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If you enjoy crab cakes at restaurants and you’re looking for a similar appetizer idea, you’ll love these easy salmon cakes made in one bowl. The salmon patties use simple wholesome ingredients like eggs, almond flour and spices – perfect as an appetizer or topping a salad.
Ingredients & substitutions
- Salmon: Use fresh uncooked salmon and opt for wild-caught if possible. If the salmon comes with skin on, I recommend removing them for best texture.
- Eggs: Not pictured (because I forgot to show!) but the eggs are crucial in this recipe to help bind the ingredients together and add moisture.
- Almond flour: You can use any flour you’d like to help add texture to the salmon cakes. Almond flour makes these gluten-free, but it works well with other types of gluten-free flour and all-purpose flour.
- Corn starch: It helps to hold the salmon cakes together and create great texture.
- Dijon mustard: This adds a touch of creaminess instead of using mayonnaise and it adds so much flavor.
- Seasonings: Shallots, garlic, lemon juice, paprika, cumin and salt. This flavor combination is perfect with salmon, but these are all optional and substitutable.
How to make salmon cakes
- Place the eggs, dijon mustard, aromatics and seasonings in a large bowl.
- Whisk to combine until the eggs are blended in.
- Add the cubed salmon, half of the almond flour and corn starch.
- Mix everything together until well combined.
- Next, you can divide the mixture into four portions, roll each portion in the remaining almond flour and coat.
- Cook the salmon until golden brown on both sides and then you can serve them with your favorite dipping sauce (I include one of my favorite seafood dipping sauces below!)
Tips for making the recipe
- Cut the salmon into small cubes. The smaller you cut the salmon, the easier it will be to bind the patties together. It may feel loose while combining, but it will hold well together when cooked.
- Add breadcrumbs for more crisp salmon cakes. To keep the recipe gluten free, I decided to only use almond flour, however you can substitute up to half the amount of the almond flour for any type of breadcrumbs.
- Try it with canned salmon. While I love the taste of using fresh salmon for this recipe, you can make it more budget friendly and easy by using canned salmon. It will also help it bind more easily.
- Assemble close to the frying pan. Because I’m using gluten-free flour and the salmon is cubed, the cakes don’t have a very solid structure before cooking. So handle carefully and work right by your pan so you can transfer the cakes from your hands to the pan immediately.
- Bake them in the oven instead. The salmon cakes are wonderful baked in the oven. Bake them uncovered at 400˚F on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for 15-20 minutes depending on how thick they are. It helps to brush some oil on top though if you’re baking them.
Frequently Asked Questions
These fresh salmon cakes can be served as an appetizer on some fresh salad leaves and my delicious creamy lemon dipping sauce, or, you can serve them up as a main with some potato or veggie sides. Try them with:
Homemade French Fries
Low Carb Potato Salad
Green Beans with Almonds
Broccoli Mac and Cheese
These fish cakes are best prepared, cooked and served straight away. If you do have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge and they will keep well for up to 3 days. They can be reheated gently on the stovetop or in the oven to heat through before serving.
Yes! You can freeze your salmon patties either before or after cooking. Separate the cakes with parchment and place in a freezer safe container. They will keep for up to 3 months.
If you are freezing uncooked patties, thaw them in the fridge overnight before cooking as per the recipe. If freezing cooked cakes you can cook them right from frozen in the oven at 400F for around 10 minutes.
Try these restaurant style salmon cakes made at home using a few simple ingredients and minimal prep time. They are crisp on the outside with a tender flakey center and an irresistible flavor! I hope you love them as much as we do.
More salmon recipes:
- Air Fried Salmon
- Cilantro Baked Salmon
- Salmon Burgers
- Panko Crusted Salmon
- Sheet Pan Lemon Garlic Salmon
- Garlic Cilantro Oven Baked Salmon
- Honey Lemon Salmon
- Grilled Citrus Salmon
- Pan Seared Salmon
- Blackened Salmon
If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feel good Salmon Cakes recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!
Salmon Cakes
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound salmon fillets skin removed and finely chopped
- 2 large eggs
- 1 shallot minced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 cup almond flour divided
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Olive oil for cooking
Dipping sauce:
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon dried dill
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a small dish, combine all the ingredients for the dipping sauce. Cover and set aside in the fridge until ready to serve.
Salmon cakes:
- In a bowl, combine eggs, shallot, garlic, lemon zest, mustard, cumin, paprika and salt. Whisk until well combined.
- Add ½ cup almond flour, corn starch and the cubed salmon pieces and stir until thick and everything is distributed evenly.
- Place the remaining almond flour in an even layer on a small plate.
- Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pan over medium heat.
- Scoop ¼ cup of salmon mixture and form into round patties, about ½ – ¾” thick. Coat each side of the patties in a thin layer of almond flour. Makes 4-6 patties.
- Cook the salmon patties in the oil, 3-4 at a time until golden brown on both sides, about 2-3 minutes per side.
- Remove the patties from the pan and drain on a paper towel. Cook the remaining salmon patties, adding more oil as needed.
- Serve warm with dipping sauce.
Equipment
Notes
- Instead of fresh salmon, you can make these with canned salmon.
- Instead of almond flour, you can use all-purpose flour.
- Instead of dijon mustard, you can use mayonnaise or just skip it.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Hi, wanna try these but baking them instead of frying. At what temp and for how long you suggest I bake them? Thank you!
The salmon cakes are wonderful baked in the oven. Bake them uncovered at 400˚F on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for 15-20 minutes depending on how thick they are. It helps to brush some oil on top though if you’re baking them.
These were so yummy.
That makes me so happy to hear!