These salmon fish cakes with sweet potatoes and peas are on rotation in my kitchen. Great for dinner, lunch or as a quick snack out of the fridge! In this recipe, the salmon patties are pan-fried and served with spiced aioli and celery radish salad but you can pair them with a variety of sauces and side dishes.
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Please note that this is an updated recipe (originally published in 2012)! I’ve been making salmon patties for years and the original recipe was slightly different using raw salmon steaks that I partially cooked first. I’ve simplified this dish and started using canned salmon instead. If you want the original recipe, find it as a Google doc here. Recipe by moi, pics by Lindsay Fordham.
My Salmon Fish Cakes
These gorgeous salmon fish cakes or salmon patties are perfect for a nutritious and tasty dinner. They are especially great for someone who is normally quite picky with fish, as the flavour is made more subtle with the use of sweet potato in the mix.
Made with canned salmon, this dish is an affordable way to get healthy Omega-3s in your diet. Plus, it’s one of those handy recipes using pantry and freezer staples so I often make it when I am low on fresh produce.
The radish and celery salad complements the flavours of the fish cakes perfectly and provides a good dose of raw vegetables and fibre. I also love salmon cakes with coleslaw, big garden salad or stir-fried veggies.
This meal is gluten-free and can be made Paleo and Whole30-friendly.
What You’ll Need
Here are the ingredients you will need for salmon fish cakes. Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
- Salmon. I usually use canned wild salmon, but I have also made these with tuna and sardines! Think of this recipe as a template, it’s quite forgiving so you can use any canned fish AND you can increase or decrease the amount of fish used.
- Sweet potatoes. Pre-cooked sweet potatoes are mashed and used to bulk up the fish cakes batter. They are nutritious and add a little sweetness and reduce the fish flavour (if that’s of importance to you). If you’re not a fan of sweet potatoes, you can use white potatoes instead.
- Peas. Frozen peas that are thawed out in hot water or briefly boiled with sweet potatoes. I often throw them in right at the end.
- Other bits. I love the sharpness of finely diced onion in fish cakes. Then it’s the usual salt, and pepper, sometimes I add a little lemon zest or paprika. You can experiment with flavours here.
- Thickeners & binders. This recipe uses 1 egg and a little bit of gluten-free flour. For a paleo or Whole30 version, use 1/4 cup almond meal and 1/4 cup tapioca flour or cassava flour, you can also do buckwheat or quinoa flour here.
How To Make Salmon Fish Cakes
You will find the recipe card with all ingredients, instructions and a nutritional breakdown below. Here are step-by-step photos to guide you along.
- Step 1. Add cubed sweet potatoes to a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium and low and cook the potatoes for about 10 minutes, until tender when poked with a fork.
- Step 2. At this stage, add the frozen peas to the pot and cook for 1 minute (for the peas to thaw out and cook briefly). Strain and cool down for 5-10 minutes in a sieve.
- Step 3. In the meantime, finely dice radish and celery and combine them with the other salad ingredients. Set aside.
- Step 4. Strain the salmon and remove larger spine bones. You can leave the smaller bones as they will break down and mix through the batter.
- Step 5. Add the cooled-down cooked sweet potatoes and peas to a large mixing bowl and mash with a potato masher or a fork. Only mash to break the potatoes down roughly, it doesn’t have to be very smooth.
- Step 6. Add the salmon (break it into smaller chunks as you add) and follow with the finely diced onions, salt, pepper, lemon zest and 1 whole egg. Use a spoon or even your hands, to combine the fish cake batter until everything is evenly incorporated.
- Step 7. Finally, add the flour and mix through. The mixture consistency should be quite thick and a little denser than without the flour. You should be able to scoop a couple of tablespoons into your hands and gently mould the cakes. I usually eye measure and I think ½ cup should be enough but if it feels like you need a little more, please add and let me know how much you added. Might just be extra 2-3 tablespoons.
- Dust each side lightly with extra flour and set aside on a flour-dusted plate or board.
- Step 8. Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan/skillet over medium-high heat. Once it feels hot, add the fish cakes, leaving a little gap between them. Cook for 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Once cooked, set aside covered to keep warm.
