We’ve already got a recipe for salmon cakes that you cook in a skillet. You can also bake them, which saves you the trouble of standing over the skillet and flipping them. It also reduces the fat content slightly, if that’s a concern for you.
Baked salmon cakes have a texture that’s crunchier on the outside and softer on the inside. They feel lighter and less dense than the skillet version.
You might wonder if baking would make them drier. The answer is yes – very slightly. But not so you’d notice unless you’re used to the fried version. And certainly not in a way that will have you grabbing for a beverage to wash them down.
That said, if you’re making these to freeze so you can pull them out for meals as needed, freezing can dry them out more. So the fried version might be preferred if that’s what you’re doing.
The preparation for this one is very much like the fried version, so if you need more information, just click over to the fried salmon cakes recipe. Using canned salmon with as much omega-3 fat as possible makes this dish very nutritious.
If you’re thinking baking reduces the saturated fat involved in skillet frying salmon cakes, you’re right – depending how you cook them. We recommend skillet frying them in butter for the flavor, but you can also skillet fry them in olive oil.
When you bake them, we also recommend brushing butter over them first – again for the flavor and to get the outside nice and crispy. You can mix butter with olive oil instead. Or use margarine.
With either recipe, the amount of butter that will actually end up in the salmon patties is pretty small. Salmon is all about good fats – it’s full of omega 3s, which most of us don’t get nearly enough of.
So if you want to cut the saturated fat, substitute your preferred oil or fat for butter. But if you want flavor with negligible saturated fat, we recommend a good, tasty butter.
Easy Baked Salmon Cakes Recipe
This recipe for baked salmon cakes is easier to make than the fried version. The taste is the same, but the texture is softer on the inside and still crispy on the outside. Best of all, you don't have to stand there flipping them or clean a skillet at the end.
Ingredients
- 12-15 oz canned Pink Salmon
- 1 egg, slightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons onion, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons red or green bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Canola Oil Spray (for foil on cookie sheet)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400.
- Put your canned salmon into a mixing bowl.
- Add the egg, onion, pepper and breadcrumbs. Knead it all together with your hands.
- Divide it into 6 portions and form patties.
- Line a cookie pan with tin foil and spray it lightly with canola oil spray.
- Place the 6 salmon cake patties in the cookie pan.
- Brush them with butter on top to help them brown.
- Put the cookie pan into the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.