite some time.
Such a delicious treat for the whole family to enjoy. I totally would love to try making this. Bookmarking your page
This recipe looks really so good and simple to make. The dipping sauce also looks yummy.
I have never seen a cripsy fish cake! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.