Lemon Caper Salmon Cakes
Turn leftover cooked salmon into elegant and crispy lemon caper salmon cakes! With lemon zest, capers, and light tartar sauce made with Greek yogurt, these salmon cakes are a delicious weeknight meal. Plus, they’re ready in less than a half hour!
Table of contents
I’ve gotten in the habit of buying a little more than I need for dinner, so I can end up with extra for my family’s lunches. Let me tell you, these lemon caper salmon cakes are the perfect meal to make with leftovers! Leftover salmon that is!
These salmon cakes are the perfect dinner for a special occasion, like Valentine’s Day or to serve during the holiday season. They are 5-star restaurant quality salmon cakes made at home!
Key Ingredients
For the Salmon Cakes
- Salmon: You’ll need leftover cooked boneless skinles salmon filet salmon from a meal the day before so it was already prepared, but you can make it fresh for your salmon cakes if you want.
- Sourdough Bread: Traditional salmon cakes call for dry breadcrumbs, but this only causes the cakes to dry out, thus requiring more mayonnaise. Instead, I used 2 slices of fresh sourdough bread that I processed in my food processor to make fresh bread crumbs. They add body to the cakes – so they hold together well – and the mild and lightly tangy taste of the sourdough is very nice with the salmon without overpowering it.
- Greek Yogurt: Usually, salmon cakes are made with mayonnaise mixed with salmon and dried bread crumbs. In these cakes I skipped the mayo and used Greek Yogurt instead for a fraction of the calories. This swap alone saved 258 calories (64 cal per serving.)
- Egg white: To help them hold together
- Seasonings: To season the cakesSalt, Celery seed, Chopped capers, Shallot and Lemon zest
- Cooking oil: You’ll want a neutral cooking oil like avocado oil or canola.
Ingredients for Light Tartar Sauce
- Greek Yogurt: To cut the mayo I used more Greek yogurt in the salmon cake sauce too! Not only does it save more calories but it gives an extra 4 grams of protein per serving.
- Mayonnaise: For classic taste and to add a little richness
- Lemon juice: This brightens the flavors and tastes great with the savory cakes
- Seasonings: Chopped dill, Relish, Whole grain or Dijon mustard and Ground pepper
How To Make Salmon Cakes with Leftover Salmon
Step 1: Preheat and Prep
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Step 2: Whisk, Process, and Flake
Whisk the egg white, Greek yogurt, zest, salt, and celery seed in a large bowl. Then, process the sourdough bread in a food processor until it forms coarse crumbs. Finally, flake the salmon into small pieces.
Step 3: Combine Mixtures to Form Cakes
Add the breadcrumbs, the salmon, shallot, and capers to the Greek yogurt mixture and stir thoroughly to work the salmon into the binders. It will become a consistent texture that can be formed into 8 even cakes.
Step 4: Cook Salmon Cakes
Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook four salmon cakes until they’ve browned on the bottom, which should take about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip them over and brown the second side, for 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the salmon patties to the prepared baking sheet.
Add the remaining teaspoon of oil and reduce heat to medium, and then cook the remaining 4 patties until they’re browned on both sides, 1 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the patties to the baking sheet.
Step 5: Bake Cakes and Make Tartar Sauce
Bake the salmon cakes until they’re cooked through, for about 5 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile whisk the remaining Greek yogurt, lemon juice, and the remaining salt, mayo, dill, relish, mustard, and pepper in a small bowl to make the tartar sauce.
Serve your salmon cakes with the light tartar sauce and enjoy!
FAQs and Expert Tips
Several components of this recipe make them a healthier choice – the Greek yogurt and fresh sourdough bread for one – but also the way it’s flavored. I added lemon zest, capers, shallot, and celery seed to the salmon mixture to boost the flavor – all for very few additional calories. I also used a minimal amount of frying oil, and then allow them to finish cooking through on a sheet pan in a hot oven.
