A light and creamy curry that is ready in under 30 minutes, this Easy Salmon Curry is something a little different and a great way to get some more salmon in your diet. A mild and creamy coconut base with chunks of salmon fillet make up a simple but delicious week night meal.
We love a curry for a quick and simple meal, but we think this might be the tastiest curry we have ever made. It's so easy, but the flavours are incredible.
The coconut makes it feel indulgent, but the lime and coriander really lighten it up. Serve it with rice and a big chunk of naan bread for some healthy comfort food.
If you are looking for some more curry recipes, then why not try our quick Prawn Tikka Masala, comforting Slow Cooker Beef Curry or for something veggie, try either our Paneer Curry or Easy Lentil Curry.
Jump to:
Why you will love it
- Quick - This salmon curry recipe is so quick and easy to make and it cooks in under 15 minutes.
- A new way to enjoy salmon - If you are looking to include more salmon recipes in your diet, then this is a good place to start. The salmon is in small chunks, rather than a large fillet.
- Mild enough for kids to enjoy - We love using mild curries as a way to introduce new spices to our kids. This is a salmon coconut curry, so it's nice and mild.
- Dairy free - Really creamy, but dairy free as it uses coconut milk.
- Healthy and packed with protein and good fats - Salmon is a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids.
- Easy to adapt with extra vegetables - Add some leafy greens to make this curried salmon even more nutrient dense.
Ingredients needed
- Salmon - We used chopped up fillets of salmon and it is poached in the sauce, rather than grilling or oven cooking it, making it so easy. I know some people are scared of cooking fish because they think it will over cook and be dry, but this is a fool proof recipe and the salmon is perfectly cooked as cooking it in the coconut milk means you can't really overcook it. The key is making sure it is cooked on a low heat - but it really takes no time at all to cook.
- Curry powder - We used a ready made blend of curry spices, but you can use your own favourite blend or our Korma Paste. Why not try our Thai Curry Paste to make this a Thai Salmon Curry?
- Onion, garlic and ginger - The base for the sauce. You can use a jar of garlic and ginger paste to save time.
- Lemongrass - We used a lemongrass paste for convenience, but you can use lemongrass stalks if you want. Trim the ends, bruise them with the back of a heavy knife and then finely chop and blend.
- Tomatoes - Again for convenience, we used a tin of good quality chopped tomatoes. The cheaper tins tend to be watery and it will give you a runny sauce which isn't what you want.
- Coconut milk - This makes the sauce nice and creamy. Full fat will be creamier, but you can use reduced fat if you prefer.
- Mango chutney - The (not so) secret ingredients to our curries. Adds a lovely bit of sweetness to the dish. Try our Mango Chutney recipe.
- Lime - Just a squeeze of acidity to balance out the sweetness from the chutney.
- Coriander (cilantro) - To finish the dish off.
A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
How to make salmon curry - Step by step
One: Heat the oil in a large pan and add the onion, lemongrass, garlic and ginger. Sauté for 2 minutes.
Two: Add the curry powder and stir.
Three: Add the tomatoes and coconut milk. Mix well and simmer for 5 minutes.
Four: Add the chunks of salmon, stir and simmer for 5 minutes until the salmon is cooked through (see FAQs for how to tell if the salmon is cooked).
Five: Once cooked, carefully stir in the mango chutney, lime juice and coriander (cilantro).
Variations
Think of this as an easy curry base that you can adapt in lots of different ways. We love anything that we can add lots of different vegetables to, and this is exactly one of those recipes. You can give this salmon curry a green veggie boost by stirring in some spinach in a few minutes before serving. You could use kale or chard too.
When cooking the onion, you could add some finely diced bell pepper, aubergine and courgette too. One of the great things about this salmon curry is how quick it is to cook, so make sure you only use quick cooking vegetables that will all cook at the same rate. Peas are also a good addition to this curry.
If you didn't want to serve this curried salmon with rice, then you could add some cubes of sweet potato or butternut squash directly to the curry to make it more filling. Par-boil it first and then add at the same time as the coconut milk.
What to serve with salmon curry
Curry and rice is a classic combination and we have a few recipes for you to try. For something with lots of flavour, try our Turmeric Rice or Cilantro Lime Rice. For a fool proof way of cooking rice, try our Oven Cooked Rice which gives you perfectly fluffy rice with minimal effort. For a really easy way of cooking rice, try our Microwave Rice recipe.
You can going to want something to scoop up all that delicious sauce with. Why not try our Easy Naan Bread recipe, or for something with a little more flavour try our Peshwari Naan recipe.
FAQs
Salmon is one of the best sources of long chain omega-3 fatty acids, which have been proven to reduce inflammation and lower blood pressure. Children who regularly consume foods rich in Omega-3 have been shown in studies to have increased concentration levels and improved learning abilities. It's also a good opportunity to add lots of vegetables like leafy greens. With the ginger in this recipe, it will help to fight off those colds through the winter.
Read more about the health benefits of salmon.
