This seared salmon coconut curry is flavorful, delicious, and easy. Sure to be a hit, this beautiful meal of perfectly cooked salmon in a tasty Thai curry comes together in about 30 minutes and all in one pan!

Close-up of salmon filet, fork, green spinach and white rice on a brown plate

I've got another one-pan meal for you that is beautiful, fast, and delicious.

Perfectly cooked salmon in a spinach Thai red curry sauce that comes together in about 30 minutes...

...and you can serve it directly from the pan at the table!

How can you resist?

A Few Simple Ingredients

The ingredient list for this recipe is really simple and there is a good chance you may already have all the ingredients on-hand already. If not, rest assured the ingredients are very easy to find.

Obviously, you need salmon filets, then you also need some Thai red curry paste and some ginger and garlic.

6 narrow skin-on salmon filets, a spoonful of red past, minced garlic and ginger, a measuring cup of white liquid, and a bowl containing green spinach leaves

The sauce is made up of coconut milk, fish sauce, and honey. For the greens, I use a generous helping of spinach leaves because they're nutrient-packed and cook up fast.

Start To Finish in One Pan

This dish starts off with searing the salmon, skin-side down in a skillet with some oil. I think skin-on salmon is really nice, especially if the skin has been seared so it's nice and crispy. However, if you prefer to use skinless salmon filets, that's completely fine, too.

Six orange salmon filets in a round pan, six salmon filets skin-side up in a round pan, black tongs holding a salmon filet with a browned underside

After searing the salmon for a few minutes on each side, transfer the filets to a plate and it's time to work on the curry.

In the same pan, cook the ginger, garlic, and red curry paste to release their flavors and aromas before pouring in the coconut milk mixture.

Minced garlic and ginger, red curry paste, white liquid, green spinach leaves being cooked in a round pan

Bring the curry sauce to a simmer and it's time to throw in the spinach leaves which will wilt and cook in no time. Once the sauce is bubbling, it's time to return the salmon filets to the pan, skin-side up, and nestle them into the sauce. Heat through for another minute and dinner is ready! If desired, garnish with chopped scallions, fresh coriander/cilantro, slices of red Thai chilis, or lime wedges.

Surprisingly easy, isn't it??

Ingredient Substitutions

As I mentioned already, you can use skin-on or skinless salmon filets for this recipe. This recipe would also work with other types of firm fish like halibut or cod, or other seafood like scallops or prawns.

For a vegetarian variation, try frying slices of eggplant, mushrooms, or firm tofu. Combine a few different vegetables like bell peppers, eggplant, green beans, broccoli, etc. for a vegetable medley curry.

Six skin-on salmon filets in an orange sauce with green spinach in a round pan

This recipe calls for Thai red curry paste, but there are also green and yellow curry pastes, with green being the spiciest and yellow being the mildest. Red falls right in between, making it a very good basic curry. Feel free to use green or yellow curry paste, though, if you want to try and change up the spice level.

Fish sauce is a magical ingredient that gives a dish a savory umami or depth of flavor. In a pinch, you could use soy sauce as a substitute, but keep in mind that it will not have exactly the same flavor as fish sauce.

Honey provides a bit of sweetness to balance out the saltiness in the dish, but you can use whatever sweetener you prefer. You can also omit it completely.

I used spinach, but you can certain use different vegetables for this salmon coconut curry. Green beans or sugar snap peas would go nicely, as would chunks of sweet bell peppers (I would use orange or yellow). If you decide to use vegetables that take longer to cook than spinach, simple let them simmer with the sauce for a few minutes before adding the salmon back into the pan.

Close-up of a chunk of salmon on a fork, next to white rice, on a brown plate

How To Enjoy It

Rice is a no-brainer companion and is perfect for soaking up that delicious sauce, or for an even more flavorful option, serve the curry with my Savory Ginger Garlic Coconut Rice. Flatbread, parathas, or even slices of French bread, are all also great for soaking up the curry sauce. If you are on a low-carb diet, serve it with cauliflower rice.

This salmon curry is easily adaptable for various different diets. As it is, it is already gluten-free, grain-free, and dairy-free. Omit the honey and serve it with a cauliflower rice and you've got a great low-carb keto meal or paleo meal. Substitute the salmon with vegetables and soy sauce for the fish sauce and it becomes a vegetarian dish. This recipe is definitely a winner all-around.

Developing the recipe for this seared salmon coconut curry came easier than I initially thought it would. I had an image in my mind and an idea of how I thought it should come together...and I was so happy when it worked! This dish just goes to show that you don't need fancy ingredients or many ingredients to create something healthy, delicious, and beautiful.

~ Lisa.