Baked salmon cakes solve two problems at once: they turn a modest salmon fillet into enough food for a table, and they avoid the splatter of pan-frying fifteen little patties. The mixture is full of softened peppers, celery, onion, capers, and parsley, so these are not dry breadcrumb cakes with a rumor of fish. They do take some cooling time. I once rushed that step and spent several minutes scraping sticky salmon from my palms. Chill the mixture and shaping becomes much easier.

What keeps these cakes tender

The salmon is cooked first, then flaked rather than mashed. Those larger flakes give the cakes a softer center. Mayonnaise and Greek yogurt add moisture, while the beaten egg and egg whites hold everything together. Breadcrumbs absorb extra liquid, but adding more than needed can make the finished cakes firm. The vegetables are cooked for 18 to 20 minutes, which seems long until you remember how much celery and pepper are in the pan. They need to become genuinely soft. Crunchy vegetables can split a delicate cake as you shape it.

Flavor comes from the smaller additions

this …

Red and yellow peppers bring sweetness, and capers provide the briny bite that salmon likes. Old Bay and a small amount of hot sauce season the mixture without making it fiery. Dijon mustard gives it a little edge. Parsley keeps the rich ingredients from tasting heavy.

Fresh or properly thawed frozen salmon both work. Season the fillet before cooking, then let it cool enough to handle. Seasoned breadcrumbs are convenient, including gluten-free crumbs if needed. Because the crumbs, capers, seasoning, and mustard may already contain salt, taste the cooked vegetable mixture before adding the final salt. Do not taste the completed raw mixture because it contains egg.

Shaping and baking without cracks

Cook the salmon in a lightly oiled skillet for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until it flakes easily. Set it aside to cool. In the same pan, cook the onion, celery, peppers, parsley, capers, hot sauce, Old Bay, salt, and pepper over medium-low heat for 18 to 20 minutes. Cool that mixture to room temperature.

Flake the salmon into a large bowl. Fold in the breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, yogurt, mustard, vegetables, egg, and egg whites. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or freeze for 10 minutes. Heat the oven to 400°F and coat a nonstick baking sheet with cooking spray. Shape fifteen scant quarter-cup cakes. A light touch matters here; compacting them hard makes them dense.

Bake for 20 minutes, until golden and cooked through. Store cooled cakes in the refrigerator and reheat them in the oven so the outside firms again. One cake contains 87 calories according to the supplied nutrition information.

These are easy to prepare in stages. Cook the salmon and vegetables earlier in the day, refrigerate them separately, then mix and shape when needed. If the chilled mixture still sticks, dampen your hands lightly instead of packing in extra breadcrumbs. Space the cakes apart on the sheet so hot air reaches their edges. Serve them with the optional avocado cilantro dressing, a squeeze of lemon, or a plain green salad. For leftovers, cool them before covering so condensation does not soften the browned surface.

To freeze them, arrange cooled cakes in a single layer before packing them with parchment between layers. Thaw in the refrigerator, then warm on a baking sheet. This keeps their shape better than reheating from a crowded container.

Print Recipe

Easy

Baked Salmon Cakes

Author: Yas Sine Cooking Method: Baking Cuisine: American Courses: Dinner Recipes Recipe Keys: B Baked M Make-Ahead S Savory

Difficulty: Beginner Prep Time 30 mins Cook Time 50 mins Rest Time 30 mins Total Time 1 hr 50 mins

Cooking Temp: 400  C Servings: 15 Calories: 87

Description

Fresh salmon, softened vegetables, capers, mustard, and breadcrumbs make tender oven-baked salmon cakes.

Ingredients:

Servings

• ¹⁄₂ lb salmon fillet
• cooking spray
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper
• ³⁄₄ cup diced red onion
• 1 ¹⁄₂ cups diced celery
• ¹⁄₂ cup diced red bell pepper
• ¹⁄₂ cup diced yellow bell pepper
• ¹⁄₄ cup parsley
• 1 tbsp capers
• ¹⁄₄ tbsp hot sauce
• 1 ¹⁄₂ tsp Old Bay
• 1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
• 3 tbsp light mayonnaise
• 3 tbsp fat-free Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 large egg
• 3 egg whites.

Instructions

1. Season and cook salmon 4 to 5 minutes per side until it flakes; cool and flake.
2. 
Cook onion, celery, peppers, parsley, capers, hot sauce, Old Bay, salt, and pepper over medium-low heat for 18 to 20 minutes; cool.
3. 
Mix with salmon, crumbs, mayonnaise, yogurt, mustard, egg, and whites.
4. 
Chill 30 minutes.
5. 
Shape 15 cakes.
6. 
Bake on a sprayed sheet at 400°F for 20 minutes..

Note

Nutrition per cake: 87 calories, 8g carbohydrates, 7g protein, 3g fat, 0.5g saturated fat, 297mg sodium, 23mg cholesterol, 1g fiber, 1g sugar.

Keywords: Baked, Savory, Make Ahead