Salmon Fish Cakes With Sweet Potatoes & Peas

These salmon fish cakes with sweet potatoes and peas are on rotation in my kitchen. Great for dinner, lunch or as a quick snack out of the fridge! In this recipe, the salmon patties are pan-fried and served with spiced aioli and celery radish salad but you can pair them with a variety of sauces and side dishes.

Please note that this is an updated recipe (originally published in 2012)! I’ve been making salmon patties for years and the original recipe was slightly different using raw salmon steaks that I partially cooked first. I’ve simplified this dish and started using canned salmon instead. If you want the original recipe, find it as a Google doc here. Recipe by moi, pics by Lindsay Fordham.

My Salmon Fish Cakes

These gorgeous salmon fish cakes or salmon patties are perfect for a nutritious and tasty dinner. They are especially great for someone who is normally quite picky with fish, as the flavour is made more subtle with the use of sweet potato in the mix.

Made with canned salmon, this dish is an affordable way to get healthy Omega-3s in your diet. Plus, it’s one of those handy recipes using pantry and freezer staples so I often make it when I am low on fresh produce.

The radish and celery salad complements the flavours of the fish cakes perfectly and provides a good dose of raw vegetables and fibre. I also love salmon cakes with coleslaw, big garden salad or stir-fried veggies.

This meal is gluten-free and can be made Paleo and Whole30-friendly.

What You Need For Salmon Fish Cakes

Salmon. I usually use canned wild salmon, but I have also made these with tuna and sardines! Think of this recipe as a template, it’s quite forgiving so you can use any canned fish AND you can increase or decrease the amount of fish used.

Sweet potatoes. Pre-cooked sweet potatoes are mashed and used to bulk up the fish cakes batter. They are nutritious and add a little sweetness and reduce the fish flavour (if that’s of importance to you). If you’re not a fan of sweet potatoes, you can use white potatoes instead. 

Peas. Frozen peas that are thawed out in hot water or briefly boiled with sweet potatoes. I often throw them in right at the end.

Other bits. I love the sharpness of finely diced onion in fish cakes. Then it’s the usual salt, and pepper, sometimes I add a little lemon zest or paprika. You can experiment with flavours here.

Thickeners & binders. This recipe uses 1 egg and a little bit of gluten-free flour. For a paleo or Whole30 version, use 1/4 cup almond meal and 1/4 cup tapioca flour or cassava flour, you can also do buckwheat or quinoa flour here. 

How To Make Salmon Fish Cakes

You will find the recipe card with all ingredients, instructions and a nutritional breakdown below. Here are step-by-step photos to guide you along.

Step 1. Add cubed sweet potatoes to a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium and low and cook the potatoes for about 10 minutes, until tender when poked with a fork.

Step 2. At this stage, add the frozen peas to the pot and cook for 1 minute (for the peas to thaw out and cook briefly). Strain and cool down for 5-10 minutes in a sieve. 

Step 3. In the meantime, finely dice radish and celery and combine them with the other salad ingredients. Set aside. 

Step 4. Strain the salmon and remove larger spine bones. You can leave the smaller bones as they will break down and mix through the batter. 

Step 5. Add the cooled-down cooked sweet potatoes and peas to a large mixing bowl and mash with a potato masher or a fork. Only mash to break the potatoes down roughly, it doesn’t have to be very smooth. 

Step 6. Add the salmon (break it into smaller chunks as you add) and follow with the finely diced onions, salt, pepper, lemon zest and 1 whole egg. Use a spoon or even your hands, to combine the fish cake batter until everything is evenly incorporated. 

Step 7. Finally, add the flour and mix through. The mixture consistency should be quite thick and a little denser than without the flour. You should be able to scoop a couple of tablespoons into your hands and gently mould the cakes. I usually eye measure and I think ½ cup should be enough but if it feels like you need a little more, please add and let me know how much you added. Might just be extra 2-3 tablespoons. 

Dust each side lightly with extra flour and set aside on a flour-dusted plate or board. 

Step 8. Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan/skillet over medium-high heat. Once it feels hot, add the fish cakes, leaving a little gap between them. Cook for 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Once cooked, set aside covered to keep warm. 

Step 9. In the meantime, mix the aioli ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.

Serve the fish cakes with the salsa salad and aioli on the side.

Nutrition Notes

This meal is very nutritious, and high in Omega-3s, vitamin D, selenium and B vitamins as well as vitamins and antioxidants.

Salmon Fish Cakes Only: 390 calories, 34 g carbs, 4.5 g dietary fibre, 27 g protein, 15 g fat. The serving size is 2-3 patties depending on how big or small you make them.

Fish Cakes With Salad & Aioli: 580 calories, 42 g carbs, 6.6 g dietary fibre, 29 g protein, 33 g fat. Serving size is 2-3 patties, 1-2 tbsp sauce and 1/4 of the salad.

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More Recipes With Canned Salmon (Or Other Fish)

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Full Recipe & Ingredients

Find the full list of ingredients, instructions and extra cooking notes below. If you have questions or cook this recipe, please let me know in the comments and make sure to rate this recipe so it’s easy for others to find.

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What To Serve Salmon Fish Cakes With

Because these salmon patties are made with sweet potatoes and peas, I find that they don’t need a starchy or carbohydrate-rich side dish. Instead, I make a salad or vegetable side. You can serve some cooked quinoa or rice on the side if you like. My favourite sides with salmon patties are:

Sauces For Salmon Patties

Storing Fish Cakes

Fish cakes can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and can be eaten cold or reheated in a frying pan (to refresh the crust) or a microwave if you want them quickly.

They are also great for freezing for up to 3 months. Thaw out overnight in the fridge and make sure to reheat really well in a pan or oven.

Making Ahead Tips

There are times when you want to make the fish cakes ahead of time but not cook them until dinner time. That often happens to me, too. In this case, I make the mixture and mould the patties, then dust them with a little flour and lay them out on a tray or a platter that can fit in the refrigerator. They can be refrigerated uncooked for 1-2 days, then brought to room temperature and cooked as per instructions.

Freezing Uncooked Fish Cakes

Make the fish cakes as per instructions and dust lightly with flour. Place on a flat tray or platter that fits in the freezer. Pop and freeze for about an hour, until the cakes are firm. Transfer semi-frozen fish cakes to a Ziploc bag or a container and store them for up to 3 months. Thaw out in the fridge overnight, then dust with a little extra flour before cooking and pan-fry as per instructions.