Crunchy, savoury and surprisingly easy to pull together, these salmon rice cakes make smart use of leftovers while still feeling restaurant-worthy. Serve them with spicy kimchi mayo for a weeknight dinner that tastes way fancier than the effort required.

These salmon rice cakes are one of those rare leftover dinners that somehow feel more exciting than the original meal. Crispy on the outside and tender in the middle, they transform cooked rice and salmon into golden little flavour bombs packed with herbs, scallions and just enough crunch. The spicy kimchi mayo takes things over the top, but even without it, this is the kind of flexible weeknight recipe you’ll find yourself coming back to whenever there’s extra rice hanging around in the fridge. Bonus: They reheat beautifully for lunches the next day, for classrooms and workplaces that allow fish.

Ingredients for Salmon Rice Cakes

For rice cakes:

  • 1/2 lb cooked salmon
  • 2 cups leftover cooked rice
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs (you can use gluten-free, if needed), plus more for coating cakes
  • 1/4 cup or more chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2-3 large scallions chopped or 3-5 small
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped (optional)
  • 2-3 tablespoons olive oil

For kimchi mayo:

  • 1/4 cup kimchi, chopped
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • Other garnish: chopped scallions and cilantro

Instructions for Salmon Rice Cakes

  1. Add rice to a large bowl, mix in beaten eggs, breadcrumbs, cilantro, jalapeño (if using) and scallions.
  2. Break apart salmon with a fork into small bit size pieces and fold into rice. Mix well to combine.
  3. To a shallow bowl, add 1 tsp breadcrumbs. Place a round form onto the crumbs and scoop 2-3 tbsp mixture into form. Press down using back of the spoon to form a nice flat cake. (If you don't have a round form, you can just make flat patties.)
  4. Heat a large skillet (cast iron works best) over medium-high and add olive oil. Sprinkle the top of patties with another tsp of breadcrumbs and using a spatula, scoop up and place in the heated skillet.
    Cook undisturbed 3-4 min, or until nicely browned on bottom, then flip and repeat with the other side. Remove cakes to a serving platter.
  5. In a small bowl, mix chopped kimchi with mayo. Top rice cakes with sauce and a sprinkle of cilantro and scallions before serving.

Serves 6.

Find more of Pamela's gluten free recipes at PamelasGlutenFreeRecipes.com.