New England style cod cakes are what happens when you stop settling for restaurant versions packed with filler and make the real thing at home. These are loaded with fresh fish, lightly bound with potato and breadcrumb, and pan fried until golden. A spicy mango salsa on top turns a humble fish cake into something you will want on repeat.
Fresh Cod Cakes with a Sweet Heat Topping
- Big flaky chunks of cod, not a pile of potato and crumbs
- No mayo in the patty, so the fish flavor stays front and center
- Pan fried in butter and olive oil for a crisp golden crust
- Bright mango salsa with a little jalapeno kick
You do not need to live by the coast to pull these off. A good piece of cod, a couple of pantry basics, and a hot skillet are really all it takes. The salsa comes together while the patties chill, so the whole thing feels easy.
Fold the cod in gently at the end so you keep big flakes instead of mashing it into paste.
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Why You’ll Love These Cod Cakes
- The cod tastes clean and fresh because there is no mayo muddying things up
- That golden crust gives way to a soft, savory center flecked with dill
- These New England style cod cakes lean lighter than the fried versions you get out, with the salsa adding a sweet, spicy lift
Ingredient Notes
Here is a quick look at what each part brings to the plate. You will find the exact measurements in the recipe card below, so this is just to help you shop and understand the why behind each one.
- Fresh cod is the star, so buy the best piece you can; about 1¼ pound gives you plenty of fish per cake
- Potatoes, cooked and mashed, hold everything together without taking over
- Bread crumbs add just enough body to shape clean patties
- Eggs bind the mix so the cakes do not fall apart in the pan
- Fresh dill and lemon juice keep the flavor bright and a little herby
- Mangoes, red pepper, and jalapeno make the salsa sweet, fresh, and gently spicy
For equipment you need a nonstick or well seasoned skillet, a parchment lined baking sheet for shaping, and a bowl for mixing the salsa. Nothing fancy required.
How to Make Cod Cakes
Making New England style cod cakes is mostly about cooking the fish first, then folding everything together with a light hand. Here is the flow from start to finish.
- Cook the cod in butter over medium heat, about 4 minutes per side, then flake it and set it aside
- Saute the onion in butter for about 3 minutes until soft, then stir it into the mashed potatoes
- Mix in the bread crumbs, eggs, dill, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, then gently fold in the cod
- Shape the mixture into patties about 3 inches across on a parchment lined sheet
- Fry in butter and olive oil over medium high heat until golden, about 8 minutes total, flipping once
This recipe makes about 4 servings, and it scales up cleanly if you double it; just fry in batches so the pan stays hot. You can shape the patties a few hours ahead and keep them chilled on the sheet until you are ready to cook.
Storage Options
These cod cakes keep well, which makes them handy for lunches later in the week. Cool them fully before storing so they do not steam and go soft.
- Refrigerate cooked cakes in a sealed container for up to 3 days
- Freeze them, wrapped well, for up to 2 months
- Reheat in a skillet or a 375 degree oven to bring back the crisp edges
Variations & Substitutions
Cod is traditional, but these fish cakes welcome plenty of swaps. Use what you can find fresh and adjust the topping to taste.
- Swap the cod for haddock or pollock, both classic New England fish
- Use fresh parsley or chives if you do not have dill on hand
- Skip the jalapeno in the salsa for a milder, kid friendly version
- Serve with tartar or cocktail sauce if you want the more traditional route
What to Serve with Cod Cakes
These New England style cod cakes pair nicely with simple, fresh sides that let the fish shine. Think bright greens and something light to round out the plate.
- A crisp green salad with a lemon vinaigrette
- Roasted potatoes or a simple slaw
- If you want to lean into the coastal theme, set out a batch of these buttery lobster rolls for a seafood spread
- For something briny to start, a pot of spiced curried mussels makes a great opener
Still have a few questions before you start? Here are the ones that come up most often.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best fish for New England style cod cakes?
Fresh cod is the classic choice and gives you those big tender flakes. Haddock or pollock also work well if cod is hard to find.
Can I make the salsa ahead of time?
Yes. The mango salsa actually tastes better after a few hours, so make it the night before and let the flavors meld in the fridge.
Why no mayo in the patty?
There is enough fat from the butter and olive oil used for frying, so the cakes stay moist without it and the fish flavor stays clean.
How do I keep the cakes from falling apart?
Fold the cod in gently, do not overmix, and chill the shaped patties before frying so they firm up.
Once you make these at home, the takeout version is hard to go back to. They are fresh, satisfying, and that mango salsa makes every bite feel a little special. Grab some good cod and give them a try this week.
