Sneaking in Omega-3’s with Salmon Nuggets

I have been very blessed that my boys both love salmon. I don’t have to go out of my way to hide salmon in a salmon cake (salmon patty, salmon croquette or however you refer to the deliciousness that is a lightly breaded and fried hunk of salmon). They will eat a salmon steak plain. But they have developed an affinity to chicken nuggets (they have them on occasion when out of the house).

Finding a homemade and healthy alternative to the packaged alternative was on my list for packed lunches and protein-packed snacks. Salmon is a loaded with B12, Omega-3’s, and Selenium. I have made this recipe using shredded chicken and it turned out super tasty, too!

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Supplies

• Stand Mixer (I use a 6 quart)
• Air Fryer (I have one similar to this model. The same brand; however, I couldn’t find this exact model with the knobs)

*I prefer cooking our salmon nuggets in an air fryer. The mess is contained, they cook quickly, and there isn’t as much oil needed. You can fry them in a cast iron skillet and they will still turn out delicious. Having a stand mixer makes the process super easy, but is not necessary. Until recently, I mixed everything together by hand.

Ingredients

*I make big batches to separate and freeze for later. The photos show me making enough nuggets for about 6 lunches for us (2 adults, and 2 toddlers)

• 6 large cans of wild caught salmon
• 6 eggs
• 2 TBSP flax meal (optional)
• about 1/4 cup of flour (I usually prefer a sprouted flour, but we were all out!)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Any extra seasonings (I used an onion leftover from our last Misfit’s Market Box, check out our thoughts on Misfits Market, if you haven’t already!)
• Avocado Oil Spray

Directions

• Preheat your air fryer to 360 F (182 C) for about 5 minutes.
• While your air fryer is heating, drain the liquid from the salmon cans. You can dump directly into your mixing bowl or if you’re like me and can’t stand the small bones and skin, take some time to remove before placing into your bowl. *Save for your chickens!*
• Finely dice your onions, chives, fresh herbs (if you’re using) and add to your mixer along with your eggs, flour, flax, salt, and pepper.
• Set your mixer on low until all ingredients are mixed well. You want your mixture to be slightly sticky but not too wet. Add small amounts of additional flour if needed.
• Form your patties. For the boy’s sake, I do small, nugget-sized patties. Spray the basket of your air fryer with a high heat tolerant can. (I prefer propellant sprays over aerosol) Place your nuggets in a single layer so they do not touch.
• Set your timer for 8 minutes. Once time is finished, flip your patties for an additional 4 minutes.
• Continue until all your nuggets have cooked!
• Enjoy within 3-4 days refrigerated or store in your Stasher bags for up to 4 months.

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Tips

Make sure to flip you’re nuggets. The directions for our air fryer claims you don’t have to turn your food, but in order for it to brown nicely all around, flipping and cooking a little longer has worked best for us.

Lightly spray the tops of your nuggets prior to frying and in between turns to help them brown a little better.

They are fabulous served for breakfast with homemade gravy!