Herb Salmon Cakes
Pan-fried salmon cakes made with fresh fillets, almond flour, parsley and dill, chilled 15 minutes so they hold together. Served with lemon yogurt sauce.
- Prep20 min
- Cook10 min
- Total30 min
- Servings4
- Net carbs*2.5 g
- LevelMedium
These salmon cakes start with fresh fillets chopped by hand, not canned fish, so they taste clean and stay moist inside. Almond flour and one egg bind them, while parsley, dill, green onion and lemon zest keep every bite fresh. They fry up golden in about 8 minutes and come with a cool lemon and dill yogurt sauce for dipping.
Chilling is the step that keeps these together. Fifteen minutes in the fridge firms up the mixture so the cakes do not crumble when you flip them. Chop the salmon into small pieces about the size of a pea. If you use a food processor, pulse only a few times. A paste makes dense, rubbery cakes.
Ingredients
Makes 8 cakes (2 per serving). Tap an item to check it off.
Equipment
- Sharp chef's knife
- Mixing bowl
- 12-inch nonstick skillet
- Thin spatula
- Small bowl
Instructions
- Cut the salmon into thin strips, then chop it into pea-size pieces. Put it in a mixing bowl.
- Add the egg, almond flour, mayonnaise, mustard, green onions, parsley, 1 tablespoon dill, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Mix with a fork until it holds together when pressed.
- With damp hands, shape the mixture into 8 patties about 1/2 inch thick. Set them on a plate and chill for 15 minutes.
- Stir the yogurt, lemon juice and the remaining dill in a small bowl. Season with a pinch of salt.
- Heat the avocado oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the cakes and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until deep golden underneath.
- Flip gently with a thin spatula and cook 3 to 4 minutes more, until golden and firm in the center (145°F).
- Drain briefly on paper towels and serve warm with the yogurt sauce.
Estimated nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 440
- Total carbs
- 3.8 g
- Fiber
- 1.3 g
- Net carbs
- 2.5 g
- Protein
- 28.7 g
- Fat
- 34.4 g
*These are estimates, calculated from the ingredient weights above and USDA FoodData Central data, divided by 4 servings. Net carbs = total carbs minus fiber. Values vary with brands, quantities, ingredient swaps and how you portion the dish. How we estimate nutrition.
Kitchen tips
- Partly freezing the salmon for 15 minutes makes it much easier to chop cleanly.
- Cook a small test patty first. Taste it and adjust the salt or lemon before shaping the rest.
Substitutions
- Fresh salmon → canned salmon Use two 6-ounce cans, drained and flaked, and skip the chilling if the mix is firm. Similar carb estimate.
- Almond flour → crushed pork rinds Same volume. Makes the cakes nut-free and drops about 1 g net carbs per serving.
- Greek yogurt → sour cream Same amount. Richer sauce with a similar carb count.
Swaps change the nutrition estimate shown above.
Storage and reheating
- Fridge
- Cooked cakes keep up to 3 days in an airtight container. Store the sauce separately for up to 4 days.
- Freezer
- Freeze cooked, cooled cakes on a tray, then bag them for up to 2 months. Reheat from frozen.
- Reheat
- Bake at 375°F for 10 minutes (15 minutes from frozen), or warm in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Questions cooks ask
Why are my salmon cakes falling apart?
The mix was too wet or not chilled. Add a tablespoon more almond flour and give the patties the full 15 minutes in the fridge.
