There are plenty of salmon croquette recipes out there but if you are trying to convert salmon skeptics into fans then this is the recipe you’ll want to make! These salmon croquettes are light, tasty, and take less than 15 minutes to prep. They are served with a slightly spicy sriracha dipping sauce that will keep you coming back for more!
What Does Croquette Mean?
The Merriam-Webster definition describes croquette as ‘a small, often rounded mass consisting usually of minced meat, fish, or vegetable coated with egg and bread crumbs and deep-fried’.
Croquette is a French-based word that is derived from the word ‘croquer’ which means ‘to crunch’. It’s used for dumpling style dishes that can be served as an appetizer, snack, or as a side.
Salmon Croquettes Ingredients
- Salmon fillet: Look for boneless and skinless salmon fillets. The better the quality of the fish, the better your croquettes will taste, which is why I always use wild caught salmon from Canada or the US. The difference in taste is so obvious, you will never want to eat cheap salmon again.
- Cheese: Freshly grated parmesan cheese adds a fruity and slightly nutty taste to these croquettes. And it’s also packed with umami.
- Breadcrumbs: I like using panko breadcrumbs because they are lighter and less dense than regular breadcrumbs. But feel free to use whatever you have in your pantry.
- Shallot: Shallots are milder and sweeter than regular onions, which is why I tend to like them more. But go ahead and use red or yellow onion if you already happen to have them.
- Egg: You will need a large egg to bind the ingredients together so you can shape them into little logs.
- Worcestershire sauce: This sauce offers a powerful umami flavor that some might say offers a slight sour and sweet taste, and a hint of spice.
- Capers: Capers are known to have a floral tartness. Often compared to having similar qualities as green olives.
- Extra virgin olive oil: The olive oil adds moisture to the croquettes and will also be needed to pan fry them.
Spicy Sriracha Dipping Sauce Ingredients
- Sriracha sauce: The peppery and spicy flavors of sriracha sauce are at the center of this dipping sauce.
- Lemon juice: A little freshly squeezed lemon juice adds a delightful citrus-y lemon taste that’s both refreshing and cleansing.
- Dill: Freshly chopped dill offers a grassy citrus taste that surprisingly blends seamlessly into this sriracha dipping sauce.
- Mayonnaise: Finally, some mayonnaise to add creaminess to the dipping and to tone down this crazy yet delicious blend of flavors.
How To Make Salmon Croquettes
- Gather all of your ingredients and cooking tools.
- Put the fresh salmon, parmesan cheese, panko breadcrumbs, shallot, worcestershire sauce and egg in a blender or food processor, and blend until all of the ingredients are minced.
- Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl and add the capers. Stir well.
- Rub your hands with a little olive oil and scoop out a heaping tablespoon (golf ball size amount) of mixture. Shape the mixture into a croquette that looks like a mini log. Repeat this step until all the mixture has been used. You should end up with about 10 to 12 croquettes.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the salmon croquettes and cook on each side for 5-6 minutes, or until cooked through. Then transfer croquettes to a plate covered with a paper towel to remove excess oil. Transfer to a serving plate.
- Combine all the ingredients for the dipping sauce and serve with the croquettes.
Dipping Sauce Variations
These salmon croquettes are so good on their own that they don’t technically need a dipping sauce. But I do love serving them with a spicy sriracha dipping sauce.
However, if sriracha isn’t really your thing, I have two other sauce options I think you will enjoy:
- You can serve the croquettes with a tartar sauce. I have a Japanese style which is fruity and tangy, or a classic western style tartar sauce.
- You can mix fresh lemon juice, soy sauce, tobanjan, and sugar, for an Asian inspired meal. The recipe is available here.
Can I Use Canned Salmon To Make These Salmon Croquettes?
Unfortunately no.
You need the salmon to be fresh and uncooked in order to make the mixture before frying the croquettes in a pan. Using canned salmon might make the mixture too watery and the croquettes dry, once they are cooked.
Can I Make Gluten-Free Salmon Croquettes?
Yes!
Just swap the regular panko breadcrumbs for gluten free ones which you can find here on Amazon.
Can I Make These Ahead of Time?
Yes you can.
You can make the mixture, shape the croquettes and sprinkle a little flour to prevent them from getting sticky. Refrigerate the croquettes in a storage container for up to a day.
For cooked salmon croquettes, keep them in a storage container and they will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.
What to Pair with Salmon Croquettes
There are so many dishes you can pair with these tasty salmon croquettes!
