Yes, spicy salmon patties with aioli sauce look and sound like something you’d order at a fancy restaurant. However, they are actually quite easy to make at home using canned salmon.
How about seafood for dinner?
Do you like seafood? How about see-food? If you’re a mom like me, then your answer to the second question is probably, “Um, no.” And even if you don’t have little ones who cause a ruckus at the dinner table, you still know what I’m talking bout. It’s a little word-play funny we laugh at for about 5 second then it becomes an eye-roll worthy joke that the kids love to pull out as one of their many delay tactics for not eating their dinner. Just me?
What if I told you these salmon patties were kid friendly?
Well, guess what? Kids actually like these salmon patties! So if your kids are on a pizza, burger, chicken nugget, mac and cheese dinner rotation, well now you have one more thing to throw into the mix and guess what, it’s actually something you’ll want to eat too.
You’ll love the aioli sauce.
These salmon cakes are delightfully simple. The toppings are where you can have some fun. The Aioli sauce is mandatory, in my opinion. Aioli sauce is just fancified mayo.
Let me stop and say that I don’t like mayonnaise, however aioli sauce? Yeahhhh, yeah I like that a lot.
Why, you ask? Well the lemon juice really cuts through the greasy taste of the mayo that I do not enjoy. So you are left with a light, creamy, tart sauce that goes well on almost any-thing. You will see I also love it on these open-face veggie sandwiches.
Cheese + seafood… is it a sin?
Can we talk about the cheese for a quick minute? I know seafood and cheese together is a no-go in the worlds of some professional chefs. Well, guess what? I’m not technically a professional chef, so I’m doing it!
The cheese adds a little extra creaminess that I like but you can certainly skip it if you’re one of those culinary rule-followers and this dish will still be very tasty. You’ll also save yourself about 100 calories. So for that reason alone, I wouldn’t blame you.
If you are a rule breaker like me though, check out my other culinary sin: Shrimp Parmesan Noodles!
Add some greens.
Ever tried arugula? Do you guys ever watch Chopped? Then you know those chef are always putting arugula into the mix. The pretty little green leaves and their fresh peppery taste add a nice crunchy and peppery flavor that regular lettuce just can’t compete with.
Smoosh all these flavorful foods into your favorite bakery-fresh bun and you’ve got yourself a fun little lunch or dinner treat worthy of dinner guests and your kid’s picking eating habits too.
Could you use fresh salmon instead of canned?
Sure! Just replace the canned salmon with the same amount of cooked salmon. Using canned salmon saves time since it’s already cooked which is what makes this recipe so easy. But you can certainly cook fresh or frozen salmon first, then use that to make your cakes using this same recipe.
A healthier alternative to a greasy burger.
Love burgers but need to lighten up your diet? Well, a salmon burger is just the thing to satisfy your burger craving while being a bit healthier and a lot less greasy.
Want more dinner ideas?
Helpful tools for making these salmon patties:
- Cast iron skillet
- Thin metal spatula (for easy flipping of seafood without sticking to the pan)
This recipe for spicy salmon patties with aioli sauce were featured on Wow Me Wednesday and Meal Plan Monday!
Spicy Salmon Patties with Aioli Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 bakery-fresh rolls
- 32 oz canned pink salmon
- 3 eggs
- ¼ cup fresh or dried parsley flakes
- ¼ cup panko bread crumbs
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- Juice and zest from 1 lemon
AIOLI SAUCE
- 4 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
OTHER TOPPINGS
- Red pepper flakes
- Green onions diced
- Aruala
- Monteray Jack cheese
Instructions
- Prep salmon: remove skin; remove -or- crush bones with thumb and index finger leaving them in for added calcium. Drain away any juice or oil.
- Knead together salmon with eggs, parsley, panko crumbs, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
- Form salmon into patties in place on greased baking sheet. Bake at 400˚ for 25-30 minutes.
- Prepare aioli sauce. Serve salmon patties topped with aioli sauce, red pepper flakes, green onions, and arugula on top of a toast bun with melted cheese.