Coconut Curry Salmon

Dinner · Seafood Mains

Coconut Curry Salmon

Salmon fillets meet a coconut milk sauce with red curry paste, shallot, garlic, and ginger. Serve with cooked rice, lime wedges, and cilantro to catch the sauce.
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Prep
10 minutes
Cook
20 minutes
Total
30 minutes
Serves
4 servings

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About this recipe.

Salmon fillets with a coconut milk sauce flavored with red curry paste, shallot, garlic, ginger, and lime.

Before you start

Gather your ingredients.

Check your pantry before you begin. Full quantities and serving adjustments are in the recipe card below.

See the ingredient checklist
  • 16 oz Salmon filets (raw; four 4-ounce portions, thawed if frozen and pin bones removed)
  • Kosher Salt (to taste)
  • Ground Black Pepper (to taste)
  • 1 Tbsp Vegetable oil
  • 1 Shallot (thinly sliced)
  • 1 Tbsp Red curry paste
  • 2 Cloves Garlic (minced)
  • 1 tsp Ginger, Fresh (minced)
  • 14 oz Coconut milk (canned, unsweetened; full-fat preferred)
  • 1 Tbsp Sriracha
  • 1 Tbsp Fish sauce
  • Rice (cooked, for serving; as needed)
  • 1 Lime (Cut into wedges)
  • Fresh Cilantro (chopped, for serving; to taste)

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Warm the cooked fish gently

Cook the salmon to its thermometer endpoint, then set it aside while the sauce simmers. Return it briefly to warm through so it stays in intact portions.

Adapted from Makinze Gore at Delish.

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The cooking plan

How to make Coconut Curry Salmon.

  1. Pat the salmon dry and season lightly with salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook skin-side down if skin-on, about 4–5 minutes, then turn carefully and cook until the thickest part reaches 145°F (63°C). Timing depends on thickness; check early. Transfer to a clean plate.

  2. In the same skillet over medium heat, cook the sliced shallot for about 3 minutes, stirring, until softened. Add red curry paste, garlic, and fresh ginger. Stir for about 1 minute, reducing the heat if they begin to brown too quickly.

  3. Whisk in the coconut milk, Sriracha, and fish sauce. Bring to a gentle simmer and stir for 3–5 minutes until slightly reduced. Return the already-cooked salmon and warm gently for about 1 minute, spooning sauce over it. Serve as soon as the fish is warm.

  4. Divide cooked rice among plates as desired. Add the salmon and coconut curry sauce, then finish with lime wedges and chopped cilantro.

Let’s cook

The full recipe.

Check off ingredients as you get them ready.

Changing servings? The ingredient list scales automatically. Adjust quantities named in the steps to match, and choose pans and cooking times for your batch.

Coconut Curry Salmon

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Salmon fillets with a coconut milk sauce flavored with red curry paste, shallot, garlic, ginger, and lime.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: Southeast Asian, Thai
Ingredients Equipment Instructions Notes

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Ingredients
  

  •  
    16 oz Salmon filets raw; four 4-ounce portions, thawed if frozen and pin bones removed
  • Kosher Salt to taste
  • Ground Black Pepper to taste
  • 1 Tbsp Vegetable oil
  • 1 Shallot thinly sliced
  •  
    1 Tbsp Red curry paste
  • 2 Cloves Garlic minced
  •  
    1 tsp Ginger, Fresh minced
  •  
    14 oz Coconut milk canned, unsweetened; full-fat preferred
  • 1 Tbsp Sriracha
  •  
    1 Tbsp Fish sauce
  •  
    Rice cooked, for serving; as needed
  • 1 Lime Cut into wedges
  • Fresh Cilantro chopped, for serving; to taste

Equipment

Large skillet
Instant-read thermometer
Knife and cutting board
Mixing bowl
Wire whisk
Stirring spoon
Stirring spoon
Measuring cups and spoons

Equipment images are illustrative. Exact products may vary.

Instructions
 

  1. Pat the salmon dry and season lightly with salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook skin-side down if skin-on, about 4–5 minutes, then turn carefully and cook until the thickest part reaches 145°F (63°C). Timing depends on thickness; check early. Transfer to a clean plate.
  2. In the same skillet over medium heat, cook the sliced shallot for about 3 minutes, stirring, until softened. Add red curry paste, garlic, and fresh ginger. Stir for about 1 minute, reducing the heat if they begin to brown too quickly.
  3. Whisk in the coconut milk, Sriracha, and fish sauce. Bring to a gentle simmer and stir for 3–5 minutes until slightly reduced. Return the already-cooked salmon and warm gently for about 1 minute, spooning sauce over it. Serve as soon as the fish is warm.
  4. Divide cooked rice among plates as desired. Add the salmon and coconut curry sauce, then finish with lime wedges and chopped cilantro.

Notes

The original 16 ounces of salmon and sauce ingredient amounts are retained. Yield is an estimate of four modest servings with rice. Rice cooking time is not included. Curry paste and fish sauce vary in salt and heat, so season the fish lightly. Times are estimates; use the thermometer endpoint for the fish. No nutrition calculation is supplied.

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How do I change the number of servings?

Use the serving controls in the recipe card. Ingredient quantities change automatically; quantities written in the instructions, pan sizes and cooking times still need your attention.

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