Chef John's Salmon Cakes

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Servings: 4
Yield: 4 servings

Description

Use canned wild red salmon to make Chef John's salmon cakes — a budget-friendly recipe for homemade fish cakes.

Ingredients

1 (14 3/4 ounce) can red salmon, skin and bone removed, drained and flaked
2 eggs
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon chopped capers
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
12 saltine crackers
1 tablespoon bread crumbs, or as needed
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

1 Stir salmon, eggs, lemon juice, capers, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl until well-combined.
2 Crush saltine crackers with your hands into the salmon mixture and mix well. Wrap the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate, 30 minutes to overnight.
3 Dust a plate with half the bread crumbs. Divide salmon mixture into 4 portions and shape into patties; place onto prepared plate and sprinkle remaining bread crumbs atop the salmon patties.
4 Melt butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook patties in hot oil until cooked and heated through, about 5 minutes per side.