These Gluten-Free Salmon Cakes are a fast and easy weeknight dinner! Canned salmon, eggs and seasonings are combined to create firm yet tender patties, and they’re ready in under 30 minutes.
Serve with an easy lemon aioli on the side and dinner is set.
Plus they’re nut-free, low carb, Paleo and Whole30 friendly.
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Why this recipe works
Salmon cakes (or salmon patties, as some call them) make a lot of sense for a weeknight dinner – they’re fast and easy to make, nutritious and full of flavor.
And even if you don’t think you like salmon (or fish in general), the flavor is mild enough that even salmon-haters can like them.
But recipes often use bread crumbs to bind the cakes, which makes most recipes not gluten-free, Paleo or Whole30 friendly.
I wanted to make a version that fits those diets, so I used almond flour instead of bread crumbs.
And while they turned out well, I wanted to see what would happen if I didn’t even use almond flour. As much as I like it and use it in a lot of my recipes, almond flour is expensive and not great for people with almond/nut allergies.
So I omitted the almond flour, added another egg and 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard to help bind the patties, and it worked! They were almond identical to the almond flour version.
With Old Bay seasoning (a classic spice mix often paired with seafood), garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper, these patties are savory and irresistible.
So this recipe just uses canned boneless, skinless salmon, eggs, mustard and seasoning to make these salmon cakes Paleo, Whole30 and gluten-free.
Plus I include a simple lemon aioli to dollop on top.
Serve them with your favorite veggies and dinner is set!
What you need
Ingredients (see substitution ideas below):
- 3 (5-6 oz. cans) boneless, skinless salmon
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil, plus more if necessary
For the aioli:
- 1 cup avocado oil mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Equipment:
- a medium mixing bowl
- a small mixing bowl
- measuring spoons
- measuring cups
- a fork
- a 1/4 cup ice cream/cookie scoop
- a spoon or small spatula (the kind for stirring, not flipping)
- a large skillet (I use nonstick for this recipe)
- 2 spatulas (the kind for flipping, not stirring)
- 2 plates
- paper towels
- 2 3/4″ cookie cutter (optional, if you want really round patties – I used this for the patties in these photos)
Instructions (with step-by-step photos)
Step 1
Drain the cans of salmon and add the salmon to a mixing bowl. Add the eggs, mustard, Old Bay seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper. Use a fork to stir it all together while you break up the chunks of salmon.
Step 2
Use a 1/4-cup ice cream scoop to create 1/4-cup sized balls of the mixture, placing each one on a plate and gently flattening with the palm of your hand until about 1/2″ thick.
You can also use a cookie cutter around 2 3/4″ to form the patties. That’s what I used for these pics.
You should end up with 7-9 salmon cakes.
Step 3
Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Step 4
Carefully add the cakes (place them around in a circle and 1 cake in the middle).
Let them cook for 4-5 minutes per side, then use 2 spatulas to remove the cakes to a paper towel-lined plate.
To make the lemon aioli:
Step 1
To make the aioli, stir the mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, garlic powder and black pepper together in a mixing bowl. If too thick, add a bit of water to thin it out. If too runny, add more mayonnaise to thicken it.
FAQ
You can use 1 (14-16 oz. can) boneless, skinless salmon. Reduce the mustard to 1.5 tablespoons and the Old Bay to 1 3/4 teaspoons. You might not get as many cakes.
You can use another seafood seasoning instead of Old Bay. If it doesn’t contain salt, add 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt to the salmon mixture. If it contains garlic powder, onion powder or black pepper, do not add any those ingredients separately.
You can use Greek-style dairy-free/Paleo yogurt instead of the mayonnaise (or use regular Greek-style yogurt, but then it won’t be dairy-free/Paleo/Whole30).
You can use lime juice instead of lemon juice.
Yep! They can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. They can be reheated over low heat in a skillet with a bit of oil, in a low oven or in the microwave.
But they’re also great cold, plain or dunked in more aioli.
Yep! Place leftover cakes on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and place in the freezer until the cakes are frozen through, about 1-2 hours. Then place the frozen cakes in an airtight container/baggie and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
They can be reheated over low heat in a skillet with a bit of oil, in a low oven or in the microwave.
Yep! Because they contain no gluten, grains, dairy, soy or other non-Paleo ingredients, these are Paleo salmon cakes.
Yep! As long as you check the ingredients on any labels (the salmon, mustard, Old Bay, mayonnaise, etc.) for anything non-Whole30, these are Whole30 salmon cakes.
You may also like:
- Potato Chip Crusted Salmon (gluten-free, Paleo)
- Crispy Skin Salmon 2 ways (gluten-free, Paleo, Whole30)
- Sheet Pan Lemon Salmon with Pesto (gluten-free, Paleo, Whole30 option)
- Tuna Sardine Salad (gluten-free, Paleo, Whole30)
- Gluten-Free Chicken Patties (Paleo, Whole30)
Gluten-Free Salmon Cakes (Paleo, Whole30)
Ingredients
- 3 (5-6 oz. cans) boneless, skinless salmon
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil, plus more if necessary
For the lemon aioli:
- 1 cup avocado oil mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Drain the cans of salmon and add the salmon to a medium mixing bowl. Add the eggs, mustard, Old Bay seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper. Use a fork to stir it all together while you break up the chunks of salmon.
- Use a 1/4-cup ice cream scoop to create 1/4-cup sized balls of the mixture, placing each one on a plate and gently flattening with the palm of your hand until about 1/2" thick. (You can also use a 2¾" cookie cutter to help get really round patties.)You should end up with 7-9 cakes.
- Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Carefully add the cakes (place them around in a circle and 1 cake in the middle). Let them cook for 4-5 minutes per side, then use 2 spatulas to remove the cakes to a paper towel-lined plate. If you have to cook the cakes in batches, add more oil to the pan between batches, if necessary.Serve with the aioli.
For the lemon aioli:
- Stir the mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, garlic powder and black pepper together in a small mixing bowl. If the aioli is too thick, add a bit of water to thin it out. If it's too runny, add more mayonnaise to thicken it.
Notes
- You can use 1 (14-16 oz. can) boneless, skinless salmon. Reduce the mustard to 1.5 tablespoons and the Old Bay to 1 3/4 teaspoons. You may not get as many cakes.
- You can use another seafood seasoning instead of Old Bay. If it doesn’t contain salt, add 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt to the salmon mixture. If it contains garlic powder, onion powder or black pepper, do not add any those ingredients separately.
- You can use Greek-style dairy-free/Paleo yogurt instead of the mayonnaise (or use regular Greek-style yogurt, but then it won’t be dairy-free/Paleo/Whole30).
- You can use lime juice instead of lemon juice.
Jessica McDonald says
My four year old insisted I cook fish. He doesn’t like it, but me and my husband do! LOL. Do you think these will freeze well?
Paleo Gluten Free Guy says
Yep, they do freeze well. Just follow the instructions in the notes below the recipe.
Jessica McDonald says
Turns out I didn’t have any left to freeze. My husband ate all but the one I ate. Safe to say this is husband approved!