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These mini baked salmon patties with canned salmon are packed with vegetables and full of flavor! They are made without eggs and are a delicious way to boost brain health for babies and kids.
I wasn’t exactly sure what to call these – salmon patties, cakes, or bites. They are the perfect size for baby led weaning and toddlers! Enjoy as a snack, meal, or add to school lunch boxes. They freeze beautifully too!
You should also try these salmon quiche and salmon balls next ;).
Ingredients
Salmon: Wild caught Alaskan salmon has been shown to be the best option. Choose “no salt added” or “low sodium.” Also, look for BPA-free lining.
You may find small bones, which you don’t need to go through the trouble of removing. They are edible and will provide a boost of calcium.
Vegetables: You can use whatever you have on hand. I personally like to use the three included here. You don’t have to be super exact with the amounts either. Just as long as you get 1 cup total you’ll be fine.
Seasonings: Again, feel free to swap out with whatever you prefer. However, I highly encourage you to try with smoked paprika! It adds a subtle smoky flavor that is just so good!
Panko: you can also use breadcrumbs.
Ground flaxseeds : you can swap with 1 egg if there’s no allergy. Here’s everything you need to know about serving nuts and seeds to your baby!
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Finely chop the vegetables
- Cook until softened.
- Add all the ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Combine until well-incorporated.
- Shape into firm balls then flatten slightly using your palms.
Time-saving tips
Prepping the vegetables is the most time-consuming part. I love using my mini manual food chopper for small tasks like this. While you can chop all the different vegetables together, I like to do them separately so you don’t over pulse Otherwise, they will get too mushy.
While you are at it, I recommend that you chop extra to enjoy throughout the week. Add them to:
Tips for preventing salmon cakes from falling apart
- Due to the variation in moisture content of canned goods, your cakes might not hold together well. If so, first try adding a bit more breadcrumbs. If that doesn’t work, add another flax egg, although I’ve never had to do this.
- Remove extra moisture: Pat the salmon dry after rinsing. COOK the veggies! Raw vegetables hold a lot of water, which will get released during cooking. It will also add more flavor so definitely don’t skip this step!
- Shape the mixture FIRMLY into balls first then flatten slightly between your palms.
Mango yogurt sauce
While these patties are delicious on their own, serving them alongside a dip/sauce can make them more approachable to kids.
You can blend the mango until completely smooth (here’s how to make homemade mango puree)or leave it slightly chunky. I prefer the latter for added texture exposure. Just like with vegetables, puree a whole mango and enjoy throughout the week in different ways.
Salmon Cakes for baby
For 6-8 month old baby:
Start with just 2-3 pieces of food. Seeing too much food on their plate can be overwhelming for babies. You can preload the mango sauce onto a spoon and lay it directly on the tray for your baby to pick up or hand it to them. I absolutely LOVE this spoon. It’s just the perfect design for tiny, clumsy hands.
This plate is pretty awesome too! It’s attached to the most powerful suction and is super spacious, allowing plenty of space for exploration!
Is your baby 6 months old and up?
Learn all the secrets to starting solids safely while optimizing nutrition!
For 9-12 month old baby:
Once their pincer grasp develops, you can cut the salmon cakes into bite-sized pieces. But you don’t have to. Serving the cake whole will be good practice for taking bites.
Related: How to serve the right food size and texture
Frequently Asked Questions
My favorite way is to reheat in the toaster oven at 350F until warm. You can also cook in a lightly greased skillet for a few minutes on each side over medium heat. If you want to microwave, do so briefly so they don’t get too soggy. You can also enjoy these cold.
Transfer to an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To freeze, I highly recommend flash freezing so that they don’t stick together in the freezer. This allows you to easily take out one at a time to thaw in the fridge.
Simply swap out panko with gluten free breadcrumbs or almond meal.
Yes! Combine all the ingredients, cover, and chill in the refrigerator. When ready to bake, simply take it out of the fridge, shape into patties, and place in the oven!
Did you make this recipe? Leave a rating below and let me know how you liked the recipe! Your feedback means so much to me!
