I always find deals on canned salmon and it is a good staple to keep in case of a hurricane. If you’ve got a stack of canned salmon sitting in the pantry, you’re in better shape than you think.
Canned salmon is one of those ingredients that’s easy to overlook. Most of us immediately think salmon patties—and don’t get me wrong, a crispy salmon patty is hard to beat—but there’s a whole lot more you can do with it.
You can turn canned salmon into pasta, dips, casseroles, breakfast, sandwiches and even some pretty fantastic smoked dishes.
Yes SMOKED!!! You can absolutely put canned salmon on the smoker. Obviously we’re going to do that.
1. Crispy Cast-Iron Salmon Cakes
We’ll start with the classic because there’s a reason people have been making these forever.
Mix canned salmon with egg, a little mayo, Dijon mustard, crushed crackers or panko, green onion and your favorite seafood seasoning.
Form into patties and fry in a thin layer of oil in a hot cast-iron skillet until they’re deeply golden and crispy on both sides.
Serve with lemon, remoulade or a spicy mayo. Get the recipe >>
Also find great sides to serve with salmon cakes!
2. Smoked Salmon Cakes
Now take those salmon cakes outside.
Form your patties and put them on the smoker at about 225°F for 20–30 minutes to pick up some smoke.
Then move them to a hot cast-iron skillet to crisp the outsides.
You get the convenience of canned salmon with a little bit of that smoked-salmon flavor—and that crispy finish keeps them from tasting like mushy fish cakes.
I’d use a mild wood here. Apple, cherry or pecan would all work.
3. Smoked Salmon Mac & Cheese
This one is happening.
Make your favorite creamy mac and cheese, then fold drained canned salmon into it.
Pour it into a cast-iron skillet, cover the top with extra cheese and buttery breadcrumbs, and put the whole thing on the smoker at around 250–275°F until it’s bubbling and smoky.
The salmon is already cooked, so we’re not trying to cook it again. We’re adding smoke to the entire dish.
I’d add a little Dijon and Old Bay to the cheese sauce, too.
4. Loaded Salmon Baked Potatoes
Bake big russet potatoes until the skins are crispy.
Split them open and pile on salmon, butter, sour cream, cheddar and green onions.
A little hot sauce wouldn’t hurt anything.
5. Creamy Garlic Salmon Pasta
Make a quick sauce with butter, garlic, cream and Parmesan.
Add lemon juice, lots of black pepper and canned salmon right at the end.
Toss with linguine, fettuccine or whatever pasta you’ve got.
Dinner in about 20 minutes. Get the recipe >>
6. Salmon Fried Rice
This may be one of the best ways to completely change canned salmon.
Get leftover rice nice and crispy in a hot skillet with onion, garlic, egg and vegetables. Add soy sauce, sesame oil and salmon toward the end.
Don’t stir the salmon to death. Leave some nice chunks. Get the recipe – just sub salmon >>
7. Salmon Melts
Think tuna melt’s better-looking cousin.
Mix salmon with mayo, Dijon, chopped pickles or celery and black pepper.
Pile it onto toasted bread, cover it with cheddar, Swiss or provolone and broil until bubbly.
8. Salmon Quesadillas
Add salmon to a tortilla with pepper jack, sautéed peppers and onions.
Cook until crispy and serve with sour cream, salsa or a spicy sauce.
It sounds a little weird.
It works.
9. Smoked Salmon Dip
This may be the easiest smoker recipe on the entire list.
Mix canned salmon with softened cream cheese, sour cream, Worcestershire, lemon, garlic, green onions and a little hot sauce.
Put it into a small cast-iron skillet and smoke at about 225°F for 30–45 minutes.
Serve warm with crackers, toasted bread or vegetables.
10. Salmon Chowder
Canned salmon is perfect for a quick chowder.
Start with onion, celery and potatoes, then add broth, milk or cream and corn.
Stir the salmon in near the end.
Bacon on top is highly encouraged.
11. Salmon Breakfast Hash
Crisp diced potatoes in cast iron with onion and peppers.
Add chunks of salmon toward the end and top everything with fried eggs.
That’s breakfast, brunch or dinner. Get the recipe >>
12. Salmon Burgers
Make larger versions of your salmon cakes and turn them into burgers.
Add lettuce, tomato, pickles and a lemony mayo or remoulade.
A toasted brioche bun makes a huge difference here.
13. Salmon-Stuffed Peppers
Mix salmon with cooked rice, onion, seasoning and cheese.
Stuff into bell peppers and bake until tender.
This is also an easy way to stretch one can of salmon into dinner for several people.
14. Salmon Alfredo
Yes, it’s rich.
That’s the point.
Make Alfredo sauce, add canned salmon and peas or broccoli, and toss with pasta.
Lots of cracked black pepper and a squeeze of lemon help cut through the richness.
15. Salmon Mac & Cheese — No Smoker Required
If you don’t want to fire up the smoker, salmon mac is still worth making inside.
Fold salmon into homemade mac and cheese and bake it with a crunchy breadcrumb topping.
It’s basically budget seafood mac and cheese.
16. Salmon Croquettes
Salmon croquettes are similar to salmon patties but deserve their own spot.
Make them smaller, season them aggressively and fry them until seriously crunchy.
They’re great with grits, eggs, greens or just a dipping sauce.
17. Salmon Frittata
Eggs are another great way to stretch a can.
Add salmon to beaten eggs with cheese, green onions and whatever vegetables need to disappear from the refrigerator.
Start it on the stovetop in cast iron and finish it in the oven. Get the recipe >>
18. Smoked Salmon-Stuffed Jalapeños
Now we’re getting somewhere.
Mix canned salmon with cream cheese and shredded cheddar, stuff the mixture into halved jalapeños and smoke them until the peppers soften and the filling gets hot and smoky.
And yes, wrapping them in bacon is absolutely an option.
19. Smoked Salmon Potato Casserole
Layer thinly sliced potatoes with a creamy cheese sauce and chunks of salmon in a cast-iron skillet.
Put it on the smoker until the potatoes are tender, the sauce is bubbling and the top gets browned.
Think cheesy scalloped potatoes with smoked salmon worked through them.
20. Smoked Salmon & Corn Dip
Combine salmon, corn, cream cheese, pepper jack, green chiles and seasoning in a cast-iron skillet.
Smoke until hot and bubbly, then serve it with tortilla chips.
This is the kind of thing that starts as “I’ll just try a bite” and ends with somebody scraping the skillet.
Don’t Underestimate That Stack of Cans
Canned salmon doesn’t have to be emergency pantry food.
It’s already cooked, relatively inexpensive, easy to keep around and versatile enough to turn into everything from a quick weeknight pasta to a pan of smoked salmon mac and cheese.
If you’ve got several cans sitting in the pantry, don’t eat salmon patties six nights in a row.
Fire up the smoker. We’ve got options.
