Air Fryer Salmon Patties Recipe

Air Fryer Salmon Patties (aka salmon cakes) are delicious and simple to make. This easy recipe is perfect for busy weeknights or beginner cooks, making it a convenient way to enjoy seafood at home. They are a great way to add seafood to your family's diet and one of my favorite easy air fryer recipes!

Salmon patties in the air fryer are crisped on the outside, while moist and tender inside. The salmon cakes are excellent as an appetizer, entrée or pop one on a bun and serve as a salmon burger!

Benefits of Using an Air Fryer

Cooking salmon patties in an air fryer offers a range of benefits that make it a top choice for home cooks. The air fryer’s rapid hot air circulation allows you to use significantly less oil than traditional frying. Air fryer salmon cakes are lighter and lower in saturated fat, yet still still come out crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Cleanup is a breeze, since there’s no messy oil to deal with, and the air fryer’s even heat ensures your salmon cakes turn out golden brown and perfectly cooked every time. Whether you’re making a quick weeknight dinner or prepping meals ahead, the air fryer makes it easy to cook salmon patties that are both delicious and nutritious.

How to Make Air Fryer Salmon Patties

Here I will walk you through the salmon patties recipe step-by-step with pictures, jump down to the printable recipe card if you prefer.

The recipe makes 6 servings.

Prep time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 17 minutes

Ingredients for Salmon Patties

Here are all the ingredients you will need to make a batch of salmon patties in the air fryer.

• 1 ½ pounds salmon fillet, diced. (You can also use canned pink salmon for convenience.)
• 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs (Regular bread crumbs can be swapped if necessary.)
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6-7 sprigs of fresh dill, chopped
• salt
• Old bay seasoning
• Optional add-ins: a pinch to ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder, Crushed red pepper flakes, and/or ground black pepper.

Instructions

To start: Preheat your air fryer to 360 degrees F.

Place half of the chopped salmon in a blender. Add mustard, pulse and then transfer to a large bowl.

Put the remaining salmon in a blender add the egg and pulse. Add this mixture to the rest in bowl. If your blender is large enough to grind all the fish at once, by all means do that.

Add the Panko breadcrumbs, chopped dill, salt and spices to the salmon mixture and mix well.

Using wet hands to avoid sticking, form 5-6 small round equal sized patties out of the salmon mixture. Place the patties in the air fryer basket, taking care to leave a little space between them for air flow.

Lightly spray the patties with olive oil or cooking spray.

Air fry for 12 minutes until the patties are plump and fried golden brown on top.

Flip the salmon patties and air fry for an additional 5 minutes.

Remove to platter and serve.

Serving

The air fryer salmon patties can be served immediately as an appetizer with your favorite dipping sauce or make it a meal by serving on a bed of rice or creamy pasta with some fresh sauteed vegetables on the side. Air fryer sweet potato fries, air fryer pierogies, macaroni salad or creamy potato salad with mayo would also be yummy with these salmon patties.

Drizzle with Yum Yum sauce, or serve tartar sauce or sour cream (my seasoned sour cream would be perfect) with the air fried salmon cakes, along with a few fresh lemon wedges and perhaps some hot sauce. Sprinkling chopped green onion or fresh parsley over the salmon patties for added color and flavor is also a smart choice.