40+ Recipes And Ways To Use Leftover Salmon Trimmings

Last Updated on September 6, 2023 by Sabrina Currie

Salmon is a delicious and often expensive fish with many great recipes. But when it comes to cooking salmon, there are often leftover salmon scraps that go to waste. Let's change that! Here are 40+ best recipes and ways to use leftover salmon trimmings. From salmon burgers and cakes to breakfast salmon Benedict and quiche, here are the best recipes for leftover salmon!

Wondering how much salmon you'll need per person? Check out the Guide To How Much Salmon Per Person. For breakfast ideas, here are the top 20 salmon breakfast recipes.

Salmon Burgers, Cakes + Patties

One of the most popular ways to use leftover salmon scraps is by turning them into crispy fried salmon burgers and cakes. Simply chop any salmon trimmings, filets, or steaks into small pieces and mix them with bread crumbs, eggs, fresh dill, and your favorite seasonings. Shape the mixture into patties and cook them on a grill or stovetop until golden brown. Serve the salmon burgers on a bun with homemade lemon dill aioli or tartar sauce for a satisfying and flavorful meal.

Top Tip: To get salmon meat off the bones of a filleted salmon, use a spoon to scrape the red meat off and place it in a bowl. The small bits of salmon are perfect for salmon cakes and burgers.

Alternatively, you can make tasty patties by shaping the mixture into smaller, bite-sized portions and pan-frying the salmon cakes until crispy. Here is my favorite old-fashioned salmon patties recipe that's perfect with a little lemon juice. (Also see what to serve with salmon patties here.)

Salmon Heads + Salmon Belly

Don't let the salmon head and belly go to waste! These parts may not be as commonly used in cooking, but they are packed with flavor and nutrients.

Fish heads make a flavorful fish stock or broth, which can be used as a base for soups, stews, or risottos. They also make great bait for a crayfish or crab trap if you don't want to eat them. Simply pop them into a sealed bag or container and into the freezer until you go fishing.

The salmon belly, with its fatty and tender flesh, is a Japanese delicacy with rich flavor that's wonderful for grilling. Cut it into squares and skewer them with 1 inch pieces of green onions. Baste with a little soy sauce or teriyaki sauce to make yakitori.

Pan-searing fresh salmon belly is delicious too. Try this recipe for tasty and crispy salmon bites! Or season the salmon trimmings with some lemon juice, salt and black pepper before giving a quick sear in a hot pan. Enjoy over rice with a side of cucumber salad or edamame beans.

Salmon belly also makes a delicious filling for sushi rolls or a topping for nigiri (cubes of sticky rice topped with a slice of premium fish).

A Filling For Lettuce Wraps, Spring Rolls + Sandwiches

Another great way to repurpose leftover salmon scraps is by creating salmon mixtures that can be used as a filling for wraps and rolls.

Mix cooked salmon trimmings with some mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and chopped herbs to make salmon salad. Other great ingredients for salmon salad include finely chopped dill, onion, celery or pickles. Salmon salad can be used as a filling for lettuce wraps, sandwiches, or avocado halves for a quick and nutritious snack.

You can use the salmon salad mixture as a topping for crackers or as a filling for sushi rolls for an easy twist.

Salmon spring rolls and dumplings/gyozas are another great way to use salmon trimmings. Mince raw salmon pieces and season with salt and pepper. Add a small amount of minced garlic and ginger along with some chopped green onions. Roll them into wonton wrappers before deep-frying or pan-frying until crispy on the outside and cooked through the inside.

Cooked salmon trim can be used in place of shrimp in this easy, uncooked spring roll recipe. Serve these with the peanut sauce, some sweet chili sauce, teriyaki, or ponzu sauce.

Freezing Leftover Salmon

If you have more leftover salmon than you can use immediately, freezing it is a great way to preserve its freshness and use it later. To freeze leftover salmon, start by wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap or placing it snugly in an airtight container. Remove as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn.

Label the package with the date and contents for easy identification. When you're ready to use the frozen salmon, thaw it in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight and use it in any of these recipes.

It will keep well for up to 3 months if kept sealed in an airtight container. Use thawed salmon pieces within two days for the best taste, texture, and food safety.

Leftover Smoked Salmon

Smoked salmon is a delicacy on its own and any little leftover pieces make a quick tasty snack. You can also use leftover smoked salmon in this creamy salmon pasta or make a savory tart or salmon quiche by combining the leftovers with a few simple ingredients like eggs, cream, and your favorite vegetables and herbs like leeks, green onions, chervil and parsley.

Smoke salmon pieces go great in the salmon salad recipe above as well as in the dips and pates below.

Sheet Pan Meals + Stir Fry

Make a salmon stir-fry with snap peas or snap peas, scallions, and other vegetables. Toss in whatever pieces of salmon you have near the end and top with some teriyaki sauce. Pair it up with rice (last night's leftovers?) and you have a perfect weeknight meal.

Leftover salmon pieces can be a great addition to a sheet pan meal the next day. Place assorted vegetables, like chopped potatoes, bell peppers, and zucchini, on a sheet pan. Toss them with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast them in the oven until tender. (Start longer cooking veg like potatoes and carrots before adding quick cooking zucchini or asparagus halfway through.)