- Step 9. In the meantime, mix the aioli ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.
Serve the fish cakes with the salsa salad and aioli on the side.
Nutrition Notes
This meal is very nutritious, and high in Omega-3s, vitamin D, selenium and B vitamins as well as vitamins and antioxidants.
Salmon Fish Cakes Only: 390 calories, 34 g carbs, 4.5 g dietary fibre, 27 g protein, 15 g fat. The serving size is 2-3 patties depending on how big or small you make them.
Fish Cakes With Salad & Aioli: 580 calories, 42 g carbs, 6.6 g dietary fibre, 29 g protein, 33 g fat. Serving size is 2-3 patties, 1-2 tbsp sauce and 1/4 of the salad.
What To Serve Salmon Fish Cakes With
Because these salmon patties are made with sweet potatoes and peas, I find that they don’t need a starchy or carbohydrate-rich side dish. Instead, I make a salad or vegetable side. You can serve some cooked quinoa or rice on the side if you like. My favourite sides with salmon patties are:
- A crunchy salad of some sort like the radish and celery number here. You could also try my crunchy vegetable and feta salad here.
- A coleslaw or any kind of slaw salad with creamy, tangy dressing goes really well with fish cakes. Try my Red Cabbage Slaw With Creamy Avocado Dressing or Carrot & Coriander Slaw Salad
- This Cheesy Leafy Green Salad is another great side dish.
- Stir-fried vegetables simply seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic and lemon juice.
- For something super quick, try my shaved zucchini and mint salad or a simple Greek salad with feta and olives.
Sauces For Salmon Patties
- Aioli or Sriracha mayo type sauce is great. Try my rosemary chili aioli for a twist!
- Homemade tartare sauce (or store-bought)
- Sweet chilli sauce is convenient and delicious with fish cakes
- Dill yoghurt or tzatziki are also great compliments.
- This healthy yoghurt ranch dressing would make a good sauce for fish cakes or you can serve it with a simple lettuce salad like this.
Storing Fish Cakes
Fish cakes can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and can be eaten cold or reheated in a frying pan (to refresh the crust) or a microwave if you want them quickly.
They are also great for freezing for up to 3 months. Thaw out overnight in the fridge and make sure to reheat really well in a pan or oven.
Make-Ahead Tips
There are times when you want to make the fish cakes ahead of time but not cook them until dinner time. That often happens to me, too. In this case, I make the mixture and mould the patties, then dust them with a little flour and lay them out on a tray or a platter that can fit in the refrigerator. They can be refrigerated uncooked for 1-2 days, then brought to room temperature and cooked as per instructions.
Freezing Uncooked Fish Cakes
Make the fish cakes as per instructions and dust lightly with flour. Place on a flat tray or platter that fits in the freezer. Pop and freeze for about an hour, until the cakes are firm. Transfer semi-frozen fish cakes to a Ziploc bag or a container and store them for up to 3 months. Thaw out in the fridge overnight, then dust with a little extra flour before cooking and pan-fry as per instructions.
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Ingredients
For the fish cakes
- 1 large sweet potato peeled and cut into large cubes (about 250 g / 0.5-0.7lb.)
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 450 g canned salmon 1 lb. in water and drained, large bones removed
- ½ cup red onion or white onion, about ⅓ of onion finely diced, green onions can also be used
- Zest of 1/2 lemon
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 egg
- ½ cup gluten-free flour there will be notes for a grain-free version + a little extra for dusting
- 2-3 tablespoons ghee coconut oil or olive oil for cooking
For the radish celery salad
- 1.5 cups radish about 1 bunch of radishes, finely diced
- 1 large celery stick finely diced into small cubes
- 2 spring onions scallions, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons orange juice freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
For spicy aioli
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon plain yoghurt optional, but I like to add to lighten up the sauce
- 1 small garlic clove minced or grated finely
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce or hot chili sauce
Instructions
- Cook sweet potatoes. Add cubed sweet potatoes to a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium and low and cook the potatoes for about 10 minutes, until tender when poked with a fork.
