![Clean Eating Sweet Potato Salmon Burgers - they're quick, easy and couldn't be more delicious! [gluten-free]](http://cf.simplyquinoa.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/sweet-potato-salmon-burgers.jpg)
If you’re looking for a quick and easy weeknight meal, that tastes like you’ve spent hours in the kitchen, then look no further. These Sweet Potato Salmon Cakes are sensational. And surprise, they’re a cinch to whip up! The ingredient list is short, but they’re full of flavor and I promise they won’t disappoint.
Remember my quinoa salmon cakes? Well, think of this recipe as those little beauties but kicked up a few notches. This time I’ve added sweet potato into the mix. It gives the cakes a smooth, rich texture, with just a hint of sweetness that doesn’t overwhelm the bold fish flavor.
I’m obsessed.
And of course, this recipe was just begging for quinoa.
I love adding quinoa to my burger recipes. It’s acts as a natural gluten-free binder, which actually boosts the nutrition content of your recipe rather than just adding empty carbs (like gluten-free breadcrumbs would). I’ve used it in my other salmon cake recipes as well as my vegan chickpea burgers, and each time it works like a charm.
When I saw this recipe for sweet potato salmon burgers, I had to have them immediately. I literally ran to the store, threw the ingredients into my basket and ran home. Made them in under 1o minutes (since I already had mashed sweet potato in my fridge) and dinner was served. Seriously, does it get any better then that? Simple, delicious, and bursting with flavor.
And guess what? They freeze well too. Hello leftovers!
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- ½ cup cooked quinoa (I used red for this recipe because I liked the color)
- 1 medium sweet potato, boiled and mashed
- 1 (6 oz) can wild salmon (skinless and boneless if possible)
- 2 large eggs
- 4 green onions, minced
- 2 tablespoons gluten-free cornmeal
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Oil for cooking
- Add all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix with a wooden spoon (or your hands!) until everything is combined and a dough has formed.
- Form the dough into 6 patties, place on a plate and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a 10" skillet over medium heat. Saute the salmon cakes for 3 - 5 minutes per side, until browned, crispy and heated through.
- Serve warm with your desired dipping sauce (we used guacamole with sriracha mixed in)
- Enjoy!
If you make this recipe, make sure to snap a pic and share it on Instagram using #SIMPLYQUINOA – I want to see your own quinoa creations!
This post was shared on: Whole Food Fridays, Simple Meals Friday, Gluten-Free Fridays
Alyssa is the quinoa-obsessed girl behind Simply Quinoa. She's passionate about helping you find health, happiness and balance with wholesome recipes and lifestyle tips.
thanks fir the recipe. Do you think it would still hold together without the eggs? Also, have you tried baking them?
Hi Jennie! I’m not sure about using an egg substitute. You could give it a try, but when I make burgers like this, I almost always use eggs. And I do think that you could bake them, but I would sear them first to get the nice crust. Hope you like it!!
Great. I’ll give it a try!
i made mine with out eggs, accidentally. (i forgot. lol) and they held together just fine.
Thanks for sharing Nic! I’m glad to know it works 🙂
Yes for these burgers! I love salmon burgers and you’re right- quinoa is my favorite veggie-burger binder. And I love the addition of the cornmeal, I bet that adds great texture.
Woo hoo for quinoa burgers! One of my favorite things ever. And there are SO many ways that you can make them. Next up on my list is white bean-mushroom burgers 🙂
Quick, easy and nutritious. This is my kind of recipe, except for the cornmeal. Do you know something that would work as a substitute? Thanks a lot.
Hi Lois – you could use any flour to replace the cornmeal. Whether you’re gluten-free or not, it’s just there to make them a little less sticky 🙂 Hope you enjoy!!
This looks delicious!
I only had salmon cakes yesterday actually 🙂 but with leek & potato & soya flour, which worked nicely, too.
Genius idea to add quinoa.
One question though: When all the ingredients are combined, what texture should the mixture have? Mine were super sticky, so I had to add lots of flour. Wondering if that can be avoided somehow. Any ideas? Perhaps quinoa is what is needed in my salmon cakes, hehe.
P.S. I mentioned your lovely Sweet Potato Salmon Cakes recipe in my latest blog post about quinoa 🙂
Made these last night and they were divine! Thanks for the recipe! Next time I think I will add some jalapeño into the mix to spice it up, and maybe even some hot sauce. Served it with an arugula salad, and a glass of white wine of course 🙂 really tasty… And fun to make!!
These look fantastic! I love salmon cakes but have never thought to try them w sweet potato too!
