Easy Canned Salmon Patties with Herbs (Gluten Free)

These canned salmon patties are a staple in our house year-round, but especially in the summer. Even if you love to cook, sometimes you don’t have the time, energy, or a full refrigerator. Having a batch of these delicious salmon patties ready to go makes it easy to prepare a simple meal quickly.

Fantastic for lunch or dinner, these canned salmon patties are a healthy protein option when you want to eat light, but stay full. With lots of protein and beneficial fats, you’ll remain satisfied for hours. These patties can be kept chilled in the refrigerator for up to three days, or frozen for up to two months.

Gluten-Free Salmon Patties

Most canned salmon patty recipes aren’t gluten-free. They call for breadcrumbs or wheat flour as a binder. These ingredients cause inflammation for those who are sensitive, in addition to raising blood glucose levels.  

I’ve adapted this canned salmon patty recipe to be gluten-free and it’s just as delicious. Best of all, it’s easy, relatively quick, and chock full of macro and micronutrients to keep blood glucose levels balanced, while remaining convenient for modern life. The fresh herbs make them incredibly tasty. 

Make these salmon patties in batches of about a dozen or so to freeze. Reheat 2-3 in the oven to throw on a fresh salad or pair with warmed leftover veggies when you’re short on time. 

Health Benefits of Canned Salmon Patties

Salmon: 

Sustainably fished, wild-caught salmon is an excellent source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s are an essential nutrient–we need them to live. Unfortunately, they are severely lacking in the Standard American Diet (better known as S.A.D). They offer numerous health benefits, such as improved heart, skin and brain function. They are also anti-inflammatory.  

 

Herbs: 

The culinary herbs in this canned salmon patty recipe include parsley, dill and summer savory. These herbs are all rich in antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory properties. They can help to support the immune system and improve digestion. Parsley also helps to protect against viruses, fungi and bacterial infections. 

 

Almond Flour: 

Almond flour is a great alternative to traditional wheat flour as it is gluten-free and has a low glycemic index. It’s also high in protein, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated (i.e.: healthy) fats, and fiber, making it a well-rounded, nutritious choice for gluten-free recipes if you know how to work with it. 

 

Avocado Oil Mayo: 

Traditional mayonnaise is made with highly processed genetically modified soybean oil or canola oil. Both of those oils are processed using toxic chemicals and are highly inflammatory. Avocado oil is much cleaner and can withstand higher temperatures, so it’s safe to put in the oven for this recipe. 

The combination of protein and healthy fats in this canned salmon patty recipe yields a delicious and nutritious meal. You’ll feel satisfied and stay full longer while providing your body with a range of health benefits. 

 

Ingredients for Easy Canned Salmon Patties

Pantry Ingredients:

Canned Salmon – You’ll need two 5oz cans. I prefer the Safe Catch brand since they test for Mercury. You can make this recipe with salmon steaks, and break them up with a fork, but it takes longer. 

Fine Sea Salt – 1 teaspoon is plenty. Redmond’s Real Salt is great. 

Fresh Black Pepper – 10 cranks from your pepper mill will do the trick.  

Fine Almond Flour – You’ll need 2/3 cups. I have used both the Bob’s Red Mill brand as well as the Thrive Market brand, and they both work well. Bob’s is a little finer. 

Summer Savory – You’ll need 1 teaspoon of dried summer savory. Savory is an herb in the mint family. It has a bright, slightly peppery flavor and is a staple in Herbs de Provence blends.  

Tapioca Flour – 1 tablespoon of tapioca flour helps bind the ingredients together since this recipe is gluten-free. You can use arrowroot flour instead of tapioca flour, but I haven’t tested it yet.  

Fresh Ingredients:

Celery – 1 large celery stalk adds subtle flavor and crunch to these salmon patties. Dicing them helps the patties to maintain their shape better. Celery often shows up on the EWG’s Dirty Dozen list, so organic is preferred. Fatter, lighter stalks have a more delicate flavor than thin, darker green stalks. 

Shallot – 1 large shallot (or two if they’re smaller) diced, will give your salmon patties more flavor without being overwhelming. If you don’t have a shallot handy, any diced onion will work, but make sure you only use about 2 tablespoons to keep them from overpowering the other ingredients.

