These easy Paleo Salmon Cakes are loaded with flavor and can be pan-fried or baked in the oven. You can freeze the salmon cakes before or after cooking!
Paleo Salmon Cakes
Salmon Cakes are somewhat of a comfort food to me. Growing up, at least one lunch a week was either a salmon cake or a fish cake. Where we lived, this was commonplace and also something that my grandmother loved to eat for lunch and to feed to us.
While the childhood salmon cakes I remember were indeed made with canned salmon, that is probably where the similarities to my version end. These paleo salmon cakes take everything you love about this classic comfort food and turn it into a healthy dish you can enjoy guilt-free.
The salmon is mixed with sweet potato, plenty of herbs and spices, and even some hot sauce for a nice little kick, all pan-fried in coconut oil or Ghee to still give you that amazing crunchy exterior that we all love about traditional salmon cakes.
Salmon Cakes Ingredients
My Paleo Salmon Cakes do indeed use canned, wild salmon instead of fresh salmon, but have fresh herbs, spices, some sweet potato, eggs and a bit of almond flour to hold them together. They are cooked on the stovetop so that they have a nice crispy crust and in only enough fat to keep the insides nice and moist.
Here’s the full list of everything you’ll need:Â
- Cooked sweet potato
- Almond meal
- Chopped parsley
- Chopped onion
- Lemon juice
- Hot sauce
- Kosher salt
- Ground cumin
- Paprika
- Black pepper
- Eggs
- canned or cooked Wild Alaskan Salmon
- Organic coconut oil or ghee for cooking
How To Prepare Paleo Salmon Cakes
I like to call these weeknight salmon cakes because they don’t take much time and you can make them in advance. Additionally, you can make a double (or even triple!) batch and freeze a bunch of servings (uncooked) for later. Which is always a bonus when you are busy!
Wash sweet potato and use a fork to poke several fork-holes in it and microwave until soft. Let cool for a few minutes, remove potato flesh from skin and mash with a fork until the lumps are mostly gone. Toss into a large mixing bowl.
Add the rest of the ingredients except salmon and cooking fat. Open the cans of wild salmon and drain most of the liquid out. Separate the salmon from the bones and skin. Using your hands, crush the canned salmon through your fingers into the mixing bowl. Stir until well combined.
Line a baking sheet or large plate with parchment paper.
Use a 1/3 measuring cup, scoop out evenly sized salmon cakes. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes
Recipe Tips
- I like to buy the canned wild salmon in water with the skin and the bones. The only reason is cost. It is about $2.99 a 14.75-ounce can vs. $3 something for a MUCH smaller can without the skin and the bones. I like to remove the skin and bones but a lot of people don’t even bother and just crush it up along with the salmon. Alternately, if it’s too gross to deal with or you don’t care about the additional cost, just buy the skinless, boneless.Â
- I have tested this recipe with both almond meal (ground up raw almonds with their skins) as well as tried it with almond flour (ground blanched skinless almonds that is finer and more powder-like). I prefer the texture of the almond meal. If you don’t have it (Trader Joe’s sells it for about $4 per pound), just process some almonds in the food processor until they are almost powdery and like a meal but before the fat releases and it becomes almond butter. Or just use the Almond Flour or any other Flour (except Coconut) that you have.
- I have also made these with smoked paprika and they are awesome.
Check Out More Salmon Recipes
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!
These easy Paleo Salmon Cakes are loaded with flavor and can be pan-fried or baked in the oven. You can freeze the salmon cakes before or after cooking!
- 1 large sweet potato about 10-ounces, cooked and mashed
- 2/3 cup almond meal
- 1/3 cup finely chopped parsley, packed
- 2 Tablespoons finely chopped onion
- 1 Tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon hot sauce I like Frank's Red Hot for this recipe
- 1/2 Tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1.25 teaspoon paprika sweet OR smoked
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 2 14.75 ounce cans Wild Alaskan Salmon See NOTES about bones and skin
- 2 Tablespoons organic coconut oil or ghee for cooking divided
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Wash sweet potato and use a fork to poke several fork-holes in it. Wrap in a paper towel, place on a microwave safe plate and microwave until soft. My microwave has a "potato" setting. I think it's about 8 to 9 minutes long but check every couple minutes so you don't overcook it.
If you prefer not to use the microwave, you can cook the potato in advance in the oven or pressure cooker and keep it in the fridge (mashed and ready) for a couple of days.
