These gluten-free salmon cakes are my favorite pantry meal for evenings when I am short on time and don’t have a dinner plan. I almost always have all the ingredients I need to make these, and I usually have ingredients to whip up a quick batch of tartar sauce to go with them. Add a salad or smoothie or leftover vegetables and some rice or quinoa and dinner is ready in no time.
I love that this is a stove top meal. I don’t have to wait for the oven to preheat or worry about it heating up the house. I also love that I can use canned wild-caught Alaskan salmon. This recipe is one way that my family really enjoys eating canned fish.
My husband and three sons all like these salmon cakes, so it has been a go-to meal for years. One time, when I first started making these on a regular basis, one of boys who was not home for dinner had one for lunch the next day and said, “What was that thing I ate? Do you have more?”
Many similar recipes call for bread crumbs. I don’t like buying expensive gluten-free bread crumbs, and I don’t always have homemade crumbs on hand (plus, I’m grain free now). So instead, I have always used instant potato flakes. Most brands are gluten free. Look for one that says gluten free or read the label to determine if it is.
Salmon Cakes
Yield 4 -5
Ingredients
- 1 14.75-ounce can Alaskan salmon, drained and bones removed
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 large egg
- 2 Tablespoons instant potato flakes (or gluten-free bread crumbs)
- pepper to taste
- other seasoning to taste, if desired
- coconut or other cooking oil
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
- Form into patties (I made five).
- Fry in hot oil until brown on both sides and hot through.
- Serve with Tartar Sauce.
Notes
This recipe can easily be doubled.
I love salmon!
I don’t know why I don’t cook much salmon. Thanks for the good reminder.
Mmm yum. I bet the wee ones would eat these. They love salmon, but I’ve never tried the canned kind with them. And the GF fries sound good — especially if non-sweet potato eaters like them!
My Grammy used to make these when I was little. Totally delish. Thanks for sharing this recipe. I am going to make some soon in honor of my Grammy!
sounds good!
you’ve given me an idea as i just ground old GF bread into breadcrumbs this past weekend.
thanks 🙂
erin–@ glutenfreewithapurpose
Mom used to make these with grated left over potatoes too – Potato Salmon Patties!! YUM!!
What size tim of salmon? I have found tall ones and flat ones. Thanks.
I love salmon croquettes. My grandmother used to make them for me & my cousins in the summer for lunch.. They’re still one of my favorites & I keep salmon on hand always for one of those days..
Many years ago I found a version that I seem to think was Weight Watchers recipe but cant find it anymore. It didnt call for any bread (which is great imo) and I tried it and loved them.
It included onion, celery, parsley, eggs & salmon.. It was mushy to make the patties but it cooked up perfectly fine.. I’ve found I like the addition of the herbs these days.. Thanks for the reminder for a great lunch.
I love this recipe. You can cook it another way is by putting alittle oil (olive oil) in shallow pan in oven 375 about 6mins each side or until golden brown. This is how I cook mine
Thanks for GF salmon patties recipe. In Texas we add diced onion and roll the patties in cornmeal that’s been seasoned with a little salt & pepper. Fry in a little oil. Cooking salmon this week. Will use leftovers. Yummy!
Where do u find gluten free bread crumbs. Do I have to buy the loaf if bread
You can buy gf bread crumbs or make your own from gf bread. Gluten-free instant potatoes works great too, and that’s easy to find. Betty Crocker is labeled gf. Use the same amount as called for bread crumbs.
there are several brands of gf breadcrumbs on the market, check you local store. You can also make your own with stale bread and/or rolls. Defrost and grind in food processor , spread on cookie sheet, let dry. Bake at 350 for about 15 min until they start to brown and get toasty, add seasonings to taste if desired. As for the salmon cakes, I make these all the time: I add finely chopped onion or scallions, finely chopped red pepper, lots of freshly ground pepper, half teaspoon of salt- free Old Bay seasoning (if you like the flavor), a small handful of chopped fresh parsley, and I use a good grade of canned salmon like Rubensteins. I saute them in a bit of olive oil til crispy. Love these- for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Could u bake these instead of frying?
Probably, but I haven’t tried it.
Do you think cooked salmon would work alright? Long as I chop it? Can’t wait to try these with leftovers from dinner the other night!!!!
Yes, cooked salmon would work fine.
I use a similar recipe, but replace the breadcrumbs with ground pecans.
I make these and usually add powdered onion soup mix or some onion powder. Whole fam loves em. The Alexia sp fries are delicious. Will pair them next time we have salmon patties. Good share!
Love the salmon cake recipe will deffinately try them!! Thx for sharing it.
