These yummy Baby Friendly Salmon Patties (Fish Cakes) are a nutritious finger food option for the whole family. Serve these salmon cakes for lunch, dinner or snack. They’re especially good for young children! Soft, easy to hold and nutritious, these patties are a great way to introduce babies and toddlers to salmon.
So I have to admit, my husband and I don’t particularly enjoy a lot of seafood 😂. But I know it can be beneficial for our health! We generally opt for Pink Salmon or a white fish like Barramundi when we do cook fish, with their milder flavours. Salmon was my preferred fish choice for Babies PK and LJ, and I introduced them both to salmon with this Salmon, Carrot, Tomato and Basil Purée when starting solid foods. Salmon is one of the top seafood sources [1] of omega-3 fatty acids, healthy fats which are critical for baby’s brain development. It also has many important nutrients, and is low in mercury [2] so the boys could safely have it twice a week as per Austrian allergen guidelines [3]. Remember that fish is an allergen [1], so follow paediatric health advice on introducing allergens to baby.
This delicious recipe is a great way to continue including fish in a child’s diet. For Baby LJ, these salmon patties were easy for him to hold and eat from a young age. They don’t fall apart, but are soft enough to be torn easily into smaller pieces for little hands and mouths. The salmon flakes are lovely and tender too. These a great Baby-Led Weaning (BLW) and toddler finger foods!
What you need for Baby Friendly Salmon Patties
These salmon and sweet potato cakes are full of whole-food goodness!
Salmon – Use high-quality, fresh salmon fillets when cooking and serving to babies and toddlers. Or anyone for that matter! For this recipe, I prefer to use fresh skinless Tasmanian Salmon which is the most widely available variety here in Australia. It’s not wild salmon, but is responsibly farmed. Now that Baby LJ is over 12 months of age, I sometimes use high-quality frozen seafood – but never freeze those leftovers for reheating. Make sure there are no bones in the salmon.
Sweet potato – Use gold sweet potatoes in this recipe if you can.
Onion and garlic – For flavour.
Basil – Fresh basil leaves.
Cheddar cheese – For flavour and for helping to bind the patties.
Panko breadcrumbs – These add more lightness than standard bread crumbs.
Salt and pepper – For seasoning. Leave out the salt if serving to family under 12 months of age.
Egg – For binding the patties.
Water – For steaming the vegetables.
How to make these homemade salmon cakes
Thermomixer? These salmon fish cakes can be prepared in your all-in-one appliance. Chop the cheese, and set aside. Next, steam the sweet potato and salmon in your thermo cooker. Once done, set aside and discard the steaming water. Then chop the onion, garlic and basil. Add in all remaining ingredients except the salmon to combine. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Flake and stir through the salmon – you could do this in your thermo cooker, but I like to keep an eye on how small the salmon pieces become. We prefer them on the chunkier side 😊. Once mixed, shape or spoon the mixture onto a baking tray and pop them in the oven. Bake until golden brown.
Conventional cook? You’ll need a knife and/or grater, or a food processor, and a saucepan and steaming basket for the stovetop. In the steaming basket, steam the sweet potato and salmon. While that’s cooking, grate or finely chop with a knife or food processor the cheese, onion, garlic and basil and mix together. Once steamed, add the sweet potato, panko breadcrumbs, salt, pepper and egg to the onion mixture. Combine well, and then flake and stir through the salmon. The more vigorously you stir, the smaller the salmon pieces will become. Once mixed, shape or spoon the mixture onto a baking tray and pop them in the oven. Bake until golden brown.
See the recipe card below for ingredient amounts and detailed steps for both thermo cooker and conventional cooking methods.
How to serve these Salmon Patties
Serve these Baby Friendly Salmon Patties as a complete lunch or dinner meal with salad or vegetables on the side, or on their own for a finger food platter with your family’s favourite dipping sauces. My husband’s suggestion is sweet chilli sauce 😁. I’d go for a lemon yogurt dressing. My kids don’t like sauce (imagine!) so enjoy them without.
