By Lidey Heuck
Updated Oct. 12, 2023
- Total Time
- 1 hour 5 minutes
- Prep Time
- 15 minutes
- Cook Time
- 50 minutes
- Rating
- 4(264)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Made with fresh corn, cilantro and lime juice, these summery salmon cakes are a great way to use leftover salmon. Canned pickled jalapeños are the magic ingredient here by adding heat and vinegary tang to both the cakes and the accompanying mayonnaise. (Any leftover sauce would be delicious as a dip for shrimp or with any simply cooked fish.) Canned salmon works well here, too, just be sure to buy the boneless, skinless variety. Finally, when you’re cooking the cakes, keep an eye on the heat level, hovering between medium and medium-low once the oil heats up. If the oil gets scorching hot, kernels of corn may start to pop and splatter. A quick dip in seasoned flour also helps prevent this, providing a barrier between the cakes and the oil and ensuring the cakes come out nice and crispy.
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 1cup mayonnaise
- 3tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeños, plus 2 tablespoons pickling liquid from the can or jar
- ¼teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
- 1tablespoon olive oil, plus more for frying
- ¾cup fresh corn kernels (from 1 large or 2 small ears)
- ¼cup minced shallots (about 1 medium shallot)
- 3medium garlic cloves, minced
- ½teaspoon chipotle chile powder
- Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
- 3tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeños
- ⅓cup mayonnaise, plus more as needed
- 1large egg
- 1lime, cut in half
- 2cups cooked, flaked salmon (see Tip for fresh, or from 3 (6-ounce) drained cans of boneless, skinless salmon))
- 1cup panko
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- Lime wedges, for serving
For the Mayonnaise
For the Salmon Cakes
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
812 calories; 71 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 19 grams monounsaturated fat; 38 grams polyunsaturated fat; 31 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 14 grams protein; 539 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Make the mayonnaise: In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, jalapeños, pickling liquid and salt. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 3 days.
Step
2
Prepare the salmon cakes: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-low. Add the corn, shallots, garlic, ¼ teaspoon of the chipotle powder and ¼ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are translucent, 2 to 5 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the jalapeños, scraping any browned bits from the pan. Set aside in the pan to cool slightly.
Step
3
In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, egg, zest and juice from half the lime, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper until smooth. Add the salmon, breadcrumbs, cilantro and corn mixture and toss until well mixed. (If you’re using canned salmon, which is drier, you may need to add a few more tablespoons of mayonnaise to get the ingredients to bind.) Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes to allow the mixture to firm up.
Step
4
Combine the flour, the remaining ¼ teaspoon chipotle powder and a generous pinch of salt on a plate. Using a ⅓-cup measure, scoop out mounds of the salmon mixture and form them into patties about ¾-inch thick. You should have 8 to 10 cakes. Dip the patties into the flour, turning to coat them on all sides. Set on a plate until ready to cook.
Step
5
Rinse and dry the skillet and return it to the stove. Add ¼ cup oil and heat over medium. When the oil is hot, working in batches, add salmon cakes and cook, pressing the cakes lightly with a spatula, until browned on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side until browned, 2 to 3 more minutes, lowering the heat if necessary to avoid splattering and to prevent the oil from browning. If any corn kernels break free during cooking, quickly scoop them out with a spoon.
Step
6
Transfer the cooked cakes to a plate lined with a paper towel and sprinkle with salt. Repeat with the remaining cakes, adding more oil to the pan if necessary.
Step
7
Cut the remaining lime half into wedges. Serve the salmon cakes hot, with the pickled jalapeño mayonnaise and lime wedges on the side.
Tip
- You can also cook your own salmon fillets for this recipe. Roast a 1-pound piece of salmon at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, until just cooked through. Cool, then remove and discard the skin. Flake the salmon into pieces with a fork.
Ratings
4
out of 5
264
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Cooking Notes
Chef Jeff
Yes, I often use Cabot's full-fat Greek yogurt (10% fat) as a sub for mayo (65% fat). As a bonus, 1/3 cup of mayo (as called for in this recipe) contains 0 g of protein, while an equal amount of yogurt provides 7 grams of protein.
