This Coconut Curry Salmon recipe is full of simple ingredients that are sure to make your taste buds dance. We’ve infused bright curry, paprika, garlic and onion flavors into rich salmon filets, accompanied by perfectly cooked veggies and flavorful buttery rice. A colorful and flavorful dish that’s sure to please.
The Best Coconut Curry Salmon
This balanced meal has it all; a rich protein, bright veggies, and fluffy rice to keep you going back for seconds. Bright curry flavors abound in this creamy curry dish that we simply can’t get enough of (and don’t forget the dreamy buttery rice to go with it!). And while curry is often thought of as spicy, this version is quite mild, allowing you to amp up the heat level to your preference. This is our all time favorite salmon coconut curry dish and we hope you think so too.
Love salmon recipes – try our Buttery Panko Crusted Salmon! And if you love curry recipes try our Coconut Curry Soup!
What You Will Need
Coconut Curry Salmon
- curry powder – A warming spice that will be noticed in each bite.
- kosher salt & ground black pepper – Just a bit goes a long way.
- paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder – Rich, complimentary seasonings to add flavor throughout.
- salmon fillets – A great source of protein that also contains a whole slew of B vitamins. Select fillets that look moist and have a rich color. Dry and pale fillets indicate that it’s probably not as fresh.
- olive oil – We love using extra virgin olive oil, but use whatever type that’s on hand. This ingredient allows us to get a nice sear on the salmon.
- butter – Just a bit to soften the garlic and onion.
- garlic -A rich and spicy aromatic ingredient.
- bell peppers – Adding a pop of color and the perfect amount of crunch.
- broccoli – A perfect veggie to pair with mild flavored salmon.
- full fat coconut milk – Adds richness and healthy fats.
- red curry paste – We like using the Thai Kitchen variety, which is milder in spice level.
- lime – A bright and fresh compliment to the warming curry flavors.
- basil – A fresh herb that adds a mild sweetness and spiciness.
- lemon grass – Brings a mild citrus flavor with a hint of ginger.
- fish sauce – Just a bit of saltiness to round out the rest of the flavors.
- soy sauce – An umami flavor that can’t be missed.
Buttery Rice (optional)
- butter – Because what’s buttery rice without butter?
- garlic – You can truly never have too much.
- sweet yellow onion – Finely minced so you get all the flavor without even realizing its there.
- jasmine rice – A longer grain rice compared to traditional white rice. We love it for it’s light fluffy texture that soaks up the delicious curry sauce. That being said, feel free to substitute it with long-grain white rice, basmati, or brown rice. Just adjust the water to rice ratio and cooking time as listed on the package instructions.
- water or chicken broth – Adds moisture to the rice.
- kosher salt – Just a pinch will do.
How To Make Coconut Curry Salmon
While your oven is preheating to 400°F, pat your salmon dry with a clean paper towel.
In a small bowl, combine the curry powder, kosher salt, ground black pepper, paprika, onion powder and garlic powder and stir to combine.
Rub each salmon fillet with the seasoning mixture and drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil.
Bring a 12-inch cast iron skillet to medium-high heat and add in a tablespoon of olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Carefully place your salmon, skin side up, on the hot skillet, allowing it to sear for 2-4 minutes.
After searing, flip the salmon over, and place the whole cast iron skillet into the oven uncovered for 12-14 minutes. The amount of cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the salmon. Use an internal meat thermometer to ensure that the salmon reaches 140°F.
While your salmon is cooking, start working on the buttery rice. Bring a medium sauce pan to medium-high heat and add the butter, letting it melt to cover the bottom of the pan. Add your minced garlic and onion, using a wooden spoon to move them around the pan for about 1 minute or until the onion becomes soft and the garlic fragrant.
Add water, rice, a pinch of salt, and stir to combine. Bring all the ingredients to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Place a lid on the sauce pan and let the rice cook for about 15 minutes. Once the rice is cooked through, remove it from the heat, let sit for 5 minutes, and then fluff with a fork. Give it taste and add any additional butter or salt to your liking.
Rice Options
This recipe calls for jasmine rice, but you can truly use whatever rice that you have on hand. Just be sure to look at the package instructions of the rice that you chose and adjust the water, rice, and cooking amounts as indicated. Add in the butter and garlic as mentioned above and you should be good to go!
Once the salmon is done cooking, remove it from the oven and place the fillets on a clean plate. Drain and access oil from the cast iron skillet and bring it back to medium-high heat on the stove top. Add butter and let it melt, allowing it to cover the bottom of the skillet. Add garlic and move it around the skillet for about 30 seconds or until fragrant.
Next, add in the bell peppers and broccoli and move them around the pan for 2-4 minutes or until they’ve softened.
Now add in the coconut milk and red curry paste, stirring to combine. Then add in the remaining ingredients of lime zest, lime juice, basil, lemongrass, fish sauce, and soy sauce. Mix with a wooden spoon to combine all of those tasty ingredients into the sauce.
Nestle the salmon back into the pan and let summer for 5-7 minutes or until the salmon has reached an internal temperature of 145°F and the broccoli and bell peppers are firm but tender.
Taste and add any additional lime juice or salt as desired. Divide rice onto plates and place salmon and curry sauce over the top. And if you’re feeling fancy, garnish with a lime wedge and fresh basil.
