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Home » Fish » Salmon and Trout » Trout Cakes

Trout Cakes

By Hank Shaw on September 4, 2017, Updated October 29, 2020 - 42 Comments

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4.98 from 36 votes
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trout cakes on a plate with lemon
Photo by Holly A. Heyser

Fish cakes rank right up there with meatballs in my book: Comforting. Easy. Tasty without pretension.

Don’t get me wrong, I love to cook fancy food, too. But you can’t do that every day. Some days are for trout cakes. Specifically, those days after you catch lots of trout. Or kokanee. Or salmon, or whatever.

I use trout or kokanee because I like the play of mild, slightly oily trout with all the herbs. Salmon is just as good, especially a pink or chum salmon. But bluefish, mackerel, or another oily fish would work, too. And I won’t get mad at you if make this with bass, catfish, crappie, etc.

While it’s not specifically necessary, I find that the best fish cakes are made with “spoon meat,” which is meat scraped off the carcass of fish before they are cooked. You can get quite a lot of meat off carcasses this way — more than a pound on a big chinook salmon. The fish will cook perfectly well in the pan. Of course, you can also use leftover fish, too.

What separates this trout cake recipe from my salmon patties or my other fish cake recipe is herbs. Lots of herbs. They are a great counterpoint to the fish, and brighten things up quite a lot. A squeeze of lemon is all you need on them.

close-up of the trout cakes recipe
Photo by Holly A. Heyser

I like eating these as-is, or with a green salad. Any leftover cakes can be reheated gently in a pan or a 300°F oven and used as a great sandwich filling with some lettuce, tomato and mayo.

These trout cakes freeze well, too. Cook them first, then freeze, tightly wrapped, for up to 6 months.

trout cakes recipe
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4.98 from 36 votes

Trout Cakes

Clearly this recipe can be done with salmon, kokanee, char or really any fish you want. I just like it with trout. The herbs are also open to improvisation; the combination I use is what I like. Serve these with a green salad or as the filling in a sandwich. 
Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Total Time45 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 585kcal
Author: Hank Shaw

Ingredients

  • 1 pound trout meat, skinless and boneless
  • 1 cup minced onion
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley
  • 1/4 cup chopped chives
  • 1/4 cup chopped tarragon or dill
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil, for frying

Instructions

  • Cook the minced onion with the butter in a small pan over medium heat until translucent, but not browned. Remove from the pan and let cool.
  • Chop the trout meat with a knife into bits. You can chop very roughly and then pulse a couple times in a food processor, but you want the trout in little pieces, not as a paste. 
  • Mix all the remaining ingredients (except the frying oil) together in a large bowl. Form cakes with your hands. I like them about the width of my palm. You will need to wash your hands a couple times to remove debris; this helps you make cleaner, nicer cakes. 
  • Let the cakes sit in the fridge for 20 minutes or so -- this lets the breadcrumbs absorb moisture, which helps your cakes hold together. 
  • Heat the frying oil in a large, wide pan over medium-high heat. Fry as many cakes as will fit in one layer without touching. Cook them until each side is golden brown, about 4 to 6 minutes per side. Serve hot. 

Nutrition

Calories: 585kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Cholesterol: 166mg | Sodium: 1041mg | Potassium: 618mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1010IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 134mg | Iron: 4mg
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Filed Under: Featured, Recipe, Salmon and Trout

Avatar for Hank Shaw

Hank Shaw

Hey there. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet's largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook.

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Comments

  1. Avatar for MaxMax says

    January 20, 2023 at 6:20 am

    How would you modify this recipe if you have leftover cooked trout instead of raw? Thanks.

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      January 20, 2023 at 8:01 am

      Max: No real need to, although the texture will be different. It will hold together with leftover fish.

      Reply
  2. Avatar for MaryMary says

    January 5, 2023 at 6:07 pm

    I added a fresh sliced Jalapeno to give these a little kick. Reminded me so much of crab cakes, which we love. Thank you.

    Reply
  3. Avatar for MeeganMeegan says

    September 25, 2022 at 10:56 pm

    Hi are the breadcrumbs fresh or dried?
    Cheers
    Meegan

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      September 26, 2022 at 7:27 am

      Meegan: Dried.

      Reply
  4. Avatar for ElisaElisa says

    September 24, 2022 at 7:21 am

    Is the trout supposed to be cooked before adding to the recipe? Or can you use leftover cooked trout?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      September 24, 2022 at 7:31 am

      Elisa: Nope, it’s raw. The fish gets cooked as a cake, not before, in this recipe. It works well.

      Reply
  5. Avatar for Amy HoffmanAmy Hoffman says

    June 18, 2022 at 4:58 pm

    I made it tonight for dinner with some Rainbow Trout I got up in NC. Delicious!!!! I used the Dill instead of Tarragon which was an option when making it. Outstanding!

