Deep Fried Walleye Cakes

By Lunds & Byerlys

August 19, 2024

Can something taste fresh and fried at the same time? Yes. It’s called Deep Fried Walleye Cakes. This recipe has all the notes of a traditional crab cake but it’s made with L&B’s own Minnesota Wild Rice Walleye Cakes, making the recipe both incredibly tasty and superbly quick and easy to whip up.


The grab-and-go style L&B Minnesota Wild Rice Walleye Cakes have tons of built-in flavor, featuring Minnesota grown wild rice, green onion, garlic, parsley and panko breadcrumbs tossed in a creamy Meyer lemon-white wine and Dijon mustard-mayonnaise dressing. We fry them in a Dutch oven filled with ½ inch of vegetable oil until they’re golden brown. They’re the perfect complement to the creamy, herby, zesty tartar sauce, which is what gives this dish its clean and fresh kick (despite the major State Fair fried vibes). Keep in mind that you will have to chill the tartar sauce for about 2 hours in the fridge before serving, but we consider that built-in chill time for the cook, too 😉

SERVINGS

6

PREP TIME

20 min

+ 2 hr chill time

COOK TIME

10 min

Ingredients

For the tartar sauce:

  • 1
    cup mayonnaise
  • 1
    tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1
    teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1
    garlic clove, grated
  • 3
    tablespoons finely chopped chives, divided
  • 3
    tablespoons finely chopped parsley, divided
  • 2
    tablespoons finely chopped dill, divided
  • 1
    small shallot, finely chopped
  • 2
    tablespoons finely chopped capers
  • 2
    tablespoons finely chopped pickles
  • 1
    teaspoon whole grain mustard
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the walleye cakes:

  • Vegetable oil, for frying
  • 6
    L&B Minnesota Wild Rice Walleye Cakes
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • Lemon wedges, for serving
  • Rough chopped parsley, for garnish

Directions

  1. 1

    To make the tartar sauce: In a small food processor or bowl paired with an immersion blender, combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, Dijon, garlic, and half of the parsley, chives, and dill. Blend until smooth and light green, 1 minute.

  2. 2

    Transfer the sauce to a bowl and stir in the remaining herbs, shallot, capers, pickles, and whole grain mustard. Season with salt and black pepper.

  3. 3

    Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours and up to overnight.

  4. 4

    To fry the walleye cakes: Fit a Dutch oven or heavy-bottom pot with a candy thermometer and fill the pot with ½ inch of vegetable oil. Heat the oil over medium-high heat to 325 F. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain this temperature throughout the frying process.

  5. 5

    Place the walleye cakes in the hot oil and fry, flipping halfway through, until golden brown and the internal temperature registers 165 F on an instant-read thermometer, 3 to 5 minutes total.

  6. 6

    Using a slotted spoon, transfer the walleye cakes to a paper towel-lined plate.

  7. 7

    Serve the walleye cakes warm with tartar sauce, lemon wedges, and a garnish of chopped parsley.

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