Baked Salmon Cakes

Baked Salmon Cakes are a delicious way to have a healthy but flavorful dinner. Baked, not fried, these perfectly portioned salmon cakes are packed with fresh salmon, roasted red pepper, fresh herbs and zesty Worcestershire sauce!

I love salmon cakes! Unfortunately, when I order them in restaurants, I often find they are mostly “filler” ingredients, fried in oil with too much breading and not enough salmon!

But this recipe is full of the fresh – not canned – salmon, with a hint of roasted red pepper flavor and fresh herbs. 

The great thing about this meal is that you can re-purpose leftover baked salmon into these flavorful, tender salmon cakes.

I definitely recommend opting for fresh salmon instead of canned.

• TIP: If you don’t have leftover salmon, you can bake a 12oz salmon fillet for 10-15 minutes at 400°F , or cook it in an Instant Pot. If you stumbled on this recipe and need leftover salmon for salmon cakes, start with this baked salmon recipe and omit the pesto! 

Also, jarred roasted red pepper is the main secret to the burst of flavor in this quick and easy cook-once eat-twice meal.

If you’re looking for a simple alternative to plain baked chicken, or something different to serve at your next summer BBQ, this dish is a simple and delicious recipe that is sure to please!

You can serve this as the main entree with a simple side, or you can serve this on a sweet bun, like my salmon burger sliders, for something more filling.

How to Make Baked Salmon Cakes

In a nutshell, here’s how to make them:

1. Chop ingredients.
2. Mix ingredients.
3. Form patties (TIP: for uniform salmon patties, use this large cookie scoop!)
4. And bake!

How to make salmon cakes without breadcrumbs?

Breadcrumbs serve as a binder for things like hamburgers, meatballs and seafood cakes, and they make the salmon cakes tender and moist. If you don’t have any breadcrumbs you can make a panade, which is fresh bread soaked in a little water.

Panade is essentially bread that turns tacky or sticky after being soaked in water. This will serve as an alternative to Panko.

What goes with salmon cakes for dinner?

We love to serve these with a salad or over brown rice for a healthy option. But you could serve this with fries, veggies, pasta salads…the list goes on!

Here are some side dish ideas to serve with salmon cakes:

• Broccoli Salad
• Classic Spring Cobb Salad
• Cucumber Edamame Salad
• Rainbow Vegetable Pasta Salad
• Cucumber Mango Salad

How to freeze salmon cakes?

To freeze these salmon patties, place the unbaked patties onto a baking sheet and place in the freezer until firm. Then, place the frozen salmon cakes in a freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Hope you enjoy this recipe and let me know what you think. 

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Baked Salmon Cakes

Baked Salmon Cakes are a delicious way to have a healthy but flavorful dinner. Baked, not fried, these perfectly portioned salmon cakes are packed with fresh salmon, roasted red pepper, fresh herbs and zesty Worcestershire sauce!

Yield: 14 3-inch round cakes

Prep Time:10 minutes

Cook Time:20 minutes

Total Time:30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (~7oz) jarred roasted red pepper (Note 1)
• 12oz leftover cooked salmon (Note 2)
•  2 eggs
•  ½ cup Panko, Japanese bread crumbs
•  ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
•  2 garlic cloves, grated (Note 3)
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Tartar sauce for serving

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Chop roasted red peppers into small pieces.
3. In a large bowl, add salmon and flake with a fork.
4. Add chopped roasted red pepper, eggs, panko, cilantro, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and salt. Mix well.
5. Scoop ¼ cup of mixture and form into a patty. Continue with the remaining mixture. Arrange on the prepared baking sheets 1-2 inches apart. (TIP: a large cookie scoop, like this one, makes this step super quick and easy. Plus, you’ll get uniform patties!)
6. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the salmon cakes are cooked through.
7. Serve immediately with tartar sauce.

Note 1: I used and recommend jarred roasted red pepper. It adds a ton of flavor to these cakes.

Note 2: If you don’t have leftover salmon, you can bake a 12 oz salmon fillet in the oven at 400°F for 10-15 minutes, or cook it in an Instant Pot.

Note 3: I prefer grated garlic vs minced, or pressed, because super fine texture of grated garlic mixes into the mixture better, infusing the entire batter.

To freeze these salmon patties, place the unbaked patties onto a baking sheet and place in the freezer until firm. Then, place the frozen salmon cakes in a freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 1 month.

All images and text ©Shinee D. for Sweet & Savory

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