You can enjoy these simple dairy-free salmon cakes on a bun, in a lettuce wrap, in a lunch bowl, or with a salad. They are patty-sized, but you can make them smaller, if preferred. The recipe is made with everyday ingredients that you can find in any store, or even in your pantry!
Dairy-Free Salmon Cakes that Go from Pantry to Table
This recipe for dairy-free salmon cakes was originally brought to us over a decade ago by Olympic. They used to make soy yogurt. Sadly, their soy product line has disappeared, but this healthy dish lives on. We’ve given their recipe an update and added options for various dietary needs. I also have a few quick ingredient notes.
- Salmon – For naturally dairy-free calcium, use canned salmon with bones. The bones are very soft, and mash easily into these dairy-free salmon cakes. If you want to use fresh salmon, cook about 10 ounces of salmon, let cool, and flake into your mixing bowl.
- Bread Crumbs – As always, make sure your bread crumbs are dairy free. Most plain versions at the store are (many seasoned ones contain milk), but it’s also easy to make your own. Simply toast some bread, let it cool, and grind it in your blender or food processor to make very fine crumbs. You can also substitute leftover chips, ground into crumbs.
- Chives – These dairy-free salmon cakes are made with fresh chives. If substituting dried, use about half the amount. You can substitute thinly sliced green onions or scallions (green parts only), if that’s all you have available.
- Lemon Juice – Yes, you can use bottled lemon juice. I won’t tell!
Serving Suggestions
Odds are, you will want to pair these dairy-free salmon cakes with a sauce or dressing. Some of my favorite accompaniments are this Dairy-Free Lemon Dill Dressing, Tartar Sauce (most brands are made without milk), Spicy Remoulade, Dairy-Free Pesto, and Dijon Mustard.
Special Diet Notes: Dairy-Free Salmon Cakes
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, optionally gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, and soy-free.
For egg-free salmon cakes, you can swap vegan mayo for the mayonnaise and use 3 tablespoons aquafaba for the egg.
- 1 (7.5-ounce) can salmon
- 1 cup + ½ cup fine bread crumbs (gluten-free, if needed), divided
- ⅓ cup chopped chives
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon plain unsweetened dairy-free yogurt or more mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice or lime juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 egg, beaten
- Pinch dried or fresh thyme
- Salt, to taste (about ⅛ teaspoon is good)
- Black Pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- Flake the salmon into a mixing bowl along with the juice and bones.
- Add the 1 cup breadcrumbs, chives, mayonnaise, yogurt (if using), lemon or lime juice, and mustard. Mix with a fork until well combined.
- Add the beaten egg, thyme, salt and pepper and stir to combine.
- Place the remaining ½ cup bread crumbs on a plate.
- Shape the salmon mixture into four patties. The mixture will be very soft.
- Coat the patties in the bread crumbs.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the patties for about 5 minutes on each side or until nicely browned.
For More Dairy-Free Dinner Recipes, Get Eat Dairy Free!