The Tartar Sauce Can be made up to 3 days ahead. Simply cover and refrigerate. Stir it well before serving. The cakes themselves are best when made fresh, but they can be reheated. To do so, simply bake them at 350 on a greased cookie sheet for 15 minutes or so until they’re sizzling hot.
They won’t be quite as moist, but yes – they can be frozen! To freeze them, lay them on a cooling rack set on a baking sheet in the freezer. Once they are solid, transfer them to a large resealable bag and press the air out of the bag before sealing it shut. They can be frozen for 8 weeks. Bake them at 325 degrees F on a cookie sheet straight from frozen for about 25 minutes.
I always recommend looking at the Seafood Watch app or website to see which kind of salmon to buy based on sustainable practices or which populations are being overfished.
What To Serve With Salmon Cakes
- A Light Salad: I love to make salmon cakes and serve them with a light green salad for a lighter dinner. This Chopped Winter Salad will always be my favorite salad in the colder season. I love all the crunchy goodies in it!
- Hearty Salad: For a more substantial salad to serve with your Salmon Cakes try this Spinach Salad with Bacon and Eggs. It’s a suggestion a reader made and we love the way they taste together!
- Springtime Menu: In the spring this Asparagus with Tarragon Vinaigrette is a great accompaniment to these Salmon Cakes.
- Salmon Cakes for Holiday Menu or Entertaining: Pair with our Simple Skillet Green Beans and Roasted Red Potato Wedges. This Orange Cranberry Brown Rice Salad is a good make-ahead side and a Classic Caesar Salad with homemade croutons is another easy option too.
Additional Salmon Recipes to Try
- Salmon is a family favorite source of protein around here, and it’s also an easy way to get essential Omega 3 fatty acids in our diet. Lately, we have been obsessed with maple glazed salmon, and as a family that’s always short on time when it comes to dinner, we love roasted salmon sheet pan dinners!
- Simple, yet delicious, Baked Salmon Recipe with Mayonnaise is the perfect savory dish for weeknights!
- If making salmon at home is something you avoid doing, I recommend trying Easy Baked Salmon in Foil.
- Salmon Nicoise is smothered in pesto and atop a hearty salad. Perfect for lunches!
- Sheet Pan Salmon Dinner with Moroccan Spice is so deliciously flavorful AND it works for a Sunday meal prep!
At Healthy Seasonal Recipes, we specialize in cooking with fresh veggies and creating weeknight meals. Sign up HERE to get more produce-forward dinner ideas for FREE! If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought! Happy Cooking! ~Katie
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Lemon Caper Salmon Cakes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Turn leftover cooked salmon into elegant and crispy lemon caper salmon cakes! With lemon zest, capers, and light tartar sauce made with Greek yogurt, these salmon cakes are a delicious weeknight meal. Plus, they’re ready in less than a half hour!
Ingredients
- 1 egg white
- 2/3 cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt, divided
- Zest from 1 lemon plus 2 teaspoons lemon juice, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
- Generous pinch celery seed
- 2 slices sourdough bread, crusts removed (3.5 ounces)
- 1 pound cooked* boneless, skinless salmon, preferably sustainably sourced
- 1 shallot, minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped capers
- 3 teaspoons organic canola oil or avocado oil, divided
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons chopped dill
- 2 teaspoons relish
- 1 teaspoon whole grain or Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Whisk egg white, 1/3 cup Greek yogurt, zest, ¼ teaspoon salt and celery seed in a large bowl.
- Process bread in food processor until it forms coarse crumbs.
- Flake the salmon into small pieces.
- Add the breadcrumbs, the salmon, shallot and capers to the Greek yogurt mixture and stir thoroughly to work the salmon into the binders and it becomes a consistent texture that can be formed into cakes.
- Form the salmon mixture into 8 even cakes. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook four salmon cakes until browned on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip over and brown on the second side, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the salmon patties to the prepared baking sheet.