I leave the bones, calcium, with the salmon but remove the skin. Then saute onions and celery until soft, Shred a slice of fresh bread, add parsley and an egg or two. After shaping into patties, I coat with dried bread crumbs and then refrigerate until ready to pan fry. I find refrigerating helps hold them together.
We add tiny chopped green onions to your recipe and make a sauce of homemade mayo and katsup with a little tabasco ! We also have Sweet potato fries and use the George Foreman grill to grill fresh asparagus that marinated over night in paul newman’s italian dressing… hope that is GF!! They fit snug as a bug in the grooves… don’t chop off the ends either, use them to turn in the grooves. When water begins to seek out of the bottoms, they are almost ready. Can’t make them fast enough!
I love the idea of potato flakes substituted I use my left over gluten free bread crust in blender for bread crumbs too
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We use crushed gf potato chips not as healthy, but very tasty! We use them as casserole topping also instead of bread crumbs. Salty and crunchy!
I make these but replace bread crumbs with crushed cornflakes. Delicious!
What size canned salmon (small or large) #of ounces ?
Sorry about that. I use 14.75 oz can.
i use salmon in the packets. So good!!
I never take out the bones, the nutrients are so beneficial, just crush them with a fork.
Sounds good. My husband loves onion, thought a bit of onion powder…
Going to try soon. Thanks
We have salmon patties a couple of times a month. I love them. My recipe is a little different, but yours looks good.
Thanks so much for this recipe for salmon cakes. Making them for dinner tonight. My husband has recently diagnosed with Celiac and have been looking for good sources for recipes. Can’t wait to try this one.
Hi. Can I use coconut flour instead of breadcrumbs?
Thanks.
I use gluten free panko
These are also my favorite quick “from the pantry” meal, as Linda says – usually all ingredients are on hand. I used corn meal instead of the potato flakes tho. And – I cannot make them without chopped onions – got to have onions. And – lately been making them the Minnesota way – with cooked wild rice which is a very delicious way to make them. The only thing is that it takes 45-55 minutes to cook wild rice and so I have to think to put it on and do something else before the assembly and cooking. Wild rice is a black long grain and splits open when cooked.
Thanks for this recipe, Linda, and for the idea of using potato flakes. I love all the other suggestions in the comments. I don’t keep potato flakes on hand, but I do have quinoa flakes and think they might work. I’ll try them and report in. Also, I often have leftover rice (brown or wild) on hand, so I will try that as well. Even rolled oats might work. I use them in hamburgers and meat loaf and they work well there – why not in salmon cakes? I love the way your recipes and the comments stimulate other ideas. Thanks ever so much!
Loved the recipe, its only me and mym gf home…So , i made two jumbo patties.lol. Delicious!
Super easy and delicious!
So glad you suggested gluten-free breadcrumbs instead of fake potato. I cannot stand too much food out of boxes/cans. Hate potato flakes but love gf breadcrumbs. Even if I wasn’t celiac and I knew about these breadcrumbs, I would be using them. So good!!
I’m not a fan of instant potatoes when it comes to making mashed potatoes. However, I wouldn’t call them fake. The first ingredient is potatoes. I like the convenience of them and the fact that they are grain free. But I’m glad gluten-free breadcrumbs work for you!
These are so good. I added a little sriracha to the tarter sauce for a little kick of flavor.
Just my style…simple, fast and few ingredients. And gluten free that tastes good, too! WOW. I’m going to make them soon. Can’t wait. Appreciate your readers comments.
Do you think we can make these without egg. We’re allergic. Been thinking to try ground chia as a substitute. Thoughts?
I haven’t tried it, but I bet a chia or flax substitute would work.
Not seen mentioned and kind of the same thing; last fall I canned some rainbow trout. This recipe was great with the trout.
My Mum made salmon patties with fresh bread (white wheat) instead of dry bread crumbs. Udies makes a wonderful hamburger bun that you can eat untoasted. I bet you could use that instead of dry breadcrumbs. The patties turned out really crunchy on the outside and incredibly tender on the inside. She also made it into a salmon loaf with the same recipe but instead of frying it she baked it in the over like a meatloaf. She also used cooked rice if we were low on bread. We had allergies so as in those days finding milk free bread was almost impossible she made ours, so the rice was used for dinner on the day before baking day.
Both the crumbled fresh bread (usually the heels as none of us liked them) and the rice were a big hit in both the patties and the loaf.
Can you swap out tuna in these sometimes?
This is my go to salmon patty recipe. Tastes good every time AND it’s quick and easy. I do leave the bones in the canned salmon for the added crunch and calcium! I also like to add a little dried dill.