These easy Salmon Cakes, made with pantry and refrigerator staples are cooked in a waffle maker – only 10 minutes from start to finish!
Easy (10-minute) Waffled Salmon Cakes
I made these Waffled Crab Cakes a few years ago and thought I’d try switching it up with salmon. Plus, I wanted to try them out on my Mini Dash Waffle Maker (affil link). I made four small salmon cakes, but you can make them bigger if you have a larger waffle iron. I love how extra crispy they get with all that surface area. If you’d like to try some different salmon cake recipes, check out my Baked Salmon Cakes or these Salmon Croquettes with Dill Sauce. What should I waffle next?
These healthy salmon cakes are an excellent way to get your omega-3s, which can lower your risk of heart disease. They’re also high in protein and low in carbs. If you want to make these salmon cakes gluten-free, use gluten-free panko.
How do you make salmon cakes from scratch?
These salmon cakes aren’t called “easy” for nothing! Just mix the seven ingredients in a bowl, put a one-fourth cup of the mixture on the waffle iron affil link, and cook for about three to four minutes. Like I said – easy!
You could also double or triple this waffled salmon cake recipe if you needed to feed more people or wanted leftovers. To reheat, just pop the waffles in the toaster.
No waffle iron? Make them on a skillet, about 3 min per side. Or air fry them 400F 6 to 8 minutes.
How to serve salmon cakes
There are a few different ways to serve these salmon cake waffles:
- Over mixed greens or spinach with lemon juice or remoulade as a dressing
- As a sandwich on a potato bun
- As a main dish with vegetables on the side
If you want to add a sauce, these salmon patties are delicious with a simple remoulade sauce. To make it, combine light mayo, lemon juice, and capers and serve over the salmon.
More Seafood Cake Recipes You’ll Love:
- Shrimp Cakes
- Baked Lump Crab Cakes
- Baked Corn and Crab Cakes
- Jalapeno Shrimp Cakes
- Crab Cakes Benedict with Avocado Relish
Easy (10-minute) Waffled Salmon Cakes
Ingredients
- 1 6-oz can wild salmon
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons seasoned panko, or gluten-free
- 1 tablespoon Franks hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon light mayo
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons chopped scallions
- olive oil spray
- lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Combine the salmon, egg, panko, hot sauce, mayo, mustard and scallions in a medium bowl and mix.
- Heat your mini waffle maker (love my Dash) and spray with oil.
- Place 1/4 cup at a time and press down until the light shuts off, or the edges are browned and crisp- 3 to 4 minutes.
- Serve over a bed of greens and squeeze lemon over the top.
- If desired, make the remoulade and drizzle on top. Also great on potato buns!
- Optional remoulade sauce: combine light mayo, lemon juice and capers and serve over salmon cakes.
Thanks for the alternate instructions. I just can’t cram in one more appliance, even a small one and this looks delicious.
What a fabulous recipe! I made these waffles for dinner last night using Kirkland canned salmon. I drained the salmon in a sieve and added to a bowl with the other ingredients. Very easy and quick preparation. The cakes only took a few minutes to cook in my mini waffle maker. This will become a staple at my house when I need something quick and easy. Thanks, Gina!
Please help!
I’ve read everything- the blog, the recipe, and the comments. I haven’t seen an answer to my question which is this: to drain or not to drain??
Do you just open the tin & dump, or drain the liquid from the can first?
Thanks!!
drain if there is liquid
I love how you always add other cooking options. Thanks for this.
Can you use fresh salmon too?
Sure, just cook it first
What does the number in the blue circle next to calories mean?
The blue dot is weight watchers points
Easy to make and quite tasty.
I’ve been wanting to try this recipe, and bought some fresh sockeye today which I baked in foil and used to make the cakes. My error – I thought the mixture seemed a bit wet, so I added more bread crumbs, but I should have left it on the wetter side. The cakes were very flavourful, but a bit dry in the centre. Not as crispy as I would have liked – next time I will turn the heat up on our waffle maker.
Super easy lunch idea. I served with hashbrowns. Even the picky husband liked them. Thanks
Followed the recipe to a T and it turned out dry but I like the idea.
Delicious!! One of our favorite!
Just made this with some minor changes, but it turned out excellent. Definitely going to make more of them.
I just made this right now. Used hot smoked salmon. Sub ff greek yogurt for the mayo. Everything else exactly as the recipe. Super delicious. So nice to have these ready on hand for a quick lunch. Thanks Gina!
These salmon waffles were so tasty and easy to make, hubby was skeptical but now says to put them in our rotation. Thanks for all your wonderful recipes.
Was very good
I have made these now with leftover salmon, leftover shrimp, leftover lobster, leftover blue crab, and leftover snow crab. I do sub in sour cream for the mayo because I just don’t like it. Fantastic way to use those bits and pieces you don’t want to toss but are too small to make proper cakes
Great idea thanks
Could you use tuna instead?
