Salmon loaf is a delicious, inexpensive, and easy-to-bake recipe. Salmon, parmesan cheese, panko crumbs, and spices all baked together make every bite rich, juicy, and flavorful.
Easy Salmon Loaf Recipe
This is a quick weeknight meal prepped in less than 10 minutes with minimal cleanup. When you don’t feel like spending a lot on dinner but want something healthy and satisfying, these budget-friendly ingredients are surprisingly flavorful when combined and baked.
Try my 6 easy meatloaf flavor recipes next!
Recipe Ingredients
- 3 cans of salmon
- 1 ½ cups bread crumbs – or panko crumbs
- 1 ½ cups grated parmesan cheese
- 2 green onions – chopped small
- ½ cup diced yellow onion – diced very small
- ½ cup milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp dried dill weed – or fresh dill
- 1 tsp dried parsley – or fresh parsley
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
How To Make Salmon Loaf
Full ingredients and instructions are also in the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post.
STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Then line a loaf pan with foil or parchment paper and lightly spray the inside.
STEP 2: Drain the 3 cans of salmon of any juices, then add to a large bowl. Use a fork to flake the salmon into small crumbles. This part is key! You want it to be flaked small to ensure a moist salmon loaf. Keep the salmon bones and skin if you like them or take them out before the next step.
STEP 3: Add the following to the bowl of flaked salmon then mix thoroughly with your fork: 1 ½ cups panko crumbs, 1 ½ cups parmesan cheese, 2 green onions chopped, ½ cup diced yellow onion diced very small, 1 tsp dried dill, 1 tsp dried parsley, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper.
STEP 4: In a separate small bowl beat 2 large eggs with ½ cup milk.
STEP 5: Pour the liquid over the salmon, and mix thoroughly again using a fork and/or spatula. The salmon should be evenly coated with liquid to ensure the loaf is moist and sticks together.
STEP 6: Add the salmon loaf to the pan and press it down with a spatula.
STEP 7: Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and slightly crispy. If the edges are starting to brown too fast, cover the loaf with foil in the last 10 minutes. When done, let cool for 10 minutes, transfer to a plate, and slice into serving portions. Serve with your favorite sauce and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Be sure to flake the salmon thoroughly. Use a fork and flake the salmon until it’s very small and crumbly with no large chunks left. This will give you the best loaf texture.
- Personally, I find that this salmon loaf tastes best when topped with a sauce. You can use tartar sauce, plain greek yogurt, mayonnaise, ketchup, barbecue sauce, or salsa. To enhance the flavor, squeeze fresh lemon juice on the finished loaf then season with salt and pepper.
- Use Fresh Salmon Instead: To replace canned salmon with fresh salmon, bake the fillet first, then flake it with a fork. You will need about 1 ½ cups of flaked cooked salmon.
- This method can also be used to make salmon cakes (aka fish cakes). Form into patties and cook in a frying pan on the stove.
How To Store Leftovers
- FRIDGE – Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
- FREEZER – Wrap the whole salmon loaf or individual slices with plastic wrap or parchment paper. Then place it in a large freezer bag. Remove as much air as possible and seal tightly. This salmon loaf will keep in the fridge for up to 3 months.
- TO REHEAT – My husband loves to pan-fry the leftover slices with a bit of cooking oil for a crispy finish. Alternatively, you can bake in the oven at 350°F, or heat in the microwave until warmed through.
Tools For This Recipe
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- Loaf Pan – I love this non-stick loaf pan. It has a textured bottom for better airflow when cooking and a simple design for easy cleaning.
- Measuring Spoons – Quality measuring spoons are an underrated kitchen tool. These spoons are magnetic, stainless steel, and very strong, they sit flat on the table without spilling and are labeled in metric and imperial.
- Stackable Mixing Bowls – Each of these three stackable bowls are used often in our kitchen. They’re easy to grip and pour, the silicone ring on the bottom keeps them from slipping, and they’re quite durable.
- Cheese Grater – This grater has a detachable storage container to collect your food, eliminating any mess! It’s also dishwasher safe.
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Salmon Loaf
Ingredients
- 3 cans of salmon
- 1 ½ cups bread crumbs - or panko crumbs
- 1 ½ cups grated parmesan cheese
- 2 green onions - chopped small
- ½ cup diced yellow onion - diced very small
- ½ cup milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp dried dill weed - or fresh dill
- 1 tsp dried parsley - or fresh parsley
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Line a loaf pan with foil or parchment paper. Lightly spray the inside. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Drain the 3 cans of salmon of any juices, then add to a large bowl. Use a fork to flake the salmon into small crumbles. This part is key! You want it to be flaked small to ensure a moist salmon loaf. Keep the salmon bones and skin if you like them or take them out before the next step.
- Add the following to the bowl of flaked salmon then mix thoroughly with your fork: 1 ½ cups panko crumbs, 1 ½ cups parmesan cheese, 2 green onions chopped, ½ cup diced yellow onion diced very small, 1 tsp dried dill, 1 tsp dried parsley, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper.
- In a separate small bowl beat 2 large eggs with ½ cup milk.
- Pour the liquid over the salmon, and mix thoroughly again using a fork and/or spatula. The salmon should be evenly coated with liquid to ensure the loaf is moist and sticks together.
- Add the salmon loaf to the pan and press it down with a spatula.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and slightly crispy. Cover loaf with foil in the last 10 minutes if edges are starting to brown too fast.
- Let cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to a plate and slice into serving portions. You can squeeze fresh lemon juice or sprinkle lemon zest over top (this is optional). Serve with your favorite sauce and enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
- Be sure to flake the salmon really well. Use a fork and flake the salmon until it’s very small and crumbly with no large chunks left. This will give you the best texture.
- This salmon loaf tastes best topped with a sauce! You can use tartar sauce, plain greek yogurt, mayonnaise, ketchup, barbecue sauce, or salsa.
- Drizzle a bit of lemon juice on top of the freshly baked salmon loaf, or serve with lemon wedges for extra flavor. Melted butter drizzled on top would taste great too!
- Can I use fresh salmon instead of canned salmon? Yes, you can. You will need to bake the fillet first, then flake it with a fork. You will need about 1 ½ cups of flaked cooked fish for this recipe.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is an estimate and is per serving.