    Reply
  6. Avatar for CrystalCrystal says

    June 17, 2022 at 9:16 pm

    Made this again for the umpteenth time, every bit as delicious as the first! I substituted garlic chives and used a mix of tarragon and dill this time because that’s what I had on hand. I also followed another reviewer’s idea and made an aïoli dipping sauce out of mayo, lemon juice, and garlic. I’ll definitely be doing that again too! Thanks, Hank, as always!!

    Reply
  7. Avatar for SusanSusan says

    April 24, 2022 at 7:28 pm

    Used a pint jar of trout.(Kokanee).
    Modified the recipe somewhat, in that as a non oil user, “fried” the onion in vegie broth. Didnt use food processer.
    Didn’t add mayonnaise, added some old fashioned oats.
    Air Fried 7 minutes/5 minutes..at 380
    Awesome recipe!
    Added to keepers.
    Thanx.

    Reply
  8. Avatar for MichelleMichelle says

    April 15, 2022 at 12:44 pm

    This recipe is outstanding, everything I hoped for when I read the ingredients. I air fried the cakes for 6 minutes per side at 400 degrees and sprayed both sides generously with Olive Oil beforehand. Would definitely make it again! Great as a fish burger with tarter sauce and lettuce.

    Reply
  9. Avatar for Nick LlewellynNick Llewellyn says

    January 2, 2022 at 8:06 am

    Made last night with Arctic Char….fantastic. Great, easy recipe and will will try with different fish.

    Reply
  10. Avatar for Julie SlaterJulie Slater says

    August 17, 2021 at 7:17 am

    Had some left over fresh trout so made this and it was easy, tasty and quick. I didn’t use frying oil as we popped them in the air fryer and it worked out really tasty and crispy . Everyone loved them and we will definitely be making again . Thank you for posting the recipe ?

    Reply
  11. Avatar for AmandaAmanda says

    June 24, 2021 at 9:03 am

    I had a half pound of trout fillet left over from last night’s dinner but wanted to make this recipe for four people so I used my leftover trout and added some canned salmon. Didn’t have parsley but I did have fresh tarragon from the garden and used some dry dill weed. Looks and smells great so far, the patties are in the fridge now. I’ll let you know how it goes.

    Reply
  12. Avatar for woodburner60woodburner60 says

    May 20, 2021 at 3:12 pm

    So good. Made with leftover grilled trout. Pretty quick and satisfying meal. Since i had also made a recipe of rhubarb salsa, i used these fish cakes to make really good fish tacos. Over the top and good warm or cold. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
  13. Avatar for CathyCathy says

    April 25, 2021 at 5:32 pm

    Had fresh caught trout in the freezer and didn’t want it to go to waste. Not enough for a dinner but enough for an appetizer. Skinned it and followed this recipe. Delicious. May tweak it with some sautéed bell peppers next time but “as is” was great! Wish I could add a picture. Definitely photo worthy!

    Reply
  14. Avatar for Margaret JamisonMargaret Jamison says

    February 9, 2021 at 1:52 am

    These cakes are absolutely sumptuous. I baked a 3kg sea trout for dinner guests and had quite a bit left over. Made these the next day for the family for lunch, grandchildren and adults alike “vacuumed” them up. Delicious combination of herbs. Certainly will be making these again.

    Reply
  15. Avatar for AnnaAnna says

    October 26, 2020 at 10:00 am

    Thank you so much for this recipe!
    As someone who only cooks with store bought salmon, I wasn’t sure what to do with a creek trout when I was asked to prepare it for my family. There were WONDERFUL. I made a dipping sauce with plain yogurt, a bit of oil oil, 2 garlic cloves and a few squeezes of lemon. If I was served this at a restaurant I would be pretty happy about it.

    Reply
  16. Avatar for Craig BellCraig Bell says

    July 30, 2020 at 9:48 pm

    Caught a bunch of trout that we were trying to decide what to do with. Found your recipe on line searching trout recipe’s. Decided to give it a try and they are great! Definitely will become a regular during our fishing season. Did take quite a bit more time to prepare than was suggested.

    Reply
  17. Avatar for CarolCarol says

    July 17, 2020 at 7:57 pm

    That was bomb. Thanks for the recipe. I air fried them 15 minutes then set on toast for 10 min each side. Much lighter. My air fryer is a couple years old. adjust for your own preferences. Delish!

    Reply
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Hank Shaw holding a rod and reel in the American River

Hi, my name is Hank Shaw; I’m a James Beard Award-winning author and chef. I started this site back in 2007 to help you get the most out of all things wild: fish, game, edible wild plants and mushrooms. I also write cookbooks, have a website dedicated to the intersection of food and nature, and do a podcast, too. If it’s wild, you’ll find it here. Hope you enjoy the site!

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