Keto Salmon Patties
Keto salmon patties with canned salmon, almond flour and parmesan, pan-fried crisp and served with a quick lemon dill sauce, 33 g protein and 3 g net carbs per serving.
Some dinners start with a plan, and some start with a can in the back of the pantry. These keto salmon patties are the second kind. Two cans of salmon, a couple of eggs, a little almond flour, and twenty-five minutes later there’s a plate of crisp golden patties on the table.
I make them on the nights when I haven’t thawed a thing and the kids are already asking what’s for dinner. The salmon is cooked already, so the pan only has two jobs: crisp the outside and heat the middle through. The first batch usually goes into the mouths of the people who were told to wait for the sauce.
Where salmon patties come from
Salmon patties, or salmon cakes if that’s what you grew up calling them, are a pantry-shelf supper. In a lot of American homes, a can of salmon sat next to the canned beans for exactly this reason: it keeps for ages, it needs no cutting board, and one can stretches into a meal for the whole table. Crushed crackers or breadcrumbs usually did the stretching, mixed in with an egg, fried in a skillet, and put on the plate with something green.
That plan is a good one, and I only changed the crumbs. Almond flour and a little grated parmesan take over the binding job, and the patties come out with a crisp crust and a tender middle.
Why these keto salmon cakes work
Canned salmon does most of the work for you. It’s soft, already cooked, and packed with protein. The FDA lists salmon as one of its best-choice fish, so a can on the shelf is an easy way to get fish on the table more often.
The trick with keto salmon patties with canned salmon is moisture. Drain the cans well, press the salmon against the sieve with a fork, and flake it with your fingers. If the mixture looks wet, stir in more almond flour by the spoonful until it holds a ball in your hand. A wet mix is the number one reason patties fall apart in the pan. A bit of yellow mustard and lemon juice in the bowl keeps the flavor bright, and green onion and parsley give it some freshness.
I fry them in avocado oil over medium heat, about three or four minutes a side, and I don’t crowd the pan. Crowded patties steam instead of crisping. They’re done when they’re deep golden and hot in the middle. The fish is already cooked, but I still check that they’ve reached the USDA safe minimum of 145°F with a thermometer, because the eggs in the mix need to be cooked through too.
At our table
In my house, anything crispy and dunkable disappears. The lemon dill sauce is what turns this from a quick pantry dinner into something the kids ask for by name. It’s just mayonnaise, a spoon of sour cream, lemon juice and fresh dill, stirred in a bowl while the patties fry.
January is when I lean on these. After the holiday food, people want something lighter that still sticks with them, and a plate of salmon patties with a big green salad does it. They also work on a busy December night when the oven is full of something else. If you’re building a bigger menu, my baked salmon in foil is the next salmon dinner I’d make, and a side of low carb creamed spinach turns these patties into a proper holiday-week plate.
In numbers, these are high protein salmon patties in the plainest way. Each serving, two patties plus the sauce, has 33 grams of protein and 3 grams of net carbs (4 grams total carbs minus 1 gram of fiber). The numbers come from USDA FoodData Central, and they include the oil for frying and the sauce. That makes it a real dinner, not a snack, and it lands well inside what I’d call keto for a main.
There’s no bread, no cracker crumbs, no flour from wheat. The almond flour and parmesan make a binder with real flavor of its own, so you don’t miss what’s gone.
Swaps, make ahead and storing
If you’re short an ingredient, these work:
No almond flour: use finely ground flaxseed meal, a little at a time, and expect a slightly denser patty.
No parmesan: use extra almond flour and add a pinch more salt.
No sour cream in the sauce: use all mayonnaise, or plain Greek yogurt.
Fresh dill out of season: use half a teaspoon of dried dill in the sauce.
You can mix and shape the patties up to a day ahead and keep them covered in the fridge until you’re ready to fry. Cooked patties keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days in a covered container. For the best crunch, reheat them in a hot skillet or a 350°F oven or air fryer rather than the microwave, and bring them to 165°F, the USDA number for leftovers. For the freezer, freeze cooked patties on a tray, then bag them, and plan to eat them within 2 to 3 months.
Questions I get
Can I use fresh salmon instead of canned?
You can. Cook it first, flake it, let it cool, and use about the same weight. Canned salmon is wetter and saltier, so you may need a little less salt.
Why are my salmon cakes falling apart?
Usually too much liquid. Drain the cans well, add another spoonful of almond flour, and let the shaped patties sit for ten minutes before they hit the pan. Flip them only once.
Are these keto salmon cakes good cold?
They are. Leftovers are good over a salad the next day.
Serve them with the lemon dill sauce, a pile of greens, and a lemon wedge on the side. Someone will ask for seconds before you’ve sat down.
Crockpot & Slow Cooker
Crockpot & Slow Cooker
Crockpot & Slow Cooker
