Try something a little different today…Salmon Cakes with Lemon Crema! These delicious little cakes are a unique twist on the traditional crab cake recipe. You can use canned salmon, preferably boneless, making this a great way to use up pantry staples.

All About Salmon Cakes

Combine cornmeal, mayonnaise, egg, chives, lemon zest, salt, and pepper in a bowl and whisk together until well combined.  Add salmon and bell pepper and mix until well combined.

Next, shape the mixture into 8 patties.  You have the option to coat the outside of the salmon cakes with some extra cornmeal or breadcrumbs if you want.  Cook half the cakes over medium-high heat until the bottoms are golden brown, 4-5 minutes.  Adjust the heat to medium of the bottoms start to burn!  Flip the cakes and cook until the other side is golden brown, an additional 4-5 minutes.  Repeat with the rest of the salmon cakes.

Next, make the lemon crema by mixing together the yogurt and lemon juice.  Top the salmon cakes with a sprinkling of chives or other herbs and serve with crema on the side!

Salmon Nutrition

Salmon is a good source of high-quality protein.  The amino acids in protein are the building block of our bones, muscle, skin, blood, and cartilage.  One 4oz serving of salmon provides 23 grams of protein!

Salmon also provides the omega 3 fatty acids, DHA and EPA.  Omega 3 fatty acids are essential, meaning you must get them from food since your body can’t make them itself.  Omega 3s decrease inflammation, help lower blood pressure, and may help lower the risk of cardiovascular disease.  Salmon also supplies our bodies with a great source of B vitamins which are important for energy production!

There is vast research on the health benefits of eating fish.  Both the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the American Heart Association recommend that we eat fish twice a week.  Many individuals do not follow this advice, often because they believe they do not know how to cook fish.  My Salmon Cakes are a simple way to increase your fish consumption!

Canned or Fresh?

Both canned and fresh salmon are nutritious choices.  The USDA found that fresh and canned fish have similar amounts of omega 3 fatty acids, and both are good sources of protein.  If you get canned salmon with bones, you also get some extra calcium!  You can get wild salmon in canned form as well, which some research suggests has less mercury than farmed salmon.  Compared to fresh salmon, canned salmon is much more affordable, making these Salmon Cakes a delicious and affordable meal for your family!

Tips

Not in the mood for salmon?  Easily swap crab into this recipe to make some delicious crab cakes!  You can also swap out the lemon in the crema for lime if you want to switch it up.

Similar Pages

Looking for more seafood recipes?  Check out my Tuna Salad with Yogurt, Fish en Papillote, and my Easy Crab Salad with Endive.

References

“Fish: Friend or Foe?” The Nutrition Source, 22 May 2019, www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/fish/.

“Is Canned Fish As Good for You as Fresh Fish? – Consumer Reports.” Consumer Reports, 11 May 2015, www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2015/05/is-canned-fish-as-good-for-you-as-fresh-fish/index.htm.

Salmon Cakes with Lemon Crema

4.60 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Keyword: fish, salmon, seafood

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Author: Chef Abbie Gellman RD

Ingredients

• ¼ Cup Cornmeal or Dried Whole Wheat Bread crumbs
• ¼ Cup Mayonnaise
• 1 Large Egg beaten
• 2 Tablespoons Fresh Chives Chopped
• NOTE: Other herbs and seasonings can work well here such as parsley, dill, or shallots
• 1 Small Lemon zested and juiced, divided
• Note: Reserve lemon juice for crema
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• Two 5 or 6 ounce Cans Boneless/Skinless Salmon, drained and finely flaked
• Note: Look for no salt added
• ½ Small Red Bell Pepper cut into ¼-inch dice, about ⅓ cup
• 2 Tablespoons Organic Canola Oil or Extra Virgin Olive Oil divided
• 1 Cup Plain Greek Yogurt

Instructions

• Place the cornmeal, mayonnaise, egg, chives, lemon zest, salt, and pepper in a bowl and whisk together until well combined. Add salmon and bell pepper, and mix until well combined.
• Shape the mixture into 8 patties. OPTIONAL: Coat the outside of the patties with extra cornmeal/breadcrumbs.
• Heat half the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook half the cakes until the bottoms are golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Adjust heat to medium if the bottoms start to burn. Flip the cakes and cook until golden brown, an additional 4 to 5 minutes. Repeat with remaining oil and cakes.
• Make the lemon crema by mixing together the yogurt and lemon juice. Top the salmon cakes with a sprinkling of chives or other herbs and serve with crema on the side.

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