Easy Eggless Salmon Patties Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What can you substitute for eggs in salmon patties without? ›

That's okay—you can still make some great salmon patties. If you have chia seeds or ground flax seeds, you can make substitute eggs by combining 2 tablespoons of the seeds with 6 tablespoons of water. Alternatively, 2 tablespoons of gelatin powder mixed with water will work as well.

Refrigerate The Mix, Use A Sheet Pan

The cooler temperature of the mix will help everything stick together better when the patties are pan-fried, crisping them up nicely. If you have a lot of salmon patties to make, you can even forgo the pan altogether and bake them on a sheet tray in the oven.

Balance The Binders With The Moisture

Every salmon patty or cake recipe calls for some combination of binding ingredients. These usually include eggs, flour, breadcrumbs, cracker crumbs, ground flaxseed, and so on. Without these binders, the salmon has nothing to stick to, so you can't form patties.

Pan-frying or pan-searing is one of the best ways to cook salmon fillets. It's quick, easy, and gives the fish that perfect crispy, crunchy skin. A simple pan-fried salmon is the secret to a flavorful and healthy weeknight dinner in 30 minutes or less. Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper.

What can you use to bind burgers instead of egg? In theory, you could use bread crumbs—I recommend using coarse, crustless fresh white bread crumbs—or even grated Parmesan cheese. The best way of getting your burgers to hold together is by using a medium grind 80% beef 20% fat ground chuck and a burger press.

The key to making salmon patties with staying power has a lot to do with the ingredients you use to bind the mixture, the moisture balance, and the temperature. Patties without enough sticky stuff to hold them together will be frustrating to work with. Ditto for salmon cakes that are too wet or too dry.

Cooking the salmon patties at too high a temperature or for too short a time can result in a mushy interior.

Overcooked Salmon Is Dry

Salmon goes from moist and silky to tough and dry when it's overcooked, even by just a minute or two.

How do you know when salmon patties are done? ›

– Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of your burger. When the salmon burger reaches 145 degrees F, it is done. – If you don't have a thermometer, check that your burger is lightly crisp on the outside and that the meat inside is pink and flaky. It should not still look raw.

You can also lessen salmon's strong flavor by soaking it in a milk bath for 20 minutes and then draining it and patting it dry before cooking. The casein in milk binds to the TMA, and when drained away, it takes the culprit that causes fishy odor with it.

A dry brine gives you firmer, juicier fish fillets with kettle-chip-crisp skin. Credit... Gentl and Hyers for The New York Times.

Applesauce

Applesauce can also act as a binding agent. Try replacing each egg with 1/4 cup of applesauce.

As an egg-free alternative, you can use a flax or chia “egg” substitute that vegan bakers use in place of a chicken egg. Both become gel-like in consistency and can be sticky enough to bind together your protein mix, but your finished fish cakes won't hold together nearly as well.

Panko breadcrumbs: This ingredient acts as a filler that absorbs the juices that release during the cooking process, trapping them inside and keeping the fish cakes from getting dry. Regular panko or whole wheat panko will work here.