Diane K
I wonder if you could freeze the cakes, before frying them? That way, a single person could have multiple meals.
mkyoung
The recipe calls for corn off the cob. Would frozen corn work? Frozen corn is partially cooked (blanched) prior to cooking. If you used frozen corn, did you thaw it first or toss it in the pan frozen with the other ingredients?
Nicole
Does anyone think these would be good with tuna? I know, I know the RECIPE! But I already did my shopping for the week, and canned tuna is what I have on hand. I actually had tuna cakes on this week's menu...I might just go ahead and try it out!
CD
I don't think raw salmon would be good, as the cakes might burn before the salmon cooked through. Think of them like crab cakes where you are just browning the outside and heating them through.
Tee
A great, satisfying dish: the sweetness of the corn, the delicate, creamy salmon, and the tang of lime and jalapeño. Great with a fresh tomato salad and lemony roasted asparagus.
John M.
I'm going to use frozen corn when I make this in a few days. Whenever I substitute frozen corn for fresh in a recipe, I let it thaw and then get all of the moisture out I can using paper towels.
Tee
Try it with yogurt. I only used 2 cans of salmon but did have to add an extra egg for binding, so there’s some “play” in the recipe. Not as sure about using yogurt for the sauce but it’s def worth a try. (& I do use yogurt for sauces often)
Wendy R.
I am a chef and I have been making salmon cakes for years. I always cook the salmon first and they are always moist, even after reheating, as the binding ingredients contribute to them staying that way and you are really only browning them in the pan after forming your cakes. I prefer fattier types and never used canned salmon though.
HS from NJ
I make a similar recipe without any mayo in the cakes and it works fine. Also, I use boxed egg whites instead of a whole egg as the salmon is rich enough.
Lisa
These were delicious even though I didn’t use enough mayo with the canned salmon and they fell apart (my fault, not the recipe’s). I ended up using the leftover in tacos (with grain free tortillas) and the leftover sauce as dressing for some slaw along side. Will definitely make again!!!
Phyllis Hunter
My son, the chef taught me the trick to getting any sort of seafood or fish cakes to stay together during the cooking process. Let the prepared patties sit uncovered in the fridge for at least 1 1/2 hours up to all day. Just a little drying makes all the difference.
VinkyLu70
Never remove the bones from canned salmon. You are moving the most nutritious part. Oatmeal is a great substitute for panko.
Michael Paluszek
I used frozen corn. I tossed it directly into the pan and sautéd it with the other ingredients I added all of the ingredients for the patties and kept adding mayo until it was firm. I chilled it for 15 minutes and the patties held their shape. I fried both sides and then put them in a 350-degree oven for about 10 minutes to make sure they were fully cooked. They came out very well!
Cindy
How important is the flour in this? Looking to make this gluten-free. I can sub out the panko crumbs for a decent GF variety, but not sure about the flour.
caitlin
I like seafood but even this was too fishy for me. Not analogous to crab cakes in the slightest.
Match W.
I have made dozens of meals from the NYTimes Cooking site. We have at least 1 a week, sometimes as many as 5. Out of them all, my husband told me tonight "I think this is the best thing you have ever made." We have been married over 15 years. I did the fresh salmon method as suggest by the tip, omitted the parsley because we don't care for it, and used "tamed" pickled jalapeños since that's what we had in the fridge. You should really make this.
Robert B
I made this recipe this week with leftover Scottish salmon. It worked perfectly. I did double the amount of jalapeño juice in the sauce. We like things on the spicier side but perfect for us. We made sautéed spinach as a side with some ciabatta bread. Will make it again.
Mary
These were SO GOOD! My husband belongs to the Salmon Defamation League, and hates every other salmon recipe I've cooked, but he absolutely loves these. "It doesn't even taste like salmon!" he says. And he licked the last of the jalapeno mayo out of the bowI. I have to admit, the ingredients all conspire to make an explosion of flavor in your mouth that is really amazing. I used some jalapenos I'd made into "Cowboy Candy" a sweet-sour-hot concoction. Google it. Allrecipes, maybe?
