Healthy Gluten-Free Salmon Patties with Chipotle Lime Sauce

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!

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. 

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. 

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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