Mexican Style Salmon Cakes with Garlic-Herb Creme Fraiche
Canned salmon is humble, real food at it’s finest. So it is nice to have a little variety and add a little something special to this simple pantry food.
That is why I have reworked my Italian style salmon cakes with lemon-caper butter to produce a Mexican flavored dish that uses much of the same ingredients, while providing that much needed variety.
Using fresh herbs from my herb pots and spring onions from the farmer’s market adds freshness to these spicy and tangy little treats. The garlic & herb cultured cream on top is a wonderful contrast to the spiciness of the salmon.
Paired with a fresh salad, this dish will grace our table many times during the long, hot summer days to come. Don’t forget the lemonade!
Mexican Style Salmon Cakes
Recipe Notes:
Here is a tip for mincing garlic in a hurry: if you are using a garlic press then there is no need to smash or peel the garlic clove. The skin will remain in the press and the flesh of the garlic will be pressed through. You will, however, end up with a little less garlic per clove, so adjust accordingly.
This recipe is for a grain-free salmon cakes, but if you can eat grains you could replace the coconut flour with 1/4-1/2 cup breadcrumbs.
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 medium onion, minced or 1 large spring onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (or 1 tablespoon dried)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- juice of 1 lime, ~1-2 tablespoons
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 (14.5 oz) cans of wild salmon, drained
- 3 tablespoons of coconut flour or psyllium husks
- 2-3 tablespoons of butter for frying
Directions
- In a medium bowl beat the eggs. Add the onion, garlic, cilantro, sea salt, lime juice, red pepper flakes and cumin. Mix thoroughly.
- Add the salmon to the egg mixture. Don’t fret about bones – they add calcium and you won’t notice them. Mash the salmon and bones with the back of your fork and mix thoroughly with the egg mixture.
- Add coconut flour or psyllium husks and mix thoroughly. While the coconut flour or psyllium absorbs the liquid, heat up a skillet over medium low heat. If after a few minutes you find the salmon mixture too moist, add more coconut flour or psyllium husks, one teaspoon at a time.
- Once the skillet is hot and your salmon mixture is dry enough to for into patties, add butter to the skillet. Fry the patties on one side, without moving them, for 5-7 minutes. When the patties are easily removed from the skillet and a deep golden brown color, flip them over. and cook for another 5 minutes or so.
While the salmon cakes are cooking, prepare the garlic-herb creme fraiche.
Garlic-Herb Creme Fraiche
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup creme fraiche or sour cream
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- ~ 1 tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro and/or parsley
- 1/2 tablespoon lime juice
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon dried dill
Directions
- Mix all ingredients well and chill for at least 15 minutes to allow flavors to blend.
- Dollop on top of salmon cakes to serve.
This post is a contribution to works for me Wednesday.
Mmm! Those salmon cakes look SO good! I absolutely LOVE garlic. I just finished pressing a bunch into some black bean burgers I’m making. A garlic press is a fabulous tool to have:)
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Wow! Looks yummy. I always keep canned salmon on hand. I’ll be trying this one this week.
Thanks!
Looks sinfully delish with the creme fraiche and what a great way to get psyllium husks into your diet. I’m also going to check out your recipe for salmon cakes with lemon-caper butter. Mmmmmm.
I have a garlic press and use it all the time. One thing I like to do to save few pennies is to throw the peels in a bag in the freezer along with onion, celery & carrot scraps that I use to make my chicken stock. That way nothing goes to waste!
I was going to make salmon cakes this week anyway….now I’ll try the mexican flare….it is more our taste anyway.
Love your stuff!!!
Wow! Thanks so much for this recipe. I have some canned salmon that I didn’t know what to do with. This looks AMAZING!!!!!
These look fantastic! I’ve never used coconut flour. does it give a tropical flavor?
I made these today. They were a hit. Thanks!
I’ve bookmarked this for the future. Normally, I only like salmon the way my husband prepares it — with minimal salt, pepper, and lime. It’s so simple, that his technique is perfect.
However, your salmon recipe looks worth a try! Thanks.
These were very tasty! I had to add a bit more coconut flour (and they were still very fragile) and i fried in grapeseed oil, but other than that, I think I followed the recipe.
I ate mine with a peach-mango-tomato salsa, as we try to avoid dairy; my husband ate his with honey mustard (yeah…go figure).
We will definitely be making this again…we have lots of canned red wild salmon because it is so cheap and stays well in the pantry!
Mmmm! I love anything with cumin – I bet this would be a huge improvement on the basic salmon patties I serve. The sour cream mixture is definitely one to try, too!
Wow!! I just had these for diner and they were DELICIOUS!!!! Definitely making these again.
I made these tonight – delicious! Nothing like the “salmon patties” Mom used to make. The garlic-herb creme fraiche is wonderful; I can envision using it in other recipes.
Thanks for the recipe!
I made these tonight for my family. I both salmon and tuna cakes but didn’t drain the cans as I wanted to keep the fish oils. They were both delicious! Thanks for an awesome recipe.
These were awesome! These are definitely the best salmon cakes I have ever eaten, Next time I will drain the salmon on paper towels and us a bit less salt…and maybe fry in a butter/oil mixture…
thank you for this recipe!