Fish patties are a budget friendly way to make seafood patties that are just as delicious and satisfying. You can use lots of different types of fish and the patties turn out so juicy and scrumptious.
These delicious Fish Patties are a great way to include fish on your menu in a creative way. They are really flavorful and juicy, with tender chunks of fish. I think they just melt in your mouth.
If you've got any Slavic blood running through your veins, you're most likely familiar with kotleti, and seafood kotleti are a classic variation. In our Belarusian household Fish Kotleti were often on the menu. We still love making them today. If you haven't tried Salmon Patties, you're in for a treat! They are a great option for a quick weeknight dinner. You can also make a large batch, since they reheat very well, and you won't have to cook the next day.
For all the people that are nervous about seafood, don't worry, these fish patties don't taste "fishy" at all. Whenever I serve these to family and friends, I get a very enthusiastic response. Even people who don't usually like fish have been known to enjoy these.
Ingredients:
- fish (any kind that you like, cod, haddock, grouper, halibut, tilapia, salmon, etc.) You can use just about any fish that you like. For this recipe, I like to use white fish and cod is one of my absolute favorites.
- butter or oil, for sauteing the veggies
- onion
- celery stalk (Not only do the sauteed veggies (onion and celery) make the fish more juicy, but they add so much additional flavor to the patties.)
- panko bread crumbs
- egg
- mayonnaise or Greek yogurt
- dijon mustard, it pais so nicely with seafood
- salt, ground black pepper
- fresh herbs (parsley, dill, chives) minced
- all purpose flour, for dredging the patties
- oil, for pan frying (avocado oil or light olive oil)
How To Make Fish Patties
- Place the fish in a food processor and pulse a few times until the fish is cut up into small pieces.
- The fish should not be mushy and pureed, rather have a coarse texture, and be flaky. You can also put it through a meat grinder or cut it into really small pieces.
- Mince the celery and the onion.
- Saute the veggies. Heat the butter or oil in a skillet, add the onion and celery, season with salt and pepper and saute them in the skillet for 5-7 minutes, until softened. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Make the batter for the fish patties. Add the celery, onion, breadcrumbs, egg, mayonnaise, mustard, ¾ - 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and herbs to the fish. Mix to combine.
- Now, shape the fish patties. Place the flour into a shallow bowl. Form small patties from the fish mixture, dredge them in the flour and set aside.
- Cook the fish patties.
- Set a large sauté pan over medium high heat, add about 1 ½ Tablespoons of oil and heat until shimmering.
- Sauté the fish patties until they are golden brown, approximately 4 to 5 minutes a side.
- Cook in batches, wiping out the skillet clean and adding fresh oil each time, until all the patties are cooked.
Serving the Fish Patties
Serve hot. If you are reheating the fish patties, place them in a skillet on low heat, with about ½ Tablespoon of water. Cook on low heat, covered, until the fish patties are heated all the way through.
My favorite side dishes are mashed potatoes or Long Grain White Rice and a Cauliflower Tomato Salad, or a this beautiful Tropical Purple Cabbage Slaw.
More Simple and Delicious Seafood Recipes
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Fish Patties
Fish patties are a great way to include fish on your menu in a creative way. They are really flavorful and juicy, with tender chunks of fish.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 50 mins
- Yield: 12-14 patties
- Category: Entree
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs fish (any kind that you like, cod, haddock, grouper, halibut, tilapia, salmon, etc.)
- ½ Tablespoon butter or oil, for sauteing the onion and celery
- 1 onion, minced
- 1 celery stalk, minced
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup mayonnaise or Greek yogurt
- 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
- salt, ground black pepper
- fresh herbs (parsley, dill, chives) minced
- ½ cup all purpose flour, for dredging the patties
- oil, for pan frying (avocado oil or light olive oil)
Instructions
- Place the fish in a food processor and pulse a few times until the fish is cut up into small pieces. The fish should not be mushy and pureed, rather have a coarse texture, and be flaky. You can also put it through a meat grinder or cut it into really small pieces.
- You can use just about any fish that you like. For this recipe, I like to use white fish and cod is one of my favorites.
- Mince the celery and the onion. Heat the butter or oil in a skillet, add the onion and celery, season with salt and pepper and saute them in the skillet for 5-7 minutes, until softened. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Add the celery, onion, breadcrumbs, egg, mayonnaise, mustard, ¾ - 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and herbs to the fish. Mix to combine.