- Thaw out peas. At this stage, add the frozen peas to the pot and cook for 1 minute (for the peas to thaw out and cook briefly). Strain and cool down for 5-10 minutes in a sieve.
- Make salad. In the meantime, finely dice radish and celery and combine them with the other salad ingredients. Set aside.
- Prepare canned salmon. Strain the salmon and remove larger spine bones. You can leave the smaller bones as they will break down and mix through the batter.
- Mash vegetables. Add the cooled-down cooked sweet potatoes and peas to a large mixing bowl and mash with a potato masher or a fork. Only mash to break the potatoes down roughly, it doesn’t have to be very smooth.
- Combine batter. Add the salmon (break it into smaller chunks as you add) and follow with the finely diced onions, salt, pepper, lemon zest and 1 whole egg. Use a spoon or even your hands, to combine the fish cakes batter until everything is evenly incorporated.
- Add flour. Finally, add the flour and mix through. The mixture consistency should be quite thick and a little denser than without the flour. You should be able to scoop a couple of tablespoons into your hands and gently mould the cakes. I usually eye measure and I think ½ cup should be enough but if it feels like you need a little more flour, please add some another 2-3 tablespoons. Dust each side lightly with extra flour and set aside on a flour-dusted plate or board.
- Pan-fry fish cakes. Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan/skillet over medium-high heat. Once it feels hot, add the fish cakes, leaving a little gap between them. Cook for 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Once cooked, set aside covered to keep warm.
- Make aioli. In the meantime, mix the aioli ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.
- Serve the fish cakes with the salsa salad and aioli on the side.
Notes
Nutrition
More Recipes With Canned Salmon (Or Other Fish)
- Canned Salmon Salad With Curry-Spiced Mayo Dressing
- Rainbow Salad Power Bowl With Salmon & Sesame Dressing
- Salmon Loaf With Cucumber Salad
- Tuna Cabbage Patties With Spicy Garlic Mayo
- Sardine Fishcakes With Garlic Aioli & Green Salad
- Japanese Baked Salmon Balls With Stir-fried Veggies
Another inspiring recipe – thank you! Although I have been predominantly paleo-primal since 2010, I am two weeks into a 30-day challenge, just to get me back onto the bandwagon eating healthy, clean, delicious real food and tuning into what my body tells me (“Am I really hungry, or just bored/tired/stressed) It is going well so far 🙂 And having your updates pop into my inbox regularly just reinforces that eating well can be delicious and so good for my health and wellness – so thank you!
Angie
Thank you Angie! So great to hear that my recipes inspire you to eat healthy, delicious food. Hearing that makes all my work worthwhile. Best of luck in your 30-day challenge. One of my mates just completed The Paleo Solution 30-day program and she is feeling fantastic.
Irena 🙂
Am not a frequent fish eater, but fish cakes are a different story. Especially salmon fish cakes. They are a real treat. I love the addition of your delicious salsa! 😉
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Love this recipe – I tried so many salmon cake recipes before finding the perfect one and now I make it every week! I’m not paleo, but I love your recipes and your focus on fresh produce. Delicious.
Hi,
I made these tonight for the first time -they are fantastic. I can’t please all four of the kids at the same time but 3 out of 4 ain’t bad! I made them this morning and refrigerated until dinner time & served them with some avocado and a cucumber salsa. Delicious! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thanks Amanda! Appreciate your kind feedback.
These look delicious, I can see myself making a whole bunch and keeping them in reserve for a quick lunch/dinner. Would they work as well without the egg? Or what could I substitute as I am egg-intolerant. Cheers, Domenica
I think they will hold without an egg. In fact, I am pretty sure I made similar fish cakes with sweet potato once without any eggs as I’ve run out and they were fine. You might need to add a little more flour/almond meal to bind them.
Thanks Irena for all the delicious recipes.
Love these fish cakes, we make them on a regular basis. My kid loves it!
Look great! Will definitely try.
Do you think these can be frozen prior to cooking, thawed and then cooked?
Sorry about the caps lock… can’t seem change it! ?
Great question! I’ve added freezing of uncooked fish cakes instructions under the Make Ahead Tips on the bottom. Yes, I think the all CAPS in comments is our technical issue, will get that looked at.