17 Best Leftover Salmon Recipes

Looking for leftover salmon recipes so you don’t waste this delicious fish? From cakes to pasta to dip, there are plenty of ways to use up salmon!

Salmon is a versatile ingredient for the next day’s hearty (and yet another winning) meal. 

Best Leftover Salmon Recipes for Quick and Easy Meals

Salmon — grilled, broiled, or baked — is undeniably tasty and a star of many dining tables.

Perhaps you made too much of your favorite salmon recipe, and now you’re left with a fridge chock full of fish. 

From breakfast to dinner, I bring you 13 leftover salmon ideas that’ll inspire you to make another feast.

Honestly, you might develop a habit of keeping and using extra salmon to create these heavenly dishes. Let’s get started!   

1. Salmon Cakes

Made in the style of a hamburger, salmon cakes will easily be a hit among kids and adults at home.

For this fish cake recipe, get your leftover salmon fillet and your homemade tartar sauce ready. Don’t worry, this sauce is super easy to make.

Each bite of these patties brings you big flakes of salmon without the hint of fishiness. The best part?

You can serve these cakes with a bunch of other sides. My top picks are baked beans, corn pudding, and cucumber salad! 

2. Healthy Salmon Spinach Pasta

Give this recipe a try if you’re feeling frugal yet craving delicious pasta. It’s quick, easy, and affordable.

Tender spaghetti and leftover salmon with fresh spinach and a super quick sauce. It’s ready in just 15 minutes – start to finish!

3. Salmon Dip

Using only cream cheese, green chiles, lemon juice, green onions, and leftover salmon, you can make this summery, delicious dip!

The simple ingredients come together so easily and everything will be done in 15 minutes.

It’s best served chilled, so add two hours of chilling time when making this recipe. 

While this dip is traditionally served with crackers, you can also use it as a spread for bagels.

Just imagine tender salmon chunks swimming in cheese and spices. Are you hungry yet?

4. Salmon Fried Rice

If you have leftover rice along with the salmon, then this recipe is perfect for you!

With minimal prep work, a few ingredients, and one pan, you can make a scrumptious meal in 30 minutes or less.

For this fried rice, you’d have to have a Japanese salted salmon. Don’t fret because this is simple to make. All you’ll need is salmon, salt, and sake.

Infused with flavors of scallions, eggs, and light seasonings, this salmon fried rice gives a refreshing Japanese taste that you’ll love to have over and over again.

5. Salmon and Egg Breakfast Scramble

As beautiful as it is flavorful, you can serve this meal day or night, especially when you want to impress the guests without overdoing do it!

Yes, it’s a breakfast scramble. But try serving it at night, and no one will object.

Fluffy, fresh eggs await you, mixed with the delicious salmon and citrusy dill. Top this scramble with creamy Greek yogurt dressing for extra oomph! 

6. Salmon Spring Rolls

Bring a unique taste to your home by making these Vietnamese-style spring rolls. For the best results, be sure to find the freshest vegetables and spices.

These spring rolls aren’t just packed with nutrients, but they’re also filling, thanks to the addition of salmon and rice vermicelli.

Have some leftover shrimp, too? These spring rolls are adaptable, so you can use shrimp in place of salmon. 

7. Leftover Dill Salmon Sandwiches

Salmon and dill create a flavorful combination that you will love even in sandwiches!

Add in some lemon, sprouts, avocado, and Greek yogurt, and you’ll be in for a tasty treat.

I suggest making extra sandwiches because you’ll enjoy having these for a light lunch or early afternoon dinner!

8. Salmon Caesar Salad

Spice up your usual Caesar salad by adding leftover salmon into the mix.

Don’t forget the fresh greens, tasty dressing, and crunchy croutons. In 15 minutes, you’ll have a salad with impressive flavors and textures.

Like other recipes, you can use other proteins for this salad. Want to make the dish gluten-free? Simply use gluten-free bread for the croutons.

9. Salmon Soufflé

With flakes of tasty salmon in each bite, this soufflé will be your new favorite brunch.

Serve with crusty French bread or a traditional tomato soup for a complete meal a la Francaise.

10. Salmon Chowder

Chowder is perfect for chilly days. It’s a rich, hearty, and creamy dish that will warm you from head to toe. 

Make your leftover salmon the star of the show, and you won’t just have a heartwarming dish.

It’ll be super healthy too, considering all the nutritional benefits of eating salmon.

11. Salmon Nicoise Salad

Nicoise salad is a French cuisine staple, with roots in the French city of Nice. It’s traditionally made of tomatoes, boiled eggs, olives, anchovies, and olive oil.

Give it a fancy twist by using salmon instead of tuna, plus the oh-so-creamy blue cheese dressing.

Your leftover salmon goes on top of this colorful salad. Add beans and soft-cooked eggs for an amazing texture!

12. Salmon Pasta Salad

One of my favorite summer meals is salmon pasta salad!

This recipe is best served when cold, so you’d better make it ahead of time to allow the flavors to develop.

The result is a honey mustard-flavored pasta mixed with chives, bell pepper, cheese, shallot, and paprika. Add in your leftover salmon to delight your taste buds!

My favorite part of this recipe is putting together all the ingredients. It’s as easy as 1-2-3!

Another awesome thing is you can make adjustments to the salad based on what’s in your garden or fridge.

13. Salmon Quiche

Imagine a crisp pastry case filled with egg, cheese, cream, spinach, and shredded salmon. This quiche is a savory custard that brings a fantastic seafood flavor. 

For this recipe, you’re free to use fresh, canned, or smoked salmon. You’ll know you got the recipe right when the quiche is moist and fluffy with a flaky crust.

Tweak this recipe by using other seafood ingredients like shrimp or crab meat.

14. Salmon Tacos

Believe it or not, salmon actually makes for wonderful tacos!

Fill your tortilla shells with your leftover salmon and a special taco slaw.

Then, top them with fixings like cilantro, mango, pineapple, avocado, sour cream, or whatever your heart desires.

They’re a great way to make the most out of your fish.

15. Salmon Patties

These patties are delicious on their own, or you can make them into a sandwich. They’re the perfect salad toppers, too!

They’re made with leftover seasoned salmon, Greek yogurt, an egg, and breadcrumbs.

If you don’t happen to have cooked salmon on hand, you can use canned salmon as an alternative.

Serve them with a tasty aioli for an extra kick of flavor.

16. Leftover Salmon Burgers

If you’re trying to eat less red meat, salmon burgers are a wonderful alternative to beef.

Form your burgers using leftover cooked salmon, olive oil, seasoning and spices, and lemon juice.

Since the fish is already cooked, you only have to pop them on the grill or in the skillet for a couple of minutes to heat them through.

17. Chopped Salmon Salad

One of my favorite ways to enjoy salmon a second time is to throw it on top of a salad the next day for lunch.

This chopped salad includes the fish, plus romaine lettuce, cucumbers, bell peppers, and red onions.

But you can include any veggies you happen to have on hand.

It’s crisp, refreshing, and you’ll love it!