The Canned Alternative For More Affordable Homemade 'Crab Cakes'

The golden, crispy exterior and tender center of crab cakes make them a dish one could easily enjoy every day — if you're made of money. As much as we love crab cakes, sometimes we also love a budget-friendly alternative that's just as good. For a treat that's delicious with a lower price tag, opt for canned salmon when making "crab" cakes.

Sure, there are canned crab meat options that are around the same price as their seafood counterparts, but honestly, they rarely taste as good as the pricier options. Fortunately, salmon is an underrated ingredient for satiating your crab cake cravings, and there are plenty of canned salmon brands that deliver quality without the high price tag. Plus, the budget-friendly option is great for when you want to cook crab cakes for a crowd, but with a low-cost twist.

Both canned crab and salmon have a similar flaky, tender texture, so the latter can easily take the crustacean's place when making classic crab cakes. Where they do differ slightly, though, is with taste. While they both share a sweet, buttery flavor, salmon leans richer, whereas crab tends to have a mineral aftertaste. If you're the type to dip crab meat in an inordinate amount of butter or add heady spices to your crab boil, you can embrace salmon's full-bodied taste in the seafood cakes. Otherwise, add slightly more salt to balance out the flavor.

Thanks to their similar disposition, canned salmon can take the place of canned crab with all the same flavorings. However, you can also spruce up your crab cake recipes to better fit the fish. Salmon makes a great alternative in a crab cake sandwich with tangy remoulade, and given its luscious taste, it's better equipped to stand alongside bolder ingredients.

The simple toppings of lettuce and tomatoes complement salmon cakes, but the fish definitely won't be overshadowed with the addition of red onions or tangy pickles. Salmon cakes pair well with all the usual side dishes eaten with their crab counterparts, too. You can keep it simple with coleslaw and roasted Brussels sprouts, or complement the salmon cakes' sweetness with corn salad or caramelized sweet potatoes.

The salmon cakes are brimming with flavor, but they wouldn't be complete without a delicious dipping sauce. Lemony tartar sauce perfectly balances salmon's succulent flavor, while remoulade's complexity is a match for the fish's depth. The standard blend of mayo, herbs, and capers is delicious with salmon, but Louisiana-style remoulade's Creole-infused flair gives salmon cakes a more dynamic touch.