Easy Curry Salmon With Coconut Milk

Name: Easy Curry Salmon With Coconut Milk
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 lb salmon fillets (Fatty varieties preferred, like Atlantic, Chinook, or King.); 2 TBSP olive oil; 1 yellow onion, chopped; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tsp grated ginger; 1 bell pepper (red, orange, or yellow), sliced into strips or diced; 8 oz baby bella mushrooms, cut into quarters; 4 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces; 3 TBSP red Thai curry paste; 13 oz can of full-fat unsweetened coconut milk; 1 TBSP fish sauce; 2 cups ribboned or roughly chopped spinach; 1 TBSP chili sauce, like Sambal Oelek or Sriracha; 2 limes; 1 zested & juiced, the other cut into wedges for serving; Fresh basil; Thai basil is best but regular basil will do!

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by Dana Sandonato // March 12, 2024

This creamy and delicious Curry Salmon with Coconut Milk is incredibly easy to make, and it’s ready in 30 minutes!

Sauté pan with curry salmon with coconut milk and lots of veggies.

Table of Contents

Flavor-Packed and Weeknight Friendly

Indulge yourself, friends. This Thai-inspired curry salmon with coconut milk is a tantalizing dish that seamlessly blends ease, flavor, and vibrant presentation. It’s perfect for busy weeknights and kicks up your dinner routine with minimal effort and maximum satisfaction.

What to Serve This With

Rice is my family’s go-to whenever I make this dish. It absorbs all of that creamy curry goodness. A simple basmati or jasmine does the trick!
This curry salmon is already chock full of veggies, but there’s never harm in adding more to your plate. I’d go with green beans or broccoli.
Potatoes are also a welcome addition, whether mashed or roasted.

Ingredient Breakdown & Swaps

The ingredients for curry salmon laid out on a light background.

Exact measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

Salmon fillets. Go for a nice plump variety like Atlantic Salmon. I love Faroe Island salmon; there’s also Chinook or King. If you opt for a leaner fillet like sockeye or coho, be sure to decrease the cook time. Skin on or off is fine, just note that the skin won’t be crispy since we’re poaching the salmon in the creamy curry sauce. If non-crispy skin gives you the ick, you can skin your salmon with a filleting knife.
Olive oil.
Yellow onion. Brings sweetness, but a white onion will also work.
Garlic. Minced or grated with a microplane is fine.
Ginger.
Bell pepper. Stick with the sweeter varieties, like red, orange, or yellow. Green is more bitter and though it will work, I find the sweeter peppers pair better with the flavors here.
Mushrooms. I love using baby bella/crimini, but you could use white button mushrooms as well.
Scallions.
Red Thai Curry Paste. You’ll find this in the International section of your grocery store or your local Asian market.
Unsweetened coconut milk. Make sure you get full fat, because the creamy consistency is very important!
Fish sauce. This can also be found in the International section of your grocery store.
Baby spinach.
Chili sauce. Sambal Oelek is my favorite! Another one found along with the fish sauce and Thai curry paste. You could also use Sriracha.
Limes.
Basil. Thai basil is best, but not a must.

How to Make Curry Salmon With Coconut Milk

Heat 2 TBSP of olive oil in a large sauté pan. Stir in the onion, garlic, and ginger. Simmer for about 5 minutes or until the onions are tender.

Add the bell pepper and mushrooms to the pan, then stir in the 3 TBSP of red curry paste. Stir to coat the veggies completely.

Pan holding cooked onions with mushrooms, peppers, and red curry paste added.

Add the scallions, coconut milk, fish sauce, chili sauce, lime juice, and lime zest. Stir well to incorporate everything and let the curry simmer for about 5 minutes over low heat.

Stir in the spinach, then nestle the salmon fillets into the curry sauce, spooning liquid over the fillets to cover them.

Coconut milk being added into the pan of veggies.

Creamy coconut curry with vegetables well mixed in a pan.

Salmon fillets being nestled into the curry sauce with tongs.

Continue to let everything simmer on medium-low, poaching the salmon for about 8-10 minutes, or until it registers an internal temperature of 140-145º F using a meat thermometer.

Serve with fresh basil and lime wedges over rice, or see my other serving suggestions here.

Fillet of curry salmon with coconut milk over a bed of basmati rice served with fresh basil and a lime wedge.

Storage, Freezing, & Reheating

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
I’ve read that it’s okay to freeze cooked salmon and coconut curry individually. However, I’m not confident this dish would freeze well. I think it would affect the texture of the salmon and the veggies, so I don’t recommend it.
To reheat leftovers you can pop them in the microwave and heat in 25 second increments until warmed through, or transfer the leftovers to a pan and heat over the stovetop until warmed through. Be sure to not overheat the salmon though—you don’t want to dry it out.

Have You Made This Recipe?

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