Kiki
DELISH! We used canned salmon and it worked perfectly. Much easier to make than they seem--great weeknight dinner. I used a mix of Kewpie mayo and yogurt to lighten up the mayonnaise dipping sauce also. Added some extra tang & worked like a charm.
Kara’s Kooky Kitchen
*GF and less fat version-Added 3 tbls. flaxmeal w/beaten egg for extra bind, subbed panko for quinoa flakes, for dip I halved it & subbed mayo for plain yogurt. The sauce & patty mixes chilled in fridge for two hours to firm up.I wanted this to be GF so dredge flour was mix of cornmeal, br.rice, & chickpea flours to equal 1/3 cup, instead of WW flour. Cornmeal added crispness to exterior. I browned patties in skillet, then into *375 oven for 10-15 mins. Held together & delicious!
PatU
Tasty but time consuming to prepare. Great mayo sauce,
The Cannoli
Love the recipe, but do have one comment. Regarding the mayo dressing, this is way too much for the number of cakes, even if you're a mayo lover. Half the amount is really more than you need, unless you're having salmon cakes with mayo, and not some mayo on salmon cakes. Otherwise, a wonderful meal. Made it a second time with fresh salmon and it was vastly superior.
Naomi
Very good! Made with what I had on hand: canned tuna (in water, drained), canned corn (drained, charred in a skillet), dill in place of cilantro. I subbed all of the mayo with 10% fat yogurt, since I don't like mayo. These came out great, even if falling apart a bit. Definitely a kick of spice! Next time I will heat the oil longer and cook at a higher heat to get more of a crisp, but I got the hang on the second batch. Now I have a bunch in the fridge to grab for a quick lunch.
SH in SM
This is very tasty. I used roasted salmon and the fattiness kept the cakes moist. I also used jarred mild banana peppers instead of jalapeños to make it more child-friendly. Was a hit!
Kay
Used frozen salmon, which I roasted first, and followed the recipe. It was edible, but unimpressive tastewise, and I wouldn’t make it again. Way too much mayo sauce for the number of cakes.
Michael Paluszek
I used frozen corn. I tossed it directly into the pan and sautéd it with the other ingredients I added all of the ingredients for the patties and kept adding mayo until it was firm. I chilled it for 15 minutes and the patties held their shape. I fried both sides and then put them in a 350-degree oven for about 10 minutes to make sure they were fully cooked. They came out very well!
Lance
Good. Followed recipe as well as I ever do. (I measure by eye and hand, based on experience.) I used canned sweet corn and my own pickled jalapeños. With pound of fresh baked salmon, cooked the night before and cooled in fridge, this made about eight patties. Enough for three hungry people. Cooling salmon in fridge seemed to make the patties come together firmly the next day. My baked salmon with balsamic and salad is faster and easier, but it was a tasty recipe for a change.
Peter Tesche
Followed the recipe but didn’t refrigerate the mixture long enough; on the second attempt with leftovers, refrigerated overnight, the patties held together better. I would add a second egg, at a minimum; I’d be hesitant to add still more mayonnaise. I might experiment with yoghurt instead. The sauce came out too much like just mayo. Better with more jalapeño juice and some seasoning mixture. It improved it immensely. For final leftovers, I browned the mixture and served in small tortillas.
Deborah VC
These were really delicious tho a bit of a pain. I used 1 can (14 oz) plus maybe 4-5 oz of leftover roasted salmon from the night before. Followed the recipe, mostly, though didn’t have enough pickled jalapeños (abt 1 T in pattie’s, 1 T in sauce). Probably used more corn (from one ear). One patty fell apart but the rest were fine. Dodging exploding corn kernels was a highlight. Delicious - will make again but wear protective gear. Oh, and put out some leftover sriracha Mayo, too.
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