Salmon Cake Recipe with Lemon Pesto

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This Salmon Cake recipe is incredibly easy to make, on the table in under an hour, and served with the most incredible, fresh and creamy lemon pesto sauce! It's quick, easy and healthy!

This is a sponsored post for Cedar Bay Grilling Company. All opinions are 100% honest and my own. 

I never thought I would like salmon cakes. Not sure why, I just was never excited about them. Until now.

Using pre-seasoned cedar planked salmon from Cedar Bay Grilling Company, these salmon cakes have a crisp, buttery exterior, and a tender juicy interior. Much like this reader favorite Crab Cake Recipe.

And that lemon pesto sauce...it's dreamy. Made with preserved lemons (really, if you haven't made preserved lemons yet, I ask you WHY NOT?), fresh basil and parsley, pine nuts and spices, this sauce is the perfect fresh complement to the rich, buttery salmon cakes.

And as if the flavor wasn't enough to get you to make this recipe, it's also a pretty healthy meal as salmon has many heart healthy fats and protein in it.

Why This Recipe Works

1. Using just a touch of mayonnaise and bread crumbs enables the salmon flavor to shine through.
2. The bright freshness of the lemon pesto complements the richness of the salmon.
3. Refrigerating the salmon cake mixture before cooking keeps the patties from falling apart.

Ingredients

I used the Sugar and Spice Cedar Planked Salmon from Cedar Bay Grilling Company to make this recipe. It's perfect because the salmon comes frozen on the cedar plank.

You only have to thaw it out and place it on the grill or in the oven for 15-20 minutes and you've got perfectly cooked and seasoned great quality salmon.

To make the salmon cakes, it's really just a simple few ingredients:

• Salmon (obviously)
• Mayonnaise
• Panko bread crumbs
• Egg
• Coconut Sugar
• Salt & pepper
• Chili powder

The creamy lemon pesto sauce has a few more ingredients, but most should be easy to find at your local grocery store. If you can't find preserved lemons, I included a link to buy them on Amazon (affiliate link).

However, I highly recommend you start making your own - they take about 30 days to ferment, but are SUPER easy to make. Learn how to make Preserved Lemons.

• Preserved lemons
• Pine nuts
• Parsley
• Basil
• Crushed red pepper
• Garlic
• Black pepper
• Olive oil
• Cream
• Parmesan cheese

Cedar Bay Grilling Company

Cedar Bay Grilling is located right on the Atlantic Ocean in Nova Scotia. They are committed to providing products with a gourmet feel, that are simple and easy to make at home. Since opening their door in 2009, they have received numerous awards, to include more recently the Seafood Excellence Awards in 2018.

Because the products come pre-seasoned, the home cook has minimal required effort to make a healthy, delicious meal. The salmon comes frozen on a cedar plank, which can then be thawed and cooked directly on the plank. It's SO easy and the salmon is super fresh and delicious tasting!

Learn more about Cedar Bay Grilling Company on their website at https://cedarbaygrilling.com. Connect with Cedar Bay on Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter.

This product can be purchased at the following retailers: Kroger, Publix, Hannaford, Safeway, Albertsons, Fred Meyer, Ralph’s, Giant, Giant eagle, Stop n Shop and Roche Bros.

Step By Step Instructions

Thaw the salmon in the fridge overnight if not already thawed. Heat the grill (or the oven) to 425 degrees and cook the salmon right on the cedar plank for 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and cut into 1" chunks.

Place the salmon, mayonnaise, panko bread crumbs, egg, salt, pepper, coconut sugar and chili powder in a bowl and mix to combine.

Form the mixture into 8-10 balls and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Place the salmon balls in the fridge for 20 minutes to allow them to form up. This will keep them from falling apart when cooking.

Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Place the chilled salmon cakes in the skillet and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown.

Use the spatula to lightly press each cake down and flip over. Cook another 3-5 minutes on the other side until golden brown.

Remove and serve drizzled with the creamy lemon pesto.

How to Make Creamy Lemon Pesto

Combine all the ingredients, except the Parmesan cheese, in a food processor or blender and pulse until a semi-smooth sauce is formed. Add the Parmesan cheese and pulse once or twice to combine.

Expert Tips

1. Preserved lemons can be purchased through the link in the recipe card, but I highly recommend making your own for the future. They are very handy to have around!
2. If you don't have preserved lemons, you can substitute 1 tbsp. of lemon juice and 1 tsp. of fresh lemon zest.
3. Use a non-stick or cast iron skillet to cook the salmon cakes to avoid sticking.
4. Add additional olive oil to the lemon pesto if it is too thick. You can also add additional cream, but it can dilute the flavor.
5. You can cook the salmon cakes in butter, olive oil, coconut oil, duck fat, etc. Any cooking fat will do. Check out this article to learn more about the types of cooking fats.