This recipe was originally published in 2014, when this blog was a fun hobby of mine, and my focus wasn’t on infant and toddler nutrition. I modified this to make it baby and kid-friendly! Hope you enjoy!
Mini Baked Canned Salmon Patties
Ingredients
- 12 ounce canned salmon
- 1/4 cup (30g) finely chopped yellow onion
- 1/4 cup (40g) finely chopped red bell pepper
- 1/2 cup (40g) finely chopped broccoli florets
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 2/3 cup (38g) panko, or almond meal
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds
Mango yogurt sauce
- 1/2 cup full fat, plain Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons mango puree
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Grease or line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
- Combine 1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds with 3 tablespoons of warm water. Let it sit for at least 5 minutes until it thickens and turns into a gel-like consistency.
- Rinse and drain the salmon to remove excess sodium. Pat dry.
- Cook the vegetables in a lightly oiled skillet over medium heat for several minutes, until softened. Set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients until well-incorporated.
- Scoop a large spoonful and using your hands shape into firm balls. You will end up with 14-16 balls. Then flatten slightly using your palms.
- Place on prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, flip and bake for an additional 5-8 minutes.
- Combine all the ingredients for the mango yogurt sauce.
- Enjoy together!
Notes
- Due to the variation in moisture content of canned goods, your cakes might not hold together well. If so, first try adding a bit more breadcrumbs. If that doesn’t work, add another flax egg, although I’ve never had to do this.
- Remove extra moisture: Pat the salmon dry after rinsing. COOK the veggies! Raw vegetables hold a lot of water, which will get released during cooking. It will also add more flavor so definitely don’t skip this step!
- Shape the mixture FIRMLY into balls first then flatten slightly between your palms.
- Transfer to an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
How would you reheat these from frozen?
Best way is to thaw in the fridge and reheat in the microwave briefly!
How many cans of salmon do you use for these? I’m in Canada and our cans are about 150-200g and I’m not sure if they’re equivalent. Thanks!
Hi! 12 ounce total is how much you will need!
Do you use pink or red salmon for these?
both will work!
My three year old and baby sister enjoyed these salmon patties 🙂 Wish we had canned salmon in our country, but it is worth having to make extra step with baking the salmon. Delicious!
I’m so glad you guys enjoyed this recipe!!
Hi Ivana,
I was wondering if you can share how you baked the salmon and how you modified the recipe to implement it? Thank you!
has anyone tried this with canned tuna??
Yes! will work!
Tried this recipe for the first time last night. My 3yo enjoyed it and my 14mo LOVED it. He couldn’t have enough! I used the air fryer at 180 C for 5 mins on each side. It turned out a little crisp on the outside, but we liked it that way. Thank you for all the amazing kids recipes!
This makes me so happy! Yay!! And good to know you can make this in the air fryer! Still trying to convince the hubby that we need one haha
Just tried this recipe and it was really good! My little one loved it! Love that I can freeze them too 😊
Woohoo!! Thanks for sharing with me! So glad you guys enjoyed this recipe. Love that they’re freezer friendly too ;).
Hi Min! Will fresh baked salmon work? Also can I leave out the panko? Thank you!
Hi Min,
I would also like to know if fresh salmon will work?
Sure!
Fresh salmon definitely works!
I had defrosted some salmon for my 10 month old, but I didn’t get to cook it as planned for her evening meal, as she stayed out later with her Mum.
I didn’t want it to go to waste, & I found this recipe online. (This is all in the same day, so the salmon wasn’t spoiled)
However, using the salmon, & the time getting late, I grabbed a bag of frozen veggie rice, which contains cauliflower, peas, corn, mushrooms, & more, & I cooked this in 2 cups in water.
I poached the salmon, then put that in a blender with the veggie rice (not blended to watery mush).
A cup of panko breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon of smokey paprika, & 1 egg mixed in, & then rolled in to balls & cooked as per MJ’s instructions.
They have turned out very nice.
However, I will be purchasing the necessary ingredients to try MJ’s recipe, as I’ve no doubt they will be better.
Thank you for the recipe MJ!
Thank you so much for sharing all this!! SO helpful!