Salmon Cakes that are quick, easy, moist, flavorful, and ready in less than 30 minutes! Whole30, dairy-free, Paleo, grain-free, gluten-free, and low-carb!
There are two ways to cook; bake in the oven for about 25 minutes or in a skillet until golden brown for a few minutes on each side.
My favorite way to enjoy these salmon patties is with fresh lemon juice, tartar sauce, or the dill sauce recipe I have provided in this post.
Last night I made these salmon cakes and could not wait to share this salmon recipe with you all!
The first time you try it, you'll see this easy recipe uses simple ingredients, is an easy weeknight dinner or delicious light lunch, and tastes like a salmon burger.
It's perfect for a gluten-free diet. You can meal prep ahead by chopping the onion and celery, and cooking the salmon.
Ingredients for Paleo Salmon Cakes:
Ingredient List (see recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements):
- one pound of cooked salmon (or 2 cans of wild-caught, wild-caught salmon if available)
- shallots or onions (or dried chives for low fodmap)
- cumin
- celery
- egg (can sub 2 flax eggs)
- garlic (sub-garlic-infused oil for low fodmap)
- gluten-free flour (or almond flour, almond meal, or coconut flour)
- sea salt
- ground black pepper
- oil for sauteeing (Olive oil, avocado oil, or vegetable oil)
- fresh parsley
Ingredients Dill Sauce:
Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
- 1/4 cup sour cream or mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon freshly chopped dill
- 1 minced garlic clove
- A pinch of fresh lemon zest to taste (optional)
- Sea salt to taste
Equipment Needed:
- Large bowl
- Baking pan to cook salmon
- Skillet for sauteeing salmon cakes.
- Sharp knife
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Can opener
How to make the gluten-free salmon cakes (the simple steps):
- Preheat a skillet over medium heat and add a little olive oil or other oil to the pan (2-3 tablespoons).
- Gather and measure all the ingredients. Gently shred the salmon if you are using fresh baked salmon.
- Place all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
How to Form Patties/Cakes:
Next using your hands, form the salmon mixture into salmon patties, as seen in the photo below. Make them as large or small as you like. This is similar to making crab cakes or fish cakes.
If they seem too moist, you can coat them with a little bit of almond flour.
How to Cook Salmon Patties:
Carefully place the salmon cakes in the preheated large skillet on medium to medium-high heat, gently to avoid splashing the oil. Let salmon cakes cook for 2-3 minutes per side. Each side will get golden brown.
Place cooked salmon cakes on a plate lined with paper towels to help absorb the excess oil.
Serving Tips:
Serve your salmon cakes with fresh lemon juice, and tartar sauce, or try the dill sauce recipe I have provided.
Enjoy leftover salmon cakes the next day.
The best kind of salmon for low-carb salmon cakes:
- Use fresh salmon or canned
- At the grocery store look for wild salmon; either wild Atlantic salmon, wild Alaskan salmon, pink salmon, or sockeye salmon.
- Farm-raised salmon will also work.
- This is a great recipe to use leftover salmon.
- Many canned salmon have BPA-free cans.
Tips For Making This Salmon Patty Recipe:
- Keep a few cans of salmon in your pantry for quick meals.
- Save meal prep time by chopping and baking ingredients ahead.
- Storage: the best way to store the salmon cakes in an airtight container.
- Make the salmon cakes ahead and cook later. Wrap the salmon mixture in the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Can be made a day ahead.
- Optional: add a tablespoon of fresh herbs (chopped fine) such as parsley or dill.
- Reheat the salmon cake by placing them on a baking sheet in a 350 degrees F. oven for 10 minutes or until hot.
- For the best flavor, use the freshest ingredients possible.
- Make smaller salmon cakes as an appetizer during the holiday season.
- Mix by hand with a spoon. I do not suggest using a food processor.
- Can you bake salmon cakes? Yes, place the salmon patties on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F. for about 15-20 minutes.
Substitutions:
- Instead of fresh minced garlic, you can use a 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Substitute 1/2 teaspoon (or to taste) onion powder for chopped fresh onions.
- You could use gluten-free breadcrumbs instead of the flour. Use enough so salmon cakes hold together.
- For eggless salmon cakes flax eggs work well with this recipe. To make a flax egg, in a small ball, mix 1 tablespoon ground flax seed with 3 tablespoons water. Let stand for about 5 minutes until the mixture has congealed. Add to the bowl and mix in with the salmon mixture.
What You'll Love About The Best Easy Salmon Cakes:
- A Great Way to Get Omega 3 Fatty Acids into your diet.
- Healthy Salmon Patties
- Quick and Easy Dinner Idea
- Moist and Flavorful
- Economical Meal Idea
- Egg-free and Low Fodmap Options
- In addition to being gluten-free, they are Paleo, grain-free, dairy-free, and low-carb.