Variations

1. Serve with this homemade tartar sauce from Yellow Bliss Road;
2. Try one of these 5 Easy Mustard Sauce recipes from Averie Cooks;
3. Serve it with this Homemade Remoulade Sauce (love these salmon cakes with this!)
4. Also great with this Chimichurri Sauce.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why are my salmon cakes dry? Salmon cakes will be dry if the salmon is overcooked. I tend to undercook the salmon slightly so the cakes don't get overcooked while frying.
2. How long will salmon cakes keep? The salmon cakes will keep in the fridge about 3 days after cooking them.
3. Can I make salmon cakes in advance? Yes! Form the patties in advance then store them covered in the fridge for 2-3 days (max). Cook according to the instructions when ready. The lemon pesto can also be made in advance and store for several weeks.
4. Can salmon cakes be frozen? Place the uncooked patties on a baking sheet and place directly in the freezer for 3 hours, or until frozen through. Store them in a freezer safe container or freezer bag. They can also be frozen using the same method after cooking. If uncooked, thaw them out in the fridge overnight then cook them according to the recipe instructions.
5. How to reheat salmon cakes? If they are frozen, thaw them out in the fridge overnight and reheat in a skillet with 2 tbsp. of butter over medium heat until warmed through.

Serving Options

• Start with this Strawberry Spinach Salad or this Raw Zucchini Salad;
• Serve the salmon cakes with Crispy Roasted Potatoes or these Easy Scalloped Potatoes;
• Serve with Parmesan Roasted Asparagus or Grilled Summer Squash;
• Don't forget dessert - try this Strawberry Shortcake or these Cinnamon Swirls.

More Seafood Recipes

• Maryland Crab Cakes;
• Blackened Catfish;
• Grilled Shrimp Skewers;
• Korean Rice Bowl with Shrimp;
• Browse ALL the Seafood Recipes!

Did you make this Salmon Cake recipe? Rate the recipe and leave a comment to let me know how it turned out!

Easy Salmon Cake Recipe

This Salmon Cake recipe is incredibly easy to make, on the table in under an hour, and served with the most incredible, fresh and creamy lemon pesto sauce! 

5 from 13 votes

Print Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Chill: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 837kcal

Author: Danielle Wolter

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 lbs. Cedar Bay Sugar & Spice Cedar Planked Salmon
• ▢ 4 tbsp. panko bread crumbs
• ▢ 1 egg
• ▢ 4 tbsp. mayonnaise
• ▢ ½ tsp. salt
• ▢ ¼ tsp. pepper
• ▢ 1 tsp. coconut sugar
• ▢ ⅛ tsp. chili powder
• ▢ 2 tbsp. unsalted butter

Creamy Lemon Pesto:

• ▢ 2 tbsp. preserved lemons
• ▢ 2 tbsp. pine nuts toasted
• ▢ 1 cup fresh parsley
• ▢ ½ cup fresh basil
• ▢ 1 tsp. crushed red pepper
• ▢ ⅛ tsp. black pepper
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic
• ▢ 1 tbsp. coconut sugar
• ▢ ½ cup olive oil
• ▢ ½ cup cream
• ▢ ¼ cup Parmesan cheese

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Thaw the salmon in the fridge overnight if not already thawed. Heat the grill (or the oven) to 425 degrees and cook the salmon right on the cedar plank for 15 minutes.
• Remove from heat and cut into 1" chunks.
• Place the salmon, mayonnaise, panko bread crumbs, egg, salt, pepper, coconut sugar and chili powder in a bowl and mix to combine.
• Form the mixture into 8-10 balls and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Place the salmon balls in the fridge for 20 minutes to allow them to form up. This will keep them from falling apart when cooking.
• Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Place the chilled salmon cakes in the skillet and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown. Use the spatula to lightly press each cake down and flip over.
• Cook another 3-5 minutes on the other side until golden brown. Remove and serve drizzled with the creamy lemon pesto.

Creamy Lemon Pesto:

• Combine all the ingredients, except the Parmesan cheese, in a food processor or blender and pulse until a semi-smooth sauce is formed. Add the Parmesan cheese and pulse once or twice to combine.

Expert Tips:

1. Preserved lemons can be purchased through the link in the recipe card, but I highly recommend making your own for the future. They are very handy to have around!
2. If you don't have preserved lemons, you can substitute 1 tbsp. of lemon juice and 1 tsp. of fresh lemon zest.
3. Use a non-stick or cast iron skillet to cook the salmon cakes to avoid sticking.
4. Add additional olive oil to the lemon pesto if it is too thick. You can also add additional cream, but it can dilute the flavor. 
5. You can cook the salmon cakes in butter, olive oil, coconut oil, duck fat, etc. Any cooking fat will do. Check out this article to learn more about the types of cooking fats.

Nutrition

Serving: 2patties | Calories: 837kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 71g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 170mg | Sodium: 661mg | Potassium: 791mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2610IU | Vitamin C: 21.2mg | Calcium: 174mg | Iron: 3.7mg

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