Thai Fish Cakes with Mango Avocado Salsa
These delicious Thai Fish Cakes are bursting with flavor. The salmon is cooked in coconut milk and Thai spices then cooled and formed into patties. A quick sear in coconut oil makes the edges crispy and leaves the inside super tender. Top them with the fruit salsa for a simple yet totally tasty dinner recipe that is naturally paleo + gluten-free.
It's Throw Back Thursday time again! I seriously love this one day a month I get to reshare old (but awesome) recipes with you. ā” #tbt.
This is the 19th time I've dug through the archives to find recipes that are tasty, but you might not know it from the pictures. I've had my eye on these Thai Fish Cakes for a while, and now that we're getting ready to welcome in spring (soon, please!!) I thought it would be the perfect time to bring these out again.
I've updated the recipe a little as I wasn't super happy with it the way it was written. The original recipe calls for the fish cakes to be baked, but I found them a little dry made that way. I've added an egg this time and gave them a quick sear in some coconut oil and the result is Thai fish cakes that are super tender and have a slightly crispy outside. In other words, they're perfect.
Original post date: May 29th, 2013
So here I go being all gluten free on you again. But don't worry, you would never know there's no gluten in these fish cakes. Trust me, you won't miss it. I think it's really important that if you need to cut something out of your diet you don't feel like it's missing.
I'll be honest, I really didn't think these were going to turn out very well. They definitely weren't supposed to turn into a blog post. It was more like one of those afternoons where I realize I'm starving and there's nothing in the house. And by nothing, I mean nothing but some salmon trimmings in the freezer, a can of coconut milk and some Thai curry paste. What's a girl to do?
The mango avocado salsa came the day after. Without it, these are a little boring, I'll admit. (Scratch that, the new recipe is delicious with or without the salsa.) BUT … with the salsa, they are absolutely amazing. Seriously. It's sweet, crunchy, creamy with just a hint of fresh lime. It's the perfect complement to Thai flavored fish cakes with just a tiny hint of spice. A match made in heaven, or some corny line like that.
They were also really good the day after straight out of the fridge. Or actually about 10 minutes out of the fridge after I took these shots and my growling stomach couldn't wait a second longer to have them. It made me think they will make a great addition to a picnic lunch this summer.
Speaking of summer, is it summery where you are? Here in Vancouver, we were teased with a few weeks of gorgeous, summertime beach weather at the beginning of May. Now that's been cruelly ripped away and we're back to rain and clouds. Will you cross your fingers for me that we get some heat and sunshine this weekend? I'll do the same for you. š
Thai Fish Cakes with Mango Avocado Salsa
If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star rating!
Ingredients
Mango Avocado Salsa
- 1 mango, cut into small cubes
- 1 avocado, cut into small cubes
- Ā¼ red pepper, cut into small cubes
- 2 tablespoons red onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- Juice from half a lime
- A pinch of sea salt
Thai Fish Cakes
- 1 Ā½ lb salmon
- Ā½ cup canned coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons red Thai curry paste, see note
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- Ā½ inch piece of ginger, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
- 1 large egg, beaten
- Ā¼ cup fine breadcrumbs
- Ā¼ cup all-purpose flour, gluten-free if needed
- Coconut oil, for the pan
Instructions
- Combine all the salsa ingredients in a medium sized bowl and stir gently to mix. Set aside.1 mango, 1 avocado, Ā¼ red pepper, 2 tablespoons red onion, 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, Juice from half a lime, A pinch of sea salt
- Add the coconut milk, Thai curry paste, garlic, ginger, and sriracha to a large frying pan over medium-high heat and mix well. Add the salmon to the pan, skin side up, and let it poach for 10 minutes. When the salmon is cooked, peel off the skin and discard it. Break the salmon into pieces using a wooden spoon and continue to cook until the pan is dry. Remove the pan from the stove and let the salmon cool.1 Ā½ lb salmon, Ā½ cup canned coconut milk, 2 tablespoons red Thai curry paste, 2 cloves garlic, Ā½ inch piece of ginger, 1 teaspoon sriracha
- Add the egg and breadcrumbs to the salmon and mix well. If the mixture is too wet to stick together, add more breadcrumbs. Form into 6 patties and dust both sides with the flour.1 large egg, Ā¼ cup all-purpose flour, Ā¼ cup fine breadcrumbs
- Add a big spoonful of coconut oil to a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the fish cakes and cook until crispy on one side, about 3 minutes. Carefully flip them over and cook until crispy on the other side.Coconut oil
- Serve the Thai fish cakes topped with plenty of salsa.
Amazing š
I have made these Thai Fishcakes before but never thought to pair them with mango salsa. Since I usually have pineapple left over from making Pineapple Fried Rice with the fishcakes, I will definitely try this out the next time I go Thai!
Pineapple Fried Rice sounds delicious! I’m going to have to try making some the next time I make these. š
I have an egg intolerance but think this meal sounds fantastic. Do you have any suggestions on how I can make them without the egg? Any egg substitutions that might work? Thanks!
A lot of vegan recipes call for a chia or flax egg as a binder, and it might work in this recipe, too. To make one, you mix 1 tablespoon of either chia seeds or ground flax with 3 tablespoons of water and let it sit for about 10 minutes to thicken.
The other option is to bake them. Simply form into patties without the egg and bake them for about 15 minutes. They do dry out a bit this way, but they are still really good!
Its delicious, but it fell apart. Maybe an egg?
The recipe as written is quite delicate, which is why I chose to bake them. I’m actually in the process of reworking the recipe and will post it again early next month so your feedback comes at a great time.
I’m not exactly sure how you are cooking the salmon. So, you are cutting the salmon into chunks and with only a quarter cup of coconut milk you are tossing it until it cooks? Is that enough liquid? This recipe sounds delicious so I want to make sure I get it right.
Hi Maria,
So the coconut milk is really just for flavour. A lot of it will cook off while the salmon cooks. Actually if it didn’t cook off the salmon would be too wet. Hope you love the recipe!
Would you recommend using smoked salmon instead if you can’t get fresh salmon?
Hi Marty,
Hot smoked salmon (as opposed to cold smoked, like lox) would probably work great. I haven’t tried it but imagine it would be good with that too š
How are you cutting up the salmon? Manually? Food processor? The picture looks like it’s not super chunky.
Hey John,
I just cut it up manually with a knife. I used a food processor once when making fish cakes and the fish turned into a paste. I definitely wouldn’t recommend it š
This salsa sounds fabulous – so fresh and summery! With this 93Ā°F heat we are having in the Carolina’s – just give be a bowl of that salsa with a big spoon and I’ll be happy š
What kind of salmon do you recommend using for this recipe? Fresh or canned? Planning on making this for dinner tonight š
Hi Katie,
I’ve only ever made this with fresh salmon before. Although it would be different I would suspect that it would also turn out if you used canned salmon. If you decide to use canned salmon I would love to hear how it turned out!