Two salmon cakes topped with buttermilk sauce on a round white plate with a bowl of buttermilk sauce and a white and blue towel behind all on a wooden surface (with logo overlay)

Salmon Cakes with Buttermilk Sauce

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 Recipe

The 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
Ingredients for salmon cakes in stainless steel bowls on a wooden surface

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.

Salmon cakes mix in a stainless steel bowl on a wooden surface

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.

Prepared salmon cakes on a round white plate with a stainless steel bowl of salmon cake mixture and a plate of panko all on a wooden surface

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

Salmon cakes frying in a skillet of oil on a wooden surface

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.

Buttermilk sauce with a wire whisk in a stainless steel bowl on a wooden surface

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

Two salmon cakes topped with buttermilk sauce on a round white plate with a bowl of buttermilk sauce and a white and blue towel behind all on a wooden surface (vertical)

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

Two salmon cakes topped with buttermilk sauce on a round white plate with a bowl of buttermilk sauce and a white and blue towel behind all on a wooden surface

Salmon Cakes with Buttermilk Sauce

Fresh salmon fillets are perfect to make into crispy, flaky salmon cakes. Pair them with a homemade buttermilk sauce for a great combo.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course:
Main Dish
Cuisine:
American
Keyword:
fried
|
panko
|
salmon
|
seafood
Dietary Needs:
Nut-Free
Meat:
Seafood
Cooking Method:
One-Pan Meals
Servings: 4
5 from 9 votes

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

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
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Nutrition Facts
Salmon Cakes with Buttermilk Sauce
Amount Per Serving (1 each)
Calories 788 Calories from Fat 639
% Daily Value*
Fat 71g109%
Saturated Fat 10g50%
Trans Fat 1g
Cholesterol 53mg18%
Sodium 566mg24%
Potassium 490mg14%
Carbohydrates 17g6%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 20g40%
Vitamin A 162IU3%
Vitamin C 2mg2%
Calcium 60mg6%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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

Do I have to use salmon?

Well they wouldn’t be “salmon cakes” if you use another fish. But yes, you can use another type of fish in these.

Can I make this dairy-free?

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.

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26 thoughts on “Salmon Cakes with Buttermilk Sauce”

  1. 5 stars
    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.

  2. 5 stars
    These salmon cakes with buttermilk sauce were so good, and my kids especially loved them. I can’t wait to make these again soon!

  3. 5 stars
    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.

  4. 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!

  5. 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

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