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Golden egg-free salmon cakes on salad greens with avocado-lime sauce and lime wedges
Michaelangelo Larive, OurCheff

AIP Salmon Cakes (Egg-Free) with Avocado-Lime Sauce

Golden, tender salmon cakes held together with mashed sweet potato and cassava flour instead of eggs and breadcrumbs, served with a creamy avocado-lime sauce. A good use for leftover roasted salmon.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 450
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Salmon cakes (makes 8)
  • 1 lb cooked salmon flaked: leftover roasted, or 2 × 7.5 oz cans wild salmon, drained
  • 1 cup mashed cooked sweet potato about 1 medium; cooled
  • 1/3 cup cassava flour plus more if needed
  • 3 green onions thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp fresh dill chopped
  • 1 lemon zest + 1 tbsp juice
  • 1 garlic clove finely grated
  • 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
  • 3 tbsp avocado oil or coconut oil for pan-frying
Avocado-lime sauce
  • 1 large ripe avocado
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 tbsp water plus more to thin
  • 1/4 tsp fine sea salt

Equipment

  • Large bowl
  • Fork or potato masher
  • 12-inch nonstick or cast-iron skillet
  • Blender or mini food processor
  • Baking sheet + parchment

Method
 

  1. If you don't have leftover sweet potato, prick one medium sweet potato and microwave 6–8 minutes, turning once, until soft. Scoop out the flesh, mash it and let it cool.
  2. In a large bowl, mix the mashed sweet potato, cassava flour, green onions, dill, lemon zest and juice, garlic and salt until smooth. Gently fold in the flaked salmon, leaving some flakes intact.
    Mashed sweet potato mixture with flaked salmon, green onion and dill in a mixing bowl
  3. Shape into 8 patties about ¾ inch thick. If the mixture is too sticky to shape, add cassava flour 1 tbsp at a time. Set them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate 15–30 minutes. This firms them up so they hold together in the pan.
    Shaped salmon patties lined up on a parchment-lined baking sheet
  4. Meanwhile, blend the avocado, lime juice, cilantro, olive oil, water and salt until smooth, adding water a teaspoon at a time until spoonable.
    Jar of smooth green avocado-lime sauce with avocado halves and limes
  5. Heat 1½ tbsp oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Fry 4 cakes 3–4 minutes per side, until deep golden. Flip once, gently, with a thin spatula. Repeat with the remaining oil and cakes.
    Salmon cakes pan-frying until golden in a cast iron skillet
  6. Serve warm with the sauce, over greens or alongside roasted vegetables.

Notes

Chef tips
  • Chill the cakes before frying. It's the difference between cakes and salmon hash.
  • Medium heat, not high. Sweet potato browns fast and can scorch before the center is hot.
  • Flip only once, using a thin fish spatula.
Substitutions
  • Fish: Cooked cod or canned tuna (check the label) work; add an extra tbsp of cassava flour for leaner fish.
  • Herbs: Parsley or chives can replace the dill. Fresh basil makes a nice variation.
  • Baked: Brush with oil and bake at 425°F for 12 minutes, flip, then bake 8–10 more. They'll be less crisp.
  • Sauce: Coconut yogurt mixed with lemon and dill (check for AIP-compliant ingredients).
Storage & reheating
Refrigerate cooked cakes up to 3 days and the sauce up to 2 days (press plastic wrap onto its surface to limit browning). Reheat cakes in a 375°F oven or air fryer for 8–10 minutes. Freeze cooked cakes up to 2 months, separated with parchment.
Nutrition is estimated per serving (1 of 4) from USDA FoodData Central data; values vary by brand and portion.