Paleo Salmon Cakes

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: 

• 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. 
• 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

Oven Poached Salmon 

Instant Pot Salmon

Red Curry Salmon

Salmon Nicoise Salad

Spicy Glazed Salmon

Old Bay Grilled Salmon

Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!

Paleo Salmon Cakes

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 8 mins

Chilling Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 38 mins

 

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!

Course: Mains

Cuisine: American, Mediterranean

Keyword: easy salmon cakes recipe, How to make salmon cakes, whole30 salmon cakes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 372 kcal

Author: Alyssa Brantley

4.98 from 74 votes

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Ingredients

• 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

Instructions

To Prepare:

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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!).

4. 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.

5. Stir until well combined. Line a baking sheet or large plate (that will fit in your fridge) with parchment paper.

6. 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).

7. 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).

To cook:

1. 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

NOTES:

• 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. 
• 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.

Nutrition Facts

Paleo Salmon Cakes

Amount Per Serving (2 Salmon Cakes)

Calories 372 Calories from Fat 207

% Daily Value*

Fat 23g35%

Saturated Fat 7g44%

Cholesterol 150mg50%

Sodium 1160mg50%

Potassium 251mg7%

Carbohydrates 15g5%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 30g60%

Vitamin A 8630IU173%

Vitamin C 8.7mg11%

Calcium 261mg26%

Iron 2.4mg13%

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

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Adapted From: No-Fuss Salmon Cakes from “It All Starts With Food”