Air Fryer Salmon Cakes
Air Fryer Salmon Cakes
Canned salmon, mixed with egg, breadcrumbs, and a handful of bright seasonings, formed into patties, and cooked in the air fryer until golden outside and moist within. It’s a fast weeknight dinner that needs almost no attention — about ten minutes in the basket and no standing over a skillet with a spatula.
The salmon flakes apart in soft curds rather than holding together as a solid piece of fish, which is part of the appeal. Dill, lemon, scallion, and a touch of Dijon cut through the richness, while panko breadcrumbs and a light spray of oil give the outside a crisp shell that a pan alone struggles to match without a lot of extra fat.
This is an old pantry dish rather than a modern shortcut — canned salmon patties have been a fixture of American home cooking for generations, built around a shelf-stable can rather than fresh fish. The soft bones in the can are edible and usually mashed straight into the mix; only the larger pieces of skin are worth picking out. The air fryer is simply a newer way to cook a very old formula, trading a skillet and a slick of oil for a basket and a spray bottle.
Serve the cakes hot with lemon wedges and a tartar or dill-yogurt sauce, alongside a green salad, rice, or boiled potatoes.
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 1 can (418 g) pink salmon, drained, patted dry, and flaked
- 1 large egg
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 50 g panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill (or fresh parsley, or 2 tsp dried dill)
- 1 scallion, finely sliced (or 2 tbsp finely diced onion)
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard (optional)
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ lemon, zest of
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- oil spray, for the basket
- lemon wedges, to serve
- tartar sauce or dill-yogurt sauce, to serve (optional)
Directions
Tip the canned salmon into a strainer, drain it well, and press it firmly with paper towels to squeeze out as much liquid as you can — this is the single biggest factor in whether the cakes hold together. Flake it into a bowl with a fork, mashing in the soft bones as you go, since they’re edible and disappear into the mix; pick out only the larger pieces of skin or bone if you’d rather not eat them.
Add the egg, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, lemon zest, dill, scallion, salt, and pepper to the bowl and stir to combine. Fold in the panko last. The mixture should hold together when you squeeze a handful of it — work in a little more panko if it feels wet, or a splash of the liquid you drained off if it feels dry and crumbly. Mix just until everything comes together; overworking it makes for a denser cake.
Divide the mixture into four and shape into patties about 7-8 cm (3 in) across and 1.5-2 cm (½-¾ in) thick, pressing them to an even thickness so they cook through evenly. If you have fifteen minutes to spare, chill the patties before cooking — it firms them up and makes them less likely to break apart in the basket.
Preheat the air fryer to 390°F (200°C). Spray the basket lightly with oil, then arrange the patties in a single layer with space between them, and spray the tops as well. Air-fry for 8-10 minutes, until golden brown and firm to the touch. Because canned salmon is already cooked, flipping is optional; if you want even colour on both sides, turn the patties gently with a thin spatula at the 5-minute mark and give the tops another light spray of oil.
Serve the cakes hot, with lemon wedges and tartar sauce or a dill-yogurt sauce alongside.
Notes
Moisture control is the main thing that makes or breaks these: drain and pat the salmon dry, and keep back a spoonful of the liquid in case the mix needs loosening later.
Panko makes a lighter, crisper cake than regular breadcrumbs. Regular breadcrumbs are denser, so if you swap them in, use a bit less — about a third of a cup instead of a half.
Sour cream or Greek yogurt can stand in for the mayonnaise. A pinch of Old Bay, garlic powder, or paprika are common additions, as is a small handful of finely diced bell pepper or celery for texture.
For a fresh-salmon version, swap in 450 g (1 lb) skinless salmon fillet, finely chopped, increase the panko to about 240 ml (1 cup), and add an extra tablespoon of mayonnaise. Chill the patties before cooking, since raw fish needs to cook through in the air fryer rather than just brown, and it makes a firmer, more fillet-like cake than the flakier canned version.
See Also
Fish Cakes