Garlic Aioli – 1/3 cup of Primal Kitchen Garlic Aioli saves time in this recipe. If you don’t have any, you can use another plain avocado oil mayonnaise, but you’ll want to add about 2 teaspoons of minced fresh garlic for flavor.  

Pastured Egg – Organic, pasture-raised eggs are more nutritious than conventional eggs, and they support healthier and more humane, environmentally friendly agricultural practices. One egg whisked is all you’ll need. 

Fresh Lemon Juice – Fresh lemon juice adds just enough acidity to these canned salmon patties to balance the bitterness of the salmon. I aim for the juice of about half a lemon, but this doesn’t have to be a precise measurement. Remember to remove any seeds so they don’t find their way into the mixture. 

Dill – If you have fresh dill, chop up 2-3 tablespoons (I don’t think you can really overdo it in this recipe). 1 tablespoon of dried dill will work just as well if you don’t have fresh. 

Flat-leafed or Italian Parsley – Parsley pairs especially well with the dill, savory and lemon in this recipe. It adds a fresh flavor and additional micronutrients. ¼ cup of fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped is plenty, but if you don’t have any you can leave it out. 

 

Where to Shop for the Best Ingredients

I source many of the ingredients in this recipe from Thrive Market, an online grocery store with high quality products at great prices. You can find the canned salmon, sea salt, almond flour, tapioca flour and garlic aioli that I use in this recipe on Thrive. I place one large order a month, and always save enough to pay for the cost of the membership in 1-2 orders. If you want to give them a try, enjoy 40% off your first box with my partner link.

 

How to Make Canned Salmon Patties

1. Heat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Use the unbleached kind to minimize the chance of toxin exposure to your body and the planet.
3. Add the canned salmon (and the juice!) to a large mixing bowl. Make sure to retain the juice to maximize the omega-3 fatty acids. It helps to break up the salmon chunks with a fork so all the healthy fats can be absorbed into the fish.
4. Add the remaining ingredients to the salmon and mix well with the fork until well combined.
5. Scoop a heaping tablespoon of the salmon patty mixture into your palm and form into 1 ½ – 2-inch patties. Place on the parchment-lined sheet pan. 
6. Bake for 18 minutes, then flip them with a metal or silicone spatula and bake for 10-12 more minutes until crisp and lightly golden. Once the internal temperature is 165º, they’re safe to eat.
7. Eat 2-3 right away for your next meal while you let the rest fully cool before storing them in an airtight freezer-safe container. (See tip below) 

NOTE: 

If you plan to freeze and reheat these salmon patties in the oven later, make sure not to overcook them or they’ll be very overdone once reheated.  Additionally, they can be kept chilled in the refrigerator for up to three days if you prefer them cold. 

Reheating & Storage Tips

I’ve been making these canned salmon patties in batches for several years. Here are a few tricks for storing and reheating them to make the process easier.  

Storage: 

Avoid plastic food containers when you can. Plastic is full of hormone disrupting chemicals that are toxic to our bodies and the planet.  

Large Zip Top silicone cups are great for storing them in the freezer. To keep them from sticking together (so you can easily remove 2-3 at a time to reheat), cut a strip of the used parchment paper into small 1 ½ inch squares and put a piece between each patty as you stack them in the container. They don’t have to be perfectly shaped pieces, just enough to create a barrier between each patty. This makes them much easier to separate once frozen. 

Reheating: 

These salmon patties can be reheated in a conventional oven quickly. Set the oven to 400 degrees and place the frozen patties on a small piece of unbleached parchment paper on a baking sheet for about 10-15 minutes until they’re warm all the way through.  

To reduce waste, reheat using the parchment paper you originally used to line the sheet pan. Simply wipe it off with a paper towel and cut it into 4” x 8” pieces. I keep the pieces in a drawer with my silicone food storage containers.

 

Serving Suggestions 

What’s great about having a separate protein like these salmon patties, is that they can be reheated alone and paired with just about anything.

Here are some ideas:

• Pair them with leftover green beans and brown rice for a simple dinner.
• Crumble them up and mix with scrambled eggs for a high-protein breakfast.
• Eat them plain after pilates for a recovery snack.
• Try them on my Healthy Mediterranean Salad.

 Let me know your favorite way to eat them in the comments below!

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