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Crispy Salmon Bites

These crispy pan fried salmon bites are a delicious way to eat canned salmon. Packed with heart healthy omegas and paired with a refreshing dipping sauce.

If this post was written by Ulysses (because I just asked him what to say about these after staring blankly at the screen for the past half hour) it would go like this:

“they were delicious and I ate every single one. The end.”

These crispy pan fried salmon bites are a delicious way to eat canned salmon. Packed with heart healthy omegas and paired with a refreshing dipping sauce.

And that’s why he doesn’t blog.

Ok, so truth is I’m in Florida on vacation (and currently half distracted by this weird Johnny Depp movie, Dark Shadows that’s on).

In the 2 days we’ve been here so far I’ve gone to the pool twice, eaten frozen yogurt twice, gone on a Macy’s shopping spree with my mother in law’s employee discount (Hi, shiny new Fossil watch I’ve been wanting forever), walked along the beach and any interesting things I had to say about these salmon bites from last week are far, far out of my mind.

So here’s what I remember…

It was lunchtime and another boring salad involving canned fish (I’ve be rotating between tuna and salmon a lot recently) sounded disgusting.

So, I mixed it up, panko-fied it, “fried” them and lunch suddenly became worth eating again in the form of crispy salmon bites.

Canned salmon is perfect for making crispy salmon bites, a healthy and delicious appetizer or salad topper!

I buy canned tuna, salmon and chicken all the time for fast lunches but then end up looking at them stacked in the pantry with disgust because really, who looks forward to their lunch coming from a can?

I think a lot of people balk at the idea of canned salmon and think it’s somehow inferior to the filets you see behind the fish counter.

The reality though is it’s not! I learned all about this during my trip to Cordova, Alaska for Copper River Salmon.

Wild pink salmon is what’s typically used for canned salmon.

It’s the most prevalent wild salmon (and the laziest I learned because they spawn right at the mouth of the river where it meets the ocean versus swimming upstream like most salmon).

This makes them the easiest to catch and why they’re used for canning.

Use up some of that canned salmon you have in the pantry in these crispy and delicious salmon bites.

I tend to use canned salmon as something I just dump into salads or wraps rather than making an actual recipe with it but after coming up with these salmon bites, I think I’ve changed my tune on that.

Canned salmon lends itself really well to a this crab cake-esque application.

In fact, sardines would work well too if you’re into them. Or, you can try this simple sardine salad recipe.

All you need is a little binder, some ingredients for flavor (onion, peppers and herbs) and you’ve got one crispy, tasty bite that’s a lot more fun to eat than the former option.

You can also try this dijon dill salmon salad recipe that uses canned salmon as well for another idea or this salmon spinach risotto.

This recipe for crispy salmon cakes use wild canned salmon for an easy appetizer full of flavor and heart healthy nutrition.

And if you want some ideas for an actual filet of salmon, these blackened salmon tacos and this tart cherry glazed salmon are two favorites!

Or, wrap salmon in bacon, pan-sear it in a skillet and then bake it off in the oven. That’s the recipe I use when I’m going for an impressive yet incredibly simple weeknight dinner meal.

Gimme all the wild salmon!

Crispy Salmon Bites

Crispy Salmon Bites

Yield: 2 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

These crispy pan fried salmon bites are a delicious way to eat canned salmon. Packed with heart healthy omegas and paired with a refreshing dipping sauce.

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces canned wild salmon, drained
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons red onion, minced
  • 1/2 small green pepper, diced
  • 1/4 teaspoon dill
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • salt & pepper
  • 2 tablespoons almond flour
  • 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • extra virgin olive oil for pan frying

Instructions

  1. Combine all ingredients except panko breadcrumbs and olive oil in a medium bowl and mash together.
  2. Form into small patties, place on a plate and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
  3. Pour panko breadcrumbs onto a small plate and coat patties on all sides.
  4. Heat a pan to medium-high and drizzle enough olive oil to almost coat the pan.
  5. Place patties in pan (I did 2 batches to not crowd the pan) and pan-fry for about 2 minutes per side until golden.
  6. Transfer to a paper towel to drain excess oil and repeat with remaining patties adding olive oil as needed.
  7. Serve immediately. They go great on top of a salad with a yogurt & dill dipping sauce/dressing.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 479Total Fat: 29gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 23gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 682mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gProtein: 29g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator based on the actual ingredients you used in the recipe.

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

Please leave a comment & rating below or share a photo on Instagram and tag @runningtothekitchen

Casey

Friday 4th of February 2022

I read and reviews and did not add the panko to the mixture. It was delish!!

Andrea

Friday 4th of February 2022

These salmon bites sound fantastic. I could eat all of them in one sitting.

wilhelmina

Friday 4th of February 2022

I agree completely, totally delicious! They were easy and yummy and we ate them all!

Aimee Mars

Friday 4th of February 2022

When you mentioned salads above I thought how great these would be on a salad too! I don't balk at canned salmon, but I don't use it nearly enough. This is the perfect opportunity to try it out regularly though.

Frustrated

Wednesday 7th of April 2021

I keep getting fooled by this recipe and making it because it sounds so good (and I forget I've tried it before) only to have dinner completely ruined each time because the salmon cakes completely fall apart into this gross oily hash in the pan. So not what I need when trying to get dinner on the table for the family while overseeing homework.

Gina Matsoukas

Wednesday 7th of April 2021

I've never had that problem with this recipe (as evidenced by the pictures) but I'm also not multitasking with kids, homework and dinner so maybe I'm able to give it a bit more attention while cooking. You could try adding an egg to help bind if they're too loose for your liking.

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