These healthy and freezer-friendly Paleo Salmon Cakes are outrageously tasty! Using canned wild salmon, this recipe is a speedy paleo, Whole30 compliant, or gluten-free dinner. You’ll flip for these gluten-free salmon patties!
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One of my favorite meals is grilled salmon with lots of fresh dill and thinly sliced lemon on top.
Taking some of those leftovers and turning them into these patties makes the most amazing use of that delicious and healthy fish. But, most of the time, I used canned salmon for a speedy and stupidly easy meal.
And because salmon alone isn’t Northwest enough, let’s add some asparagus to this! Try out a batch of Air Fryer Asparagus for the ultimate speedy dinner. You can also make these patties in the air fryer; check out our post on Air Fryer Salmon Patties for more details.
If you love fast weeknight dinners, check out these Greek Turkey Meatballs. These gluten-free meatballs cook up in a flash and make an amazing freezer meal. For fast sides to go with these gluten-free salmon patties, check out Air Fryer Butternut Squash or these Easy Instant Pot Sides and Air Fryer Vegetable Recipes.
Should I Use Canned or Fresh Salmon?
It all depends on what you have! I have used wild-caught Alaskan Sockeye canned salmon (Costco) before, and leftover cooked salmon if I have any on hand. If you use canned, make sure to drain it really well.
What Kinds of Flour Should I Use?
I use almond flour and it works great. If you want to sub in your favorite gluten-free flour, go ahead. Coconut flour can be very dry and heavy, so I would increase the mayo by 1 tbsp. If you consume grains, then using panko is my favorite way to make traditional salmon cakes.
Can You Freeze Salmon Patties?
Yes and please do! I cook the salmon patties 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 patties in the last 10 minutes of cooking time, and they’ll crisp up perfectly. And now dinner is ready and just one pan has been dirtied. And that means you rule.
Here’s How to Make Them:
*Detailed and printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Mix eggs and add the salmon. Flake 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 (related: Homemade Whole30 Mayo). Too wet? Mix in flour 1 tablespoon at a time.
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 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.
Serve over a bed of salad, Whole30 French Fries, or with a side of roasted veggies. Top with your favorite sauce; I used Homemade Cilantro Chimichurri. You could even make the patties larger and turn these into salmon burgers.
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.
- 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 chopped peppers of choice.
- You can bake them in the oven if you’d like. Cook on a baking sheet at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Use a high heat oil like ghee, coconut, or avocado.
Need help getting started off with your Whole30 round on the right foot? Download my free Whole30 Meal Plan, Trader Joe’s Whole30 Shopping List and Whole30 Costco Shopping List. I have done all the work for you by checking ingredients and figuring out safe foods.
WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS
One serving has 6 WW Freestyle SmartPoints.
Paleo Salmon Cakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked salmon 16 oz
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup celery diced
- 2 tbsp Franks Red Hot
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 2/3 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup onion diced
- 3 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 3 tbsp high-heat oil ghee, coconut, avocado
Instructions
- Mix eggs and add the salmon. Flake 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 flour 1 tablespoon at a time.
- 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 ghee or oil and let it warm up for 1-2 minutes. 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.
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I made these as part of the pantry/freezer clean out challenge. They came out really good. I would up the spice but that’s personal preference. It was a great use up for bagged salmon I found for $1 a pack.
Yeah, I soak mine in hot sauce but keep it a bit more tame for the kids. 🙂
Great sale on that salmon!
Does the onion get fully cooked?  I’m kind of a raw onion crankpot, so I was trying to figure out if I should sauté it first?
It softens a bit Erin, but if you want to make sure it is totally free of raw onion-ness, a quick saute would work great.
This is definitely a recipe repeat! These were so easy and yummy! I used a combo of canned salmon and fresh salmon. Based on past attempts, I feel like this combo sticks together better. Thanks for sharing!Â
So glad you enjoyed them, Kelly. They’re definitely a family favorite in our house!
Can you cook these in the air fryer instead of in the cast iron skilletÂ
I have never tried, but I would assume it is definitely possible.
I used 2 cans of salmon and dialed back on the other ingredients as well. These are now my go to salmon cake recipe! I’m now sad I didn’t have more salmon to make a full recipe and have some leftovers. Thanks so much for this keeper!
So very glad you liked them Sharon!! Freeze a few next time for easy meal prep/leftovers. I love roasting them with veggies in the oven for a one pan meal.
What would be a substitute for Old Bay Seasoning?
Any seasoning salt you might have on hand will work.
Thank you for this recipe! My husband is a fisherman & we always have a ridiculous amount of fish in our chest freezer & I’m always looking for new and exciting ways to cook fish. We made these tonight and they were bad ass. I didn’t have any celery or peppers but I had everything else.  They were amazeballs. And GF, this is the stuff of dreams.  Now I just need to summon up a few house elves to help me crank out 100’s of these things to stick in my freezer 🙂
Mmmmm I bet you guys eat so well with all the seafood.
So glad you liked them and good luck with the house elves! Just don’t give them any socks.
So since this is a go too recipe for me I thought I’d share that I experimented with different flour. I make a homemade mix of GF flour made up of brown & white rice flours, potato starch & tapioca flour. It takes a lot less flour & holds the cake together really well. The kiddo likes them better this way. I like them both waysÂ
Love these substitutions Izzy, thanks so much for sharing your GF blend!
Wait a minute, who are you and what have you done with the real Sarah? Posting a recipe with mayo in it? I love salmon cakes and make them almost every week. As much as I love mayo, I actually don’t use it in these. I think the universe just flipped on its axis – you’re adding mayo and I’m leaving it out.
Ha, you found me out! I’ve been replaced by a pod person Joan.
I prefer to use Greek yogurt in my salmon cakes, but with yogurt, they can’t be labeled as paleo. Blah.
For those of us with mayo hating family, is the Greek yogurt just a 1:1 substitute in the recipe?
I need something yummy and omega 3 laden to get me through December. Â Thanks!
Yep, 1:1! I’m also a mayo hater so I feel their pain.
Would you recommend using smoked salmon? We get some every year for Christmas, and it would be nice to find another use/recipe. Thanks!
I think having SOME in there would be lovely but all smoked would be too overwhelming. My dad makes amazing smoked salmon and it’s a staple around here. I adore it with eggs and as an appetizer! If you want to be super indulgent (and eat dairy and grains) it is amazeballs with alfredo sauce over noodles.
These sound great – bookmarking! My great-grandmother used to make salmon croquettes but I never tried making them since I went GF.
You can do this Kathryn!!!