Jamie Oliver's 5-Ingredient Salmon Cakes Are Fast & Full of Flavor (Thanks to This Ingredient!)

We know that seafood is a healthy part of a balanced diet, but sometimes we get into a rut of cooking nothing but chicken recipes, and when we get to the fish counter at the store we just can’t think of what to make. But you don’t need to think of seafood as something fancy or finicky to cook with. It turns out that making fish for dinner can be effortless, and the results totally flavorful. Jamie Oliver, who’s a total whiz with making healthy food exciting and easy to cook, just shared a simple five-ingredient salmon cake recipe that we’re definitely going to be adding to our frequent menu rotation.

Our mission at SheKnows is to empower and inspire women, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.

We love salmon. Thanks to its rich flavor and heart-healthy fat content, it’s difficult to overcook, and it works well in a variety of recipes.

In Oliver’s recipe, which originally appeared in his book 5 Ingredients: Quick & Easy Food, he uses a freshly chopped salmon filet (no canned stuff here!) to make herbaceous, crispy glazed salmon cakes with an Asian flair.

For the cakes, the chopped salmon is mixed together with minced lemongrass, ginger, and cilantro, which gives them a fresh and vibrant flavor profile. The cakes are seared in a skillet until they’re golden brown on the outside but just-cooked and still moist inside.

But the biggest splash of flavor comes with a clever shortcut ingredient – sweet chili sauce, or chilli jam as Oliver, who’s British, calls it. The sweet chili sauce adds a sweet, spicy, and tangy flavor to the cakes. Combined with the fresh and fragrant blend of lemongrass, ginger, and cilantro, it results in a meal that tastes totally restaurant-worthy, but that took just five ingredients and less than 30 minutes to come together. That’s a total win in our book!

Oliver also has suggestions if you need to make substitutions. Fresh salmon can be substituted for frozen thawed salmon, white fish, or chopped shrimp, and if you have a hard time finding lemongrass, you can use lemon zest instead.

Serve with pasta, in a pita, or over a peppery arugula salad, and you’ve got an easy salmon dinner that’s anything but boring.

In search of more summer recipes? Giada De Laurentiis has plenty:

More from SheKnows

• Ina Garten's Applesauce Cake Looks Great, But It's the Secret Ingredient in the Frosting That Has Us Drooling

Best of SheKnows

• Costco's Bakery Section Is Severely Underrated — Here Are the Items You Need to Try

• The Best Halloween Desserts Trending on Pinterest Right Now

• 7 Companies That Will Deliver Coffee Right to Your Door

Sign up for SheKnows' Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.