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These healthy and freezer-friendly Gluten Free Salmon Cakes are outrageously tasty! Using canned or fresh salmon, this recipe is a speedy gluten-free dinner. You’ll flip for these salmon patties!

a platter of paleo salmon cakes with cilantro and chimichurri
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These quick and tasty gluten-free salmon cakes are the best weeknight dinner. Ready in under 20 minutes, they taste amazing. Oh, happy day!

And while this recipe involves pan frying, if you’re looking for an air fryer option, check out our Air Fryer Salmon Patties.

Ingredients

Salmon, onion, eggs, and other ingredients for paleo salmon cakes on a white board

This recipe uses:

  • Salmon – leftover grilled or canned work well
  • Eggs
  • Celery
  • Fresh garlic
  • Almond flour
  • Onion
  • Old Bay seasoning – or make your own seafood seasoning
  • Mayo – try our Whole30 Mayo recipe
  • High-heat oil (ghee works too)
  • (optional) Hot sauce – I used Frank’s Red Hot

How to Make Gluten Free Salmon Patties

*I’ll walk you through it here with some photos and tips, and you’ll also find a printable recipe card at the bottom of the post with exact measurements, etc. You can also click “jump to recipe” to skip down.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk eggs and add the salmon. Flake with a fork to break up any large pieces.

Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine. Pinch some of the mixture to test the texture. Too dry? Add a bit more mayo. Too wet? Mix in more almond flour 1 tablespoon at a time.

3 photos showing the steps for making paleo salmon cakes

Make a golf ball-sized ball and gently flatten it between the palms of your hands. Set aside and repeat until all the mixture has been formed into patties.

Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat for at least 5 minutes. Add ghee or oil and let it warm up for 1-2 minutes.

Add the patties and cook until the bottom is light brown and has a crunchy sear (2-3 minutes). Flip and cook the other side. Remove to a plate lined with a paper towel or newspaper.

If you’re new to cooking with cast iron, check out this post on how to use, season, and love cast iron cookware.

paleo salmon cakes cooking in a cast iron skillet

How to Store and Reheat

Storing Leftovers: Store cooled leftover salmon croquettes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

Reheating Leftovers: You can reheat them in the air fryer at 350°F for 2-3 minutes. Alternatively, you can place the salmon patties on a baking sheet and heat them in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes, or until warmed through.

You can also microwave them for 60 seconds. Just don’t do it at work in a communal microwave, or everyone will hate you so hard.

Freezing Leftovers: Fully cook the salmon patties and allow them to cool on a plate. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer to a freezer bag and they’ll store for three months.

You can reheat them using the methods listed above. BUT, my favorite way to reheat them is to throw some veggies tossed with olive oil onto a sheet pan into the oven to roast. In the last 5-10 minutes of roasting, I add the salmon cakes for an easy one-pan meal.

paleo salmon cakes on a plate with chimichurri and tomatoes

Frequently asked questions

What kind of flour should I use in these gluten-free salmon cakes?

I use almond flour and it works great.

You can also sub in your favorite gluten-free flour. If you use coconut flour, I would increase the mayo by 1 tbsp as coconut flour can be very heavy and dry.

If you consume grains, using panko is my favorite way to make traditional salmon cakes.

What kind of salmon should I use?

It all depends on what you have and what your budget looks like!

I have used both wild-caught Alaskan Sockeye canned salmon (Costco) before, and leftover cooked salmon if I have any on hand. Both work wonderfully in this recipe.

How do you keep salmon cakes from falling apart?

For a salmon cake that sticks together, you do need mayo or aioli mixed in with the other ingredients.

After you’ve combined the ingredients, pinch a small amount of the mixture together and roll it into a ball. If it stays intact, the salmon cakes should hold together during the cooking process. If it falls apart, add a bit more mayo until everything holds together.

You can also assemble the patties and freeze them for 20-30 minutes before pan-frying. This gives them more stability during the cooking and flipping process.

Can I make them in the oven instead of pan-frying them?

Yes, you can bake the salmon cakes in the oven if you’d like.

Cook on a baking sheet at 400˚F degrees for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.

What to serve with this recipe

A few options are:

Top with your favorite sauce; I use Homemade Tartar Sauce or Homemade Cilantro Chimichurri. For a tropical kick, try some Mango Pico de Gallo.

