You can make these Old Fashioned salmon patties in air fryer for a delicious seafood appetizer or meal. If you have ever made our air fryer crab cakes and fallen in love, you’re going to think these fish cakes are wonderful too.
Love fish and want to make homemade salmon patties for dinner this week? I love these for dinner when I find a great sale and are able to stock up. You get the same great nutrition, protein and Omega 3s but a lot more flavor and you can make these into burgers too!
There are a few different ways you could cook these. If you have made burgers or tuna patties in air fryer you know that is the case with those too. In a patty you would initially think of the grill. If you want to cook outside you could certainly do that but I would use a bit of non stick foil or a griddle on the grate so it doesn’t stick and fall apart.
Set in a cast iron pan with a bit of olive oil does the trick too if you’d rather. This way you can get a bit of a crisp and sear on the outside. Want to know what our favorite method is though? Um these make a great air fryer recipe for beginners who want to eat more seafood. Not as delicate as a fillet but you get the same yum.
Ingredient Notes
You are first going to cut the whole salmon fillet into bite size pieces. You can use coho, farm raised or sockeye salmon is usually our favorite. Fresh is best, from frozen can get soft and a bit slimy.
Italian Breadcrumbs seasoned are great or plain, I like regular not Panko for this one as it holds up a bit better.
You will want to add a large egg to use as a kind of binder to bring the cut of fish with the breading together so it forms nicely into a patty that won’t fall apart as easily. If you need an egg-free option you could add a bit of mayonnaise instead.
To bring this more flavor you are going to want to add some Dijon mustard to give it zing, freshly diced Dill I use in everything, a pinch salt and pepper are basic seasonings but use your favorites.
And then I use a spray of olive oil, use the good stuff, on the outsides to keep it moist but also this will allow the outsides to get to a deep golden brown.
You’ll want a large bowl to blend together the air fryer salmon bites mixture after you have used a food processor to break down the fish into more of a paste texture. From here it is a bit like you were making meatloaf essentially. Needing a binder of some kind to absorb some of the moisture, seasonings and your main protein.
Tips
Can you put parchment paper in an air fryer? You can and should for these in certain baskets because they kinda’ fall apart without it. Don’t worry you can still get the crispy outsides you want because you’re going to flip them over. If you just put them directly into the basket, even with cooking spray, machines that have large holes in the bottom will kinda’ get stuck in those crevices. Use your judgement. We cut the same size for salmon kabobs
How long to cook salmon patties in air fryer at 400
About 10 minutes or so depending on thickness. This our favorite cooking method of all in an AirWave or Cosori y’all. You will get a tender middle that remains nice and moist while the outer rim, top and bottom will give you a bit of a crunch. Similar to frying in a pan but without the oil, added fat and all.
Air Fryer Salmon Patties Recipe
Equipment
- 1 air fryer or skillet
- 1 Bowl
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds salmon, raw, cubed
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp dill
- 1 pinch salt and pepper
- 1 spray olive oil
Instructions
- Put half of the salmon fillet in a blender or food processor and add mustard, pulse to combine, and then transfer to a bowl.
- Put the remaining salmon in a blender and add the egg, transfer to the same bowl. Gently fold in breadcrumbs, chopped dill, salt and spices just until it all comes together and is thick.
- With wet hands form small round patties that are all the same size and thickness.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 F. Spray the air fryer basket with olive oil and place in a basket. Air Fry for 8-10 minutes. After 5 minutes, the patties will be plump and fried on top. Turn them over to the other side and fry for another 3-5 minutes.
Video
Notes
Pan fried salmon patties
- Combine ingredients using the directions above.
- Add olive oil into skillet over medium heat until hot.
- Create even sized and shaped patties.
- Cook for 4-6 minutes on each side until browned and cooked thru to the middle.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ninja Foodi (Option)
With a Foodi you could use the pressure cook function really but that wouldn’t be the desired outcome. It would in fact bring the insides to a safe temperature but they would be soft and a bit slimy on the outsides. Using the attached lid and air crisp button is what you want.
Pan Fried (Option)
If you want to pan fry salmon patties in a skillet you can, I would not deep fry these and they will definitely fall apart submerged in the oil and become a hot mess. Add olive oil into skillet over medium heat. Add patties and cook for 4-6 minutes on each side until browned and cooked thru to the middle.
Sauce for Salmon Patties
We have made this a few ways depending on what I have in my fridge honestly. My kids love them with fish bang bang shrimp sauce. Regular sour cream dollop out of the container is probably the fastest but a dill sauce is the bestest if you ask me.
- 1/4 cup of sour cream
- 1 teaspoon Dill weed, fresh diced fine is best but bottled / dried can be used
- 1/4 teaspoon of Garlic powder
- A pinch of Sea salt to taste
How to Save and Reheat Leftovers
If you do have leftovers they save quite well and can be reheated the next day, or within 48 hours or storing in the fridge. Keep in an airtight container or bag so they don’t dry out. Then spoon just a tad of broth over the top and microwave for 1 minute to add a bit more moisture. Then add your sauce again on the top and have them two days in a row friends!
