Thai-inspired Coconut Curry Salmon (30 Minutes, ONE-PAN)

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

Coconut Curry Salmon is a 30-minute ONE-PAN dinner with simple ingredients and bold flavors! This Thai-inspired recipe features red curry coconut milk sauce and vegetables (bell pepper and spinach). It's dairy-free, gluten-free, Pescatarian, packed with veggies and protein, and fiber-rich.

Thai-inspired coconut curry salmon

Pan-seared salmon with creamy red curry coconut milk sauce and vegetables is the ultimate comfort food with healthy ingredients. Everything is made in 30 minutes in one pot. This flavorful recipe features full-fat coconut milk, Thai red curry paste, fish sauce, honey, and freshly squeezed lemon juice.  I added spinach, bell pepper, and bananas, but you can use any of your favorite veggies, such as broccoli, snow peas, snap peas, mushrooms, and more. This Thai-inspired salmon coconut curry uses basic ingredients and is perfect for busy family weeknights. If you enjoy Thai flavors, don't miss my Thai red curry chicken noodle soup, homemade Thai basil beef, and meatless Thai zucchini noodles.

Main ingredients

• Salmon is highly nutritious, rich in protein, and healthy omega-3 fatty acids. It's low in saturated fat and a good source of vitamins and minerals.
• Bell pepper. I used 1 large red bell pepper. It blends perfectly with the other colors in this Thai salmon curry. You can also use green, yellow, or orange bell peppers.
• Greens. I used fresh spinach. You can also use frozen spinach - thawed and drained of any liquid. Or, use kale or arugula.
• Bananas. I used 2 sliced large bananas. Not only do they add sweetness, but they also help thicken the sauce.
• Coconut milk. I used a whole can (14 oz) of full-fat unsweetened coconut milk. You can also use the lite version.
• Thai red curry paste. I love using Thai Kitchen red curry paste.
• Fish sauce. Again, Thai Kitchen is my favorite brand of fish sauce.
• Honey - you only need 1 tablespoon of it since a lot of sweetness will come from bananas. You can also use brown sugar.
• Lemon. Use the freshly squeezed juice of one lemon - it's much better than the bottled kind!
• Seasonings include salt, freshly ground black pepper, and red pepper flakes.
• Olive oil is used for pan-searing salmon.

What kind of salmon to use

• Individual salmon fillets. These can be purchased fresh or frozen. They usually don't have skin on. They are individually cut, and usually, each fillet represents one serving.
• Large salmon fillets usually have skin on them. It's great for serving a crowd. You can slice a large salmon fillet into smaller fillets. For this recipe, I purchased 1.7 pounds of a large, skin-on salmon fillet and sliced it into 4 smaller fillets.

What kind of coconut milk to use

• Full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk is what I used. It provides creaminess and richness to the salmon curry.
• Light, unsweetened coconut milk will work great, too, because the coconut milk sauce will thicken regardless (thanks to the sliced bananas).

Is Thai salmon curry spicy?

I use Thai red paste by Thai Kitchen brand, and it's mild in flavor, especially when combined with creamy coconut milk. Other brands of red curry paste might be spicier.

Cooking tips

• Pat dry salmon with paper towels to ensure a nice sear. You want salmon to sear in the skillet instead of steaming.
• Rub olive oil and seasonings (salt and pepper) all over the salmon BEFORE adding it to the hot skillet. This will help prevent salmon from sticking to the bottom of the pan when seared.
• Heat the skillet for 2 minutes on medium heat before adding the cooking oil and salmon. This will help the skillet get hot enough so the salmon sears nicely without getting stuck to the bottom of the pan.

Substitutions, Variations, and Add-Ins

• Veggies. Creamy salmon curry with coconut milk pairs beautifully with all kinds of vegetables. My favorites are spinach, bell peppers, snow peas, snap peas, and mushrooms. You can also add broccoli, chopped carrots, chopped asparagus, green peas, cauliflower, green beans, or sweet potatoes.
• What can you use instead of bananas? Mangos are amazing in a coconut milk sauce!
• Nuts and seeds. Cashews and peanuts are the obvious choices. Sesame seeds also add a nice, nutty flavor.
• Honey can be replaced with brown sugar or maple syrup.
• Other seafood you can use in this recipe is shrimp or scallops.

Storage tips for Thai salmon curry

• Fridge. Store the leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• Freezer. I do not recommend freezing this dish.
• Reheat on the stovetop. Add the leftover coconut curry salmon to a high-sided pan or skillet, add a small amount of water or coconut milk, and reheat on low-medium heat.
• Similarly, reheat in the microwave oven. Add extra liquid (water or coconut milk) to thin out the sauce. Reheat for 1 minute, stir, taste, and continue reheating in 30-second increments.