This salmon cakes recipe is a winner. I love anything that I can serve on a platter with veggie sticks and dips for an easy, healthy meal! This great recipe also freezes and reheats well. Simply allow the salmon patties to cool to room temperature before transferring them to a freezer bag or container for freezing. To reheat, first defrost in the refrigerator and then warm in the oven or air fryer.
Looking for more homemade finger foods that are healthier for babies and toddlers? Try these Veggie Bites (Vegetable Nuggets) or Cauliflower Chicken Nuggets. They’re an easy meal option to increase your children’s vegetable intake.
Making Baby Friendly Salmon Patties? Please leave a 🌟 star rating and a 📝 comment below, I love hearing from you! Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest too for more delicious recipes.
Happy cooking,
Chloe x
Baby Friendly Salmon Patties (Fish Cakes)
Category: Finger FoodTap or hover to scale
Ingredients
- 40 g cheddar cheese (Thermomixers: cut into 2 cm/1 inch cubes)
- 500 g water for steaming
- 200 g sweet potato peeled and cut into 2 cm/1 inch pieces
- 100 g fresh skinless salmon (approx. half fillet) (Note 1)
- 75 g / 1/2 brown/ yellow onion peeled and halved
- 1 clove garlic peeled
- 10 g / 1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves only
- 25 g / 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt for family over 12 months
Thermo Cooker Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper or lightly grease with cooking spray.
- Put cheese into the mixing bowl. Chop for 5 seconds, speed 7, MC on. Set aside.
- Pour the water into the mixing bowl. Insert the simmering basket. Add the sweet potato and salmon to the basket. Cook for 16 minutes, Varoma, speed 2, MC on, or until salmon is cooked through and sweet potato is tender.
- Remove the simmering basket. Discard the liquid and return mixing bowl to base. Add onion, garlic and basil to the mixing bowl, and chop 3 seconds, speed 6, MC on. Scrape down the mixing bowl.
- Add sweet potato, cheese, panko breadcrumbs, salt, pepper and egg to the mixing bowl. Chop 3 seconds, speed 6, MC on. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Once cool enough to handle, flake the salmon, making sure there are no bones. Stir the flaked salmon through the sweet potato mixture – the more you stir, the smaller the salmon flakes will be so adjust to your liking.
- With your hands, scoop 1 heaped tbs and form mixture into patties. Place on a baking tray. If the salmon mixture is too wet to handle, either refrigerate for a few minutes or simply spoon onto the tray.
- Bake for 20 minutes, turning the patties after 15 minutes.
Conventional Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper or lightly grease with cooking spray.
- Using a steamer basket over a saucepan/pot with lid, steam the sweet potato and salmon for 16 minutes or until salmon is cooked through and sweet potato is tender.
- While the sweet potato and salmon are steaming, grate the cheese and set aside.
- Finely chop the onion, garlic and basil either by hand or in a food processor.
- Once steamed, add the sweet potato, cheese, panko breadcrumbs, salt, pepper and egg to the onion and herb mixture. Stir or blitz until combined.
- Once cool enough to handle, flake the salmon, making sure there are no bones. Stir the flaked salmon through the sweet potato mixture – the more you stir, the smaller the salmon flakes will be so adjust to your liking.
- With your hands, scoop 1 heaped tbs and form mixture into patties. Place on a baking tray. If the salmon mixture is too wet to handle, either refrigerate for a few minutes or simply spoon onto the tray.
- Bake for 20 minutes, turning the patties after 15 minutes.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information
[1] Salmon, 2023, Solid Starts Inc.
[2] Seafood and your health, n.d., OceanWatch Australia Ltd.
[3] Nip allergies in the bub, 2023, National Allergy Council.
[4] Homemade baby food, 2023, Raising Children Network Australia Limited.
One Response
Another winner. Love the all natural and fresh ingredients.