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Healthy Gluten-Free Salmon Patties with Chipotle Lime Sauce

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These healthy salmon patties are baked, not fried, and made with flavorful ingredients for a delicious alternative to crab cakes. It’s a simple seafood recipe your family will love!

They’re served with a homemade chipotle lime sauce that adds a mouthwatering smoky flavor you’ll want to use on everything!

three salmon cakes on a plate with dip

When I made this recipe for the first time, I told my family we had salmon cakes for dinner. When we sat down to eat, they still did not believe it was salmon. My daughter said, “Mom, you mean crab cakes!” because apparently, “they don’t taste fishy at all!”.

Paleo Sweet Potato Salmon Patties

These healthy salmon patties are made with mashed sweet potato instead of breadcrumbs for a paleo and gluten-free option that’s tasty and better for you. 

Mashed sweet potato helps bind the ingredients and gives the salmon patties a soft texture in the center, like crab cakes, without a ton of butter and gluten. 

Before making this canned salmon patties recipe, you’ll want to cook the sweet potato enough so that it’s easy to mash with a fork. 

You can cook the sweet potatoes in a microwave, oven, or slow cooker– I prefer baking since it adds great flavor, and the potato gets super tender.  

Canned Salmon Patties

To make these healthy salmon patties, I use canned salmon. I recommend boneless and skinless canned salmon.

It’s a more convenient and affordable option with the same health benefits as fresh salmon. Each 3-ounce serving of canned salmon provides 19 grams of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, plus the texture makes it easier to mix and shape into patties.

Of course, if you have leftover cooked salmon from a previous meal, use that! You will need about 2 cups of finely flaked or chopped salmon, about 8 ounces.

Healthy Salmon Patties Ingredients

Here’s everything you need to make these

  • canned salmon: easier to use and offers the same amount of protein and healthy omega-3 fatty acids as fresh salmon. 
  • diced onion: bakes into the salmon and sweet potato.  
  • fresh cilantro: adds fresh and citrusy flavor that goes perfect with the chipotle sauce. 
  • sweet potato: a gluten-free and healthier option for breadcrumbs.  
  • eggs: helps bind the ingredients. 
  • homemade chipotle lime sauce: gives the salmon cakes a smoky depth of flavor. You’ll find my recipe below. 
  • Creole seasoning: or your favorite seasoning, to give the salmon cakes a little kick. 
salmon cakes on a plate with lettuce and sauce

How to Make Healthy Salmon Patties

This recipe for healthy salmon patties is easier than making traditional crab cakes since they’re baked in a muffin pan instead of hand-shaped and fried. The muffin pan helps them hold their shape and saves you time since you don’t need to shape each patty. 

Prep-ahead tip: prepare the mixture the night before you plan to cook. Refrigerate overnight in an airtight container or on a plate covered with plastic wrap.

  1. Get the oven ready
    Preheat the oven to 350F and grease or spray a 12-count muffin pan. 
  2. Prepare the sauce
    In a medium bowl, whisk the mayo with chipotle pepper salsa, lime juice, garlic powder, and salt until smooth. 
  3. Make the mixture
    Combine the salmon, chopped onion, and cilantro in a large bowl. Add the mashed sweet potato and gently mash to combine. 
  4. Scoop into the muffin pan
    Add the egg, chipotle mayo sauce, and seasonings to the mixture. Stir to combine and use a large spoon to scoop the mixture into the muffin pan, filling each cup ½ full. 
  5. Bake
    Bake the salmon cakes for 16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven and cool for 5 minutes before removing the cakes and serving. 
  6. Dish up!
    Serve the salmon cakes with the creamy chipotle mayo. 

I also made a quick video to show you how easily these salmon cakes come together: 

How to Keep Salmon Patties from Falling Apart

You can get salmon cakes to stick together using a mayo-based sauce like the chipotle sauce in this recipe. It helps the salmon mixture stay cohesive while cooking and adds incredible flavor.

Another easy way to prevent the cakes from falling apart is using a muffin pan for cooking the salmon patties instead of frying them in a pan. It’s a lighter way to cook the patties, and they’ll bake evenly.

Sauce for Salmon Cakes

I like to serve these salmon cakes with a homemade chipotle sauce. It’s made with mayo, lime juice, adobo sauce, and spices for a creamy and smoky taste. 

You can make this sauce for salmon cakes lighter and use ½ cup plain Greek yogurt and ¼ cup mayonnaise. And don’t throw away the remaining chipotle pepper salsa; you’ll have just enough to make my homemade “street” Tacos! 

How to Serve Salmon Patties with Chipotle Sauce

You can serve these salmon patties over a bed of salad greens topped with the chipotle mayo, or try one of the side dishes below and use the mayo sauce as a dip. Either way, your family is in for a delicious meal that’s satisfying and good for you. 

