As you may have read, I recently performed a fairly involved Salmon Loaf Experiment. In my exploration of the question “What does ‘salmon loaf’ mean to you?” I created these delicious little Keto Salmon Loaf Bites. With the texture of a mini muffin and the savory salmon flavor, these yummy little bites are perfect for either a dinner party appetizer line-up or brunch. Add a dollop of Buttermilk Dill Whipped Cream and they look positively elegant.
Now, what I will say if you add the whipped cream, is that you should probably make sure it’s clear to your guests what they are eating. If someone picks one up expecting a sweet, dessert-like tart and takes a bite, it would be a bit jarring to the palate.
What You Need to Make Keto Salmon Loaf Bites
Equipment
- 2 Large Mixing Bowls – One for the salmon and one for the batter. I like to prep the batter on its own so that the almond flour and liquid have a chance to meld while I’m working on other things.
- 1 Medium Mixing Bowl – I used this for beating the egg whites.
- Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer – For whipping the egg whites. Given the relatively small volume and the size of my stand mixer, I find the hand mixer with the whisk attachment best suited to this task. However, that is based on my particular set up so your mileage may vary.
- 2 Small Bowls or Plates – If you are deboning and de-skinning the salmon yourself, you’ll need somewhere to place the removed bones and skin while you’re working.
- Cutting Board – For dicing the red onion.
- Chef’s Knife – For dicing the red onion.
- Rubber Gloves – Optional. I wear these when working with the canned salmon because the smell is intense and the amount of hand scrubbing required to get it off of my hands usually makes them dry and crack.
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- 2 (24-count) Mini Muffin / Tart Pans – I like to use silicone ones to make it easier to pop out the mini bites.
- Cooking Spray
Ingredients
- Canned Salmon – In the interest of your time, I recommend buying the canned salmon that is already boneless and skinless. While it’s not difficult to remove the skin and bones yourself, it does take some time.
- Red Onion
- Lemon Juice – I used the squeeze bottle version for convenience.
- Almond Flour – I recommend sifting it. While not necessary, it’s a technique that does improve texture.
- Baking Powder
- Unsalted Butter
- Dried Dill
- Kosher Salt
- Ground Black Pepper
Getting Started with Making Keto Salmon Loaf Bites
Okay, we’re going to approach this in a few stages:
- Salmon Prep
- Batter Prep
- Egg White Beating and Incorporation
- Baking
Prepping the Salmon
First, we’ll start by draining the canned salmon. If you bought the cans that are already skinless and boneless, just flake the salmon pieces with a fork or your fingers in a large mixing bowl and that’s it. If your canned salmon still has its skin and bones, I recommend setting yourself up with a little cleaning station. I’d suggest:
- One small bowl or plate for the bones and skin
- One small bowl for the drained juice
- The large mixing bowl where you’ll be placing the “keeper” salmon
- A large plate to work over while you’re sorting your salmon.
Once that’s done, dice ½ cup of red onion and add it to the salmon.
Then add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and mix everything together. I use the lemon juice from a squeeze bottle, but you could certain substitute freshly squeezed lemon juice if you prefer.
Mixing Up the Batter
Start the batter by sifting 1 cup of almond flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of dried dill, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper. While you could technically add the spices to the salmon, I prefer incorporating them into the batter because I think it provides a more even distribution.
Add ½ cup of heavy cream and 3 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter. Allow the mixture to sit while you separate the eggs.
Separate 3 eggs. You probably know the drill, but just in case here it is. Use 3 bowls–1 for the whites, 1 for the yolks, and 1 “safety” bowl that you will use for separating each egg. The safety bowl saves you from contaminating multiple egg whites in case you accidentally break a yolk into one of them. Remember that even a little bit of yolk will prevent your egg whites from whipping up properly.
Then stir the yolks into the rest of the batter.
