This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Bumble Bee Seafoods. I used their Boneless Skinless Red Salmon in Water for these Spicy Salmon Cakes. Be sure to follow them on Instagram for more healthy and easy seafood recipes!
I love dual threat recipes that can be used either as a full-on dinner or as a fancy appetizer. These Spicy Salmon Cakes are my latest Dual Threat! Make them larger and serve a few with a salad for a great dinner option or make them slightly smaller for a classy warm appetizer, served with dill yogurt sauce on top!
If you know me, you know I like to toss some spiciness into recipes like this. I think spicy flavors and hearty seafood go really well together. Of course, if you aren’t a fan of spicy food, you could leave out the jalapeno and chili powder (or maybe substitute your favorite seafood seasoning) and be in great shape.
The salmon I used for my Spicy Salmon Cakes is Bumble Bee® Boneless Skinless Red Salmon. I love that it is boneless and skinless (some canned salmon is not, which can add additional prep time). I like to stir in one can of the red salmon at the beginning of the mix, but then fold in one at the end so you have larger chunks of salmon in the cakes. The convenience of having great tasting salmon from a can cannot be understated, and the rich flavor is a perfect match for this recipe.
For over a century, Bumble Bee Seafoods has been on a mission to show everybody how wonderful seafood can be. For more recipes and product info, be sure to visit www.bumblebee.com.
Whether you are serving these for a classy appetizer or just a simple and hearty meal, these Spicy Salmon Cakes are a delicious change-up to your normal salmon recipes.
How to Make Spicy Salmon Cakes
This is not a hard recipe to make. I do recommend sautéing the onions, peppers, and jalapeno in a little olive oil to soften them before adding them to the salmon cakes mix.
Then just stir everything together! I like to add one batch of salmon at the beginning and one at the end so you have some nice salmon chunks in your finished cakes.
You really have to press these together to get them to stick. If they are falling apart too easily, you can add a little extra breadcrumbs.
Cook the cakes in a skillet with some oil for about 4 minutes per side.
How Big Should I Make Salmon Cakes?
The size of the cakes you make depends on what you want to do with them. For an appetizer, I’ll make a slightly smaller cake and maybe get closer to 15 out of this recipe. If I’m making them for an entree, I’ll make them larger and get closer to 10.
No matter the size you make them, be sure not to make them thicker than about 1/2-inch thick so they cook evenly.
I like to serve these cakes with a tangy yogurt dill sauce.
These cakes are great with any sides. Serve them with roasted potatoes, grilled or roasted veggies, or just a big salad.
You could even serve them as a burger!
Leftover cakes store better than you might think for a few days. Just don’t microwave them to reheat them. Heat them in a skillet over low heat until they are warmed through.
Spicy Salmon Cakes
Ingredients
- ½ cup diced red onion
- ½ cup diced red pepper
- 1 medium jalapeno, seeded and diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 10 ounces canned salmon
- ¾ cup panko style breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon hot chili powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup vegetable oil, for frying
Yogurt Dill Sauce:
- 1 cup whole milk yogurt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons minced dill
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- To start salmon cakes, add diced onions, red peppers, and jalapeno to a skillet with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Sauté on medium heat for 4-5 minutes until vegetables soften, but not brown. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- Transfer sauteed vegetables to a large bowl. Add breadcrumbs, half of the red salmon and an egg. Add garlic powder, chili powder, and salt and stir together. Finally, add the last half of the red salmon and fold in so there are nice chunks of salmon in the cakes.
- Heat ¼ cup of oil in a large sturdy skillet over medium-high heat. Portion out the salmon mixture in ¼ cup portions. Shape the cakes with your hands and compact them well so they hold their shape. Feel free to make slightly bigger or smaller cakes depending on how you are serving them, but keep them no thicker than ½ inch thick.
- Add the salmon cakes to the hot oil in the skillet and fry for about 4 minutes per side until they are golden brown. Flip only once so they don’t fall apart. Repeat, adding more oil if the skillet is dry, until you have used all the salmon cake mixture.
- Serve cakes immediately, while hot, with yogurt dill sauce.
- To make yogurt dill sauce, stir together ingredients in a small bowl.
- Leftover salmon cakes keep fine for a day or two. Reheat gently in a skillet over low heat. Do not microwave.