  • Roasted Sweet Potato Cubes
  • Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
  • Carrot Fries
  • Southwest Quinoa Salad
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Easy Salmon Cakes

salmon cakes on a plate with lettuce and sauce
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★★★★★

4.6 from 21 reviews

Baked in the oven, these healthy salmon patties are flavorful and high in protein. A delicious alternative to crab cakes.

  • Author: Laura Fuentes
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 16 minutes
  • Total Time: 31 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings (3 salmon cakes with 1 tablespoon sauce)
  • Category: Dinner

Ingredients

Chipotle Mayo

  • ⅔ cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons chipotle pepper salsa
  • 2 teaspoons lime juice
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

 

Salmon Cakes

  • 14-ounce can salmon, drained or
    3 5-6 ounce cans
  • ½ small onion, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 large sweet potato, cooked, peeled, and mashed
  • 2 large eggs
  • ⅓ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning, or your favorite

Instructions

To make the Chipotle Mayo:

  1. In a bowl, whisk all the ingredients until smooth. Refrigerate to chill and store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

 

Salmon Cakes: 

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a 12-muffin pan with oil or cooking spray.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the salmon, onions, and cilantro. Add the mashed sweet potato and stir to combine.
  3. Add the eggs, chipotle mayo and creole seasoning. Using a large fork or your hands, mix the ingredients until the salmon is thoroughly combined with the sweet potato.
  4. Fill each greased muffin cup with 2 tablespoons of the salmon sweet potato mixture. Press down with the back of a spoon. 
  5. Bake the salmon cakes for 16 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  6. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer it to a wire rack. Allow the cakes to cool for 5 minutes before removing them from the muffin pan. 
  7. Serve the salmon cakes with the chipotle mayo. 

 

Equipment

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Meal Prep’d

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Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 3 salmon cakes
  • Calories: 472
  • Sugar: 2.7 g
  • Sodium: 661.8 mg
  • Fat: 34.6 g
  • Saturated Fat: 5.9 g
  • Trans Fat: 0.1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 11.1 g
  • Fiber: 1.7 g
  • Protein: 26.5 g
  • Cholesterol: 159 mg

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @MOMables on Instagram and hashtag it #momables

More Seafood

  • Easy Cajun Salmon Pasta
  • Sheet Pan Baked Salmon and Potatoes
  • Air Fryer Fish Sticks 
  • Seared Cajun Salmon

Reader Interactions

Comments

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    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  1. Vee

    October 06, 2022 at 1:17 pm

    I made this pretty much as directed. I did not have cilantro, so substituted fresh parsley and time as I like these flavors and also included a little of my favorite seasoned pepper blend. They turned out delicious and felt like I was eating a delicacy. Will make this again with cilantro.

    Reply
    • Laura Fuentes

      October 10, 2022 at 4:24 pm

      Thank you for sharing how much you enjoyed these salmon patties!

      Reply
  2. Jenna Marie

    March 19, 2022 at 9:54 pm

    I made these canned salmon patties tonight. they were super easy and turned out very flavorful! I used a flavored mayo from the store and it worked great!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Laura Fuentes

      March 24, 2022 at 5:16 pm

      Glad these were a hit, Jenna!

      Reply
  3. Mrs. Q

    August 24, 2016 at 5:08 am

    How can I prepare this without an oven? I have fresh wild caught salmon, the same procedure?

    Reply
    • Laura Fuentes

      August 24, 2016 at 5:17 pm

      If you have fresh wild caught salmon, I would suggest this recipe: https://www.laurafuentes.com/honey-salmon-baked-in-foil/ you can pan grill it. The salmon cakes require baking.

      Reply
      • Mrs. Q

        August 29, 2016 at 10:10 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
  4. Janel

    November 22, 2015 at 1:25 pm

    Chicken salad (leftover from another meal of course).

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  5. Marie

    November 21, 2015 at 9:38 pm

    We’ve always been more of a Miracle Whip family, and use(d) it mostly in coleslaw, however the youngest is allergic to eggs, among many other things, and that’s not an option. We do have a jar of Just Mayo. Haven’t opened it yet.

    The only think I do not like about their products is that they have two lines of Just Mayo, though most don’t realize it. One without preservatives and one with. It seems they made the one with preservatives for the “low end” stores (Walmart, Dollar General, etc.). I don’t think anyone should be eating preservatives, so that’s a little disappointing.

    Reply
  6. Dee Schwark

    November 21, 2015 at 7:08 pm

    We love flavoured mayo on just about everything….from sandwiches, dressing a salad, for dipping and also for we slather it on chicken breasts and bake in oven for the most tender and tasty chicken breasts ever!

    Reply
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