What To Serve With Coconut Salmon Curry
In our minds, this is a complete meal and really doesn’t need any side dishes. But don’t forget about dessert! Keep the fresh flavors going with our coconut key lime pie popsicles, lemon lime citrus granita, or strawberry chia pudding
Recipe FAQs
- Thai Kitchen – This is our favorite curry brand as it has a very mild spice level. If you use a different brand, feel free to adjust the amount to reach your desired spice level.
- Buttery Rice Optional – Feel free to substitute with regular jasmine rice or brown rice.
- Jasmine Rice Substitute – The buttery garlic rice can be made with long-grain white rice, brown rice, or basmati rice. Just be sure to adjust the water to rice ratio and cooking time as noted on the package instructions.
- Storage – Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Made this coconut curry salmon recipe and loved it?! We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!
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Other Curry Dishes You Might Like
Coconut Curry Salmon
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner/Entree
- Method: Stove Top + Oven
- Cuisine: Indian-Inspired
Description
Coconut Curry Salmon – a delicious, saucy coconut curry salmon recipe served over a bed of buttery garlic rice to make the perfect meal!
Ingredients
Coconut Curry Salmon
- 3/4 teaspoon curry powder
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 4 salmon fillets (approx. 4-6oz each and 1 inch thick)
- 1–2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter (regular or dairy-free)
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1–2 bell peppers, cut into 1 inch chunks
- 1–2 cups broccoli or broccolini florets
- 15oz can full fat coconut milk
- 4oz jar Thai Kitchen red curry paste*
- zest of 1 lime
- juice of 1 lime (more to taste)
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, packed and roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon lemongrass, grated
- 1/4 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- additional kosher salt, to taste
- Toppings: additional fresh basil leaves
Buttery Rice (optional)
- 2–3 tablespoons butter (regular or dairy-free)
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon sweet yellow onion, minced
- 1 cup jasmine rice**
- 1 1/2 cup water or chicken broth
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a small pinch bowl combine the curry powder, kosher salt, ground black pepper, paprika, onion powder and garlic powder. Stir to combine. Pat salmon fillets dry with clean paper towel. Rub with curry powder mixture then drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil. Rub oil and seasoning together all over the salmon.
- Bring a 12 inch deep cast iron skillet to medium-high heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Sear salmon (skin side up) for 2-4 minutes. Flip over and move to the oven, uncovered, for 10-14 minutes (ultimate cook time will depend upon how thick your salmon fillets are) or until the internal temperature is approx. 140 degrees F.
- Buttery Rice: Meanwhile, bring medium saucepan to medium-high heat. Add butter and let melt. Add garlic and onion. Move around the pan until the garlic is fragrant and the onion softens, approx. 1 minute. Add water, rice and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine. Bring to boil and the reduce to simmer. Cover and let simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.Taste and, if you want, you can add another 1 tablespoon (or more) of butter to the rice along with any additional salt you feel is needed.
- Remove salmon from oven and carefully transfer the salmon to a plate. Drain any excess oil from skillet.
- Using the same skillet, bring to medium-high heat (although it will still be hot from the oven). Add butter and let melt. Swirl to coat the pan. Add garlic and move around pan until fragrant, approx. 30 seconds.
- Add bell peppers and broccoli. Move around pan 2-4 minutes or until softened a bit.
- Add coconut milk and red curry paste. Stir to combine.
- Add lime zest, lime juice, basil, lemongrass, fish sauce and soy sauce. Stir to combine.
- Nestle the salmon back into the pan and let simmer 5-7 minutes or until salmon has reached an internal temp of 145 degrees F. and the broccoli and bell peppers are firm but tender.
- Taste and add any additional lime juice or salt, as desired (I added a healthy pinch of salt).
- Divide buttery rice between 4 bowl along with salmon, veggies and a good amount of sauce. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and enjoy!
Notes
- *Thai Kitchen: I generally use the Thai Kitchen brand for curry paste and their red curry paste is not spicy at all – if you use a different brand for the red curry paste, definitely adjust as-needed depending upon how spicy they may be!
- **Buttery Rice Optional: feel free to serve with regular brown rice or any other rice of your choosing and skip the Buttery Rice if you want.
- Rice Options for Buttery Rice: you can really use any type of rice here (long grain white rice, basmati, brown rice), but the amounts may differ. If you want to switch up the type of rice used, simply look on the packaging of you rice of choice and follow the rice + water amounts and their cook time instructions while adding in the butter, garlic and onion – as directed above.
- Storage: store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6 oz salmon with garlic butter rice
- Calories: 445
- Sugar: 1.9 g
- Sodium: 1008.7 mg
- Fat: 23.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 13.9 g
- Protein: 46.6 g
- Cholesterol: 117.2 mg
Keywords: coconut curry salmon
Susan eadie says
What size of jar of red curry paste?
Erin says
4oz – sorry about that – will update the recipe card!
Susan Eadie says
Thanks. I also wanted to ask about onions. In the pictures it looks like onions with the garlic but onions are not listed in the recipe.
Erin says
Yes you can definitely add in some onion along with the garlic, about 1/3 cup or so!
Gina says
This was so good! Even my picky partner loved it! will definitely put this in our rotation. Thank you!
★★★★★
Erin says
So awesome to hear, Gina!! Thank you!