Egg White Beating and Incorporation
Using a hand mixer, whip up the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks. Scoop up about a quarter of the egg whites and gently fold them into the batter. This will lighten it up a bit. Then incorporate the salmon, red onion, and lemon juice mixture into the batter.
Finally, continue folding the egg whites into the batter and salmon. Work in batches and be gentle. The batter is pretty dense, so being gentle will help preserve as many of the air bubbles as possible.
Baking Keto Salmon Loaf Bites
Preheat the oven to 350°F and liberally spray 2 mini muffin pans with nonstick cooking spray. Spoon the batter into the mini muffin wells.
Bake the Keto Salmon Loaf Bites at 350°F for 20 minutes. If they’re not quite done, you can go 1 – 2 minutes longer, but be careful not to overcook them. You don’t really want dry little muffin bites.
As an alternative, you could bake these in a regular size muffin pan. However, in that case, you will need to increase the time by 5 minutes.
Serving and Storage
You can either serve these warm or at room temperature. If you plan to top them with my Buttermilk Dill Whipped Cream (which I highly recommend), cool them first so that the whipped cream doesn’t melt.
You can store these in the fridge for up to a week or until you are ready to serve and then just pop them in the oven on warm (180°F) for about 10 minutes to reheat them. If that is your plan, don’t add the Buttermilk Dill Whipped Cream until you’re ready to serve them.
Enjoy!
Related Recipes
I recommend serving these little bites topped with some of my Buttermilk Dill Whipped Cream.
If you’re interested in more small bite appetizers, you may like the following recipes:
- Manchego Prosciutto Blueberry Bites
- Keto Almond Flour Corn Dog Bites
- Soppressata and Manchego Pesto Canapés
- Prosciutto Pesto Canapés
If you’re wondering what else to put on the menu with these Keto Salmon Loaf Bites, check out my Cats’ First Birthday Dinner Party page for some menu ideas.
Keto Salmon Loaf Bites
Ingredients
- 16 ounces Canned Salmon
- ½ cup Red Onion Minced
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 cup Almond Flour
- 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Dried Dill
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- ½ cup Heavy Cream
- 3 tablespoons Unsalted Butter Melted
- 3 Eggs Separated. I use jumbo.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and thoroughly grease 2 mini muffin pans with cooking spray.
- Drain 16 ounces Canned Salmon and remove any skin and bones. Place it in a large mixing bowl and flake the salmon pieces with a fork or your fingers.16 ounces Canned Salmon
- Dice 1/2 cup Red Onion and add it to the salmon. Then pour in 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice. Stir to combine.1/2 cup Red Onion, 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- In a separate bowl, combine 1 cup Almond Flour (sifted), 2 teaspoons Baking Powder, 1 teaspoon Dried Dill, 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt, 1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper, 1/2 cup Heavy Cream, and 3 tablespoons Unsalted Butter (melted). Mix well and set aside.1 cup Almond Flour, 2 teaspoons Baking Powder, 1/2 cup Heavy Cream, 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt, 1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper, 1 teaspoon Dried Dill, 3 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- Separate 3 Eggs. Stir the egg yolks in with the rest of the almond flour batter. In a separate bowl whip the egg whites to stiff peaks.3 Eggs
- Gently fold about ¼ of the egg whites into the almond flour batter. Then mix the salmon, red onion, and lemon juice into the batter.
- Slowly and in batches, fold the remaining egg whites into the batter.
- Spoon the batter into the wells of the prepared mini muffin pans.
- Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Serve warm or at room temperature. Optionally top with Buttermilk Dill Whipped Cream.
Equipment
- 2 Large Mixing Bowls
- 1 Medium Mixing Bowl
- Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer For whipping the egg whites.
- 2 Small Bowls or Plates If you are deboning and de-skinning the salmon yourself.
- Rubber Gloves Optional but nice to keep your fingers from smelling like salmon.
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- 2 24-count Mini Muffin Pans I prefer silicone.
- Cooking Spray
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