- Place the flour into a shallow bowl. Form small patties from the fish mixture, dredge them in the flour and set aside. I usually get about 14 patties.
- Set a large sauté pan over medium high heat, add about 1 ½ Tablespoons of oil and heat until shimmering. Sauté the fish patties until they are golden brown, approximately 4 to 5 minutes a side. Cook in batches, wiping out the skillet clean and adding fresh oil each time, until all the patties are cooked.
- Serve hot. If you are reheating the fish patties, place them in a skillet on low heat, with about ½ Tablespoon of water. Cook on low heat, covered, until the fish patties are heated all the way through.
Do you cook the fish first?
Hi Janet! Great question. No, you don't need to cook the fish first. The fish is raw when you make the fish patties, and then you cook the patties after shaping them. From my experience, when you start with raw fish, the patties turn out SO much more juicy and flavorful. I think you'll love how they turn out! Let me know if you have any more questions. 😊
I grew up on salmon patties and these are by far the best fish patties I've ever made/had! I love how any fish can be used. I've made them twice now in a week and eat them cold when I'm working or running errands or put them in the air fryer and enjoy for breakfast. I use whatever ingredients I have on had. So far I haven't had any celery so I've omitted it and this last time rather than saute onions I was lazy and used dried ones. I also added dill relish to it and use ground up gluten free crackers. I want to add capers but keep forgetting to buy them. I don't put bread crumbs or flour on the outside of the patties, just cook as is and let the butter brown some first. Heavenly! Thanks so much for an incredible recipe.
I'm so happy to hear that you're enjoying the Salmon Patties, Laura. Thank you for taking the time to write and share your feedback.
Absolutely delicious and quite easy to make. Everyone loved it. Have made it again and again. Thank you very much.
Great dish and very easy to make. All family loved it! Served with mashed potatoes, string beans and home-made tartar sauce. Only change I made was to add a bit of Scotch Bonnet chili powder, as we like a some kick. Fish used was frozen, pre-minced hake. Delish!
Sounds like a delicious combination. So glad you enjoyed the Fish Patties. Thank you for taking the time to write.
Really good, soft, and yummy.
First time followed recipe and it was good.
Second time, used food processor for 1 onion, then added 4lbs fish and also ground it up.
Then added 1 c cream of wheat, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1 Tablespoon garlic powder, and 2 eggs. Made balls, dipped them in flour and fried. Super fluffy. They looked like piroshki.
Thank you for sharing, Laura and for taking the time to write. I'm so glad you enjoyed the Fish Patties.
Olga, what a delicious recipe. We used Redfish and added shrimp and oven baked. Thank you for sharing... this is our new favorite patties recipe. 👍🙂
So glad you enjoyed the fish patties!
I’m making these again tonight and can vouch for the quality of the recipe and the result. Make them a few times and you won’t need the directions anymore. A great thing is when using any of the mild white fishes they are as tasty as crab cakes for far less expense.
Thanks for taking the time to write, Frank. So glad you enjoy the Fish Patties and you're absolutely right that they are such a delicious budget friendly option for crab cakes:).
I have a weekly fish CSA, and I often get bored when we get Rockfish. I was happy to find this recipe. It was relatively quick and I made a yogurt-herb sauce to pair with it. Super delicious, my partner really liked it and will definitely make again.
I made these today with salmon and I loved them. I skipped the mustard as hubby is not a fan, and I wish I had some fresh herbs on hand, but the patties were still very tasty. Thank you for this delicious recipe 😍
Thank you so much for taking the time to write:). I'm so glad you enjoyed the fish patties.
Wow...what a treat for a newbie like me. Made it today and everybody loved it....going try salmon next time.
Hi Olga! If I was to use dry herbs instead of fresh, how much would you recommend to start with? I am new at learning how to judge where to start on "to taste" with herbs. So if you were making it for your family, how much would you add? 🙂
Spices and herbs are very much a matter of taste preference, Lori. Some people like to use only a small amount and others like using a ton. In most cases, I use double the amount of herbs when I use fresh herbs than dry herbs. I very much prefer using fresh herbs whenever possible, but if I use dry herbs, and sometimes I use both, I will only use half as much.
Made the Fish kotleti with cod tonight for my family. Absolutely delicious! Thanks for recipe!
-EWP in KY