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Let cool for a few minutes, remove potato flesh from skin and mash with a fork until the lumps are mostly gone. Toss into a large mixing bowl.
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Add almond meal, chopped parsley, onion, lemon juice, hot sauce, salt, cumin, paprika, black pepper and eggs (Be sure not to put eggs directly on hot potato flesh or they can begin to cook!).
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Open the cans of wild salmon and drain most of the liquid out. I used Trader Joe's canned Wild Pink Alaskan Salmon that still has the skin and bones.
Take the canned salmon into your hand and look for the "split" where 2 or more pieces of salmon are pushed together into the can. This is the natural place to separate the salmon and where you will most likely find the majority of skin and bones. Use your hands to gently scrape the skin and bones off (or mix them right in!.
Separate the salmon again if there are more "splits" and do the same thing. Finally, using your hands, crush the canned salmon through your fingers into the mixing bowl.
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Stir until well combined. Line a baking sheet or large plate (that will fit in your fridge) with parchment paper.
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Use a 1/3 measuring cup, scoop out evenly sized salmon cakes (flatten bottoms) until you have 12 patties (sometimes you will have 13 or even 14).
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Chill in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes or all day (this is also the point you would freeze any that are not going to be cooked in the next 12 to 24 hours).
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Heat a large frying pan (big enough to hold six patties) over medium high heat. Once hot, add 1 tablespoon coconut oil or Ghee per six patties.
Let fat completely melt and get very hot.
Slowly add patties and cook for 4 minutes.
Gently flip and cook for an additional 4 minutes on the other side.
Serve hot and Enjoy!
Recipe Video
- I like to buy canned wild salmon in water with the skin and the bones. The only reason is cost. It is about $2.99 a 14.75-ounce can vs. $3 something for a MUCH smaller can without the skin and the bones. I like to remove the skin and bones but a lot of people don't even bother and just crush it up along with the salmon. Alternately, if it's too gross to deal with or you don't care about the additional cost, just buy the skinless, boneless.Â
- I have tested this recipe with both almond meal (ground up raw almonds with their skins) as well as tried it with almond flour (ground blanched skinless almonds that is finer and more powder like). I prefer the texture of the almond meal. If you don't have it (Trader Joe's sells it for about $4 per pound), just process some almonds in the food processor until they are almost powdery and like a meal but before the fat releases and it becomes almond butter. Or just use the Almond Flour or any other Flour (except Coconut) that you have.
- I have also made these with smoked paprika and they are awesome.
- If you are going to use Ghee, I recommend making homemade Ghee as it is much cheaper and you can use better quality butter as a base.
Did you make this recipe? Tag @EverydayMaven on Instagram with the hashtag #EveryDayMaven and please give a star rating below.
UPDATE NOTES:Â This post was originally published in April 2013 and updated in June 2019 with new photos, better instructions, and more helpful recipe information.
Adapted From: No-Fuss Salmon Cakes from “It All Starts With Food”
Linda says
This is my kind of comfort food! And I might try this recipe with whole wheat flour.
EverydayMaven says
Let me know how it turns out!
Heather says
I made these tonight when we had my son and his girlfriend over for dinner. He has some autoimmune issues so I try to cook things that are anti-inflammatory and especially nutritionally beneficial for him. I just want to say that these salmon cakes (with the almond meal) were a real hit with everyone. We served them with an avocado-cilantro-Jalapeno-Lime sauce, which turned them into a fancy and delicious guests-for-dinner meal. Thanks for the recipe!
EverydayMaven says
Hi Heather! Thanks for taking the time to let me know – I am so glad the salmon cakes were a hit!
Leah Brooks says
I’ve made these a hundred times, and they are so delicious! I usually use fresh ground whole wheat. However, we are eating low carb right now, so I used 1/2 garbanzo bean flour and 1/2 almond flour and was so surprised at how amazing they turned out. Thanks for this recipe. It’s a staple in our house! Oh, and I crush up the small bones and skin with my fingers. They are really good for your health. Eat them!
EverydayMaven says
Hi Leah! That sounds so yummy – thanks for taking the time to let me know – so happy to hear you are enjoying this recipe!
Anna says
I was wondering, can I use whole wheat pastry four instead of almond flour? If so, is the ratio the same? Can I bake these and if so, at what temp? Also, can I freeze some of these “cooked” rather than uncooked?
