Delicious and super easy salmon cakes or salmon patties made with fresh salmon and spinach. Perfect for a quick and easy weeknight dinner or for a healthy lunch. They're ready in less than half hour and they're so flavorful!
We love salmon but I was tired of cooking it in the same simple way in the pan, I wanted to make something different. I often make fish cakes with cod or vegetarian patties with eggplant or zucchini. So I decided to make salmon cakes.
I love the combination of salmon and spinach and that's why I decided to add spinach to the mix the result was absolutely delicious!
Try also these other delicious salmon recipes like this Smoked Salmon and Avocado Tartare, or these Smoked Salmon Ravioli.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
- Salmon. You can use either fresh or frozen (thawed) salmon for this recipe. But you can also use any other fish, like Cod, Tilapia, Sea Bass, Pangasius, and more.
- Spinach. Also for spinach, you can either use frozen or fresh. Use enough to get about ⅓ cup of cooked and squeezed spinach. You can also substitute spinach with other veggies like kale, broccoli, potatoes, and more.
- Mustard. I love the addition of mustard, it pairs so well with both salmon and spinach. I prefer Dijon mustard but you can use the one you prefer or omit it altogether.
- Paprika. Paprika is also a perfect spice to pair with salmon. You can use either sweet, smoked, or spicy paprika, as you prefer.
- Breadcrumbs. I prefer to use finely ground breadcrumbs as they are more uniform and give the best consistency.
How to make Spinach Salmon Cakes
My trick to making easy salmon cakes is to add all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until all the ingredients are minced. Do not overwork it or you'll lose the texture. You want to keep some chunks of fish but not too big or the patties will fall apart.
Chop the fresh salmon in large chunks and them in the food processor together with the cooked spinach, egg, parsley, garlic, and mustard. Pulse a few times until the salmon and spinach are minced. Then add the salt, paprika, black pepper, and breadcrumbs.
Pulse a couple more times to mix all the ingredients, then with a tablespoon scoop the mince out and shape it into patties with your hands. Fry in a pan drizzled with olive oil and serve.
How to Serve Salmon Cakes
These patties are already flavorful and fantastic on their own, so the best way to serve them in my opinion is with a fresh salad and a nice dipping sauce on the side. I chose to serve them with a simple aioli sauce, but you could also make a nice Basil Lime Mayo or any sauce you like with fish.
They also work great in a burger so you can make them a little bigger and serve them with soft buns and fresh coleslaw, salad, and onions.
Variations
- Spicy. Use spicy paprika or add some extra chili pepper flakes to the salmon to make the patties spicier.
- Baked. If you want to make them healthier, bake them in the oven at 425°F (220° C) for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown, flipping them after 10 minutes. Or in the air fryer at high heat for about 8 minutes.
- Packed with veggies. You can add other veggies to the spinach, like broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes, or kale.
- Chili-Lime. A nice twist is to add some spicy paprika and chili pepper flakes to the salmon, then squeeze the juice of a lime on top of the cooked patties just before serving.
Storage
You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a skillet before serving.
If you use fresh fish, you can freeze the salmon cakes even raw and keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before frying. If instead, you use frozen salmon to make the patties, you cannot re-freeze it raw, so you need to cook them first, let them cool and then freeze them in a container or freezer bag.
FAQ & Tips
Yes of course use can use canned salmon as well, although keep in mind that fresh salmon is much more flavorful. Make sure you drain the canned fish as much as possible before you mix it with the other ingredients.
Yes, I often make cod cakes as well so you can use any fresh fish filet you have available, like Tilapia, Sea Bass, Pangasius, and more.
If you use fresh fish, you can freeze the salmon cakes even raw and keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before frying. If instead, you use frozen salmon to make the patties, you cannot re-freeze it raw, so you need to cook them first, let them cool and then freeze them in a container or freezer bag.
Related recipes you might like
If you like this recipe, try also these other seafood recipes:
📖 RECIPE
Spinach Salmon Cakes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 9 oz Salmon fillet, fresh
- ⅓ cup cooked Spinach
- 1 Egg
- ½ teaspoon Mustard
- ¼ teaspoon Paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ⅓ cup Breadcrumbs
- Black Pepper
- Parsley
- 1 Garlic clove, minced
- Olive Oil
Instructions
- Cook the spinach (either fresh or frozen) in a pan with olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Let it cool completely then squeeze out all the water.
- Chop the salmon fillet in large chunks and add them to a food processor with the cooked spinach, egg, parsley, garlic, and mustard.
- Pulse a few times until the salmon and spinach are minced. Then add the salt, paprika, black pepper, and breadcrumbs.
- Pulse a couple more times to mix all the ingredients, then remove the blades and with a tablespoon scoop the mince out and shape into patties with your hands.
- In a large pan drizzle some olive oil, then cook the salmon cakes until they’re golden brown, flip and cook the other side as well.
- Serve immediately with a fresh salad and garlic aioli or mayo on the side.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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