I made these with salmon my husband caught in Alaska. I didn’t have green onions so added finely chopped bell pepper, red and sweet onions. They were so delicious!! I had 2 over spinach for lunch and plan to have 2 with a fried egg for dinner. The rest went in the freezer. I hope they freeze well!!
IWhen you say wild salmon, is this red salmon or pink salmon? I never know which one to get! Love your recipes!
These were so good, easy, and CUTE! I subbed in sour cream for the mayo, but other than that, followed pretty closely (though I used a bit more Old Bay ’cause we love it). Beats standing there tending a frying pan. Kept them warm in the oven as I cooked the rest of them. Definitely a keeper. Used leftover salmon from the night before.
I’m doing Baby Led Weaning with my 8 month old and this is a great recipe minus the Frank’s. Can I just leave that out or do I need to replace it with something else for consistency? If I need to replace it, what I can use instead?
You can leave it out.
Does the salmon in the can need to be drained?
It sounds a delicious recipe, can you please tell me what I can substitute for Franks Hot Sauce, I live in the UK and I am not familiar with this Sauce.
Instead of Franks you can substitute:
Homemade Hot Sauce: Although it may not taste the same as Frank’s, you can make hot sauce at home using vinegar, cayenne pepper, salt, water, and oil. Add whatever other spices you like to perfect the flavor.
Baby Ray’s Creamy Buffalo Sauce: Similar in texture and flavor, this is a popular replacement for Frank’s Hot Sauce. It can be found in the hot sauce section of many grocers and is comparable in price.
Tabasco: This hot sauce has its unique flavor that you either love or hate. It is hot with little flavor, which differentiates it from Frank’s Hot Sauce. Yet, if you are in a bind, a little bit of Tabasco will add a kick of spice to your dish.
Chula: Another vinegar-based hot sauce that is popular among consumers, Chula is much hotter than Frank’s but just as good.
Sriracha: This popular hot sauce has the perfect blend of flavor and heat. Different from other hot sauces, it stands out for its versatility in its possible uses.
Chili Garlic Sauce: If you prefer an alternative that is not vinegar-based, an Asian chili sauce is a good alternative. However, this replacement can be overpowering if you aren’t careful.
Just made these tonight using raw salmon chopped in a chopper with onions, garlic and then added rest of ingredients. They came out so good!
Late to the party, but wowsa – what a great recipe! I used leftover oven baked salmon, but otherwise followed yhe recipe as written. Thanks for another perfect recipe, Gina!
I made this using a Cusinart Griddler and they turned out perfectly! I made a double batch and was able to easily fit 4 patties on the grill. They were really delicious, I will definitely be making these again soon! I had them with cornbread and mixed vegetables, it made a perfect lunch.
Could one make these with hot smoked salmon?
Delicious! I don’t have a dash maker so I used my regular size one and just cut them into quarters. Worked great!
My kids live this recipe! I also put some fresh parsley for in it too!
Quick, easy and sooo good! A perfect option when there’s little time to cook or when you’re craving a yummy salmon cake.
tonight did not feel like cooking. i needed something fast, easy and yummy. this fit the bill nicely! they were delicious! thank you for another amazing recipe
Awesome
Finally got around to making this recipe and the waffles were good but a bit dry. Then I noticed that the instructions don’t say to drain the canned salmon. Should I put that liquid in the bowl with the other ingredients, too?
Do these freeze well?
My family loves these! Honestly I double and triple the recipe to fee my three boys
Fantastic recipe! What a clever method to cook salmon cakes. They were perfectly cooked and delicious. I also made the remoulade sauce Gina suggested and it was a great addition to finish off the dish. Would 100% recommend the sauce. It took just a few seconds to blend together while the salmon cakes were cooking.
These were delicious! Used canned chicken instead of salmon. Would definitely make again.
Would love to see more recipes like this!
What do you do to keep them warm until they are all cooked?
This was soo good, I had to double the recipe. I didn’t have the waffle maker yet so made it as cakes on my pan. Have you ever made this with canned albacore or ahi tuna?
Forgot to give it the stars it deserves!
The first word out of my husbands mouth was “this is superior”! I followed the recipe exactly and used the mini waffle iron I bought purposefully for this recipe. They were healthier than frying in butter as my original recipe calls for. I made a Thai cucumber sauce which we enjoy with salmon cakes. Do no hesitate to try these. The only change I might make the next time is a bit more heat. Thank you Gina!!!
I am so glad!
WOW. I can’t believe how Beautiful and delicious!! Served on salad bed – premade southwest salad kit. Drizzled dressing on top. I couldn’t resist getting the tiny waffler. It looks just like your picture. Will be in my regular recipe rotation. Thanks for your ingenuity Gina!! Makes me look gourmet 🤗
Followed the recipe and used Greek yogurt instead of Mayo. Grinded pepper and added a pinch of salt. Excellent!!
I had my Dash mini waffle maker for a while. Never used it, so I was excited seeing this recipe.
