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Whole30 salmon cakes made with canned salmon, almond flour, egg and dried dill are a delicious dinner, and make a great lunch the next day, too!
Anytime I make the decision to improve my diet in any way, I always reach for salmon. Even when Iโm not doing Whole30 and just trying to eat a little healthier, I grab salmon filets and a couple cans of boneless, skinless salmon at the store. It makes me feel virtuous, heh.
Iโm the kind of person that believes the best way to be healthier is to add things to your diet rather than omit things. In a strange way, I can almost justify my candy problem as long as Iโm eating 3 servings of Omega 3-rich seafood a week. Itโs funny how that works, isnโt it?
Salmon cakes are such a comfort food for me, because I always have canned salmon in the pantry. My mom started making them when I was in high school from an Eating Well magazine recipe, and we always love them.
How to make healthy salmon cakes with pantry staples:
Salmon cakes come together with pantry staples: mayo, breadcrumbs, dried spices, and an egg. Though today, weโre not using mayo, and weโre substituting almond flour for breadcrumbs.
The last few times Iโve made these salmon cakes, itโs been after a long day out doing fun stuff with the family. After a Christmas parade, we came home late and my husband assumed we didnโt have anything for dinner. I grabbed my canned salmon, pantry staples, and a bag of salad mix in the fridge, and we had an amazing meal to cap off an already amazing day.
It made me feel like a domestic goddess to whip up something so amazing, even though I despise the word domestic goddess!
If youโre looking for other Whole30 recipes that donโt use mayo, try my avocado chicken salad. So creamy and full of flavor, you wonโt miss the typical condiment.
Thereโs just something so delicious about warm salmon patties on a cool and crisp salad with a creamy dressing on top.
I have so many great memories of making these when we thought there was nothing for dinner, and maybe thatโs why I love these so much. So, keep all of the ingredients to make these in your pantry at all times, and you can save your family from having to run out for dinner last minute!
Iโve been making these since my daughter was just starting to eat solid food. As a result, she still loves these salmon cakes today at age 3, though sheโs not much for the salad mix that I usually serve them with. Iโve been making roasted vegetables for her to eat alongside, and after tasting it once myself, I started making them for us, too!
Tips for Whole30 salmon cakes:
- This recipe uses 2 cans of salmon, but you can absolutely scale it down and make it with just 1 can and 1 egg. I intentionally created this recipe to make 7-8 patties so that we could have an easy Whole30 lunch the next day.
- Weโre roasting the vegetables with a homemade Old Bay seasoning mix of sorts. It contains plenty of smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and freshly ground black pepper. If you have celery salt, itโs great here (about 1/2 teaspoon), but if not, proceed without it. Smoked paprika is one of my favorite savory spices, because it brings so much flavor to the table.
- Double the roasted vegetables to serve with other Whole30 meals later in the week. They would taste great stirred into my Cauliflower Fried Rice, or under fried eggs as a Whole30 breakfast hash.
Whole30 compliant condiments (and where to buy them):
These Whole30 salmon cakes require the use of some Whole30-friendly condiments, something I said I would never resort to while taking this challenge. But, as it turns out, a little sauce goes a long way after 2 weeks without creamy food. I found brands of condiments at Thrive Market that are totally Whole30 friendly! Thereโs a brand called Primal Kitchen that makes dairy-free creamy mayo and ranch dressing that are made with avocado oil, which is entirely Whole30 compliant.ย
I feel like Thrive Market is a gift when it comes to finding compliant foods, plus I love that I can order at home in my pajamas. Iโve compared prices at stores local to me, and theyโre usually the same or lower! You canโt beat the convenience though, or the eco-friendly delivery packaging. My love affair with Thrive is strong these days!
If youโre lacking condiments, Iโve enjoyed this meal plenty of times with nothing but fresh lemon juice squeezed on top. And keep in mind that these Whole30 salmon cakes are great over salad instead of roasted vegetables.
Whole30 Salmon Cakes
Whole30 compliant salmon cakes over roasted vegetables.
Ingredients
- 2 6-ounce cans of wild salmon (boneless, skinless preferred)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2-3 tablespoons avocado oil*
- Whole30-compliant Ranch Dressing, for serving**
For the roasted vegetables:
- 1 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon onion power
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Drain any excess liquid from the cans of salmon, and add the salmon to a large bowl.
- Add the eggs, almond flour, dill, salt and pepper and mix well.
- Divide the mixture in half by eye, and make 4 patties from each half. To form a patty, scoop out the mixture, shape it into a ball in your hands, and then press it flat to form a patty.
- Place the patties on a plate, and refrigerate until the vegetables have 10 minutes left in the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 400, and line a sheet pan with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- Chop the potatoes (leave the skin on) and bell pepper into 1" chunks, and place them on the baking sheet. Drizzle the avocado oil and spices on top, and toss to coat.
- Roast the vegetables for 20-25 minutes, stirring once at the half-way mark. When the vegetables are done, the edges start to turn golden brown and crispy. When the vegetables have 10 minutes left, cook your salmon patties.
- Finally, cook the salmon patties: In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the avocado oil over medium-high heat. Add the salmon patties and cook on the first side until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip and continue to cook on the second side until golden brown.
- Serve the salmon patties over the roasted vegetables, and drizzle with ranch dressing for extra deliciousness.
Notes
*Avocado oil is just one of the many oils approved for use on the Whole30 program. Use whichever oil you prefer.
**Whole30 compliant Ranch dressing lacks dairy or soy, and is made with avocado oil. I use the brand Primal Kitchen, and I buy it at Thrive Market.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
2Amount Per Serving: Calories: 628Total Fat: 37gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 29gCholesterol: 143mgSodium: 696mgCarbohydrates: 43gFiber: 6gSugar: 4gProtein: 34g
How do you think canned tuna would work instead of the salmon? Thank you!
Yum, just made this and even my kids ate it! Delish and super easy :)
Iโm so glad to hear this, Ali! Thanks for sharing :)
Absolutely! I make meatballs using tuna and serve as is and sometimes I add to pasta with a lite sauce, not red! Usually just a brown butter sauceโฆYUM!
These are delicious! Iโve made them twice now served with Tessamaeโs avocado ranch. Thank you!
Think you could premake the pattyโs then fridge them for 2-3 days until ready to cook?
HmmmโฆIโm not entirely sure. Iโm worried that long of a rest will make them overly soggy. The almond meal will become overly wet, you know? What if you mixed everything except the almond meal, and added it right before shaping and cooking?
I refrigerated mine (used panko instead of almond meal) for 24 hours, and they cooked up just as delicious as unrefrigerated
These are quick, easy and FABULOUS! Even the skeptic in my house loved them!
These were delicious, thank you!
I have no idea how you got eight patties out of this. I got four-ish. I also used only one instead of two eggs. They were tasty but unfortunately had to feed two other people in my family a separate dinner since we didnโt have enough.
If you used 2 eggs, you would have more batter. The photos show the size of the patties that I made.
Can I use regular flour instead of almond flour?
I use regular flour instead of almond flour and they turn out fine. :)
I canโt count how many times Iโve made theseโthey are one of my weeknight go-to meals, so thank you for this recipe! Theyโre so good I can eat them cold on a bed of plain spinach without any sort of dressing. I love how easy they are, how few ingredients are required, and how theyโre still healthy and tasty. Not to mention that I can easily sub panko for almond meal and they come out just as great!