What to serve with it

• Rice or quinoa. Coconut curry salmon is delicious with white rice (basmati or jasmine rice), brown rice, or quinoa.
• Noodles. You can also serve it with ramen noodles or rice noodles.

Other Thai-inspired recipes you might like

• Thai Red Curry Chicken Noodle Soup
• Thai Basil Beef with Spinach, Bell Peppers, and Cashews
• Meatless Thai Zucchini Noodles with Toasted Sesame Seeds

Other Asian-inspired salmon recipes

• Asian Salmon and Noodles with Mushrooms and Snow Peas
• Honey Sesame Salmon with Rice Noodles and Asparagus
• Asian Glazed Salmon with Pasta and Mango Peach Salsa

4.84 from 31 votes

Thai-inspired Coconut Curry Salmon (30 Minutes, ONE-PAN)

Coconut Curry Salmon is a 30-minute ONE-PAN dinner with simple ingredients and bold flavors! This Thai-inspired recipe features red curry coconut milk sauce and vegetables (bell pepper and spinach). It's dairy-free, gluten-free, Pescatarian, packed with veggies and protein, and fiber-rich.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save RecipeSaved!

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian, Thailand

Servings 4

Calories per serving 733 kcal

Author: Julia

Ingredients

Salmon

• 1.7 lb salmon fillets (4 fillets)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil divided

Red Curry Coconut Milk Sauce

• 1 large red bell pepper thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 14 oz full-fat unsweetened coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons red curry paste
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 5 oz fresh spinach
• 2 large bananas sliced

Garnish

• lemon slices
• chopped fresh parsley

US Customary - Metric

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

Sear salmon on stovetop

• Heat a large, high-sided skillet (I used cast iron) over medium heat for about 2 minutes to heat it.
• I used salmon fillets with skin-on. Season the top of the salmon with salt and freshly ground black pepper, using 1 tablespoon of olive oil to rub the seasonings on top of the fish (do not season the skin part).
• Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the hot skillet. Add salmon fillets skin side up (flesh side down) and cook undisturbed on medium-high heat for 4 minutes.
• Using a wide spatula, carefully flip the salmon fillets to the other side, skin side down. Cook for 5 more minutes on medium heat. Remove from heat.
• Carefully slide a wide spatula between each salmon fillet and the skin to separate the flesh from the skin carefully. Remove salmon (without skin) to a plate.
• Remove skins from the skillet. You can eat them later or discard them if you don't like them.
• Wipe the skillet clean with paper towels, getting rid of all burned bits.

Cook bell pepper

• Add thinly sliced bell pepper and 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the same, now empty, skillet, and cook the bell pepper for about 4 minutes, occasionally stirring, on medium heat, until a little bit charred. Remove the cooked bell pepper to the plate.

Make red curry coconut milk sauce

• To the same, now empty, skillet, add coconut milk, red curry paste, fish sauce, honey, and lemon juice. Cook, constantly stirring, on medium heat, for about 5 minutes until all the ingredients blend and the coconut milk sauce has an even consistency.
• Add fresh spinach and continue cooking, stirring, until it wilts completely.
• Add sliced bananas and cooked sliced bell peppers. Stir to combine.

Assembly

• Return the cooked salmon to the skillet with the red curry coconut milk sauce and reheat.
• When serving, garnish with fresh lemon slices and chopped parsley.

Notes

• Full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk is what I used. It provides creaminess and richness to the salmon curry.
• Light, unsweetened coconut milk will work great, too, because the coconut milk sauce will thicken regardless (thanks to the sliced bananas).

What to serve with it?

• Rice. White rice (basmati or jasmine), brown rice, or quinoa.
• Noodles. You can also serve it with ramen noodles or rice noodles.

Nutrition

Nutrition Information

Thai-inspired Coconut Curry Salmon (30 Minutes, ONE-PAN)

Amount per Serving

Calories

733

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

51

g

78

%

Saturated Fat

 

25

g

156

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

7

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

16

g

Cholesterol

 

106

mg

35

%

Sodium

 

629

mg

27

%

Potassium

 

1758

mg

50

%

Carbohydrates

 

31

g

10

%

Fiber

 

6

g

25

%

Sugar

 

19

g

21

%

Protein

 

43

g

86

%

Vitamin A

 

5910

IU

118

%

Vitamin C

 

75

mg

91

%

Calcium

 

94

mg

9

%

Iron

 

5

mg

28

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition Disclaimer:

The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Keyword coconut curry salmon, red curry coconut milk sauce, salmon curry, Thai coconut curry salmon