Thai Salmon Curry

5 from 2 votes

This mouthwatering Thai Salmon Curry combines tender salmon and colorful veggies with a creamy coconut curry sauce. It's a delicious one-skillet dish that can be made in 30 minutes!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian, Thai

Servings:

Calories: 483kcal

Author: Dr. Sonali Ruder

Equipment

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 salmon fillets (about 4 ounces each)
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 medium onion thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk (full fat)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
Cilantro or Thai basil for garnish

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet or cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Pat the salmon fillets dry with a paper towel and season them with salt and pepper. When the oil is hot, add them to the pan, presentation side down. Cook until golden brown, 2-3. Carefully remove the salmon from the pan and place on a plate.
Wipe out most of the oil from the skillet, leaving about 1 tablespoon. Add the onion and bell pepper and sauté 2-3 minutes until they start to soften. Add the red curry paste and stir to coat the vegetables.
Add the coconut milk, brown sugar and fish sauce and stir to combine. Bring the sauce to a boil then lower to a simmer. Cook 5 minutes until sauce thickens and vegetables are crisp tender. Stir in the lime juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add the salmon back to the skillet, browned side up, nestling it into the sauce. Spoon some of the sauce over the salmon. Cook another 4-5 minutes until salmon is done. Sprinkle fresh cilantro on top. Serve salmon with jasmine or brown rice.

Notes

I like to sear the salmon in the skillet first to get a nice golden crust, however this step is optional. Use a spatula like this flexible fish spatula to turn the fish. If the fish is sticking, give it another minute until it releases from the pan. If you prefer, you can skip the searing step and simply nestle the raw salmon filets into the simmering sauce and cook until done.
You can also make this dish with salmon chunks rather than large salmon portions; simply cut the salmon into bite-sized pieces and add them to the simmering sauce.
Use a good quality Thai red curry paste- you can find it in the international foods section of your grocery store or buy it online.
Use full-fat coconut milk for this dish rather than lite coconut milk.
Curries like this Thai salmon curry are a great way to incorporate more nutrient-packed vegetables into your diet. You can stir in any combination of vegetables that you like such as carrots, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, bok choy or potatoes.

Nutrition