15 Delicious Ways to Transform Leftover Salmon Into New Dishes

1. Salmon with Sweet Corn and Tomato Salad

Salmon makes for a hearty main dish, so when you have leftovers, simply reheat it with a couple of side dishes. Warm your salmon in the oven for a few minutes to ensure it stays moist. This gives you roughly 10 minutes to whip up this quick corn and tomato salad, though it's simple enough that you'll have extra time to spare. Serve the salad as a side or on top of the salmon for a fast and nutritious meal full of protein and fiber.

2. Chile-Lime Salmon Patties with Arugula Salad

Got leftover salmon from yesterday? Try recipes that call for canned salmon, like these savory salmon cakes. They might remind you of crab cakes, but salmon is packed with more omega-3 fatty acids than crab and is often more budget-friendly. The addition of chile-garlic sauce gives these cakes a perfect kick, and the creamy mayo-lime sauce serves as a fantastic counterpart to the fish, almost like a tartar sauce alternative.

3. Smoked Salmon Flatbread

If you’ve smoked your own salmon, there are endless ways to enjoy the smoky leftovers. For breakfast, try it on a bagel, but for a quick lunch or dinner, top some naan flatbreads with the smoked salmon. Spread a generous layer of cream cheese on each flatbread, and then add your favorite toppings like arugula and red onion. This dish takes just 10 minutes to prepare and cook, making it an ideal choice for a fast weeknight meal. 

4. Salmon Burgers with Pesto Cream Sauce

These salmon burgers are a breeze to make in just 20 minutes with canned salmon, but leftover cooked salmon works perfectly too. Combine the salmon with egg, panko bread crumbs, mayonnaise, and seasonings to form patties. Fry them in a greased pan for a few minutes on each side. While the burgers cook, whip up a creamy pesto-mayo sauce to spread on your buns. Once assembled, pair with roasted potatoes for a quick, delicious meal that you'll want to make again and again.

5. Salmon Tacos with Grapefruit Salsa

While traditionally made with cod or other mild white fish, fish tacos are a flavorful, easy-to-make dish. You can easily swap in salmon for a unique twist. In this dish, the salmon gets a crispy crust from cooking in a hot cast-iron skillet. To bring it back to life, heat your leftover salmon in a pan with a bit of oil to crisp it up. Then, make a quick grapefruit salsa and assemble your tacos.

6. Sheet Pan Salmon with Roasted Potatoes and Broccolini

If cooking feels overwhelming on busy weeknights, sheet pan meals are here to save the day. This one combines salmon, potatoes, and broccoli into a simple yet balanced meal. Rather than starting with raw salmon, roast the vegetables first, and then add in your leftover salmon for the final few minutes of cooking. This method works best when you use salmon that has been baked or roasted earlier.

7. Salmon Patties with Oatmeal

Recipes for veggie patties often include grains like brown rice or quinoa to provide structure and fiber. However, oatmeal works just as well—it’s not just for breakfast. Oatmeal helps these salmon patties hold their shape, while eggs act as a binder and seasonings add flavor. These patties are simple to make—just blend everything in a food processor—and they can be used in burgers, sandwiches, salads, or bowls as a quick protein source.

8. Curried Coconut Salmon Soup

This soup is easy to adapt with pre-cooked salmon. After the broth and vegetables have simmered for about 25 minutes, add in the cooked salmon chunks. Stir in the final ingredients, and once the salmon is heated through, it’s ready to enjoy. 

9. Harissa Salmon and Potatoes

Dinner doesn’t have to be complicated—just seasoned salmon, roasted potatoes, and a fresh bed of greens make for a satisfying meal. The magic lies in the seasoning. This salmon is coated with harissa chili paste, giving it a bold, spicy flavor. If you've meal-prepped plain salmon earlier, you can still apply the harissa mixture to the reheated filets. Serve with roasted potatoes and a vibrant arugula salad for a quick, delicious dinner.

10. Smoky Sheet Pan Salmon and Potatoes

For an easy twist on sheet pan recipes, swap fresh salmon with leftover salmon. Give the pre-cooked fish new life by adding smoky paprika, and once the zesty potatoes are nearly done, place the leftover salmon on the baking sheet to warm up. Let it heat for a few minutes, then serve with a garnish of fresh orange slices.

11. Sweet Chili Salmon Salad

Since salmon salad requires cooked salmon, repurpose your leftovers for a quick and easy meal. Reheat the salmon in the oven if you prefer, or simply prepare the arugula base, whip up a fast sweet chili sauce dressing, and top it all off with your favorite ingredients.

12. Glazed Salmon Burgers

In certain recipes, cooked salmon can be substituted for raw salmon. While these burgers typically require fresh salmon, don't worry—canned or leftover salmon works as well. Just add it to the food processor with ingredients like scallions, garlic, and mayonnaise. Shape the mixture into patties and grill for a few minutes on each side.

13. Sun-Dried Tomato Butter Salmon with Broccolini

Cooking with broccolini instead of regular broccoli adds an extra dimension to the dish, and this recipe showcases that beautifully. It’s a simple yet flavorful salmon and vegetable dinner, with the twist being the sun-dried tomato butter coating the salmon. Even if your salmon is already cooked, you can spread the mixture on top while it reheats in the oven.

14. Ginger and Honey-Soy Salmon en Papillote

This recipe follows a classic French technique called 'en papillote,' where you create a pouch from parchment paper, fill it with your choice of ingredients (often fish), and bake it as a whole. If your salmon is ready, you can still cook your vegetables in this style. Simply place the vegetable pouches on a baking sheet and bake for about 12-15 minutes. About halfway through, add your leftover salmon to the sheet so everything finishes at the same time.

15. Broiled Salmon on Rice with Broccoli

In just 20 minutes, you can have this salmon dinner ready. For an even quicker option, use pre-cooked salmon from your fridge. Though the salmon may already be cooked, a brush of the glaze will still bring that savory soy sauce flavor. Prepare your choice of rice, or even better, heat up some frozen rice in the microwave. To make the dish complete, toss fresh broccoli florets into the hot rice, letting the steam from the rice gently warm them up.