Crispy, crackling croquettes stuffed with morsels of salmon and salty feta. The soft interiors are spiked with a touch of mustard and fistfuls of fresh herbs, perfectly balancing the natural fattiness of salmon. It's the perfect nibble for serving to guests with crisp beer or something fizzy. Or, coming in at just over 30 minutes, these salmon croquettes would make an ideal base for an easy weeknight meal. Give them a try!
This post may contain affiliate links. There is no cost to you, but if you buy something from these links I may earn a small commission, which helps keep my stove hot and small pantry stocked–thank you!
These quick and easy salmon croquettes have been a long time coming, because they are based on a beloved family recipe developed by my sister. She makes incredibly good salmon burgers. As in, they frequently get requested for Special Birthday Meals, and are in regular rotation for family get-togethers. Whenever I'm chowing down on one of these burgers I think about how much I just want to snack on the salmon patties themselves... And now we can! They are packed with the same delicious flavors, but repackaged into small, bite-sized snacks. Perfect for sharing (or hoarding), and super easy to whip up on a whim!
Core Ingredients
Overall these ingredients are pretty simple, but they come together so nicely that I'm sure this recipe will become part of your regular rotation. Try serving them dolloped with a classic tartar sauce, an herby yogurt dip, or a dijon aioli!
Fresh or Frozen Salmon
You can use fresh or frozen salmon fillets. I prefer frozen because my local grocery stores don't have terrific fish counters. I like knowing that my fish was frozen on the boat and kept frozen until I take it home. The stuff behind the fish counter likely started from frozen, too, but you don't have any guarantees about how well it was kept cold. If buying skin-on fresh, you can ask the fishmonger to remove the skin for you.
Binding and Leavening Ingredients
Yogurt and panko mix together to become the binder for these croquettes. The resulting texture is moist, but firm enough to hold together nicely when shaping and frying. To keep it from being too dense, a bit of baking powder lifts and aerates the mixture just enough.
Key Flavors
Besides the big salmon flavor, these croquettes have a nice zip from dijon mustard, garlic, and fresh cilantro or dill. There's also a yummy boost from salty crumbled feta, which, in addition to its natural saltiness, adds a nice bit of textural variation. The feta doesn't melt completely, but it does soften. It's wonderful with the firmer flake of the salmon chunks!
Basic Method
Cutting Your Salmon
If your salmon fillet has any pin bones, remove them with a pair of tweezers. Likewise, if your fillets came with their skin on, remove the skin and wipe off any rogue fish scales. Cut your salmon into cubes approximately ½-inch big. While it doesn't need to be exact (you will smush them lightly later on), it will make your job easier if you start with pieces that aren't too big.
Shallow Frying
The large amount of oil needed for deep-frying can be off-putting for a lot of home cooks--including me! Even a proper shallow-fry needs a lot of oil to reach that 1-inch puddle mark. That's why I cheat. I use a smaller pan so I can use less oil, and I often aim for a puddle between ¼-inch and ½-inch deep. If my fritters or croquettes are on the taller side, I'll either roll them gently to fry the whole surface or gently flatten them to make them shorter. There's also nothing wrong with a slightly pale ring around the middle where the oil didn't quite reach. It will still taste divine.
Expert Tips and Tricks
Ingredient Swaps
- Sour Cream vs Greek Yogurt: You can use these interchangeably here. Low fat sour cream works fine, as does 2% yogurt, but stay away from nonfat yogurt. Similarly, try to use thick, Greek-style yogurt instead of thinner styles. If you only have thinner yogurt, start with less and add more as-needed to prevent your mixture from being too loose and sticky.
- Dijon vs Prepared Horseradish: Both add a subtle spice, with horseradish imparting its particular nose-tingling heat. The amount called for is small enough that it shouldn't bother sensitive palates, but you will notice the flavor.
- Hot Sauce vs Vinegar: A bit of acidity cuts through and lifts the natural richness of the salmon. There is just enough hot sauce to give these salmon croquettes a subtle spice, and the chili pepper flavor adds a nice extra flavor note. If you aren't a hot sauce household, pick your favorite light vinegar for that little bit of tang. White wine vinegar, rice vinegar, or plain distilled white vinegar are all good choices.