Once the vegetables are almost cooked, add the salmon pieces to the sheet pan and continue roasting until the salmon is cooked through. Usually only about 5 more minutes for small pieces. The result is an easy, economical, and well-balanced main course with minimal cleanup.

Soups + Chowders

Leftover salmon is a star ingredient in a comforting, hearty soup (I love this Finnish salmon soup) or seafood chowder. Creamy and rich salmon bisque and salmon chowder are more favorites and the perfect recipes to use salmon stock in.

For a Thai salmon curry or other curried salmon soup, add your favorite curry paste to the sautéed vegetables and add coconut milk instead of cream at the end.

Serve up the salmon soup with crusty bread for a satisfying meal or serve curried soups with leftover rice.

Pasta

Pasta dishes are a classic way to use leftover salmon scraps and are also great for a dinner party. Use any recipe that calls for a salmon fillet and sub in an equal amount of salmon scraps or add salmon to your favorite veggie pasta dish.

For a creamy sauce recipe, try this easy, 30-minute, pasta alla salmone with lemon, garlic, and capers. Leftover smoked salmon is also great in this delicious recipe.

For a simple yet flavorful option, toss cooked pasta with some olive oil, garlic, and lemon zest. Add the leftover salmon (smoked salmon is great here too), along with some chopped herbs, and toss everything together until well combined.

And if you like a tomato-based sauce, sauté up some onions, garlic, and a handful of fresh tomatoes with salt, pepper, and some chili flakes. Toss in some pitted briny olives if you like and add the salmon at the end, right before tossing with freshly cooked pasta.

Salmon In Salads

For a refreshing and light option, use leftover grilled or canned salmon to make a salmon Caesar salad. Or go more hearty with a Nicoise. Traditionally a tuna salad, swap it for salmon in a classic French Nicoise salad.

Love a chefs salad? Top it with salmon leftovers, either cooked and flaked or grilled, for a protein-packed twist on a classic salad. Leftover bites of salmon make a great addition or variation to a chopped salmon salad, cobb salad, spinach salad or an avocado too.

Salmon Benedict + Quiche - Brunch Classics

Brunch is the perfect occasion to use up your leftover salmon scraps. Salmon benedict, also known as salmon royale, is a luxurious and indulgent dish that combines the richness of poached eggs with the savory flavors of smoked salmon and hollandaise sauce. Simply poach some eggs, toast an English muffin, and assemble the dish by placing a small portion of smoked salmon on each muffin half, followed by a poached egg. Drizzle the hollandaise sauce over the top, sprinkle with fresh dill or chives, and serve.

Another great way to use leftover salmon is by baking it in a quiche. Beat eggs, cream, and favorite vegetables together, then add the salmon. Pour the salmon mixture into a pie crust and bake until golden and set. (Or make it without a crust as a frittata or crustless quiche.) Serve it warm or at room temperature for an elegant brunch option.

Pate, Dips + Spreads

Dips and spreads are always a crowd-pleaser. For a classic salmon dip, try this easy salmon recipe: Combine cream cheese, sour cream or Greek yogurt, lemon juice, and fresh herbs to a bowl. Add flaked leftover cooked salmon and mix everything together until well combined. This creamy dip can be served with crackers, toasted baguette slices, or fresh vegetables.

Leftover lox is so good in this everything bagel and lox spread and if you have odds and ends of hot smoked salmon, try this decadent smoked salmon cheesecake spread.

You can create a creamy pâté by blending leftover cooked salmon or smoked salmon, with cream cheese, lemon juice, a few dashes of hot sauce or horseradish and dill. Season with salt and pepper as needed. This pâté can be served on toasted bread or crackers for a quick and delicious appetizer.

Raw Salmon Recipes

If you have leftover, fresh raw salmon pieces, you can embrace the flavors of sushi, French tartar, Italian crudo or carpaccio. Or what about South American ceviche?

Use your salmon in this Mexican ceviche recipe or in this Chilean salmon ceviche for a real treat. Serve it with tortilla chips to scoop it up.

For salmon sushi (aka sake sushi), thinly slice the raw salmon and arrange it on a platter as sashimi or on small rectangles of rice as nigiri. Alternatively, use cooked or raw salmon pieces as a filling for sushi rolls or temaki hand rolls. Serve them with soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger.

Raw salmon trimmings are a great addition to an easy Japanese Chirashi sushi bowl or a Hawaiian poke bowl. Use them plain for the chirashizushi. For poke, marinate the salmon in soy sauce, brown sugar, green onion and sesame seeds to make the salmon poke mixture and serve it over rice bowls.

Italian style salmon crudo with a bright lemon vinaigrette is a light and fabulous appetizer as is the richer salmon carpaccio with capers, arugula and deeply flavored aioli.

Another option is to make a salmon tartar by finely chopping leftover raw salmon pieces and mixing it with salt, pepper, egg yolk or a bit of mayonnaise, capers and some diced red onion. Serve the tartar on cucumber slices or in crispy wonton cups for a delicate and pretty appetizer.

I hope these 40+ recipes, ideas and ways to use leftover salmon trimmings and scraps has helped you out. My favorites are the yakitori, salmon cakes, smoked salmon dips and all the sushi ideas. Let me know what your favorite is!

More Salmon Recipes

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Cheers and happy cooking, Friends! Sabrina