These keto fish cakes are made Newfoundland style - minus the carbs, of course! Highly customizable, this recipe is great for the whole family!
Sometimes, you just want a childhood favourite comfort food, and for me... fishcakes can fit the bill.
“Fish cakes” can mean all kinds of different things, based on where you are. Some are all or mostly fish, others are cut with mashed potato.
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Some are coated in a breading - like the childhood favourite - while others aren’t coated, and are more like a crab cake - a bit fancier.
As I was in the mood for nostalgia, I designed these to be a keto version of the mass-produced, breaded version.
... just with nicer fish (cod) and some more flavour added to it. So a diet-friendly, “adult” version of the childhood favourite.
Are Fish Cakes Keto Friendly?
Generally speaking, no. Many are made with carbby fillers - bread, potatoes, etc. Those that are mostly fish are generally coated in breadcrumbs.
So when it came to designing these, I replaced the mashed potatoes with cauliflower, and the coating with pork rinds.
Tips for Making Low Carb Fish Cakes
- Moisture is the enemy! Be sure your fish is defrosted and drained before cooking (if frozen), and that the cauliflower is also drained well. Pat everything dry with paper towels, if needed.
- I like using a nonstick pan for this. Anything sticking will cause these to fall apart - they’re relatively delicate!
- I tend to cook these on medium heat. You want to give it a chance to heat through, before the outside either overcooks or burns.
- As they’re fragile, handle them gently when flipping, and try to flip only once or twice.
Easy Keto Fish Cakes Ingredients
While some of the ingredients are pretty straightforward - salt, pepper, egg, etc - I do have a few thoughts to share on some of the ingredients!
Fish
You can use any kind of boneless fish that you like for this, but for the nostalgia, I tend to go with cod. It’s got a nice, neutral flavour, and is relatively easy to come by.
I used a nice piece, because that’s what we had on hand... but this works perfectly fine with the frozen fish portions, as well.
It’s all about what you’re in the mood for, and what’s affordable / readily available. I definitely wouldn’t use a premium fish to mash up and make patties out of, just saying! 🙂
So, basically any boneless white fish or salmon are popular options. You can use tuna, but I’ll generally leave out the dill when I do.
Cauliflower
This takes the place of mashed potato, adding texture and stretching the fish - it’s economical! I like to use frozen cauliflower for this, just for the convenience of it.
Make sure it’s well drained before pureeing it.
Pork Rinds
While you can buy premade Pork Rind Crumbs, I generally just crush some whole pork rinds by hand, then run through the food processor until they’re a good texture.
As a caution, be careful not to run them too long. Due to the fat content, you can turn them into a kind of... pork rind butter... if you’re not careful!
As a note, you can sub almond flour or flax meal for all or part of this, it just won’t get as crispy.
Also: sometimes I’ll substitute a bit of finely grated Parmesan cheese for a small amount of the crumbs, but generally no more than about ⅓ of it.
What to Serve with Keto Fish Cakes
Generally speaking, I go pretty basic with this - just some sort of steamed or blanched green veggie, usually broccoli or asparagus.
When making these fish cakes, I like the side to be a SIDE, not distracting from the delicately flavoured fish cakes themselves... so I don’t tend to make anything complicated.
Cauliflower mash is another great option, if you want the “fish cakes and mashed potato” comfort food vibe.
Salad, roasted veggies, or konjac rice are also great options.
How to Make Low Carb Fish Cakes
Full recipe follows, here is the pictorial walk-through!
Place cauliflower in a microwave safe bowl, cook for 10 minutes. Transfer to a food processor, blitz until well pureed. Set aside to cool.
Heat about 2 tablespoon oil in a frying pan. Place fish in pan, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, and cook - flipping to cook on both sides - until opaque and flakes easily when prodded with a fork. Remove from heat.
Add fish to bowl of mashed cauliflower, use a fork to flake/mash the fish into small pieces.
Add green onions, mustard, and dill, if using. Taste, season with salt, pepper, and more dill if desired.