What to Avoid
- Large Chunks of Salmon: You want your salmon to be a bit chunky, so you get nice little pockets of moist salmon meat. However, if your chunks are too big they'll be harder to squish when mixing, and your final croquettes will tend to fall apart. ⅓ to ½-inch pieces is the goal.
- Finely Minced/Mashed Salmon: While too-large pieces of salmon will cause your fritters to fall apart, salmon cut or smashed too small will become too homogeneous inside. Slightly mashing the mixture helps it to stick together and shape into balls, but you do want to preserve some of the larger nubbins of salmon for good internal texture variation.
FAQs
You can use salmon steaks, but the bones can be fussier to remove. They also usually come in larger portions, so you may have to double the recipe to use all the salmon.
Gluten-free panko is the way to go!
I don't own an air fryer, so I can't give you a firm yes or no. Just keep in mind that an air fryer is basically a countertop convection oven, so your results are more likely to resemble baked salmon croquettes, not fried.
Yes. While they are best day-of, they can be made in advance and then reheated in a low oven or toaster oven.
That's a tricky question, as there are pros and cons to both. If you know the farmed salmon comes from clean, healthy conditions, that can be a great choice. Farms tend to be overall problematic, however, so you might prefer opting for wild-caught salmon instead. If you do a quick google search you can learn what to look for in responsibly fished wild salmon.
Technically yes, but I don't recommend it for this salmon croquettes recipe. Because canned salmon is already cooked, it's likely to dry out while the croquettes are pan fried. What you save in prep time you lose in quality.
Looking for more crispy, snackable recipes?
Sweet and Savory Spiced Pecans with Rosemary
Spiced Any-Bean Fritters with Fresh Herbs
The Best Super-Savory, Crispy All-Purpose Tofu
Recipe: Salmon Croquettes with Feta and Fresh Herbs
Ingredients
- 5 to 6 ounces skinless salmon fillet
- 3 tablespoons sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- 1 garlic clove, finely grated
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard or prepared horseradish
- ½ teaspoon your favorite vinegar-based hot sauce , OR white wine vinegar
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro or dill
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
- 3 tablespoons panko bread crumbs, plus more for breading
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 large egg, well-beaten
Preparation
- Step 1Remove any pin bones from your salmon, then cut your fillets into approximately ½-inch cubes. Transfer to a medium bowl and add the sour cream, grated garlic, mustard, and hot sauce. Mix until everything is evenly distributed. Using a fork or the back of a spoon, lightly smash the salmon against the side of the bowl until the mixture looks like a very chunky paste. Fold in the cilantro and feta. Smash any larger pieces of feta the same way that you smashed the salmon.
- Step 2In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons panko, the baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Sprinkle over the salmon mixture and fold until evenly combined. If the mixture looks dry and clumpy, mix in 1 tablespoon water. The panko should be softened and the whole mixture should be chunky but sticky. Divide and roll the mixture into 8 golf ball-sized balls.
- Step 3In a shallow bowl or baking dish, beat the egg with a splash of water. Pour at least ½ cup panko in a second shallow bowl or baking dish.Roll the salmon balls in the egg, coating all sides, then roll in the panko. Make sure the panko covers the whole surface. Transfer to a plate while your oil heats.
- Step 4When ready to fry, place a cooling rack over a paper towel-lined tray or plate. Add neutral oil to a tall-sided skillet or small pot. Use enough to make a puddle at least ½-inch deep. Heat over medium until shimmering (ideally about 325℉), then gently place each salmon ball into the oil. Work in batches if your pan is small or if doubling the recipe.If your oil is shallow enough that it isn't coming up to the middle of your fritters, gently press each ball to slightly flatten. This increases the amount of fritter touching the oil, which is helpful when shallow-frying. Give them a nudge after about 1 minute to make sure they aren't sticking to the pan. Cook 3 to 5 minutes per side, until golden brown and about 130℉ to 140℉ in the centers. Transfer to your prepared rack, sprinkle lightly with salt, and let cool slightly before serving.
Extra Notes:
This post may contain affiliate links. There is no cost to you, but if you buy something from these links I may earn a small commission, which helps keep my stove hot and small pantry stocked–thank you!
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