Quick and Easy Salmon Patties

Need a fast, nourishing meal? Grain free, gluten free salmon patties are about as quick as it gets! You can keep the ingredients on hand and have these on the table in under 20 minutes. Perfect for a lunch or dinner, they are also a filling, protein-rich snack.

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Everyone needs a few quick and delicious meal options. Something that is faster than fast food, better for us, and yummier! Even better if these simple meals are also nutrient dense and can be made spur-of-the-moment with pantry staples!

Things happen, meal plans fall apart– or meals don’t get planned– and a last-minute main dish that can be ready in under half an hour can save the day! Fall-back plans are an essential in our house, because of how life goes sometimes.

These gluten free salmon patties are one of those “emergency” sorts of dishes. I rarely plan to make them, but we have them now and then when we need to eat soon and plans have changed for some reason. Often, if the leftovers I thought we would have for lunch aren’t quite enough, I make these to be sure everyone gets filled up.

These salmon patties are packed with protein, beneficial fat, and flavor! You can make them very fast. This is also a great little recipe for kids to help with!

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What’s to Love about Salmon Patties?

• protein– salmon is protein rich
• good fat– salmon is renowned for its healthy fat
• fast–you can stir these together in minutes– keep reading for tips to skip having to chop anything!
• taste– this was the first fish recipe my fish-averse eater came around to
• you can keep all the ingredients in stock and make these on the spur of the moment
• they are good plain, and they are great with toppings– ideas to come below!
• these salmon patties are easy to make without gluten or grains, but they taste normal

Ingredients

salmon— I use a can of wild-caught salmon. Even a good-quality salmon isn’t terribly expensive in canned form, and of course I can easily keep a few in the pantry.

If you prefer to avoid cans, you can use fresh salmon. Poach it in some water on the stove, and flake it with a fork and cool before adding the egg. We don’t want scrambled egg! If you are in a hurry, cut the salmon into smaller pieces before poaching it. You could even prepare several pounds of salmon and freeze them in portions to pull out for this recipe.

egg— I usually use just one egg, but you can use two. The egg is very helpful for holding the flaky fish together, and it adds extra nutrition.

coconut flour— most salmon patty recipe call for bread crumbs, which is fine if you eat bread crumbs! If you don’t do bread at the moment, I find that a bit of coconut flour helps hold things together. The coconut flour will absorb moisture, so let it sit for a couple of minutes and you will find the patties easier to form.

seasonings— this is a mild-flavored recipe, relying on onion, garlic, and dill– but you can change the flavors as you like

cooking fat— you can use whatever you prefer; I like butter or ghee for these, and sometimes use bacon fat, coconut oil, or even beef tallow. Ideally, choose a fat with a high smoke point.

How to Make Salmon Patties

If you are using fresh salmon, set it in a pan with some water (or broth or wine). Heat over medium heat and simmer for a few minutes until it is cooked and you can flake the fish with a fork. Drain the liquid, flake the salmon (include the skin– it is wonderfully nourishing and tends to disappear into the mixture!) in a small mixing bowl. Let it cool a bit so the egg doesn’t cook when you add it!

Assemble all the ingredients except the cooking fat in the bowl with the salmon. Mix them together– I use my hands for this! Give the mixture a couple of minutes for the coconut flour to absorb moisture while you heat the skillet.

Heat the fat in the skillet until it is very hot and a drop of water dripped on it sizzles merrily. The patties will form a crust quickly and hold together best on very hot fat, and they will turn out less greasy if the fat is very hot. You will end up using less fat and having a much easier skillet cleanup with thoroughly- heated fat!

Form the salmon mixture into small patties– no more than 2″ across. You can squeeze the salmon a bit to encourage it into a coherent patty. Keep the patties on the flat side; they cook more evenly and turn more easily if they aren’t very thick.

Add the patties to the hot skillet. Let them cook on the first side until it has a golden crust, then turn and do the same on the other side. This will happen quickly; the fish is cooked, so the egg is the only thing that is actually cooking! Eggs cook fast– maybe 2-3 minutes per side if your skillet is good and hot and the patties are under an inch thick.

Remove patties to a plate and serve warm! You can eat them plain, and we also like them with some sort of sauce.

What to Serve with Salmon Patties

There is nothing to say you can’t use a store bought sauce– tartar sauce or ranch dressing are great! I prefer to make my own with simple ingredients. Both economical and free of weird ingredients I don’t really want! Here are some we have liked:

• tzatziki sauce– into a little Greek yogurt or sour cream, stir a bit of peeled, diced cucumber, a tiny bit of minced garlic, a squeeze of half a lemon, and maybe a bit of dill, pepper, or other herb
• make a quick tartar sauce– like this one
• ranch dressing– make your own or buy one
• other dressings you like also work well– I like honey mustard dressing with ginger on these!
• guacamole– I add a little chili powder and cumin to the salmon patties when I use guacamole
• salsa– a little different, but also good!

Tips for Successful Salmon Patties

• whether you use fresh or canned salmon, make sure it is well flaked and the ingredients are smoothly mixed
• let the mixture rest a minute or two before forming the patties– the moisture will absorb a bit and be easier to work with
• squeeze the patties together a bit before forming them to encourage them to hold together
• if you have trouble, try using two eggs– the mixture will be a lot wetter, but the eggs will bind it as they cook
• make the patties small– not too tall and not too wide– they will be much easier to handle and cook faster
• get your cooking fat very hot, and don’t turn the patties until they are browned! Turn only once.

Adaptations

• I haven’t tried it, but presumably other types of flaky fish could work.
• if you are in a hurry, skip the onion and garlic and use a teaspoon each onion and garlic powder– the patties will still taste great, and may even hold together better without the little chunks
• add other flavors you like– cilantro or other herbs, jalapeño, bell pepper, ginger, Italian seasoning– just not all at once!
• for egg free- try using a flax or chia egg (1 T chia or flax meal mixed with 2-3 T hot water, then let it gel a few minutes)– I have done this and it sort of works, but not great. Make the patties thin and small in diameter, and turn and remove them very carefully and as little as possible! They will be quite fragile. They will, however, become a bit sturdier as they cool.
• for GAPS, you want freshly cooked salmon and freshly ground coconut flour. I admit, I cheated and used canned salmon now and then on GAPS, but you should make your own call on this. Fresh is the proper GAPS way.
• if you want to use bread crumbs, I would try 1/3 to 1/2 cup of whatever bread crumbs you have. Omit the coconut flour, but still allow a minute or two for the bread crumbs to soak up a bit of moisture so the mixture is more cohesive when you form the patties.

That’s it!

It probably took you almost as long to read this as it would to make this recipe! Serve for any meal, or a hearty snack! We often have these with salad or soup, and maybe some fruit, cheese, etc. Rice pilaf, fried or roasted potatoes or sweet potatoes, pasta salad, or many other sides could turn this simple salmon patty recipe into a filling meal!