Super Easy Salmon Potato Cakes

Got leftover salmon or leftover mashed potatoes?? Make these super easy, super delicious Salmon Potato Cakes, aka Salmon Potato Patties. They're crispy on the outside, soft and warm on the inside, and tasty all around! 

This recipe can also be made with instant mashed potatoes and canned salmon instead of leftovers, if that's what you have on hand. This is a kid-friendly recipe that is loved by the whole family, and makes a great lunch, dinner, or snack. I include a recipe for a super easy honey mustard dipping sauce too.

Potato cakes

We are BIG fans of any kind of potato patties around here! My mashed potato fritters recipe is one of the most popular recipes on this blog, and we make these bubble and squeak cakes on the regular.

So it's a no brainer that I created another awesome potato patty recipe, this time by combining salmon and mashed potatoes.

This recipe has just 3 main ingredients: salmon, mashed potatoes, and breadcrumbs. Then it's seasoned with dry dill (or whatever other herbs you have on hand) and cooked. 

Super easy. I include a recipe for a simple honey mustard sauce that is amazing drizzled over the patties and can be used as a salad dressing if you decide to serve these patties over a salad for a light lunch or dinner.

These potato seafood cakes can also be made with cooked trout (psst! try cooking salmon or trout in the air fryer!!)

Ready to make it??

Related recipe: Scallion and Cheese Savory Pancakes

Ingredients

For the potato salmon patties

• 14 oz salmon (just under 2 cups - canned, pouch, or cooked and cooled)
• 2 cups cold mashed potatoes (sour cream and chive instant mashed potatoes are PERFECT for these potato salmon cakes!)
• ½ cup bread crumbs, plus more, if you want to coat the patties in breadcrumbs (see ingredient notes and instructions)
• 1 tablespoon dry dill
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil, for cooking

You'll also need a large non-stick pan. If your pan is not very non-stick, then I recommend coating the patties in breadcrumbs (see instructions).

For the honey mustard sauce:

• 4 tablespoons dill mustard (yes, this is a thing and it is delicious!)
• 4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons honey, or more to taste

Don't forget salad or rice for serving!

Related recipe: The Best Crab Cakes

Ingredient tips and substitutions

→ Salmon: Use canned salmon, salmon in a pouch, or home-cooked salmon.

If using canned or pouch salmon, just drain any excess liquid and flake or mash it lightly to make it easy to mix with the mashed potatoes. Or use just under 2 cups of leftover cooked salmon - oven-baked, pan-fried, or air-fried salmon works just fine here! The exact ratios of mashed potatoes to salmon doesn't matter, so you can adjust a little 

→ Mashed potatoes: Make sure your mashed potatoes are seasoned well, because are not adding many seasonings to these patties. If you like your mashed potatoes a little bland, then I recommend adding a pinch of garlic powder, onion powder, some more fresh or dried herbs to the mashed potatoes (such as chopped chives, scallions, parsley). Or you can use seasoned Italian breadcrumbs instead of plain breadcrumbs if you have plain mashed potatoes.

The consistency of instant mashed potatoes prepared according to the package directions is the perfect consistency of mashed potatoes to use in this recipe, and I recommend simply using sour cream and chive instant mashed potatoes to make these patties!

→ Breadcrumbs: As I mentioned above, if your mashed potatoes are not too seasoned, you might want to use Italian breadcrumbs for this recipe. Otherwise, plain breadcrumbs are just fine!

If you start cooking the patties and find that they are sticking to the skillet, you will need to dredge the patties in extra breadcrumbs. This will help them not fall apart in the pan and will make them extra crispy.

→ Dill mustard: If you've never had dill mustard before and want to try a new fun ingredient, definitely give it a try! There are different kinds of dill mustard - creamy dill mustard, dill pickle mustard, bread and butter pickle mustard, and probably many others. Either one should work in this recipe, it just depends on what kind of flavor profile you like. I've always just gotten the creamy dill because I like the lemon + caper flavor, but I might have to order each of the other kinds of dill mustard to try! 

And of course, if you don't want to use dill mustard, you can add more Dijon mustard or yellow mustard and a pinch of dry dill, maybe a squeeze of lemon juice to the sauce.

Related recipe: Blackened Salmon with Mango Black Bean Relish

Instructions

Step 1: Flake the salmon with a fork in a large bowl.

Step 2: Add the mashed potatoes, ½ cup bread crumbs, and dill, and mix until well-combined.

Step 3: Form 8 equal patties from the salmon potato mixture. You can also form 12-16 mini patties, if you want more crispy edges or smaller sized patties as salad toppings.

Optional: dredge each patty in extra breadcrumbs, if you want to make sure they don't stick to the pan while frying, or if you want extra crispy patties.

If not dredging the patties in breadcrumbs, I recommend frying a "test patty" before you fry all the patties in the next step, to make sure it does not stick. Otherwise, you risk having 4 patties getting stuck to the frying pan and falling apart.

Step 4: Preheat a large non-stick skillet, and add 1-2 tablespoons olive oil. Carefully place 4 patties down into the hot oil and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes on each side, flipping carefully with a silicone spatula to not scratch the pan. Let the patty get golden brown on both sides, but don't let it burn. Set the cooked patties aside on a plate with a paper towel, and add more oil to cook the remaining 4 patties.

Step 5: Stir the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and drizzle over the patties to serve.

Related recipe: Tuna Nuggets

Recipe tips and troubleshooting

→ The ratio of mashed potatoes to salmon doesn't have to be exact. The potato mixture will keep these patties together, but make sure to read my tips above about dredging in breadcrumbs if you pan is not non-stick!

→ If the potato mixture is a little crumbly and falling apart, you can add a tablespoon or two of Dijon mustard or mayo to the mixture.

→ If the potato mixture is too sticky and wet, add a little more breadcrumbs to the mixture and dredge the patties in breadcrumbs.

→ You can add shredded Parmesan cheese or any other shredded cheese to the patty mixture. So good!

→ This recipe doesn't have ANY raw ingredients, so the exact cooking time does not matter, as long as the patty is heated through and the two sides are golden brown and not burned. (This also makes it a great recipe to get kids involved in helping make the patties!)

More salmon recipes to try: Mayo Baked Salmon

What to serve with salmon potato patties

These patties make a great nutrition snack on their own, but they also make a great meal. Try these serving ideas:

• On a spinach salad with cherry tomatoes, bacon, sliced avocado. Use the honey mustard sauce as dressing, or your favorite dressing.
• On a bun. Add some lettuce, a slice of tomato, red onion, and smear a little mayo on the bun.
• Over rice, with your favorite veggie on the side.
• Stuffed in a pita, with a little diced romaine lettuce, diced tomatoes, pickle relish, and a drizzle of tzatziki, sour cream, or honey mustard sauce.

What would YOU serve these with??

If you enjoyed this recipe, let me know with a comment and a star rating below. And don't forget to share it on Facebook and save it on Pinterest for later!