Chef John’s Crispy Salmon Cakes
These salmon cakes turn canned red salmon into tender, flavorful patties with bright lemon, briny capers, and a gentle cayenne kick. Saltine crackers and breadcrumbs give the mixture structure, while butter and olive oil lend richness, making them a practical choice for a quick lunch, light dinner, or budget-friendly seafood meal.
- Prep15 mins
- Cook10 mins
- Serves4
- DifficultyMedium
easyChef Pro health score
Calculated from USDA-referenced nutrient data for the ingredients in Chef John’s Crispy Salmon Cakes, not estimated by an AI model. The same recipe returns the same score every time.
- Glycemic ImpactFair
- 53 / 100
- Carb quality, not quantity. Higher is better.
- Nutritional DensityPoor
- 13 / 100
- Nutrients per calorie. Higher is better.
- Energy DensityGood
- 79 / 100
- Calories by weight. Higher means more food for fewer calories.
- NOVA Processed Culinary Ingredients
- 2 / 4
- Processing level, 1 (whole) to 4 (ultra-processed). Lower is better.
How it scores for each health goal
The same recipe scores differently against different goals, because the goal changes the calculation rather than filtering a list. Set your goal in easyChef Pro and every recipe is scored against it.
- 27
- Heart Health
- 59
- Metabolic
- 14
- Digestive
- 20
- Inflammatory
- 52
- Performance
- 40
- General Wellness
- 1
Stir salmon, eggs, lemon juice, capers, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl until well-combined.
- 2
Crush saltine crackers with your hands into the salmon mixture and mix well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to overnight.
- 3
Dust a plate with half the bread crumbs. Divide the salmon mixture into 4 portions and shape into patties. Place the patties on the prepared plate and sprinkle the remaining bread crumbs over them.
- 4
Melt butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the patties in the hot butter and oil until cooked through and heated through, about 5 minutes per side.
- 5
Divide the salmon mixture into 4 portions, shape them into patties, set them on the prepared plate, and sprinkle the remaining bread crumbs over the patties.
- 6
Melt the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- 7
Cook the patties in the hot oil until cooked through and heated, about 5 minutes per side.
- Calories 256.56 kcal Moderate 13%
- Protein 25.71 g Good Source 51%
- Carbohydrate 12.17 g 4%
- Total Fat 11.7 g Moderate 15%
- Saturated Fat 3.66 g Moderate 18%
- Trans Fat 0.02 g High --
- Cholesterol 166.77 mg High 56%
- Sodium 323.75 mg Moderate 14%
- Dietary Fiber 0.8 g Low Source 3%
- Total Sugars 0.74 g --
- Added Sugars 0.08 g Low Source 0%
- Calcium 56.76 mg Low Source 4%
- Iron 1.99 mg Moderate 11%
- Potassium 474.46 mg Moderate 10%
- Vitamin A 28.73 mcg Low Source 3%
- Vitamin C 7.4 mg Low Source 8%
- Vitamin D 0.5 mcg Low Source 3%
Values are per serving. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
- Citrus 🍊
- Fish 🐟
- Eggs 🥚
- Milk 🥛
- Wheat 🌾
- Gluten
About This Recipe
Chef John's Crispy Salmon Cakes is made with 13 ingredients and serves 4. It takes about 25 mins and is rated medium. Key ingredients include Black Pepper, Bread Crumbs, Butter, and Canned Salmon. Each serving provides about 256.56 kcal, and is a good source of protein.
Recipe Questions
- What is Chef John’s Crispy Salmon Cakes made of?
- The main ingredients are Black Pepper, Bread Crumbs, Butter, Canned Salmon, Capers. The full list of 13 is above.
- How long does it take to make Chef John’s Crispy Salmon Cakes?
- About 25 mins in total: 15 mins to prepare and 10 mins to cook.
- How many calories are in one serving?
- One serving provides about 256.56 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
- Is Chef John’s Crispy Salmon Cakes easy to make?
- This recipe is rated medium, with 13 ingredients and 7 steps.
- Is Chef John’s Crispy Salmon Cakes healthy?
- Chef John’s Crispy Salmon Cakes has an easyChef Pro health score of 47/100. Per serving, it provides 256.56 calories and 25.71 g of protein, or 51% of the Daily Value. Worth noting per serving: sodium at 323.75 mg (14% of the Daily Value) and saturated fat at 3.66 g (18% of the Daily Value). It contains Citrus, Fish, Eggs, Milk, Wheat and Gluten, so it may not be suitable for people with those allergies or dietary restrictions. Whether it fits your goals depends on your complete meal plan and nutritional needs. Remix it in easyChef Pro to adjust the ingredients and generate fresh nutrition and scores.
How easyChef Pro scores recipes and products
easyChef Pro analyzes up to 41 nutrients using data sourced from USDA and other verified food databases. Its scoring method uses the nutrients relevant to nutrition quality, calorie density, processing level, and your selected health goal. Recipes and food products get a health score from 0 to 100, calculated using consistent rules instead of being estimated by AI. The same nutrition data, serving size and health goal will produce the same result.
The calculation evaluates nutrients, calorie density, processing level, and how well the food supports your selected health goal. Protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients can strengthen the score. High amounts of sodium, saturated fat, added sugar and other nutrients may lower it.
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