Quick and Easy Salmon Croquettes

Salmon croquettes are a low-lift, weeknight-friendly recipe that rely on pantry staples. In this recipe, I start with canned salmon and punch up the flavor with capers, lemon juice, garlic powder, and onion powder. This recipe comes together in less than 30 minutes and couldn’t be easier.

Salmon croquettes and salmon patties are very similar. Both use pieces of salmon bound together with flour or breadcrumbs and eggs. As a general rule, croquettes are made from smaller pieces of salmon, which gives them a lighter texture. Salmon patties are usually made from larger pieces of fish and are more dense than a croquette.

To keep the croquette light, this recipe uses minimal amounts of egg and flour — just enough to bind all the ingredients. Croquettes sometimes fall apart because the pieces of salmon are too large. Using canned salmon, which has a finer texture to begin with, helps avoid that problem. Tossing the shaped croquettes in cornmeal also helps keep everything together.

Veggie sides are great with salmon croquettes. Serve a green salad on the side or pile the croquettes on top of the greens. A vinegary coleslaw would be great, too. Or mix things up and tuck the croquettes in a pita and top with an herby yogurt sauce and some chopped fresh veggies, like lettuce, tomato, and cucumbers. Croquettes can also be a fun appetizer served with cocktails. Put out some dipping sauce and it’s a party!

• Be choosy about your salmon. Canned salmon is an affordable option and there are several sustainably caught high-quality brands to choose from. You can easily store canned salmon in the pantry and pull it out whenever you need it. Be sure to break up the salmon flesh into very fine chunks for the best results.
• Make the recipe your own. I flavored the croquettes with parsley, lemon, capers, and some dried spices, but the mix-ins are totally up to you. Dill, chives, or scallions would be great here, as would a little bit of finely grated fresh ginger. Change things up to fit your mood — or what you have on hand.
• You’ve got breading options. For this recipe, I like to use stone-ground or a finer ground cornmeal. Stone-ground cornmeal will give a lighter, crispier edge; coarse-ground will have a more toothsome crust. No cornmeal? Use fine breadcrumbs instead!