Other salmon recipes you might like:
- How To Make Orange Glazed Salmon
- Skillet Salmon with Vegetables
- Simple Smoked Salmon Scramble
- Awesome New England Clam Chowder
Salmon Cakes that are quick, easy, moist, flavorful, and ready in less than 30 minutes! Whole30, dairy-free, Paleo, grain-free and gluten-free, and low-carb!
- 1 pound salmon cooked (or two cans wild salmon)
- 1/4 cup shallots (finely chopped)
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 cup celery (finely chopped)
- 2 large eggs (prefer organic or grass-fed)
- 2 clove medium garlic (minced)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/4 tbsp coconut flour, almond meal or almond flour
- 1/2 cup sour cream or mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoon freshly chopped dill
- 2 garlic clove, minced
- Sea salt to taste
-
Place the canned wild salmon into a medium-sized bowl. Be sure to drain off all the liquid from the can.
-
Mix and break up the salmon pieces with a fork in the bowl. Remove any tiny bones. Once it is mixed well, add the other ingredients. If the mixture seems too moist, add some additional coconut flour, almond meal, almond flour or gluten-free flour. The mixture should stick together so that you can form patties that do not crumble or fall apart.
-
Refrigerate ingredients for about an hour (can be made ahead and refrigerated until you are using).
-
While the salmon cake mixture is in the refrigerator you can make the dill sauce. In a small bowl, add 1/4 cup sour cream or mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon freshly chopped dill, 1 minced garlic clove and about 1/4 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste). Whisk to combine and store covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve the salmon cakes.
-
Take the salmon cake mixure out of the refrigerator. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, form patties with the salmon mixture. This recipe will make exactly four salmon cakes. Note: you may need to add an additional egg if the mixture is crumbly and patties do not hold together.
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Place 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (sub coconut oil) in a saute pan on medium-low heat (stoves vary in temp, medium to medium-low works best on mine). I usually add a little more oil if it gets depleted during cooking.
-
Then place all four salmon cakes in the skillet, cooking for about 3- 4 minutes per side, until brown and crispy on each side.
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Place cooked salmon cakes on a plate with paper towel to drain excess oil.
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Enjoy on top of lettuce, fresh vegetables, Serve with dill sauce or your favorite sauce.
Oven baking option: I have recently discovered cooking in the oven at 350 degrees F. for about 25 minutes works great as well!
Just line a baking pan with parchment paper, form the salmon patties, and place on the baking sheet. Easy!
Note: if the mixture does not come together well enough to make patties (crumbly), you may need to add another egg.
Flax eggs work great in this recipe. Use 2 flax eggs.
For the low fodmap version, use 1/2 teaspoon dried chives to replace shallots and 1/2 teaspoon garlic-infused oil to replace garlic.
The best kind of salmon for low-carb salmon cakes:
- Use fresh salmon or canned
- At the grocery store look for wild salmon; either wild Atlantic salmon, wild Alaskan salmon, pink salmon, or sockeye salmon.
- Farm-raised salmon will also work.
- This is a great recipe to use leftover salmon.
- Many canned salmon have BPA-free cans.
Tips For Making This Salmon Patty Recipe:
- Keep a few cans of salmon in your pantry for quick meals.
- Save meal prep time by chopping and baking ingredients ahead.
- Storage: the best way to store the salmon cakes in an airtight container.
- Make the salmon cakes ahead and cook later. Wrap the salmon mixture in the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Can be made a day ahead.
- Optional: add a tablespoon of fresh herbs (chopped fine) such as parsley or dill.
- Reheat the salmon cake by placing them on a baking sheet in a 350 degrees F. oven for 10 minutes or until hot.
- For the best flavor, use the freshest ingredients possible.
- Make smaller salmon cakes as an appetizer during the holiday season.
- Mix by hand with a spoon. I do not suggest using a food processor.
- Can you bake salmon cakes? Yes, place the salmon patties on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F. for about 15-20 minutes.
Substitutions:
- Instead of fresh minced garlic, you can use a 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Substitute 1/2 teaspoon (or to taste) onion powder for chopped fresh onions.
- You could use gluten-free breadcrumbs instead of the flour. Use enough so salmon cakes hold together.
- For eggless salmon cakes flax eggs work well with this recipe. To make a flax egg, in a small ball, mix 1 tablespoon ground flax seed with 3 tablespoons water. Let stand for about 5 minutes until the mixture has congealed. Add to the bowl and mix in with the salmon mixture.
TD says
Tasty dish and gluten free too!
Christine says
Thanks! Yes, one of my favorites too!
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
its so hard to find good gluten free recipes, thanks for sharing this recipe.. definitely will be recreating these salmon cakes in my kitchen!