Sorry for the barrage of questions, but I want to make these delicious looking cakes asap! Thanks for the recipe! Cheers, Anna
EverydayMaven says
Hey Anna,
You can use WW Flour as a binder in place of the almond flour. I have had readers tell me that they had success baking them but I haven’t so I can’t give you cooking details for that. And, yes, you can freeze cooked or uncooked. Hope you love them 🙂
Anna says
Thanks so much! I plan on making therm tonight. One last question, can I use 2 egg whites instead of the 1 egg with the yolk. . . Making these for someone who can’t have the yolk! Warmest Regards, Anna
EverydayMaven says
Hi Anna! How did it go with the egg whites?
Anna says
I’m making them today (in a few hours actually) so I will let you know. I had to pick up more salmon ~I thought I had in the freezer but I did not. Still looking forward to making these. Do you know anything about using egg whites? Thanks again will update you!
EverydayMaven says
Hi Anna,
The egg whites should work just fine as the whole egg is meant as a binder. I would add 1 tsp of olive oil along with the whites though as the yolk adds some extra fat and moisture!
Anna says
Delicious recipe! A new home staple! I used whole wheat pastry flour and the egg whites! Fabulous dish!!!!!!
EverydayMaven says
Yay!! So happy to hear that Anna and THANKS for coming back to let me know 🙂
Christina says
Question: when cooking the frozen salmon cakes, do you allow them to defrost in the refrigerator first and then cook per instructions? Or can they be cooked direct from the freezer? Any cook time difference? Thank you!
EverydayMaven says
Either way works! If you cook them from frozen, start with low heat, put a lid on them and then once defrosted, remove the lid and raise the heat to brown them again!
Christina says
I just made these and cannot get over how delicious they are. I will be making these salmon cakes for a very long time. Thank you!
EverydayMaven says
Thanks so much Christina – so glad to hear it!!!
Lisa says
I’ve been using this recipe for the past year and decided to finally comment! We LOVE these salmon cakes! This recipe is straightforward, relatively simple, and so delicious! Our Kroger stores carry a relatively wild caught Alaskan pink canned salmon and I buy the Trader Joe’s almond meal. It always turns out great and is a family favorite. I recently found another recipe that bakes the salmon patties rather than frying them, and I have to admit they taste just as good baked, and it’s less hassle. I still use your recipe for the ingredients and prep, though, because I don’t want to try anything else!! Thank you!
EverydayMaven says
Thanks for taking the time to comment and let me know Lisa! Love that these work for you baked 🙂
Meghan says
Massively behind the times on these! I never comment on online recipes that I use, but these cakes were so awesome and the photo instructions were very useful.
We used almond flour (since we had it on hand) and they turned out great nonetheless. Also used shallot so we didn’t have to crack open an onion for the two tablespoons, and man oh man.
Combined with an avocado and cilantro yogurt sauce, these were money (and filling!)
My boyfriend barely ever requests a meal, but he took one bite and said: “So we’re putting these on the meal plan for next week, right?”
THANK YOU.
EverydayMaven says
So glad you loved them – that sauce sounds incredible! Thanks for taking the time to leave me a comment – I appreciate it!
Michele says
I have a delightful fish market nearby that has the most spectacular brine for their smoked salmon and they occasionally have Lake Superior salmon which is my favorite. Do you think smoke salmon would work with this recipe?
I would also like to try it with some fresh Lake Superior white fish. I wonder if I should use about 1.5 lbs of cooked white fish?
I can’t wait to try it! Thanks for fish deliciousness!!
Michele
Gloria says
These were delicious! My husband asked for a third helping and kept commenting on how delicious they were and said I had to make them again! I’ve tried plenty of salmon patties, and he loved these way more than any I have ever made.
I did substitute cumin and curry and tarragon for spices, my fav go to’s. Next time I will try the smoked paprika. Loved the consistency with sweet potatoes….great idea! Thanks!
EverydayMaven says
Glad you both loved them Gloria and your spice substitution sounds tasty!
Islandwoman says
Nut allergy in our family. What about chia seed or gel in place of almond meal?
EverydayMaven says
Hey! I would sub cassava flour or gluten free flour. Also, I haven’t tried it but if you read through the comments, I remember at least one reader saying that they have had success using coconut flour. Good luck!