Name: Crispy Salmon Hash
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 3 Servings
Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients: 1 15-oz can salmon; 3 tablespoons bacon grease; Salt & pepper to taste; 2 tablespoons hot sauce

Home » Seafood & Fish » Crispy Salmon Hash

An old-school Southern method of preparing canned salmon by pan-frying in bacon drippings until crispy to serve over rice or grits.

Author: Mandy Rivers | Published: 10/28/26

Lord, I about started a frenzy on the FB page when I shared a picture of this and asked if any really country Southern people knew what it was.

Most didn't know what it was but I was pleasantly surprised by how many people were interested and asked about the recipe! Those who were not interested were mostly polite but a few were ready to quit with me altogether - ha!!

One woman told me, "That looks absolutely nothing like Salmon patties which is what we cook in the south." Umm... what? Well, it's NOT salmon patties (obviously) and well, I think at this point, I can consider myself knowledgeable about things eaten in the South. Thankyouverymuch.

An old-school Southern method of preparing canned salmon by pan-frying in bacon drippings until crispy to serve over rice or grits.

I really wasn't surprised that this wasn't well known. Through the years I've learned that even Southern recipes are regional. Since I'm a SC girl, I'm more familiar with ours but I'm learning about others too. I thought the whole South ate catfish stew and onion sausage but now know those are SC things.

I'd never heard of BBQ boiled potatoes until I was in eastern NC and now I love them! I thought custard-based macaroni and cheese (made with eggs, not a flour roux) was universal through the South but it isn't. Same for boiled peanuts - not all Southerners eat those either.

The moral of the story is... we all do things a little differently and have so much to share with each other! I love trying new food and learning new ways to make old favorites! You won't see me looking down my nose at anybody else's plate!

I struggled with giving this a name because, to my knowledge, it doesn't actually have a name. We just invoke the name of whatever we're serving it over and everybody knows what it is.

We'd say "salmon and rice" or "salmon and grits" and, if you're familiar with it, you'd know it was salmon cooked this way.

Actually - and here's a testament to the extent of my countryness - we'd add an unnecessary "s" to the end of salmon and say "sammins and rice" or "sammins and grits". Why?? I have no idea.

I made this for myself so much when I was pregnant with Baby Girl I had to ask to doctor if it was safe (back then canned tuna was a big no-no so I had to check if that applied to salmon too).

Not only did she come out alright, she's BY FAR, the smartest one out of all of us and I've often wondered if all the omega-3 fatty acids gave her some sort of super brain.

If so, it was worth all grumbling I listened to from people protesting the smell of me cooking it! I will warn you, though, open up a window and crank on the exhaust fan because it does smell fishy when you cook it!

HOW TO SERVE CRISPY SALMON HASH

White Rice - Serve over plain white rice with a side of fresh sliced tomatoes or stewed tomato gravy. We'd often drizzle a little bacon grease over the rice before spooning on the fish.

Grits - This is absolutely delicious over a bowl of hot buttered grits. It can be served alone or with a side of eggs and bacon (country ham or sausage).

Tomatoes & Rice (pictured) - This is often served over southern-style tomatoes & rice. The acidic tomatoes are perfect with the fish! Serve with a side of fatback if you have it!

6 TIPS & NOTES

Hot sauce is a must! It adds moisture back to the fish and the acid in the hot sauce plays well with it too (cuts any fishy taste and tamps down some of the cooking smell). Plus it's the customary way to serve it.
If you're dead-set against hot sauce then don't cook the fish quite as long (to keep some moisture) and/or drizzle it with a little lemon juice, worcestershire or a nip of pepper vinegar.
I always pick the bones and skin from the salmon but my elders never did (great sources of calcium and protein!).
If you can catch it on sale or don't mind spending an extra few bucks, red salmon is much better than pink. It's more richer and has a milder flavor.
Drain the salmon very well to prevent excessive fishy smell when cooking. I usually break the salmon into pieces (where it naturally falls apart around the skin and bones) then place on paper towels a few minutes.
Though I've never done it myself, my grandmama would sometimes pour in a little black coffee to deglaze the pan at the end (sort of like redeye gravy).

MORE REALY COUNTRY RECIPES

Neck Bones & Rice - A rustic Southern recipe with rice cooked in a rich stock made from slowly simmered pork neck bones seasoned simple with onion, salt and pepper.

Ham Dumplings - An old-fashioned recipe with rolled dumplings (or "slicks") cooked in a rich broth made using a leftover ham bone or ham hocks.

Greasy Rice - A classic Southern rice recipe made with the pan juices and rendered drippings from baked ham or slow cooked chicken or pork.

Stewed Potatoes - An old-school recipe for potatoes cooked down with bacon drippings and onions into a hearty, rustic recipe that can be eaten as a meal or on the side.

Hoppin' John Rice - A one-pot rice dish cooked with black-eyed peas and smoked sausage, seasoned with peppers, onions and spices perfect for New Year's Day or a simple homemade Southern meal.

Recipe for Snowball Cookies