Oh, irresistible bite-size Crispy Baked Salmon Nuggets coated with panko breadcrumbs and baked until golden! No mess & freezer-friendly. Enjoy with tartar sauce or ketchup with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. And perfect for lunch boxes too!
Crispy Baked Salmon Nuggets (Salmon Katsu, 鮭フライ) is a great alternative to my Crispy Baked Chicken (aka Chicken Katsu) if you love seafood. My mom used to make this often growing up but she deep-fried it. With the trend of eating healthier meals and simpler cooking methods, I made the baked version of my mom’s recipe.
Watch How to Make Crispy Baked Salmon Nuggets
Oh, irresistible bite-size Crispy Baked Salmon Nuggets coated with panko breadcrumbs and baked until golden! No mess & freezer-friendly. Enjoy with tartar sauce or ketchup with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. And perfect for lunch boxes too!
I was really surprised how well received the baked chicken katsu recipe was on JOC. Many readers let me know because it doesn’t require deep frying and tastes just as good, both they and their families loved it. This crispy salmon recipe is also baked so there is no mess in the kitchen. After baking, the panko skin stays crunchy and the salmon moist, it tastes almost just like deep-fried.
The salmon is cut into bite sizes piece so they make a great snack for children. Make extra so you can pack in lunch box or freeze for later! Dip crispy salmon bites into homemade tartar sauce or ketchup and enjoy!!
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Crispy Baked Salmon Nuggets
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
- 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp garlic powder (3 clove garlic; minced)
- ½ tsp dried thyme (or any herb of your choice)
- 1 lb skinless salmon fillet (ask a fish monger to skin the salmon fillet for you)
- kosher salt (Diamond Crystal; use half for table salt)
- freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- 1 large egg (50 g w/o shell)
Dipping Sauce:
- Tartar Sauce (homemade)
- ketchup
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients. Skin the salmon fillet.
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). For a convection oven, reduce cooking temperature by 25ºF (15ºC). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine the panko, olive oil, garlic powder, and dried thyme in a frying pan and toast over medium heat until golden brown. Transfer panko into a shallow dish and allow to cool.
- Cut the fillet of salmon into blocks of 2-inch (5 cm) width, then cut diagonally about ½ inch (1.3 cm) slices. Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the salmon.
- In a shallow dish, add flour and in another shallow dish, whisk the egg. Dredge each salmon piece in the flour to coat completely, pat off the excess flour. Then dip into the egg and finally coat with the toasted panko. Press on the panko flakes to make sure they adhere to the salmon.
- Place the salmon pieces on the prepared baking sheet. Bake at 400°F (200°C) until the salmon is just cooked through, about 15-20 minutes (check at 15 minutes). Serve with ketchup or homemade tartar sauce.
To Store
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in a freezer for a month.