- Add the remaining teaspoon oil. Reduce heat to medium. Cook the remaining 4 patties until browned on both sides, 1 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the patties to the baking sheet.
- Bake the salmon cakes until cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 1/3 cup Greek yogurt, lemon juice, the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, mayonnaise, dill, relish, mustard and pepper in a small bowl.
- Serve the salmon cakes with the light tartar.
Notes
Tip* To Cook the salmon, bake on an aluminum foil-lined sheet pan at 450 degrees F convection until cooked through, 12 to 14 minutes, depending on the thickness of the salmon filet. Let cool before proceeding.
To zest a lemon, wash the lemon, then remove only the outer yellow part of the skin with a rasp-style grater or Microplane grater. If you do not have one, you can peel a few wide strips of lemon peel (do not take any of the bitter white pith) and then finely mince the skin with a chef’s knife. A handheld zester works too of course!
The Tartar sauce can be made up to three days ahead. Store covered in the refrigerator. Stir well before serving.
To reheat the salmon cakes. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Lay salmon cakes out on the baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until sizzling hot.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Category: main course
- Method: Stove-Top and Oven
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 cakes 2 tablespoons sauce
- Calories: 399
- Fat: 23 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 17 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 31 g
I used fresh salmon that I purposely under-cooked somewhat to retain a high moisture content. One thing I absolutely hate is overcooked salmon. I like the idea of using smoked salmon, but it’s just too expensive. Instead, I used a few drops of liquid smoke. Instead of both salt and celery seeds, I used celery salt. In step #3, you refer to a “consistent” mixture. Do you mean cohesive mixture? Your sauce reminds me more of a Greek Tzadiki sauce than tartar sauce. Is that what you’re going for? Tzadiki sauce has no mayonnaise, and I find the extra calories unnecessary as well as the extra sodium in the additional salt. The relish and the mustard are already very salty. Since the recipe already has copious capers, which are salt-bombs in themselves, I decided to totally omit any extra salt except for a scant pinch of Maldon sea salt to finish. I love this recipe! Keep ’em coming.
I am so happy to hear you liked the salmon cakes and that they worked well with your adaptations. That’s so great! Thank you for reporting back. I really appreciate it.
Just made these for dinner tonight, and served them on a bed of fresh spinach & arugela. However, instead of the tarter sauce (which I’ve made before & LOVE) I used an Avocado Cilantro Dressing. It was a perfect dinner for a hot (85°) spring evening.
What a yummy spring dinner Denise! That dressing sounds amazing!
Katie, can you use smoked Alaskan salmon in this recipe?
I think that will be too strong, dry and salty. Are you talking about hot smoked salmon? Or cold smoked (like lox?)
loved this!! quick, easy, healthy. i made a few small changes based on my preferences, and my family loved it. will definitely make again.
Can these be frozen before cooking them?
Yes you can but they will be more crumbly because the egg will not hold the binders together as well once they are frozen and thawed. Once thawed, make sure to re-group them with clean hands to get them back into a patty shape before cooking them in the skillet.
These easy, but sophisticated salmon cakes were a wonderful luncheon for some good friends. We all especially loved the delicious homemade tarter sauce. Yum.
Can your salmon cakes be frozen if I double the recipe?
Yes they can! After they are browned they can be frozen. I recommend that you freeze them on a baking sheet and then transfer them to a resealable container or plastic bag.
Can you make this recipe with canned salmon Thank you for a reply. Ingrid J.
Yes you can, but the texture will be more dry than with freshly cooked salmon.
This recipe looks excellent and I’m looking forward to trying it – just one question. What is the relish that is referred to in the recipe? Thanks!
I use dill pickle relish. Hope you enjoy it Tom.
Had this for dinner last night! It’s still a favorite!
I am so glad you like this one Lindsay!
These are the best salmon cakes I’ve ever had!
I love hearing that. Thank you so much Sommer.