Add egg, mix until well distributed. Cover bowl, chill for 10 minutes.
Divide fish mixture into 8 evenly sized balls. Form into patties, roll in pork rind crumbs, pressing to secure.
Transfer each cake to a plate or baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Wipe fry pan out, add another 2 tablespoon oil. Heat oil over medium heat, add a few fish cakes - don’t crowd the pan - and pan fry until golden brown, crispy, and heated through.
Repeat with remaining fish cakes.
Serve hot, with tartar sauce, lemon wedges, and/or more fresh dill.
Keto Tartar Sauce
Most tartar sauce is some degree of low carb, but I like to throw together my own, very specifically keto friendly tartar sauce.
Some day I’ll actually do up a recipe for it, but generally speaking, I’ll toss some mayonnaise (Try my Homemade Keto Mayo!) into my mini food processor, add some other ingredients, and let it rip.
So. Measure out about how much mayonnaise you want, then add whatever you want... then process it til it’s as smooth as you want.
A SUPER basic (think “fast food takeout”) tartar sauce can be made from adding chopped up pickles, maybe a little brine.
Beyond that, I’d suggest following a bit of an order of operation:
First, decide on your “chunky” items. These are your pickles, capers, and olives.
Second, decide on your acids: Pickle brine, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, etc. You’ll want just a small splash to start - you can adjust to taste, later!
Third is the “onion and garlic” area. Onions, shallots, green onion are popular choices, I do like a bit of garlic sometimes. Onions and shallot are high carb, so go sparingly if you use them.
Finally, your herbs, etc. Fresh or dried dill, parsley, tarragon, lemon zest, etc.
Once you’ve figured out what you want, just blitz it, season with salt and pepper, and adjust the acid, if you’d like.
My tartar sauce... this time!
More Low Carb Fish & Seafood Recipes
Looking for more low carb or keto fish recipes? I’ve got you covered!
Ahi Tuna Crudo
Keto Spicy Salmon Poke Bowl
Low Carb Keto Chirashi Bowl
Tuna Poke Bowl
Crunchy Keto Coconut Shrimp
Salmon Crudo
Keto Crab Cakes
Grilled Cilantro Lime Shrimp
Keto Clam Chowder
Low Carb Shrimp Curry
Keto Paella
Hot Smoked Sockeye Salmon
Keto Jambalaya
Pesto Shrimp Palmini
Low Carb Spinach Feta Salmon Pinwheels
Keto Sushi
Seared Scallops with Dijon Wine Sauce
Keto Cod au Gratin
Baked Sesame Ginger Salmon [Keto]
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Keto Fish Cakes
Equipment
- Large nonstick pan
Ingredients
- 1 lb Frozen cauliflower
- Olive or vegetable oil
- 1 lb Boneless fresh cod
- Salt and pepper
- 1-2 Green onions thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Fresh dill chopped (optional)
- 1 Large egg beaten
- 1 cup Pork rind crumbs Approx. measurement
Instructions
- Place cauliflower in a microwave safe bowl, cook for 10 minutes. Transfer to a food processor, blitz until well pureed. Set aside to cool.
- Heat about 2 tablespoon oil in a frying pan. Place fish in pan, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, and cook - flipping to cook on both sides - until opaque and flakes easily when prodded with a fork. Remove from heat.
- Add fish to bowl of mashed cauliflower, use a fork to flake/mash the fish into small pieces.
- Add green onions, mustard, and dill, if using. Taste, season with salt, pepper, and more dill if desired.
- Add egg, mix until well distributed. Cover bowl, chill for 10 minutes.
- Divide fish mixture into 8 evenly sized balls. Form into patties, roll in pork rind crumbs, pressing to secure.
- Transfer each cake to a plate or baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Wipe fry pan out, add another 2 tablespoon oil. Heat oil over medium heat, add a few fish cakes - don’t crowd the pan - and pan fry until golden brown, crispy, and heated through.
- Repeat with remaining fish cakes.
- Serve hot, with tartar sauce, lemon wedges, and/or more fresh dill.
Nutrition
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