I hadn’t either, but it makes the flavors pop so much more. We loved it and will definitely be making them again soon! And they’re so easy 🙂
Made these tonight, I can’t have cornmeal so I used ground flaxseed instead.
(I am gluten, casein, corn and soy free).
They were yummy! Kids asked for seconds, always a good sign 🙂
Yay!! So, so happy you guys enjoyed them 🙂 They’re one of our favorites too!
These look great! My husband eats salmon! He’d love these! Thanks for linking up at our Gluten Free Fridays party! I have tweeted and pinned your entry to our Gluten Free Fridays board on Pinterest! 🙂
Thanks for linking back to the Gluten Free Fridays post!
Party starts tomorrow at 7:05 pm eastern time! Hope to see you there!
Cindy from vegetarianmamma.com
Question for you…no matter how long I soak and rinse my quinoa, it still give me terrible bloating and gas. Is this common with quinoa?
Hi Nicole – honestly, and I’m not a nutritionist or anything, but I would venture a guess and say that you’re sensitive to quinoa. I’ve heard of others who have quinoa allergies, although I’m not sure of the symptoms, but usually when a food makes your tummy hurt, that means it doesn’t agree with your system. I would suggest either getting an allergy test or try not eating it and then reintroducing it to make sure it’s quinoa that’s upsetting your tummy and not something you’re using to cook it with. Hope that makes sense! Let me know if you have any other questions 🙂
I loved the idea of these burgers – a new way to incorporate quinoa in our meals! Had them for lunch today and they were great but, I found the mixture was way too loose and added some extra meal and more quinoa – still a bit hard to handle but worked it out. Welcome your thoughts on why they might not have been more ‘dough’ like as you mention in your recipe.
Thanks and look forward to trying some more of your wonderful recipes.
Sorry to hear they were too wet for you. They’re definitely a little sticky, but should hold together with no problem. Did you follow the proportions I used in the recipe exactly? It could be that your potatoes had more moisture in them then mine did. I would just suggesting adding a bit more dry ingredients (quinoa or cornmeal) into the mixture until you get a drier consistency. Just keep in mind, it’s going to be sticky, but not so sticky that you can’t handle it and shape it into patties. You could also try shaping them with wet or oiled hands next time. I think that should help when you’re forming the patties. Let me know and I’m glad you liked them!! 🙂 xo Alyssa
I made these salmon burgers for the first time the other night and absolutely loved them. We enjoyed them so much that we vowed to buy extra salmon just so we can have leftovers to make them. The mixture was a little on the wet side but I just went with it and avoided the temptation to mess with them while they were cooking and all was well. I will most definitely make these again. Thanks Queenie! xoxo
This recipe is the freakin’ bomb! One easy suggestion for those who had difficulty shaping the cakes: I used the tin can that the salmon came in to shape the patties. I filled it about halfway, ran a fork around the rim to loosen the mixture just before plopping it directly onto the hot skillet. They came out perfectly – plus this is more sanitary than the handheld method.
I love that idea! Thanks so much for sharing your tip Adam. And I’m psyched to hear you like the burgers. They’re definitely a favorite in our house!
The recipe is delicious! Thank you!
So happy you enjoyed it 🙂
This is EXACTLY what I was looking for today. Love! Many thanks! The fam will enjoy.
Wahoo!! Hope they enjoy it 🙂 Let me know how they turn out for you! xo
I have some leftover king salmon that would work well in this recipe. I would like to make the cakes and freeze them…should I cook them first or freeze them uncooked?
Can you substitute crab meat for the salmon? Can you leave out the corn meal?
Yes, I think you could absolutely try it with the crab cake and without the cornmeal. If you find that they’re not holding together, I’d just toss in a little flour of some sort. Let me know how it goes!!
Thanks for the great recipe! I made them with Wilderness Family Naturals coconut flour instead of cornmeal, added one minced garlic clove. I scooped them into the fry pan with a levered ice cream scoop and then flattened then top slightly. They were delicious.
Just wanted to say thank you for this recipe!!! It has become a new favorite at our house!!!
I make guacamole using a pineapple salsa from Trader Joe’s and an aioli sauce using mayo, lemon, garlic powder, and Siracha sauce (also from TJ’s) and it is simply to die for!!!
THANK YOU for thinking of things like this so I don’t have to!!
I just tried this tonight, I had some leftover salmon that was just enough so I used that instead of canned salmon, and I just had to pop in to say “Home Run”!!! Absolutely delicious! I’ll be making these often. Thanks for the great recipes.
I bought frozen salmon after i thaw it must i cook it first before i make the cakes
Hi Alyssa! Do you think these could be baked in the oven instead? How long do you think they would need to bake?