Salmon Cakes

Easy and delicious salmon cakes are keto, paleo, and gluten-free. As long as you have canned salmon and eggs, you can whip them up anytime!

I make these gluten-free, paleo and keto salmon cakes about once a week. They are very easy to make, they taste great, and I always have the ingredients on hand.

The ingredients you’ll need

The only ingredients you must have are canned salmon and eggs. The rest of the ingredients are very flexible. These are the basic ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe (exact measurements are in the recipe card below):

1. Canned salmon – use boneless skinless salmon, and drain it very well
2. Large eggs
3. Lemon juice
4. Minced garlic
5. Diced onion
6. Chopped parsley
7. Dijon mustard
8. Kosher salt and black pepper
9. Dried thyme
10. Olive oil for frying

How to make salmon cakes

It’s a truly easy recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:

1. Mix together drained canned salmon with eggs and various spices.
2. Drop mounds of the mixture into hot olive oil.
3. Fry until golden.

How to serve salmon cakes

They make a quick, easy meatless entree. I serve them for dinner with a dollop of homemade tartar sauce, keeping the sides very simple.

I like to serve them with caprese salad, with microwave cauliflower drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice, or with broiled tomatoes.

Is this a healthy recipe?

I believe it is. I used to think that fresh salmon was superior to canned. And I do love it – this broiled salmon is wonderful, for example.

But an article by Consumer Reports convinced me that canned salmon is actually very healthy.

I do recommend avoiding BPA in the cans, though, if at all possible.

Reviews of this salmon cakes recipe

I love finding reviews of my recipes on Pinterest! The good reviews make me happy, of course. And the not so good reviews make me aware of issues in my recipes and enable me to improve them.

Pinterest reviewers seem to like this recipe. Here’s a link to their gorgeous photos. And here’s what they say:

• Really nice and super simple.
• Excellent recipe! I fried mine in butter in a cast-iron skillet so they came out browned beautifully. Tasted out of this world!
• I cook these like once a week now!
• This is a great recipe! It’s a keeper and so quick and easy. Just serve with a simple coleslaw and voila! dinner is served!
• This is now a go-to meal in our house.

Should I add flour or breadcrumbs?

No. There’s no need for flour or breadcrumbs. There are only one or two Pinterest commenters that say their salmon cakes didn’t hold together. I’m not sure why.

In my experience, you don’t need a binder (such as flour or breadcrumbs or even almond flour) to hold these cakes together.

So why did they fall apart for a couple of people? Could be that the salmon was not drained or flaked well, maybe the eggs were too small, or perhaps the ingredients weren’t thoroughly mixed together.

What to do with leftover salmon cakes?

You can keep leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days.

Reheat them gently in the microwave on 50% power, or enjoy them cold straight out of the fridge.

I like them with Dijon mustard. In fact, I often make extra just to ensure I have some leftovers for the next day’s lunch!

More tasty seafood recipes

A similar recipe that I really like is this easy recipe for tuna cakes.

And these salmon muffins are delightful little quiches that are also very easy to make and keep well for several days. 

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4.96 from 268 votes

Salmon Cakes

Delicious salmon cakes make a healthy, easy weekday dinner. Leftovers are perfect for lunch the next day, and you don’t even need to heat them up!

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time25 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: salmon

Servings: 3 servings

Calories: 367kcal

Author: Vered DeLeeuw

INGREDIENTS

• 2 (7.5 oz cans) wild salmon, skinless and boneless, well-drained and well-flaked
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/2 medium onion, finely diced
• 1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon olive oil for frying

INSTRUCTIONS

• Drain the salmon thoroughly. Flake it well with a fork, into tiny pieces.
• In a large bowl, combine the salmon, eggs, lemon juice, garlic, onion, parsley, mustard, salt, black pepper, and thyme.
• Mix well, making sure the mixture is smooth and uniform. You don't want large pieces of salmon in there.
• Brush the olive oil over a double-burner nonstick griddle (or two large nonstick skillets). Heat over medium-high heat, about 3 minutes.
• Using a 1/4-cup measuring cup per cake, transfer the salmon cakes to the griddle. Gently flatten.
• Cook until well-browned and crispy, about 3 minutes on each side, lowering heat to medium if griddle becomes too hot. Serve immediately.

NUTRITION INFO Nutrition info is approximate and may contain errors. It is calculated using the SparkPeople.com recipe calculator, and the carb count excludes sugar alcohols. Please feel free to make your own calculations. Please read the disclaimers in our Terms of Use carefully before using any of our recipes. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Please verify they are before using.

Nutrition Facts

Salmon Cakes

Amount Per Serving (3 salmon cakes)

Calories 367 Calories from Fat 216

% Daily Value*

Fat 24g37%

Saturated Fat 5g31%

Sodium 912mg40%

Carbohydrates 5g2%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 0.2g0%

Protein 35.4g71%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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