Salmon Patties Over Cabbage Slaw
Finely chopped salmon folded with mashed sweet potato, scallion, and dill, pan-crisped into golden patties and piled over a crunchy cabbage-and-carrot slaw dressed with lemon and olive oil.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Hearty and clean, with no long ingredient list behind it. The salmon patties are bound with mashed sweet potato instead of egg or breadcrumb, which keeps them tender and holds them together, and they sit on a bright, raw slaw that turns the plate into a full meal. It suits cooks who are avoiding common allergens and irritants but still want food that tastes like real cooking rather than a compromise.
A knife, not a grinder, and not a food processor. Leaving some pieces slightly larger gives the patties a flaky, meaty bite, while the warm mashed sweet potato acts as the glue and adds a faint sweetness that plays against the lemon in the slaw. Cooking the patties undisturbed over medium heat lets a golden crust form, which gives contrast against the soft interior and the crunchy raw cabbage underneath.
Protein-rich salmon runs against the fiber and crunch of the cabbage and carrot, so you feel full without any heaviness. The oily fish brings richness and long-lasting fullness, the sweet potato adds gentle carbohydrate and body, and the acidic, herb-flecked slaw keeps each bite feeling fresh. Dill and scallion carry the flavor so the dish needs little more than salt and lemon to taste complete.
Ingredients
- 4 salmon fillets (about 560 g), skin removed
- 1 sweet potato, cooked and mashed
- 1/2 head cabbage, shredded
- 2 carrots, grated
- 4 scallions, sliced
- 3 tbsp avocado oil, divided
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp chopped dill
- 3/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Cook the sweet potato: Peel the sweet potato and cut it into chunks. Boil in salted water until fork-tender, about 15 minutes, then drain well and mash smooth with a fork or potato masher. Set aside to cool to warm room temperature so it does not partly cook the fish when mixed.
- Prep the aromatics: While the sweet potato cools, thinly slice the scallions and roughly chop the dill. Keep the sliced scallions in two piles, since half go into the patties and half into the slaw.
- Chop the salmon: Pat the skinless salmon fillets dry and check for any pin bones, pulling them out with clean fingers or tweezers. Finely chop the salmon with a sharp knife until it holds together like a coarse mince, some pieces small and some slightly larger for texture.
- Mix and form the patties: In a bowl, fold the chopped salmon together with the mashed sweet potato, half of the scallions, the dill, and half of the salt until evenly combined. With damp hands, press the mixture into firm, evenly thick patties and set them on a plate.
- Pan-crisp the patties: Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Lay the patties in without crowding and cook undisturbed about 4 minutes per side, turning once with a thin spatula, until deep golden on both faces and cooked through to an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C), the center opaque and firm.
- Dress the slaw: Shred the cabbage thinly and grate the carrots. Toss them in a bowl with the remaining scallions, the olive oil, lemon juice, and remaining salt until every strand is lightly coated.
- Plate: Pile the slaw onto plates and set the warm salmon patties on top. Serve right away while the patties are crisp.
Variations
- Herb swap: Trade the dill for chopped fresh parsley or chives for a greener, less anise-like flavor in the patties and slaw.
- Citrus shift: Use fresh lime juice in place of the lemon juice for a rounder, slightly sweeter tang in the slaw.
- Extra green: Fold a handful of thinly sliced kale or shredded Brussels sprouts into the cabbage for a heartier, sturdier slaw that holds up longer.
- Garlic lift: Grate a little fresh garlic or add sliced garlic to the patty mix for a savory, aromatic depth.
- Trout instead: Swap the salmon for skinless trout fillets, chopped the same way, for a milder, more delicate patty; this changes the fish.
Storage & Leftovers
Keep leftover patties and slaw in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator. The patties hold for up to three days; the dressed slaw is best within a day, as the cabbage softens and weeps liquid once it sits in the lemon and oil.
Reheat the patties in a dry or lightly oiled skillet over medium heat for a few minutes per side to bring back the crisp crust; a microwave works in a pinch but leaves them soft. Serve the slaw cold straight from the fridge rather than warming it.
To get ahead, cook and mash the sweet potato and shred the cabbage and carrot up to two days in advance and refrigerate. You can also form the raw patties a day ahead and keep them covered on a plate, then pan-crisp them just before serving, and toss the slaw fresh at the last minute.
Notes & Tips
- Pick the right salmon: Choose center-cut fillets of even thickness; they chop more uniformly and cook through at the same rate. Ask the fishmonger to remove the skin, or slide a knife between skin and flesh yourself.
- Cool the sweet potato first: Let the mash cool to warm before mixing it with the raw fish. Hot mash starts to cook the salmon and makes the mixture loose and hard to shape.
- Test the seasoning: Pinch off a small bit of the patty mix and cook it in the skillet first, then taste and adjust the salt before shaping the rest, since you cannot taste raw fish.
- Keep patties from sticking: Wait until the oil shimmers and the crust has set before flipping; patties turned too early tear. Damp hands also keep the mixture from sticking to you while you shape.
- Dress the slaw late: Toss the cabbage and carrot with the oil, lemon, and salt just before serving so it stays crunchy; dress it early and it wilts and releases water.
- Double the batch: The patties freeze well cooked. Make extra, freeze in a single layer, then reheat in a skillet from frozen for a fast meal another night.
Nutrition & Mindful Eating
- The hot patties and the cold slaw are the whole idea here. The salmon and sweet potato inside are soft and rich, the shredded cabbage and carrot underneath stay crunchy and sharp, and the lemon runs between them.
- Sweet potato mashed into the mixture holds the patties together and gives them their color and their gentle sweetness, and it brings beta-carotene, the orange pigment the body turns into vitamin A.
- Cabbage sliced thin and dressed a few minutes ahead softens just enough to stop fighting the fork while keeping its crunch, and it holds fiber and vitamin C that raw cabbage keeps better than cooked cabbage does.
- Salmon is what makes these patties eat like dinner. It stays moist inside the crust, and its protein is dense enough that a couple of patties and a pile of slaw hold you for a long stretch of the evening.
- Avocado oil takes a high heat calmly, so the patties get a deep brown crust rather than a scorched one, and the dill and lemon through the slaw keep everything smelling fresh right to the last bite.
- As you eat, feel the crackle of the crust against the cold crunch underneath it, and let the difference in temperature in every bite be a reason to take this one slowly.
Frequently Asked Questions
My patties keep falling apart in the pan. What went wrong?
Usually the mash was too warm or too wet, or the patties were flipped too soon. Let the sweet potato cool before mixing, shape the patties firmly, and leave them undisturbed until a golden crust sets before turning them once.
Can I use canned salmon instead of fresh fillets?
Yes. Drain it well and flake it, then fold it with the mash as written. The texture is softer and less meaty than hand-chopped fresh salmon, so pack the patties firmly and handle them gently.
How do I know the patties are cooked through?
They should be deep golden on both sides and firm in the center, with the flesh turned opaque all the way through. An instant-read thermometer in the middle should reach 145°F (63°C).
Can I bake the patties instead of pan-frying?
Pan-crisping is what gives them their golden crust and best texture. If you prefer to bake, brush them with the avocado oil and cook on a lined sheet until firm and cooked through, but expect a softer surface than the skillet gives.