These are pan-fried patties built from canned wild salmon, cooked quinoa, and potato — a combination that holds together well and cooks in under 30 minutes. Each patty comes in at 86 calories, so serving them alongside a salad and baked sweet potato turns this into a genuinely filling meal without much effort. If you keep canned salmon in the pantry, you can pull this off on a weeknight with almost no planning.
Why this recipe works
Two things make this recipe reliable. First, the cooked potato acts as a natural binder — it’s starchy enough to hold the patties together without loading them up with breadcrumbs or extra flour. The corn flour plays a supporting role, but the potato does the heavy lifting. Second, the 10-minute freeze before cooking is not optional. Chilling the shaped patties firms them up so they don’t fall apart when they hit the hot oil. Skip that step and you’ll be chasing crumbles around the pan. Together, these two details are the difference between a patty that holds its shape and one that doesn’t.
Ingredient notes
- Canned wild salmon (105g tin): Drain it well and pick out any large bones before mashing. The bones are edible and soft, but leaving in big pieces affects texture.
- Corn flour: This is cornstarch in US terms — the fine white powder, not cornmeal. Using cornmeal by mistake will make the patties gritty.
- Grapeseed oil: A neutral, high-smoke-point oil that won’t compete with the salmon. Avocado oil or a light vegetable oil works just as well.
- Fresh thyme and parsley: Dried thyme can substitute in a pinch — use about half the amount. Dried parsley is a poor swap here; it adds almost nothing.
Troubleshooting
- Patties are too wet to shape: Your potato or quinoa had too much moisture. Spread them on a plate and let them cool completely before mixing — even 10 minutes of airtime helps. If the mix is still sticky, add a small extra pinch of corn flour.
- Patties brown on the outside but feel raw in the middle: Your pan is too hot. Drop to medium heat and give them an extra minute per side. The potato and quinoa are already cooked, so the goal is heating through and getting color — not cooking raw protein from scratch.
- Patties stick to the pan: The oil wasn’t hot enough before you added them. Let the oil heat for a full minute before the first patty goes in, and don’t move them until they release naturally.
- Flavor tastes flat: Canned salmon is low in sodium. Season the mash with salt and pepper before shaping — tasting the mixture before it hits the pan is the easiest fix.
- Patties fall apart when flipped: They didn’t chill long enough, or the freezer wasn’t cold enough to firm them. Ten minutes in a proper freezer (not a lukewarm fridge shelf) is the target.
Make-ahead notes
You can shape the uncooked patties up to 24 hours ahead and keep them covered in the fridge on a plate lined with parchment. For longer storage, freeze the shaped raw patties in a single layer until solid (about 2 hours), then transfer to a zip bag — they’ll keep for up to 2 months. Cook from frozen by adding 2 to 3 extra minutes per side over medium heat. Cooked patties reheat well in a dry skillet over medium-low for about 3 minutes per side; the microwave works in a pinch but softens the crust.
Quinoa and Salmon Patties
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Potato masher or fork
- 10-inch non-stick skillet
- Flat spatula (fish spatula ideal)
- Baking sheet or plate (for freezing)
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- ½ cup cooked quinoa 85g
- 1 tin canned wild salmon 105g / 3.7oz, drained and flaked
- ½ medium onion finely chopped, about 75g / 2.6oz
- 2 medium potatoes about 300g / 10.5oz total, peeled, chopped, and boiled with the quinoa until tender
- 1 tablespoon corn flour 8g, cornstarch
- 1 medium egg about 50g
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves stripped and chopped, about 1 teaspoon
- 3 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley finely chopped, about 1 tablespoon
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil 30ml, or other neutral oil
- 1 pinch salt to taste
- 1 pinch black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Drain and flake the canned salmon into a large mixing bowl. Add the cooked and cooled quinoa, mashed potatoes, chopped onion, corn flour, egg, thyme leaves, parsley, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mash everything together with a potato masher or fork until well combined — some texture is fine.1/2 cup cooked quinoa, 1 tin canned wild salmon, 1/2 medium onion, 2 medium potatoes, 1 tablespoon corn flour, 1 medium egg, 2 sprigs fresh thyme, 3 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley, 1 pinch salt, 1 pinch black pepper
- With lightly wet hands, divide the mixture into 15 equal portions (about 40g / 1.4oz each). Roll each into a ball and gently flatten into patties about 1.5cm (⅝ inch) thick. Place on a parchment-lined plate or baking sheet.
- Transfer the plate to the freezer for 10 minutes to firm the patties — this step is essential to prevent them from falling apart during cooking.
- Heat the grapeseed oil in a 10-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat (about 375°F / 190°C — the oil should shimmer but not smoke). Carefully add the patties in batches (do not overcrowd the pan). Cook for 2–3 minutes per side until deep golden brown and heated through to an internal temperature of 165°F / 74°C.2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
- Serve immediately with a fresh green salad and baked sweet potato, or your preferred sides.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently asked questions
Can I use fresh salmon instead of canned?
Yes — cook and flake roughly 100g of fresh salmon fillet and use it in place of the canned tin. Make sure it’s fully cooked before mixing, and let it cool so it doesn’t warm the rest of the mixture and make shaping harder.
How do I know when the patties are done?
Because the salmon is already cooked (canned) and the potato and quinoa are pre-cooked, you’re looking for a deep golden-brown crust on both sides and a hot center — 2 to 3 minutes per side over medium-high heat achieves this. If you want to be precise, an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) confirms they’re fully heated through.
Can I make these without egg?
You can, but the patties will be more fragile. The egg helps bind the mix alongside the potato starch — skip it only if you have an allergy, and compensate by chilling the patties a full 15 minutes instead of 10 before cooking.
My mix is too dry and crumbly — what went wrong?
The potato likely needed a bit more cooking moisture, or the salmon was over-drained. Add a teaspoon of water or a small splash of olive oil to the mix and work it in before reshaping.
What’s the best way to serve these as a complete meal?
The recipe suggests a salad and baked sweet potato, which works well — the sweet potato adds filling carbs and the salad keeps things light. A simple yogurt-and-lemon dipping sauce on the side also pairs well with the salmon flavor without overpowering it.
Can I bake these instead of pan-frying?
Yes — bake at 400°F (200°C) on a lightly oiled baking sheet for about 15 to 18 minutes, flipping once halfway through. The crust won’t be as crisp as pan-fried, but the patties hold together well and the result is still solid.
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