Light and delicious salmon cakes can be made in less than 30 minutes using canned salmon and just a few other simple ingredients. These protein packed patties are an easy nutrient rich meal!
Our family loves crab cakes and tuna patties, but recently we became hooked on salmon cakes as our choice for an easy healthy meal. Many salmon patty recipes are pan fried, but these are baked in the oven, reducing the cholesterol and calories.
Salmon Cakes with Canned Salmon
Sure, we're not using fresh salmon here, but don't give up on this recipe yet! Canned salmon is still a good source of omega-3 fatty acid and also makes this recipe so convenient. After trying this recipe, you may find canned salmon as a pantry staple!
I remember the first time I opened a can of salmon and found bones! A quick internet search calmed me down when I read this is normal and the bones are edible. The bones are soft and will mash right into the salmon to where you don't even notice them. You can choose to pick them out (good luck!) but I prefer to keep the source of calcium!
Ingredients
(full printable recipe at end of post)
We enjoy simple recipes with simple ingredients, so everything we use for salmon cakes is easily found at your local grocery store. Below is a photo and list of ingredients you need for this recipe.
What You Need:
- Canned salmon -- I typically buy two 6 oz. cans of sockeye salmon.
- Eggs -- You need two large eggs for this recipe.
- Breadcrumbs -- Just plain, unseasoned breadcrumbs.
- Milk -- Any kind of dairy milk. We have not tested with non-dairy.
- Zucchini -- One medium sized fresh zucchini, then shredded.
- Curry powder -- I like the unique flavor of the curry powder, but feel free to explore with your own spices.
How to Bake Salmon Cakes
Scroll to the bottom of this post for the detailed recipe instructions. The general steps are as follows:
First, preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease 8 muffins cups with nonstick spray.
Then, combine all salmon patty ingredients in a large bowl.
Next, divide mixture evenly into the 8 muffin cups, making sure to pack each one full.
Last, bake in the oven for 25 minutes until tops are golden brown.
Avocado Cream Sauce
We love to whip up an easy avocado cream sauce to drizzle over these salmon cakes. Simply blend together an avocado, sour cream (or mayo), lime or lemon juice, Worcestershire, hot sauce and salt. Delicious!
Substitutions
Bread crumbs -- We use regular plain ol' breadcrumbs in a tub, but you can try panko bread crumbs, crushed saltine crackers, or even crushed Ritz!
Muffin tin -- If you do not own a muffin tin, you can use a large ice cream scoop to spoon mounds onto a baking sheet.
Seasonings -- Try mixing in different seasonings to fit your tastes. Maybe fresh parsley, black pepper or old bay seasoning for a different variation?
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you keep salmon patties from falling apart?
Seafood patties that are cooked in a frying pan tend to fall apart easily if the mixture isn't done right. These patties are baked in individual muffin tins so they hold together well, but the eggs and breadcrumbs in the mixture help bind them together.
Are salmon cakes healthy?
You bet! Although you always hear the health benefits of cooked salmon fillets, you should know that canned salmon is full of B vitamins, vitamin D, omega-3 and protein.
Should you drain canned salmon?
That's a choice of your own preference. I do not drain canned salmon because I feel like it removes some of the nutritional benefits with it. Others say you're ridding the extra salt and oil, so it's good to drain it. The canned salmon I buy does not have much liquid so I keep it.
Leftovers
We love recipes that include leftovers. This recipe yields eight salmon cakes. For dinner, my kids eat just one patty each, while Ben and I both eat two. So, if you know math (and how many kids I have) then you can calculate that leaves us with two leftover patties which is a perfect lunch for me and Ben the next day!
Store the leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can also place them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
You can reheat the leftovers in the microwave for about 30 seconds once thawed. If you want to keep the flake to the texture, reheat in your oven, toaster oven or air fryer instead. When I do this I usually cut the patties in half to ensure even heating.
Serving Suggestions
As stated above, we typically serve salmon cakes with an avocado cream sauce. Other times we'll simply place them over a salad or aside a bed of greens and drizzle on our favorite dressing.
More Seafood Recipes
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Recipe Card
Baked Salmon Cakes
Ingredients
- 12 oz. canned salmon (two 6 oz. cans)
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1 medium zucchini , shredded
- 2 teaspoon curry powder
Optional Avocado Cream Sauce:
- 1 medium avocado , peeled and pitted
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoon fresh lime juice (1 lime)
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- dash of hot sauce
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 8 muffin cups.
- In a large bowl, combine salmon, eggs, bread crumbs, milk, zucchini and curry powder. Divide evenly into 8 muffins cups, stuffing each one full.
- Bake 25 minutes. Remove from oven and serve immediately alone, over top a salad or with optional avocado cream sauce (instructions below).
Optional Avocado Cream Sauce:
- Combine all sauce ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Serve as a sauce with the salmon cakes.
Notes
- Nutrition information is an estimate only.
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