Are you looking for a fast dinner idea? Try our salmon croquettes they're quick, easy, and economical--making good use of canned salmon.
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Ingredients
The ingredients for our salmon croquettes are easy-to-find pantry staples. Let's talk about some of the key ingredients.
- Meat: We used canned pink wild-caught salmon, flaked.
- Binder: We used one lightly beaten egg.
- Filler: We used cracker crumbs such as whole wheat Ritz.
- Seasonings: We used Worcestershire sauce, salt, and black pepper.
- Fat: We used full-fat mayonnaise such as Duke's.
How to Make
Gather all the ingredients for the lemon dill sauce. Chop up the fresh dill and squeeze a lemon.
- Put the mayo, sour cream, spices, and lemon juice in a small mixing bowl. Whisk together until well combined. Cover and chill until ready to serve. After it's chilled, taste and adjust seasonings, if desired.
- Gather all the ingredients. Drain and flake the salmon, crush up the Ritz crackers, and mince an onion. For the garnish, wedge a lemon and cut up a green onion on the bias. Put the salmon, lightly beaten egg, onion, cracker crumbs, mayo, and spices in a large bowl.
3. Mix everything together with your hands, just like if you were making hamburger patties.
4. Form the mixture into 8 balls, roughly 55g each.
5. Place the balls on a baking tray. If time permits, chill the mixture for 15 minutes before forming into patties for the croquettes. Shape the balls into patties that are uniform in size and thickness.
6. Heat up the oil in a skillet set over medium-high heat, then swirl the oil so it coats the bottom of the pan really well. Carefully transfer the croquettes from the baking tray to the hot skillet with a metal spatula.
Cook the croquettes for 2 to 4 minutes, or until golden brown. Gently flip over the patties to cook the other side until golden brown. Try to flip only once, as cracks can occur in the croquettes.
7. Drain the croquettes on a paper towel-lined baking tray.
8. Serve warm with the lemon dill sauce, lemon wedges, and green onion cut on the bias.
Recipe FAQs
They are patties that are made from flaked salmon, onions, eggs, bread or cracker crumbs, and spices. They are usually pan-fried in a skillet until they are golden brown.
There is more than one technique to use to keep your patty intact. First, If it is too dry, add some water or reserved liquid from the salmon can. Second, finely chop any vegetables (onion and peppers) in the patties. Thirdly, make sure you used enough binder, like egg or mayo. Also, chill the mixture for 15 to 30 minutes before shaping the patties. Lastly, let the first side cook until golden brown before gently flipping the patty.
Usually, they are served with a sauce such as lemon dill, remoulade, tartar, creamy garlic, or creamy mustard.
It depends on what part of the U.S. you're from. Certain sides are more popular in different regions. Here are some ideas: crunchy arugula or spinach, roasted asparagus, steamed broccoli, boiled green beans, steamed rice, pan-fried potatoes, or creamed corn.
Store
- Leftovers: Cooked croquettes can last for up to 3 days in the fridge.
- Freezer: Place the uncooked patties on a parchment-lined baking tray and freeze them until they are firm. Wrap each patty in plastic wrap, and then place them in a freezer bag for up to one month. Remember to freeze the patties before they are cooked.
- Reheat: If you pan-fry them, they will taste best the first day. To help revive their crispiness, place the patties on a baking tray and bake for 10 minutes on each side at 375 F. You can cover them with foil for the first 10 minutes if you choose.
Variations
- Want to add extra vegetables? Try red onions, celery, bell pepper, and fresh parsley.
- Want a different fat to pan fry them in? Try butter, coconut oil, olive oil, or half oil/half butter.
Expert Tips
- Want an extra crunchy crust? Dust with panko breadcrumbs before pan-frying.
- Want to bake instead of pan fry? Bake on a cookie sheet for 10 to 12 minutes per side at 350 F.
- Don't want sauce? Squeeze lemon juice over each patty before eating.
- Need ideas to divide the mixture? Use a ¼ cup measuring cup, an ice cream scoop, eyeball it or preferably use a kitchen scale.
- Is the mixture too dry? Add reserved salmon liquid, water, or mayo to the croquette mixture.
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Recipe
Salmon Croquettes
Ingredients
For the Lemon Dill Sauce
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ½ cup mayo
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 2 ½ teaspoons onion powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
For the Salmon Croquettes
- 14.75 ounce can of pink wild caught salmon, flaked
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- ¼ cup yellow onion, minced (36g)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup cracker crumbs, such as whole wheat Ritz
- 2 tablespoons mayo
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
For the Garnish
- ¼ cup green onion, cut on the bias
- 1 lemon, wedged with seeds removed
- Fresh dill sprigs
Instructions
Making the Lemon Dill Sauce
- Whisk all the ingredients together in a medium sized bowl.
- Cover and chill in the fridge until ready to serve. Chill for at least 15 minutes.
- Taste and adjust the amount of lemon and dill, if desired.
Making the Salmon Croquettes
- Mix the first 8 ingredients together using your hands.
- Shape the salmon mixture into 8 balls, roughly 50g apiece, and place on a small cookie sheet.
- Flatten into patties that are similar in size, then place back on the cookie sheet. If desired, place the cookie sheet in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up the patties.
- Pull out two 10-inch skillets and pour 1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil in each one. Turn the heat to medium-high and swirl the oil around to cover the bottom of the pan.
- Gently transfer the salmon patties to the skillet using a metal spatula. Cook each side for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Make sure the bottom is cooked before flipping or the patty could crack. Cook the other side for 2 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Drain the croquettes on paper towels.
- Serve warm. Garnish with dill dip, lemon wedges, green onion, and fresh dill. Give each guest a lemon wedge to squeeze on their croquettes.
Notes
- Dust with panko breadcrumbs before pan frying for an extra crunchy crust.
- Bake on a cookie sheet for 10 to 12 minutes per side at 350 F instead of pan frying.
- Squeeze lemon juice over each patty before eating and skip the sauce for lower calories.
- Use a ¼ cup measuring cup, an ice cream scoop, eyeball it, or a kitchen scale to help evenly divide the meat mixture.
- Add reserved salmon liquid, water, or mayo to the mixture, to make it less dry.
Nutrition
Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.
Beth
These are awesome! Salmon is one of my favorite fishes, and it is even better with a squeeze of lemon!
Emma
Yes! The tartness of the lemon nicely accompanies the fish. Thanks for commenting!