Easy Salmon Croquettes - The Recipe Critic (2024)

FAQs

Why do my salmon croquettes fall apart? ›

If you add too much egg, for instance, or the canned fish isn't properly drained, the mixture will be too wet and the cakes will fall apart. Too many breadcrumbs, on the other hand, will make your cakes dry and crumbly.

When making salmon patties, it can be so frustrating to form the patties perfectly only to have them fall apart in the skillet. It is important to have a binder and an extender to keep the patties from falling apart. In this recipe, the egg acts as the binder and the breadcrumbs or saltines act as the extender.

If you're really into technical terminology, the difference is that croquettes typically use breadcrumbs, and patties typically use flour. A croquette mixture is flakier and lighter than a patty mixture.

As long as they're chilled and not too runny, you can use any type of leftover mashed potatoes, whether it's a plain mash or one made with butter and cream. Adding flour to the filling also prevents them from falling apart. Our recipe uses three tablespoons, which is just enough to help hold them together.

Add the flour, mix to combine with the butter and cook for 3-5 minutes. Turn up the heat slightly and start to gradually add the milk a little at a time whisking to prevent any lumps. Once it starts to thicken up add more milk and continue whisking, repeat this till you've used up all the milk.

Balance The Binders With The Moisture

Every salmon patty or cake recipe calls for some combination of binding ingredients. These usually include eggs, flour, breadcrumbs, cracker crumbs, ground flaxseed, and so on. Without these binders, the salmon has nothing to stick to, so you can't form patties.

You can use wheat flour, oat flour or mashed potatoes egg substitute for binder in salmon patties. Replace each egg with 1/3 cup of flour or mashed potato.

Some might even refer to them as salmon cakes or a salmon patty, like a crab cake, but with salmon! A salmon burger, but without the bun. Like crab cakes, seasoning is everything for the Salmon Croquette recipe.

Yes! But it's best to freeze the salmon patties before cooking them. Form the patties, then flash freeze them on a baking sheet. Transfer the frozen patties to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to three months.

The best side dishes to serve with fish cakes are tartar sauce, potato wedges, guacamole, coleslaw, green salad, roasted vegetables, mashed sweet potatoes, steamed vegetables, Spanish rice, corn on the cob, potato salad, garlic bread, grilled vegetables skewers, cucumber salad, garlic aioli, and cornbread.

How to keep salmon from falling apart while cooking? ›

Place the salmon fillets on the grill flesh side down first (so the skin is facing you). Raw salmon is relatively firm, so starting it off with the flesh facing down is a great way to get some nice grill marks on the salmon without it falling apart.

Fresh salmon feels firm and moist, and the flesh should spring back after you push into it. When you run your hand along the fillet to check for bones, your hand should glide easily without sticking. Sure signs of spoilage are slimy or sticky residues, or if the flesh feels like it will break when you press into it.

If you feel that your recipe needs more of a binder, Melanie Cooks suggests adding a bit of flour into the mix to help hold the ingredients together more. Most crab or tuna cakes don't include flour because it's finicky. Too much flour can make them tough, but if you add just a sprinkle in, it will do wonders.