Crispy Salmon Bites

Crispy Salmon Bites are an excellent dinner recipe or a fun appetizer as well. Ready to eat in just minutes, with simple and flavorful ingredients. Perfect for a party or a tasty night at home.

It's fun to make, and then enjoy eating with chopsticks. I feel this way as an adult, and the kids do, too. I typically reserve my chopstick-eating skills for sushi, but these simple salmon bites are too perfect to pass up. In fact, they're not only delicious to eat, but they're fun to eat as well.

Since these are lower in carbohydrates and high in protein, they're a great addition to a meal or fun to pair with a dipping sauce for people to snack on until dinner is ready to enjoy. I literally usually double the recipe - because they're gobbled up just that fast.

Speaking of other delicious salmon recipes, be sure to try out my Traeger Smoked Salmon for a great smokey flavor and taste. And this Salmon Ball is another great appetizer.

Ingredients

Smoked salmon - You can buy already smoked at the store or make your own Traeger Salmon. If you have leftover cooked salmon you could use that and add a dash of liquid smoke to mimic the smoky flavor.

White rice - Use already cooked rice so that it's soft. Any variety of rice is fine such as long-grain white rice, short white rice, basmati rice, or jasmine rice. If you prefer to use brown rice that would also work.

Garlic - Minced garlic or garlic powder work great. 

Salt - For flavor. If you are planning to dip the crispy salmon bites in teriyaki sauce you can use less salt than if you are going to eat them plain.

Egg - Acts as the binding agent to hold the ingredients together.

Panko - Covers the outside of the salmon balls with a crispy texture. 

Oil - For frying. 

How to Make Crispy Salmon Bites

Step One: Combine the first five ingredients and roll them into 8 balls.

Break up the salmon into bite-size pieces before stirring everything together.

Stir with a spoon or use clean hands to mix everything together well.

Step Two: Roll the balls in the panko crumbs. 

Step Three: Heat the oil in a skillet on medium heat.

Step Four: Add the rolled balls to the pan and cook.

Turn them frequently until they are hot all the way through and all the sides are browned.

Step Five: Serve with dipping sauce. (Choose a dipping sauce of your choice. There are so many options that you can have each bite taste differently depending on what you dip it into.) 

Variations

Add more flavors - Add some black pepper or some lemon juice to change the taste. Just add to the ingredients and mix in well. Paprika is another great seasoning that can change the taste, too.

Add some heat - Sriracha sauce is great for sauce or to mix in a bit and cook. Cayenne pepper is another good option.

Change up the dipping sauce - Teriyaki sauce is popular, but you can also just serve them with soy sauce or low-sodium soy sauce as well.

Oven method - Put the salmon nuggets on a baking sheet and bake at 400 for about 10-15 minutes or until they are hot. They won't be as crispy but will still be delicious.

Gluten-free - Sub in crushed pork rinds or gluten-free bread crumbs for the panko.

Use another type of smoked fish - The Smoked Tuna recipe we have is also great for appetizer bites.

Common Questions

How do I store these salmon nuggets once they're cooked?

The best way to store leftovers is to let them cool down all the way and then place them in an airtight container and store them in the fridge. They're great the next day to reheat and eat.

These are best when eaten fresh, but you can easily have them stored for the next day. For the best flavor and results, I would eat within 1 day of making them. This is to keep the panko crisp and delicious and not become soggy from the interior ingredients.

How do I reheat crispy salmon bites?

While you can reheat them in the microwave easily, they're not going to have that same crunch as before. You can always add a bit more olive oil to a large skillet and reheat over medium-high heat, but you do have to be really careful with this so that you don't have excess oil or burn them.

The best option, in my mind, is to use the air fryer. Place them in the air fryer basket in a single layer, and let the high heat of the air-frying crisp them back up. It shouldn't take long at all, and you'll have crispy air fryer salmon bites to enjoy as leftovers.

What foods are good side dishes to pair with this recipe?

Whatever you would pair with salmon fillets would pair well with this simple salmon recipe. A simple salad or side salad is a great option.

You can also serve these bites in different ways, too. While I enjoy eating them with chopsticks and dipping them in a sauce, you can also add them to tacos and serve them that way as well.

The fun thing about these salmon bites is that there is not just one way to eat them. Pairing them with side dishes makes them the star of dinner, but you can also add them to other main entrees to enhance the flavor, too.

If you are looking to create a delicious spread of seafood appetizers, these bites are perfect. In addition to these, serve Bacon Wrapped Salmon, Butter Poached Shrimp, and Cast Iron Scallops. Your guests will love them all.