These keto fish cakes are full of protein and make a great breakfast or side dish. They also make a great keto lunch with a side of low carb salad. Talk about one versatile dish!
Why You'll Love It
The first time I made these fish cakes I don’t think they lasted more than 10 minutes in my house. My kids jumped in and ate everything almost immediately and begged me for more.
These keto fish cakes are seriously addicting and so filling. When I make a batch, I eat 2 or 3 and I’m too full to eat anything else for hours. And I usually have to make more than one batch at a time because everyone in my house loves it.
Ingredients Used
- Codfish: I use codfish but you can use any other white, flaky fish like tilapia, catfish, or grouper.
- Eggs: This acts as a binder so that the cake can hold its form and not fall apart immediately.
- Coconut flour: This makes the fish cakes even more filling and helps to absorb excess moisture when preparing the fish cakes.
- Vegetables and herbs: I use parsley for this recipe but you can use any of your favorite herbs. I also add some chopped onions for a burst of flavor.
- Spices: I use black pepper, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, and salt for this recipe. You can always use your favorite spices.
How to Make Keto Fish Cakes
- Wash and pat dry the codfish. You don’t want it to be soaking wet or dripping with water or it will become soggy and not hold its shape.
- Spray a pan with a little oil, and rub the fish with salt and pepper. Fry on one side for about 5 minutes, then flip and fry the other side.
- When the codfish is done, take it out of the pan and give it about a minute to cool. Then use a fork to flake it into smaller pieces. It does not have to be perfect because we will still use an immersion blender to blend and mix everything.
- Add in the chopped onions, parsley, coconut flour, eggs, and spices. Mix together and use an immersion blender to blend everything together. It does not have to be smooth; a coarser texture is actually preferred. I found out through trial and error that the fish hold its shape better when coarsely blended especially since it contains onions.
- Use a quarter measuring cup to scoop out the fish and press in to compress it. Flip it on a plate and gently pat down to shape it. This should give around 6 to 8 fish cakes dependent on how large or small you make them.
- Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a frying pan and place the fish in it. Let it fry for about three minutes on each side on low to medium heat. Gently flip the fish cakes over using a spatula. As the outer edges begin to brown nicely on both sides you know your fish is ready.
- Don’t panic if you see the top and bottom begin to turn dark brown. It is not getting burned, this is supposed to happen. This shows that the fish cakes have cooked through.
- Serve and enjoy!
What Can I Eat My Keto Fish Cakes With?
I love to eat this with spicy mayonnaise or top it up with this spicy avocado salsa for an amazing flavor combination.
You can also serve it with a low-carb salad for a delicious lunch and add different herbs and spices to mix things up!
Tips and Variations
- Make sure the fish is not too soggy. If you end up with too much water in your fish and it is not holding its shape, add a little bit more coconut flour. Coconut flour absorbs moisture so it will help absorb the excess moisture from the fish.
- If it is too dry, sprinkle just a little water on it. You want it to be just moist enough, not too wet or too dry.
- If your fish cakes are breaking apart when frying, it could be for a couple of reasons. The oil might be too hot. I have noticed that when this happens, the fish breaks apart or burns very easily.
- Another reason might be the quantity of oil used. If you use a lot of oil, the fish cakes tend to just break apart and float away. I have achieved the best results when I use just a tiny bit of oil on low heat, to give the fish cakes time to cook through without breaking apart or getting burned.
- Be careful when trying to flip the keto fish cakes when making it. Use a flat spatula and flip it gently.
- It is also important to give the fish cakes a few minutes to cool down before you eat them. This would give them time to solidify and reduce the chance of breakage.
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📖 Recipe
Keto Fish Cakes
These keto fish cakes are full of protein and make a great breakfast or side dish. They also make a great lunch with a side of salad. Talk about one versatile dish!
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Servings: 6
Calories: 153kcal
Ingredients
- 1 lb codfish
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 small onion chopped
- 3 tablespoon parsley chopped
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
Instructions
- Wash and pat dry the codfish.1 lb codfish
- Rub with salt and pepper.
- Add the oil to the pan, and fry the fish for 10 minutes on medium heat, flipping halfway.2 tablespoon olive oil
- When the codfish is done, take it out of the pan and give it a minute to cool.
- Use a fork to flake it into smaller pieces.
- Add in the chopped onions, parsley, coconut flour, and eggs. Then add the spices.¼ cup coconut flour, 2 eggs, 1 small onion, 3 tablespoon parsley, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon salt
- Mix with a spoon and use an immersion blender to coarsely blend everything up together.
- Use a quarter measuring cup to scoop out the fish and press in to compress it.
- Flip it on a plate and gently pat down to shape it.
- Add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a frying pan and fry the fish for 3 minutes on each side, flipping halfway till it turns a golden brown.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Each serving contains 3 net carbs and serves 6.
- If you end up with too much water in your fish and it is not holding its shape, add a little bit more coconut flour.
- If it is too dry, sprinkle just a little water on it. You want it to be just moist enough, not too wet or too dry.
- Make sure the oil is not too hot and you don’t use too much oil or the fish might break apart.
- Be careful when trying to flip the keto fish cakes when making it. Use a flat spatula and flip gently.
- Let the fish cakes cool down for a few minutes before eating, so it can solidify and reduce the risk of breakage.
Nutrition
Calories: 153kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 268mg | Potassium: 351mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 511IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg
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Tayo Oredola is the founder of Low Carb Africa, where she shares healthy, low carb dishes with global flavors. She is passionate about teaching people how to cook drool-worthy dishes while losing weight and living their best lives. Tayo’s recipes have been featured on MSN, Women’s Health, Parade, Yahoo News, Pure Wow, Essence, and other online publications.
I made it with tuna, and used almond flour instead of coconut flour, and it turned out great! You're right about the low heat. I also chilled them in the fridge for a bit before frying them, hoping they would hold together better. I may try with crab next.
Tuna makes an excellent substitute!