New England Style Cod Cakes with Spicy Mango Salsa
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Ingredients
- 1¼ pound fresh cod
- 2 potatoes cooked and mashed
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 Tbsp butter
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- 2 eggs
- 2 Tbsp fresh dill chopped
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- fresh ground black pepper to taste
- butter and olive oil for frying
- 2 mangoes
- ½ cup onion diced
- ½ cup red pepper diced
- ½ jalapeno pepper seeded and diced
- 1 Tbsp fresh cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Cook the cod in 1 Tbsp of butter for four minutes on each side over medium heat. Once cooked, remove from heat, flake and set aside.
- Saute onion in 1 Tbsp of butter until translucent, about three minutes or so. Remove from heat and mix together with the potatoes.
- Add the bread crumbs, eggs, dill, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt and black pepper. Stir well to combine. Gently fold in cod.
- Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Scoop up the mixture and form into the desired sized patty. I made mine about 3″ in diameter.
- Heat 1 Tbsp of butter and 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook the patties until golden brown on each side, about eight minutes or so.
- Mix together all salsa ingredients. You can serve this right away or refrigerate it overnight to let the flavors meld.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
A Beautiful Bite indeed! Great pix of your in process steps and the completed recipe looks marvelous. ‘Not traditional New England fare, but by God it should be!” I love that closing statement! Your cod cakes look and sound marvelous. I completely agree with cutting out the mayo and more cod than filler. I can’t wait to try it!!
OMG! These sound amazing, and my husband can eat them, too. That’s a big plus. He can’t eat a lot of different seafood because of gout. He can’t even eat salmon, but for some reason any white fish is just fine. I will be making these the next time there is a sale on cod.
Whatever happened to the “good old days” when you could buy chunks of cod called chowder cod/fish really cheap? I miss those days.
I know! What is with the price of cod??? You’d think it was some type of endangered species. The price is nuts right now!
Oh, Melanie, I am so excited. I was in Market Basket in W. Bridgewater today and they have chowder fish for $2.99/pound. And it was not chunks, but small filets of cod, haddock and flounder. And it was fresh, not pre-frozen. I will be making fish chowder; so excited. Might even save some to make your cod cakes.
So so jealous! Why don’t I ever stumble across deals on fish?? My freezer would be full of it! Enjoy!
Umm! I just might be able to get my husband to eat these! He won’t touch crab cakes or anything with shrimp. Thanks for another great recipe!
Thanks Jane! Oh how I love crab cakes. Matter of fact, I can’t think of any cake I don’t like, lol.
This could be a classy Father’s Day fare. My dad doesn’t take beef but loooooves fish.
And you have lots of fish where you live. I wish we had the variety that you have. I would be so much thinner!
Delicious! And the mango salso sounds like a terrific accompaniament. I have so much difficulty in removing the stone from a mango. Does anyone have any advice?
Oh how I hate getting the pit out of mangoes. I wish I had words of wisdom. Oxo sells a special cutter and I think I’m going to buy it. What a nightmarish fruit to work with, lol. But it tastes so good!
There is a barely visible line running stem to stern on a mango. If you locate it, cut parallel to it and a little to the right. You should be able to run your knife alongside the stone. This will give you an easy to work with piece of mango. Cut three times top to bottom and across this piece of the mango, like you would if cutting a pan of brownies. (Do not cut through the skin.) Holding this piece of mango in both hands push up from the skin side. This should make it easy to just bite off pieces of the mango. Or, put it down on your cutting board and slice under the individual cut pieces to separate them from the skin. Do the same with the other side. This works really well and your mango is already cut up. I figured out this method years ago and have shown many how to do it; so simple. Peel the piece that is left around the center and cut away any mango that is left there. When done, I then run my teeth along the stone to extract all those delicious little tidbits that are usually left behind.
If you could make a youtube video of this, that would be great. Especially the part of you gnawing on the stone. 😉
Hahaha. Very funny. It is very funny to watch me gnaw on the stone; just ask my husband. As for youtube, I wouldn’t know where to start. I guess there is a need out there for people to learn stuff like this. It’s a lost art, like removing cherry pits with a chopstick or separating the yolk from the white of the egg with a clean plastic water bottle.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvLdPjpELyU This chef on youtube kind of does it the way I do. He wastes a lot of mango, though. My way doesn’t waste any. He also does a lot more dices than I do.
I just bought an Oxo mango pitter. I’ll let you know if I like it.