For a comforting family meal I recommend serving them with colcannon or a quick Italian pasta salad.
But if you are looking to go lighter and healthier, I suggest a chopped salad and some brown rice. Or you could do a medley of grilled veggies and some quinoa for a colorful plate packed with nutrients.
Want to go a little Asian? I love these sauteed asparagus with garlic and oyster sauce, they go so well with salmon! Fried rice is also a great option and takes 5 minutes to make if you have leftover veggies in the fridge.
Other Salmon Recipes You Might Like
If you love salmon as much as I do, you might be interested to try some of the recipes below!
Some reader favorites
I hope you enjoy these salmon croquettes with sriracha dipping sauce! They truly make for a great appetizer (or a delicious meal if you’re flying solo for the night)!
Serve this recipe with this delicious Garlic Parmesan Spaghetti Squash With Mushrooms for a super nutritious meal. Wow your family this dinner time!
Did you like this salmon croquettes recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
The Best Salmon Croquettes
These salmon croquettes are light, tasty and take less than 10 minutes to prep! Make salmon croquettes the easy and healthy way and dip them in a tangy dill and sriracha dipping sauce. Delish!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 12 croquettes 1x
- Category: Seafood
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless salmon fillet (roughly chopped)
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (shredded)
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 shallot (finely chopped)
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Spicy Dill Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce
- 1 tablespoon dill (finely chopped)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
Instructions
- Put salmon, parmesan cheese, panko breadcrumbs, shallot, worcestershire sauce and egg in a blender, and blend until all ingredients are minced. Transfer mixture to a bowl.
- Add capers and mix well to evenly spread the capers throughout the mixture.
- Use a little olive oil on your hands and spoon out about a golf size amount of mixture into the palm of your hands. Shape into croquettes. You should have about 10-12 croquettes.
- In a large pan over high heat, add extra virgin olive oil. When the oil is hot, add salmon croquettes and cook on each side for 5-6 minutes, or until cooked through. Transfer croquettes to a plate covered with paper towel to remove excess oil. Transfer to serving plate.
- For the dipping sauce: combine sriracha sauce, dill, lemon juice and mayonnaise in a small bowl and whisk until the ingredients are blended.
- Serve salmon croquettes with dipping sauce.
Notes
These salmon croquettes will keep refrigerated for up to three days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 croquette
- Calories: 264
- Sugar: 1.3g
- Sodium: 332.5mg
- Fat: 15.2g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10.9g
- Fiber: 0.8g
- Protein: 21.2g
- Cholesterol: 74.6mg
Hi Caroline! I have followed your recipes for years and just wanted to say that my husband and I love this croquette recipe and many others 🙂 Really appreciate you sharing them ♥️
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Thank you so much Noriko! 🙂
I have made these several times, always a hit. I use canned salmon never used fresh, I just add a little Mayo to help hold them together.
Thank you so much Christina 🙂
I’m going to try this but I only have canned salmon
Hi Wendy! I wouldn’t recommend making this with canned salmon because you need raw salmon to make the croquettes. Using pre-cooked salmon will most likely ruin the texture and take out most of the moisture. I have a warm Asian salmon salad that could be a good substitute 🙂 https://pickledplum.com/warm-asian-salmon-salad/ Follow the recipes as is except for the salmon part. Then you can open the can and simply add the salmon to the salad. 🙂
Absolutely delish. I added a tsp of dried mustard powder and a pinch of chili flakes to the blender mix.
Baked not fried. No sauce necessary. New go to for quick certain to please dinner
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Thank you so much Stacy!
Would love to know what temp & how long you baked them at ? Always try & bake not fry if possible husband on cholesterol meds .
Hi Jill! I recommend two options: steaming for 15-20 minutes or baking them wrapped in parchment paper at 400ºF for about 15 minutes. These method will keep the croquettes moist and prevent them from drying out 🙂
Do you remove the dark under skin from the salmon before putting it into the food processor?
Hi BA, I remove the skin but I don’t remove the dark colored flesh, it blends it and you can’t tell at all 🙂
Cooking these for the 5th time! My husband requests them, and he’s not a big fan of salmon! The only thing I tweak is adding a little more sriracha because we like extra hot! Great recipe, could eat these every day!
