Tender Salmon Cakes with Almond Flour

Golden and crisp on the outside, tender and flaky inside, these salmon cakes are my go-to when I want something easy that still feels a little special. They’re packed with flavor, cook the salmon just once (so no dryness here), and come together with minimal fuss.

These salmon cakes are everything I want in a weeknight dinner: crisp and golden on the outside, tender and flavorful inside, and never dry. The best part? You don’t have to cook the salmon first. Since it only cooks once, the texture stays moist and delicate, rather than overdone and crumbly like so many salmon cake recipes.

They’re easy enough for a quick dinner, but I love them just as much for meal prep. Tuck leftovers into a container with a scoop of tartare and a handful of greens, or shape them into minis for a simple, crowd-pleasing appetizer.

All you need are a few key ingredients to make them shine. Steelhead is my favorite because it’s rich and forgiving, but any salmon works beautifully. Almond flour keeps the cakes tender without drying them out, and a little lemon zest adds bright, fresh flavor without making the mixture too wet.

Tips to prevent your salmon cakes from falling apart

This recipe makes soft, tender salmon cakes, which is what you want. If you can flip your fish cakes like hamburger patties without falling apart, you might as well flip them straight into the garbage. There are two tips you need to make these easier to work with.

1. Use a gentle hand. I can’t stress this point enough. When you form them into patties, very gently pass them back and forth between your hands like a ball until a patty forms. Don’t try to squish them, or they’ll fall apart. And when you place them in the pan to cook (and when you turn them over), be gentle.
2. Let them rest. As I mentioned above, this extra step makes them more sturdy.

And remember, if they seem to be barely staying together before you cook them, you know they’re going to be super delicious.

Store, reheat, and freeze

Store: Leftovers can be kept in a covered container in your fridge for up to 3 days.

Reheat: I like to reheat these in the oven, but a microwave works just as well.

Freeze: These freeze excellently! I often freeze some uncooked salmon cakes on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Once frozen, you can move them to a freezer bag.

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Tender Salmon Cakes with Almond Flour

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Resting Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook: 10 minutes mins

Total: 55 minutes mins

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These salmon cakes are an easy and delicious dinner recipe. They are made with fresh salmon and almond flour, which makes them wonderfully tender.

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Ingredients

Salmon Cakes

• ▢ 1 ½ lb salmon (skin removed and cut into chunks)
• ▢ ½ cup almond flour (see notes)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons minced parsley
• ▢ 1 teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper
• ▢ 2 green onions (finely minced)
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ Zest from ½ lemon
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ Lemon wedges, minced parsley, and tartar sauce (for serving)

Instructions 

• Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the salmon, almond flour, parsley, salt, pepper, green onions, egg, and lemon zest in your food processor.
  1 ½ lb salmon, 2 tablespoons minced parsley, 1 teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper, 2 green onions, 1 large egg, Zest from ½ lemon, ½ cup almond flour
  
• Pulse several times, until the salmon is mixed but still chunky. DO NOT over process the salmon or it will turn into a paste. You want it to look chopped. (See notes for making this without a food processor)
  
• Transfer the salmon to a bowl and mix well. Form the salmon into eight patties and place them on the baking sheet. Put them into your fridge, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
  
• Heat the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the salmon cakes to the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes, until golden on the bottom. Carefully turn the salmon cakes over and cook for another 4-5 minutes on the other side until they are golden and cooked through.
  2 tablespoons olive oil
  
• Serve the salmon cakes with minced parsley on top, lemon wedges on the side, and some tartar for dipping.
  Lemon wedges, minced parsley, and tartar sauce
  

Notes

Salmon: I love using Steelhead as it’s high in fat (so it stays tender) and has a mild flavor. Spring Salmon is another good option for the same reasons. Both are less expensive than other varieties. Coho is a decent option, too. Any salmon variety will work with this recipe if you don’t have different options available. 

Almond flour: If needed, you can substitute quick oats or breadcrumbs. 

Remove the skin: You can sometimes ask your fishmonger to do this for you, but it is fairly easy to do it yourself. Here is my detailed tutorial on how to remove skin from salmon!

Make it crispy: If you’d like to add a little crunch, you can coat the salmon cakes in cornstarch (for a bit more crunch) or panko (for even more crunch) after they rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. 

No food processor? No problem! I often chop the salmon by hand to avoid having to wash my food processor. If I’m honest, I like the result a tiny bit more when it’s hand-chopped. But the patties are harder to work with, so use a very gentle hand so they don’t fall apart. Simply mince the salmon as small as possible and mix it with the other ingredients.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 salmon cake with tartar sauce, Calories: 299kcal (15%), Carbohydrates: 8g (3%), Protein: 21g (42%), Fat: 21g (32%), Saturated Fat: 2g (13%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 85mg (28%), Sodium: 384mg (17%), Potassium: 466mg (13%), Fiber: 4g (17%), Sugar: 1g (1%), Vitamin A: 475IU (10%), Vitamin C: 10mg (12%), Calcium: 77mg (8%), Iron: 2mg (11%)

© Author Kristen Stevens

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