Pro Tips/Recipe Notes

  • The types of salmon you use can impact the texture of these. To test that the consistency is correct, take some of the mixture and roll it into a ball. If it is too sticky, you’ll want to add a bit more flour. If the mixture crumbles when you roll it, it is too dry and needs more mayo.
  • If you use canned salmon, make sure to drain it really well.
  • To make your meal prep faster, use frozen celery, frozen garlic, and frozen onions.
  • If you like peppers, feel free to add 1/3 cup of finely chopped peppers of choice.
  • Use a high-heat oil like coconut or avocado. Ghee also works well and adds a delicious flavor to the salmon patties.

Other Seafood Recipes You’ll Love

a plate and platter of paleo salmon cakes
5 from 13 ratings

Gluten Free Salmon Cakes

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
a platter of paleo salmon cakes with cilantro and chimichurri
These healthy and freezer-friendly gluten free salmon cakes are outrageously tasty! Using canned or fresh salmon, this recipe is a speedy gluten-free dinner. You'll flip for these salmon patties!

Ingredients 

  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups cooked salmon {16 oz}
  • 1/3 cup celery {diced}
  • 2 tbsp hot sauce {optional}
  • 4 cloves garlic {finely minced}
  • 1 2/3 cup almond flour
  • 1/2 cup onion {finely diced}
  • 3 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
  • 1/2 cup mayo
  • 3 tbsp high-heat oil {ghee, coconut, avocado}

Instructions 

  • Whisk eggs in a medium mixing bowl.
    2 eggs
  • Add the salmon. Flake to break up any large pieces.
    2 cups cooked salmon
  • Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine. Pinch some of the mixture to test the texture. Too dry? Add a bit more mayo. Too wet? Mix in almond flour 1 tablespoon at a time.
    1/3 cup celery, 2 tbsp hot sauce, 4 cloves garlic, 1 2/3 cup almond flour, 1/2 cup onion, 3 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning, 1/2 cup mayo
  • Make a golf ball sized ball and gently flatten it between the palm of your hands. Set aside and repeat until all the mixture has been formed into patties.
  • Heat a skillet over medium heat for at least 5 minutes.
  • Add oil to the skillet and let it warm up for 1-2 minutes.
    3 tbsp high-heat oil
  • Add salmon cakes and cook until the bottom is light brown and has a crunchy sear (2-3 minutes).
  • Flip and cook the other side. Remove to a plate lined with a paper towel or newspaper.

Notes

  1. If you use canned salmon, make sure to drain it really well.
  2. If you like peppers, feel free to add 1/3 cup of chopped peppers of choice.

Nutrition

Serving: 2cakesCalories: 242kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 10gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 52mgSodium: 191mgPotassium: 179mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 115IUVitamin C: 1.2mgCalcium: 66mgIron: 1.6mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Tried this recipe?Mention @sustainablecooks or tag #sustainablecooks!

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Helping you serve up budget-friendly sustainable recipes with a side of balanced living.
Come for the food. Stay for the snark.

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30 Comments

  1. Any thoughts on adapting these for nightshade intolerance? I was AIP but have reintroed eggs & nuts, but peppers are still a big no-no.5 stars

    1. I would just leave out the hot sauce (it adds flavor but isn’t essential) and a seafood seasoning that is pepper-free. Do you have a favorite seasoning salt that is nightshade-free? I’d use that!

      The strangest nightshade thing for me is cashews! I have a friend who has to be nightshade-free and cashews and tobacco are the ones that make me scratch my head.

    1. Yes, you sure can! It depends on how large the cans are, if you’re using pouches, etc.

      The recipe calls for 16 oz, which is two cups. If the cans are 4 oz, that would be 4 cans. I typically use 3 because once drained they yield enough.

    1. Hi Teresa, it’s up to you, but I cook them first then freeze. I just think it makes it so much easier to reheat.

      There is a section in the post about how to freeze them. I’ve c/p below:

      CAN I FREEZE THESE PALEO SALMON CAKES?
      Yes and please do! I cook the salmon cakes and allow to cool on a plate. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer to a freezer bag and they’ll store for three months.

      To reheat: you can microwave for 60 seconds. Just don’t do it at work or everyone will hate you so hard.

      While the microwave works, my favorite way to reheat is by adding them to a tray of roasted veggies in the oven. When you’re roasting your veg, add the frozen salmon cakes in the last 10 minutes of cooking the veg and they’ll crisp up perfectly. And now dinner is ready and just one pan has been dirtied.