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That’s awesome Sarah! My husband also isn’t big on salmon and loves these croquettes 🙂
Looks great! We’ll have to try this one. I make croquettes all the time but they are a traditional specialty that I grew up with and feature all sorts of different proteins and veggies. I fact I just posted my recipe this morning on my blog.
That’s great Bill! I’ll go take a look at your croquettes now 🙂
I have made these a few times now. My family absolutely loves them. I use canned salmon and add about 2 table spoons of mayo and make them into pattys, then press into breadcrumbs on both sides before pan frying. The best I’ve ever had!
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Do you think I would have a problem if I left out the panko? Maybe the parm MAY act as a binding agent? I follow South Beach very strictly and I do not have any breads. Your thoughts? Thanks.
Hi Sandy, I think mixing parmesan with an egg and a potato (mashed) might work as a binding agent. I have another recipe similar for salmon cakes and in that one, only use 2 tbsp breadcrumbs. So my guess is it should be okay 🙂 Let me know how it turns out!
Do you think this would work with pre-cooked salmon?
Hi Kate,
I don’t think it would work with pre-cooked salmon as the croquettes may end up being really dry. You could still make the dipping sauce though and enjoy your leftovers that way
🙂
Caroline, thanks for the wonderful recipe! Question could these be baked instead of fried?
Yes, baking should be no problem. I would try at 375-400ºF for 20-25 minutes. Also make sure to cover them with foil so they don’t dry out 🙂
I baked them at 450 for 10 minutes on one side then flipped it for another two minutes.
You can also try 400 for 15 minutes by 5 minutes
Tasted great. Wasn’t dry and for
Me
Baked is always preferred over fried.
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Just curious, did you try them baked?
Hi Brittany, I haven’t tried to bake them but it should be good!
my whole family enjoyed these. we live in Alaska and we’ve been gifted a lot of salmon from friends. i was looking for an alternative recipe different than my normal go to’s, and i came across your yummy and easy salmon croquette recipe. i didn’t have any dill or capers on hand, i used onion instead of shallots–my blender was giving me hassles, i accidentally added one tablespoon of the 2 tablespoons of olive oil i had left in the house, into the blender with the salmon mix! i ended up making two separate batches and my measurement on fish might have been off. but, needless to say, i don’t think you can screw up this recipe. everyone loved it. the dip was great although i didn’t put any lemon– i forgot it and by the time i remembered everyone was waiting to eat the yummy croquettes! thank you for posting this great recipe allowing me to see my children smiling ear to ear with two thumbs up. my husband was very pleased as well and kept saying how good they were.
many thanks!!
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You’re so welcome Meegan, I love your story and that you put your own spin to these croquettes. As you said, they are very versatile and it’s really hard to mess up this recipe 🙂
These turned out really good! I’m not a fan of dill and it’s sad to get where I live so I didn’t use any. It didn’t mess with the flavors a lot but dill would have helped for sure. I made 20 instead of 10 and needed more oil to cook the sides and center without drying it out. I also used Frank’s sweet chili sauce in my dipping sauce and added everything but the mayonnaise to taste. Turned out great even my fish hating husband loved them!
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Hi Sarah, my husband isn’t a fan of salmon but loves these croquettes so I know how happy you must have been to see yours eating them up! Frank’s sweet chili sounds yummy as a substitute!
Your sauce recipe is delicious! I added a little vegan yogurt and garlic mayo, to the recipe! Yummy!
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Thank you Lecretia!
These look wonderful! Can they be frozen?
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Hi Paula!
I’m not sure if these can be frozen as I have never tried – although I don’t think it should be a problem 🙂
Wow, my entirely family gobbled these up as soon as they hit the table! The croquettes came out moist and the ratio of breadcrumb to salmon is perfect – not too bready. I also love the dill sriracha dip, it’s such a nice departure from the classic tartar. Thanks for sharing!
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That’s wonderful Melanie! I’m so glad your whole family enjoyed this meal, this makes me so happy!
Can you use can Salmon or frozen?. Or does it need to be fresh?.
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Hi Linda! I haven’t tried it with frozen salmon but I don’t see why it would be a problem. Everything gets mashed together so it should be fine 🙂
This will definitely be an appetizer at our next card date. 🙂
Love the idea of eating salmon with the hands. The combo of flavors is amazing, I would be trying them soon. Thanks for sharing!
I’m so in love with these! I have a thing for bread-free starters (breadcrumbs are OK)
Me too Christine! I also don’t mind breadcrumbs but the ratio of fish to bread should be a lot more fish than bread 🙂