Crab cakes are next!
used pouches of pink salmon in water 2.6 ounce each , so went bit more then called for and used 3 packs. Got 6 small waffled salmon and they came out really well. Used the same amount of add in’s added some Chesapeake seasoning parsley and seasoned pepper blend. Side of corn on cob for husband, roasted red potato and asparagus–and soft boiled eggs too–will do again.
These are so good! I made them yesterday and had the other today for lunch. They’re definitely going into my lunch rotation!
Delicious, easy, and fun recipe! Came together very quickly and was a hit. This would be easy enough for a weekday lunch even.
These were easy, delicious, and wonderfully non-greasy! The caper-mayonnaise sauce was a great accompaniment. This is a good way to have a pantry seafood dinner. Gina, what other skinny dishes could we make in a waffle iron?
You can try some of these! 🙂 https://www.skinnytaste.com/waffled-vegetable-latkes/, https://www.skinnytaste.com/waffled-crab-cakes/ or https://www.skinnytaste.com/yogurt-waffles/.
Can’t believe I did it…but I hit the link for the mini waffle maker, it arrived, and I followed your recipe to the T.
Incredible, so super happy with it and can’t wait to find more things….maybe even venture into sweet and make a banana sweet something kind of waffle!
Bought two extras…one for a buddy and one for daughter. Thank you for your recommendation!
Oh man, these are amazing!!! We ate these in a lettuce wrap – absolutely delicious.
I made these as written until I thought it could use more volume. I had used a can of smoked salmon and added a can of white tuna with an eyeball addition of all the ingredients. My waffle iron is for Belgian waffles but they still came out well. Very yummy.
How do you clean the waffle iron afterwards? That’s the one thing that keeps me from trying anything waffles- making sure it get cleaned properly after use.
I too want to know if the salmon flavor stays on the waffle maker?
Just made these last night in my air fryer…SO DELICIOUS and easy to do!! Another new favorite added to my list!!
I really want to try these but I don’t use Frank’s Hot sauce so curious if I left it out would it really alter the taste? Is there a swap?
Its fine without
I do keto, too! I substituted ground pork rinds for panko! Delicious!
This recipe was great! We have salmon cakes regularly and this method was easier with the waffle iron than frying them in the pan. And loved having them over lightly dressed mixed greens and roasted sweet potatoes on the side – a perfect dinner! Thanks for the innovative idea. 🙂
By far the best salmon cakes! Waffle iron is key!
I just made these for lunch and they were so good! Very, very easy too!
This sounds wonderful! Would you give the proportions for remoulade sauce please?
Thank you
Sounds delicious. How do you think it would be with almond flour, I’m doing keto?
It may work! Let me know how it turns out!
How did it turn out? I was going to try with almond flour as well.
Hi Gina! Can I use fresh salmon instead of canned salmon? Thanks!
Sure as long as its cooked!
OMG, brilliant once again!
Hi Gina! – can tuna be used in place of the salmon?
SURE
Hi Gina,
Can I substitute Greek yogurt or sour cream for the mayo?
Thanks
Sure
Hi Gina, could I use sour cream or Greek yogurt in place of the mayo?
Thanks
Andrea
sure
Hi,
this is a very nice idea for a healthy meal, especially for children 🙂
what I could use to replace panko? Thx and greetings from Germany!
Any type of crumb to bind it.
Any recommendations if I want to make this with fresh salmon rather than canned?
Sure just cook it first!
Any suggestions for replacing Mayo?
yogurt
Instead of 6oz of salmon I put 16oz of salmon LOL !!! Still delicious ! Made more portions and obviously not as flavourful (would have required to use more panko, seasoning etc). However they were excellent.
I almost made the same mistake as I was looking at the recipe in the store on my phone. Got home and printed it out and realized I only needed 6oz!
We’re camping in an RV so I had to heavily modify this with what I had. Used regular (not panko) Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, omitted egg -used some grated (in the jar cheese) instead and added some Trader Joe’s spicy Italian seasoning w/fennel (glass jar, red label) in place of spices. Still came out amazing with all my modifications. Such a forgiving, flexible easy and delicious recipe.
These look so good! If I don’t have any canned salmon do you think they would work with frozen but uncooked salmon? And should I just bake it and crumble it first maybe? Thanks!
You have to cook the salmon first. Easy just throw it in the air fryer or even the microwave.
Hi Gina, do you have any ideas as to what I could use to replace the egg as a binder? My little one is allergic to eggs.
Thanks!
I believe you could use the liquid from a can of chickpeas. A few vegan recipes I’ve tried use the liquid as a substitute for egg.
A bit off-topic…Chocolate Covered Katie has a post about using Chickpea liquid to make marshmallow Fluff so no waste from the chickpea can. https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/healthy-vegan-marshmallow-fluff/
1 T. ground flaxseed mixed with 3 T. water. Let stand a few minutes, then use. I have used it many times in baked goods and it works great.
@Catherine: I left the eggs out (we’re camping so no eggs). I sprinkled in a little parm cheese from the jar to help hold all the ingredients together. Still came out delicious. Without the eggs you don’t have to worry about cooking it all the way through either. Left the onion out too for my little one.