If the salmon is beginning to flake, but still has a little translucency in the middle, it is cooked. It shouldn't look raw. You could use a meat thermometer and check it has got to a temperature of 62°C/145°F.
You can store this curry in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. To reheat it, put it in a pan with a little water and heat through. We wouldn't recommend freezing this curry as the salmon texture isn't great once defrosted.
Extra tips
• Once the salmon has been added to the sauce, stir occasionally but very carefully as you don't want the chunks to break up in the sauce.
• If you prefer the salmon in a fillet rather than cut in to chunks, then you can make the sauce in a pan and cook the salmon fillets in the oven or under the grill. Then serve the salmon on top of the rice and pour the sauce on top. We find this a lot more effort though, but some people prefer the crispiness of roasted/grilled salmon.
• Give even more creaminess to the curried salmon sauce by adding a spoonful of cashew or almond butter to the coconut sauce.
• You can use light coconut milk instead of full fat in this salmon curry, but you won't get the same creamy flavour.
• Add a little crunch to this curry by serving with some cashew nuts on top.
• This is a really mild curry, making it perfect for serving up to the whole family. However you you can always add a finely diced read chilli to the sauce, or just sprinkle some red chilli flakes.
• You can give this salmon curry an extra protein boost by adding some quick cook lentils at the same time as the coconut milk.
More salmon recipes
If you’ve tried this salmon curry, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Easy Salmon Curry
Ingredients
- 400 g (14 oz) Salmon fillet - skin removed and cut into bite-size chunks
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 2 tablespoon Curry powder
- 1 Onion - diced
- 2 Garlic clove - crushed
- 30 g (1 oz) Fresh ginger - grated
- 0.5 teaspoon lemongrass paste
- 400 g (14 oz) Chopped tomatoes - canned
- 300 ml (1.25 cups) Coconut milk
- 3 tablespoon Mango chutney
- 0.5 Lime - (juice only)
- 10 g (0.66 cups) Fresh coriander (cilantro) - finely chopped (plus more to garnish)
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon Olive oil in a large pan and add 1 Onion, 0.5 teaspoon lemongrass paste, 2 Garlic clove and 30 g Fresh ginger. Sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add 2 tablespoon Curry powder and stir.
- Add 400 g Chopped tomatoes and 300 ml Coconut milk. Mix well and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the chunks of 400 g Salmon fillet, stir and simmer for 5 minutes until the salmon is cooked through.
- Once cooked, carefully stir in 3 tablespoon Mango chutney, juice of 0.5 Lime and 10 g Fresh coriander (cilantro).
Recipe Tips
- Once the salmon has been added to the sauce, stir occasionally but very carefully as you don't want the chunks to break up in the sauce.
- If you prefer the salmon in a fillet rather than cut in to chunks, then you can make the sauce in a pan and cook the salmon fillets in the oven or under the grill. Then serve the salmon on top of the rice and pour the sauce on top. We find this a lot more effort though, but some people prefer the crispiness of roasted/grilled salmon.
- Give even more creaminess to the sauce by adding a spoonful of cashew or almond butter to the coconut sauce.
- You can use light coconut milk instead of full fat in this salmon curry, but you won't get the same creamy flavour.
- Add a little crunch to this curry by serving with some cashew nuts on top.
- This is a really mild curry, making it perfect for serving up to the whole family. However you you can always add a finely diced read chilli to the sauce, or just sprinkle some red chilli flakes.
- You can give this an extra protein boost by adding some quick cook lentils at the same time as the coconut milk.
Nutritional Information
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Carol Walden says
Absolutely delicious just added in some extra defrosted raw king prawns & baby spinach.
Dannii Martin says
Love the combination of salmon and prawns.
Glynis says
I made this yesterday, one meal for me and the rest in the freezer. It’s absolutely delicious and I’ll definitely be making it again. Can I just ask when to add the lemongrass paste as although it’s in the ingredients I can’t find when to add it in the method.
Ali says
Absolutely delicious! Great flavour and perfectly balanced. This will now be a staple go to dish. Thank you for sharing!!
Suzy says
Really love how quick and easy this was to make! The salmon was so tasty too!
Angela says
So good! The flavors are spot on. Perfect for weekend dinner too. Definitely a keeper... YUM!
Jamie says
This looks absolutely delicious! I love all the herbs and spices you used here. Saving to make later this week!
Alice | SkinnySpatula says
This is such a flavourful recipe! I love a salmon curry and your recipe is excellent :)
Danielle Wolter says
Oh my, this was incredible! The fish was cooked perfect and the flavors of the curry were amazing!
Tania | Fit Foodie Nutter says
I have no idea why I never thought of adding salmon to my curries! What a great idea! Love all the flavours in this dish.
Jenn says
I think it's the coconut milk in this recipe that makes it such a hit. It's my new fav way to eat salmon!
Angela says
YUM! What a fabulous and healthy recipe. The flavors are spot on! So good, will definitely make again.