What to Eat with Salmon Cakes – Sauces, Slaws and Sides

How it works

What to eat with salmon cakes? A sauce first, then something crisp and something to fill the plate. The list holds 49 sides: sauces and dips, slaws and salads, rice and bread, potatoes, vegetables and cold drinks.

Read the full guide

Rice and tartar sauce, to begin with

In the United States salmon cakes are also called salmon patties or salmon croquettes. White rice and tartar sauce are two things they are eaten with, and many people make them the main course, so most of this list is sides that fill out a plate.

A sauce, a crunch and a starch

A fried salmon cake is soft inside and crisp outside. One sauce, one cold crunchy side such as a slaw, and one filling side such as rice, potatoes or bread make it dinner.

Lemon goes on at the table. Squeezed on early, it softens the crust.
Small cakes with two sauces make a starter. Big ones in a toasted bun with slaw make a burger.

Questions and answers

What sauce goes with salmon cakes?

Tartar sauce, first of all. For a change, try remoulade, lemon dill yogurt sauce, garlic aioli, sweet chili sauce or mango salsa. A lemon wedge is enough when the cakes are well seasoned.

What do you eat with salmon patties?

The same sides: a salmon patty and a salmon cake are one dish under two names. Creamy coleslaw, cheese grits, cornbread, corn on the cob and collard greens all fit beside one.

What vegetable goes with salmon cakes?

Green ones that cook fast: roasted asparagus with lemon, sautéed spinach, sugar snap peas or zucchini. Sliced tomatoes, fried okra and succotash are on the list as well.

All 49 sides

Sauces and dips 9

Cucumber yogurt sauce Grated cucumber in thick yogurt with garlic, cold against a hot cake.
Garlic aioli A small dab is enough. It is strong.
Lemon dill yogurt sauce Yogurt, lemon and chopped dill, stirred together and served cold.
Lemon wedges Squeeze one over the cakes at the table, not in the pan.
Mango salsa Chopped mango, red onion and lime, spooned on top.
Remoulade A spicy, mustardy mayonnaise for anyone who finds tartar sauce too mild.
Spicy mayo Mayonnaise with a little hot sauce, for dipping the crisp edges.
Sweet chili sauce Sticky, sweet and a little hot, straight from the bottle.
Tartar sauce Put a spoonful on each cake while it is still hot.

Slaws and salads 9

Arugula with lemon and olive oil Peppery leaves, dressed at the last minute so they stay crisp.
Avocado and tomato salad Chunks of both with lime and salt, made just before you eat.
Black-eyed pea salad Beans, peppers and onion in a sharp dressing, served cold.
Caesar salad Crisp romaine and croutons. Set the cake on top and it is the whole meal.
Corn and tomato salad Sweet corn off the cob, tomatoes and a splash of lime.
Creamy coleslaw Pile it beside the cake, or right on top in a bun.
Cucumber and dill salad Thin slices in a light vinegar dressing.
Fennel and orange salad Shaved thin: crisp, sweet and a little like aniseed.
Kale salad with lemon Rub the dressing into the leaves and let it sit while the cakes fry.

Rice, grains and bread 12

Biscuits Split one and the cake becomes a sandwich.
Buttered orzo Small pasta with butter and lemon, and peas if you like.
Cheese grits Creamy and soft under a crisp cake.
Cornbread A warm square on the side, with butter.
Herbed couscous Stir chopped parsley and mint through it with a little olive oil.
Hush puppies Fried cornmeal bites that share the dipping sauce with the cakes.
Lemon rice Rice with lemon zest and parsley stirred through at the end.
Mac and cheese The rich choice. Add something green to the plate with it.
Quinoa with lemon and herbs Fluff it with a fork and dress it while it is warm.
Rice pilaf Rice cooked in broth with onion, a step up from plain.
Toasted burger buns With lettuce, tomato and sauce it is a salmon burger.
White rice Plain and fluffy, to sit under the cake and catch the sauce.

Potatoes 5

Baked potato Split it and share the dill sauce between the potato and the cake.
French fries Fish and chips, more or less. Put out vinegar or ketchup.
Potato salad Make it ahead and serve it cold beside the hot cakes.
Smashed potatoes Boil them, flatten them and roast until the edges are crisp.
Sweet potato fries Sweet against the salty cake, and good with the spicy mayo.

Vegetables 10

Collard greens Slow-cooked and soft beside a crisp cake.
Corn on the cob Boiled or grilled, with butter and salt.
Fried green tomatoes A cornmeal crust outside, sour and soft inside.
Fried okra Crisp and salty, one more thing to dip in the sauce.
Roasted asparagus with lemon Thin spears cook in the time the cakes take to fry.
Sautéed spinach with garlic It wilts to a fraction of its size, so start with more than looks right.
Sautéed zucchini Thin half-moons, cooked fast in a hot pan.
Sliced tomatoes Thick slices with salt and pepper, when tomatoes are in season.
Succotash Corn and lima beans cooked together with butter.
Sugar snap peas Fry them quickly so they stay crisp and sweet.

Drinks 4

Cucumber water Water with cucumber slices and mint, cold from the fridge.
Iced tea with lemon Sweet or not, in a tall glass with a lot of ice.
Lemonade The lemon the cakes want, in a glass.
Limeade Sharper than lemonade, and good with the mango salsa.