Air Fryer Salmon Patties

Our delicious Air Fryer Salmon Patties are ready in just a few minutes! Crispy on the outside and packed with salmon and the perfect seasonings, you’ll love this recipe for simple dinners or lunches.

Recipe Overview

This recipe is packed with fish, panko breadcrumbs, and the perfect spices to make them taste like you ordered them at a restaurant.

Serve Air Fryer Salmon patties with homemade Tartar Sauce and lemon wedges for a simple meal that everyone will love.

The best part about this recipe is that you can use canned or fresh salmon to make it I find that canned is generally less expensive so it’s a perfect shortcut.

The next best thing is that these salmon cakes are delicious and crispy from the air fryer! We all love how we can create “fried” foods with less oil by using our air fryers, and this recipe is a great example of that. Just a bit of cooking spray will give us tender salmon patties that are crispy on the outside.

ingredients you’ll need

• Salmon – You’ll need 16 ounces of cooked salmon. I suggest using canned salmon, but if you prefer you can use freshly cooked salmon. Remove any skin or bones first.
• Panko Bread Crumbs – I use a gluten-free brand of panko crumbs, but any style of panko will work beautifully here. This gives crunch to the outside of the patties and helps hold everything together.
• Parsley and Green Onions – I love the color that these green things add, plus they give tons of fresh flavor.
• Egg – One egg added to the mix will help to solidify the patties as they cook and keep them from falling apart.
• Mayo – Mayonnaise adds creaminess to the salmon.
• Lemon Juice – I always like a bit of fresh lemon with fish. Here it adds a nice tang and acidity to the mixture.
• Garlic Powder – One of my favorite seasonings, garlic powder is an easy way to get the savory flavor of garlic into your recipes.
• Salt and Pepper – Well-seasoned fish is always a good thing.
• Cooking Spray – I prefer to use an avocado oil cooking spray, but whatever type of oil you prefer will work just fine.

how to make them

1. Break up the cooked salmon with a fork until it’s finely ground. Large pieces of salmon will make the patties fall apart while cooking.
2. In a large bowl, combine salmon, panko bread crumbs, parsley, green onion, egg, mayo, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, and ground pepper.
3. Stir until well combined.
4. Form the salmon mixture into 8 equal-sized patties.
5. Spray the preheated air fryer basket with oil to prevent the patties from sticking, and place the patties in the basket.
6. Air fry at 380F for 4 minutes, flip the salmon patties over and spray the tops with more avocado oil cooking spray. Air fry for another 4-5 minutes, until golden and crispy.

serving ideas

I love to serve salmon patties with a fresh green salad and of course lemons and homemade tartar sauce.

For a simple side dish in the air fryer, try Air Fryer Potato Wedges or Air Fryer Broccoli.

how to keep them from falling apart

The trick to keeping salmon patties stuck together is to make sure that the salmon is really broken up and before mixing. Large chunks of fish will cause the mixture to break apart during or after cooking.

Storing for later

You can store cooked patties in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat for just a few minutes in the air fryer until they’re warm.

These patties can also be stored before cooking. Form the patties and place them in a shallow container in one layer (or two layers, separated by parchment or wax paper). Store in the freezer until you’re ready to cook, up to 2 days ahead of time.