Crab cakes are a classic, but who always has all those ingredients on hand? I usually keep canned tuna and canned salmon in my pantry, so this recipe for gluten-free salmon sweet potato cakes is a staple for me. This recipe is quick, healthy and easy for lunch or dinner. Substitutions for what you have in your pantry can be made easily; check out my tips below.

Ingredient Tips:

I went to my pantry and grabbed a can of wild-caught salmon from Costco to make this recipe. You could use cooked salmon or canned tuna as well. Wild-caught salmon is preferred because it has a natural diet and does not have added color to it like farm-raised salmon.

Sweet potato or yams come in a couple of different varieties, orange and white. Feel free to use either one. If you don’t have time to boil the potato for this recipe, you can simply finely grate it into the mixture. Use leftover potatoes to make some of my other sweet potato –based recipes like:

Dairy-Free Blender Nacho Cheese Sauce

Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Carrot Cake

Mayonnaise isn’t absolutely necessary in this recipe but gives it a lot of flavor and moisture. I recommend Primal Kitchen’s Avocado Oil Mayo because of its simplicity and the high-quality ingredients. It’s dairy-free, paleo, and even Whole 30 approved! Don’t have any mayo? Make some!

Easy Blender Mayonnaise Recipe

Don’t get locked up in these ingredients! Make substitutions in this recipe with what you have and play around! I use lemon zest here, but you could try orange or lime instead. Substitute spinach for kale. Try out some different fresh herbs like cilantro, or add in some spicy heat with sriracha.

 

Serving Suggestions

Serve these crispy browned gluten-free salmon sweet potato cakes however you like them best, but here’s a few ideas. You can put them on a gluten-free bun and dress them with mayo, sautéed onions, and other toppings. These are great over a cucumber and onion salad or wrapped with lettuce. Make a little dip with equal parts mayo, mustard and dill pickles and serve with these cakes on their own!

My favorite ingredients/products for this recipe:

(Disclosure: I may receive a very small amount of revenue if you purchase through my Amazon links. It does NOT raise the cost for you, but does help me keep on creating recipes and videos on Jana Eats. Thanks!)

 Gluten-Free Salmon Sweet Potato Cakes

Rate this recipe and let me know how you made your Salmon Sweet Potato Cakes in the comments below!

Recipe and how-to video from my YouTube channel below. Watch me make some salmon sweet potato cakes! In this video I give some suggestions for serving, substitutions, and using leftover ingredients (plus I do a few silly things too, worth a watch).

Gluten-Free Salmon Sweet Potato Cakes

Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Salmon Sweet Potato Cakes are a healthy, easy, fast lunch or dinner. With many ways to serve them and substitutions you can make, these are a go-to meal using canned salmon from your pantry.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time8 minutes
Total Time18 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Paleo, Whole 30
Keyword: 30 min or less, canned food, clean eating, dairy free, dinner, easy, family meal, fast, gluten free, grain-free, healthy, one bowl, pantry, quick, salmon, side, sweet potato
Servings: 5 patties

Equipment

  • Large Mixing Bowl
  • mixing spoon or wooden spoon
  • large frying pan

Ingredients

  • 1 can wild salmon
  • ½ cup sweet potato, boiled
  • 2-3 small leaves lacinato kale, minced
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 2 tbsp. minced onion
  • 1 tbsp. dairy-free mayo, like Primal Kitchen
  • 1 tsp. mustard
  • 2 tbsp. fresh dill, or 1 tsp. dried dill
  • ½ tsp. sea salt
  • Lemon zest

Method

  • Put all ingredients in mixing bowl together. Mix well with the back of a spoon until salmon and sweet potato are broken up and all ingredients are well combined (you don’t need it to be like a paste though).
  • Shape into about 5 round patties. Brown patties in frying pan with oil on medium heat. Fry until brown on both sides and warmed through (all the ingredients are already cooked).
  • Serve on a bun, over salad, or on their own. See more serving suggestions and subsitutions in the blog above.

Video

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I did a best of dairy-free/vegan butter taste test and ranked them so you don’t have to! That’s right, I straight up ate vegan butter, plain. I tried four popular brands of dairy-free/vegan butter on their own to see which one tasted and felt the most like real butter.

Holiday Spiced Sweet Potato Muffins – Gluten-Free/ Dairy-Free

Don’t have pumpkin but wanting that fall/holiday feel? Sweet potatoes to the rescue! Holiday Spiced Gluten-Free/Dairy-Free Sweet Potato Muffins, to be exact. These delicious, moist, healthy muffins are made with coconut milk so there’s no dairy, tons of healthy fat, and no oil needed in this recipe!

Beet & Blueberry Smoothie – Dairy-Free

If you’re looking for a delicious, nutritious smoothie that can brighten up your day, Dairy-Free Beet & Blueberry Smoothie is for you. Roasted beets, wild blueberries, coconut yogurt and nut milk are the simple base for this magenta nutrition-packed beverage. This is sure to wake up your senses and be great for breakfast for the whole family, especially kids! Super simple to make by dumping all the ingredients in your blender and it’s ready to go.

Roasted Beet Hummus

Roasted Beet Hummus, it’s what’s for snack today! Don’t know what to do with those beets you see on the grocery store shelf or in your produce delivery box? This beet hummus is an easy way to incorporate beets into a food you and your family may already love AND it’s a gorgeous colorful result. A gluten-free, dairy-free side done in minutes in a food processor or blender.

Easy Beet Salad

Gluten-free, dairy-free easy beet salad is a guide to tossing up your own delicious salad with oil, vinegar, and herbs in minutes with prepared roasted beets. Great for a vibrant, healthy lunch or side.

Garbanzo Bean Salad

Garbanzo Bean Salad is canned garbanzo beans/chickpeas plus easy on-hand ingredients made into a delicious chicken-salad or tuna-salad style lunch or dinner. Budget-friendly, fast, plant-based, pantry meal to make when you’re low on fresh ingredients. Gluten-free and dairy-free.

Watermelon Strawberry Cooler Recipe

Watermelon Strawberry Cooler is a deliciously simple blended drink made in minutes with fresh fruit, with or without alcohol. Fun for kids and adults- easy to make for a party! Low sugar if made with Swoon Simple Syrup. Pairs well with tequila, vodka or gin. Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free.

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Gluten-Free, Dairy-free Chicken Enchilada Casserole has a lot of layers of ingredients and flavor. This is a tortilla-less enchilada casserole/bake using zucchini for the layers, but you can easily put in tortillas for the layers if you like. It’s a bit of a “kitchen sink” recipe, so you can mix n’ match some of the ingredients to customize to your tastes. This is a perfect dinner to satisfy everyone, allergy-free or not!

Healthy Turkey Rice Burgers

Healthy Turkey Rice Burgers are deliciously flavored with simple ingredients, packed with greens and goodness, perfect for the whole family. It’s a (healthy) happy meal packed into a burger. As usual on Jana Eats, this is gluten-free and dairy-free recipe, and super customizable.

Fresh Banana Mint Salad

This Cuban-inspired Fresh Banana Mint Salad is lightly sweet and whipped up in minutes. Refreshing and delicious as a dessert, snack or side anytime. Banana Mint Salad is a gluten-free, dairy-free balanced treat, great for the kids! It’s as easy as throwing these 6 simple, tasty ingredients into a bowl and you’re set.