- June 8, 2021
- 30 Minute Meals
Easy Whole 30 Salmon Cakes
These easy Whole30 salmon cakes are tender on the inside, lightly crisp on the outside, and packed with fresh flavor from herbs, vegetables, and seasoning. Made without fillers or breadcrumbs, they’re a clean, satisfying option for weeknight dinners or meal prep.
Salmon cakes are a great way to turn simple ingredients into something special. When done right, they’re flavorful, sturdy enough to pan sear, and tender without being dry or crumbly.
This Whole30-friendly version skips fillers and relies on proper technique to bind the mixture, creating salmon cakes that hold together beautifully and cook evenly every time.
What Are Whole30 Salmon Cakes?
Whole30 salmon cakes are pan-seared patties made from cooked salmon, vegetables, and compliant binders instead of breadcrumbs or flour. The mixture is blended until cohesive, which allows the patties to hold their shape without additional fillers.
They’re a versatile option that works for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Ingredients for Whole30 Salmon Cakes
This recipe uses simple, Whole30 compliant ingredients with bold flavor.
- Cooked salmon
- Red bell pepper
- Jalapeño
- Red onion
- Garlic
- Mayonnaise
- Dijon mustard
- Worcestershire sauce is optional and compliant
- Hot sauce optional and compliant
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Avocado oil for cooking
For Serving
Garlic basil aioli or other compliant sauce
Best Salmon to Use for Salmon Cakes
Cooked salmon works best for this recipe. Leftover roasted, baked, or grilled salmon is ideal.
Canned salmon can also be used, but it should be well drained and checked for bones and skin before blending.
How do you prevent the salmon cakes from falling apart?
Here are 3 main reasons I have found for why salmon patties break and crumble apart during the cooking process:
- Flaked Salmon is not fine enough
- Too much filler or filler (veggies) is too large
- Too much moisture or not enough
Unlike a lot of other salmon cake recipes out there, this recipe doesn’t include additional binders like eggs, crackers, or bread crumbs. It also doesn’t need any Whole30 or gluten-free flours like almond flour or coconut flour for it to bind.
The main trick is to first get the salmon broken down really well in the food processor. Then also process the veggies so they too get broken down and blended into the cooked salmon. Lastly, use the mayo (a whole30 approved if you’re following this type of meal plan) as the “glue” to help keep everything together. All of these factors will help prevent the patties from falling apart.
How do you get the salmon patties crispy?
The mayo in the salmon patties helps encourage browning, but it’s also going to be about using a good heavy-bottom skillet over medium heat and searing in oil. While olive oil is fine for searing, I prefer avocado oil because it has a very high smoke point (so you brown and don’t burn the patties).
Add enough oil to coat the pan and let it preheat. Don’t overcrowd the patties in the pan, but cook them in batches. This helps prevent them from steaming and gives you room to flip them as needed. I cook mine a few minutes per side and use a metal spatula to flip as needed.
Cooking Tips:
- Pre-cook your veggies before adding them to the food processor. This helps them break down and taste better in the final product.
- Use a 1-inch cookie scoop to form your patties into even-sized balls that you can flatten in your hands.
- Prep all the patties and pre-form them before you start cooking.
- You will need to add a little more oil before each batch. If the bottom of the pan is too dry, they could get stuck and then could also break apart.
- Remove cooked patties to a paper-towel-lined platter before serving.
- Serve with tartar sauce or your favorite dipping sauce.
- Pair with delicious blistered green beans, crispy smashed radishe,s and a refreshing prosecco mint julep.
Tips for storage, freezing, and reheating:
Storing- Let them cool completely before putting them into a container. This prevents sticking.
Freezing- If freezing, place them on a plate individually and let them set up in the freezer for 30-45 minutes before placing them in a freezer-safe bag and storing.
Reheating- I love to reheat in the air fryer! I put mine in for about 3-4 minutes at 370 F. or until heated through.
More Salmon Recipes To Try
- Deconstructed Salmon Fish Tacos
- Coconut Crusted Salmon with Chimichurri
- Sesame and Pistachio Grilled Salmon
- Easy Cedar Plank Salmon Salad
Easy Salmon Cakes
Ingredients
- 4 cups Cooked Salmon
- 1 Red Bell Pepper diced small
- 1 Jalapeno seeds removed diced small
- 1/2 cup Red Onion diced small
- 2 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1/3 cup Mayo use what fits your dietary needs
- 1 tsp. Dijon Mustard
- 2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce optional
- 4-5 Dashes of Tabasco optional
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp. Pepper
- Avocado Oil for pan searing
- Garlic Basil Aioli for dipping
Instructions
- Start by cooking your peppers, onion, and garlic on medium heat in a frying pan with 2 tsp. of avocado oil. Cook about 5 minutes, until tender.
- In a food processor, add your cooked salmon (see notes in the post regarding other forms of salmon for this recipe), cooked veggies, mayo, mustard, and optional Worcestershire and tabasco sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
- Pulse the mixture until it is completely blended and the salmon forms more of a paste and doesn’t look flaky.
- Use a cookie scooper or a spoon to form 1 inch balls. Flatten them in your palm gently to about 1/2 inch or so and set them aside and repeat this step until you have made roughly 20-24 patties.
- In a heavy bottom skillet (I reuse the skillet I sauted the veggies from earlier in), swirl the bottom with avocado oil so it’s just coated. Pre-heat the pan to medium heat and let it sit for 1-2 minutes.
- Add 5-7 patties into the pan and cook about 2 minutes per side. Gently flip and cook and brown the other side another 2 minutes or so. Remove them from the pan and place them on a paper towel lined plate. Repeat this until you’ve cooked all your patties.
- Serve your patties up with your favorite dipping sauce (tartar sauce, remoulade, or this garlic basil aioli) and enjoy.
Do you think these will reheat well?
Yes, they reheat great in an air fryer, oven, or back on the stove.