Name: Southern Salmon Patty Sandwiches
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 7 min
Total time: 42 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 15 ounces canned salmon in water (skinless and boneless); 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper; 1/2 cup diced green onion; 1 cup mayonnaise; 2 teaspoons dried dill; 1 large egg; 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese; 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice; 1 cup panko breadcrumbs; 1/2 cup regular breadcrumbs; 2 to 4 tablespoons olive oil

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Southern Salmon Patty Sandwiches take delicious salmon patties and turns them into a fun sandwich for your family. It’s also a budget friendly meal for your family.

With the economy the way it is, we could all use some budget friendly meals. For me, budget friendly meals usually come from the pantry. Macaroni and cheese, tuna casserole, sloppy joes. All of these are recipes that contain pantry ingredients, and a few things from the fridge. These Southern Salmon Patty Sandwiches also come from the pantry and are budget friendly.

What is a salmon patty?

Salmon patties consist of canned salmon, some crackers, breadcrumbs, or flour and an egg (or two). I usually put onions in mine for added flavor and moisture. And, of course, seasonings. But it’s simple as that. As you can see, a very budget friendly pantry meal.

I’m not sure if salmon patties are really a southern thing. I just know that Nana made them all the time. And we used to make them all the time growing up, too. It’s basically one of 2 kinds of salmon I can tolerate. I did more than tolerate these salmon patties. I actually devoured these because they taste so delicious.

How were salmon patties invented?

I think salmon patties are synonymous with the South because of the history of the salmon patty. While the whole country felt the effects of the Great Depression, the south was hit the hardest. Not only was money an issue, but that money issue led to a pellagra epidemic.

The diet of the south after the Great Depression consisted of large amounts of corn products like cornmeal. This combined with the lack of protein in the diet caused a niacin (B-3) deficiency which leads to pellagra. It causes dermatitis, diarrhea, and dementia. If left untreated it could be fatal.

The departments of Health and Agriculture worked to try to figure out a solution to this epidemic. And their answer was canned fish. People have been trying to can fish for decades, but it wasn’t until the late 1800’s that they finally figured it out. And, of course, Alaska played a major role in developing the market for canned salmon.

A can of salmon in the 1920’s was a nickel. This combined with a little flour, cornmeal, or breadcrumbs and an egg made a nutritious meal for your family. Or at least the entrée for the meal. If you had some bread, you could make a sandwich for lunch. It was just enough protein to unlock the niacin in the corn products and prevent pellagra from occurring.

Even today, a can of salmon is still pretty budget friendly. I have a story about whole canned salmon. I’ll tell it a little later. One can of salmon can make at least 6 to 8 patties. One egg, while they used to be really cheap, are a bit pricier now than a few months ago. Something about avian flu?

Then there’s cracker crumbs, breadcrumbs, or flour. The first two allow you to use up stale crackers or bread. Which I always have on hand. And, well, I don’t many that don’t have some kind of flour on hand. Even those gluten free people have flour alternatives to be able to make salmon patties.

How do you make Southern Salmon Patty Sandwiches?

I know I’ve talked about this before in this post. But every time I make these I think of that experience. Now, I was never in the kitchen when Nana made these. And I was never in the kitchen when Dad made them either. Because he knew if I was in the kitchen, I would never eat them.

I was picky as a kid. And as far as bones in my food goes, I still. I have this thing about having to pull things out of my mouth when I’m eating that just churns my stomach. Like fish bones. And chicken cartilage or bones. And those hard pieces of green beans from the stem that you don’t see. *herck*

The first time I made these I bought whole canned salmon. Never again. I honestly thought I was going to toss my cookies when this came out of the can. I had no idea that it was actually a WHOLE canned salmon. Skin and bones and all.

I’ve skinned and boned fish. I’ve grabbed the vice grips and peeled catfish more than once. I can head scale and tale fish and then filet them. But canned fish? All soft and gelatinous like? No. That just isn’t something I anticipated when I busted open those cans.

When I made these, I grabbed the smaller cans of boneless salmon. It made life for me that much easier. If you’re okay with all that skin and bones stuff, then by all means buy the cheaper can of salmon. I am not. I splurged and got the boneless cans that are about the same size as tuna. It was well worth it. And the flavor was less fishy than the other can.

What do Southern Salmon Patty Sandwiches taste like?

Absolutely delicious! Y’all know I don’t like salmon, but these patties are delicious. With very little metal taste for me. It’s probably all the mix ins that I’ve added to the salmon. They’re not expensive and are easily items I have in the pantry or the fridge all the time. But they make such a difference in flavor of these salmon patties.

And to make them a sandwich makes them super fun to eat. When Dad made them when I was kid, we had an array of sauces to pour on top. Dad would make a version of hollandaise or a white sauce jut to jazz them up so I’ll eat them. Little did he know it was the type of salmon in the patty.

The hubs said this is the best salmon patty recipe I’ve made. Which speaks volumes because he doesn’t like them that much. Ironic. Because he gripes about not having salmon at home. I don’t like it. So why would I make it? I do, however, like these patties. So, for me, these Southern Salmon Patty Sandwiches are a perfect compromise.