Poached Salmon made exotic with a simple, amazing Coconut Lime Sauce!! Tastes like a Thai coconut curry sauce – but it’s quick and easy. The trick is to caramelise garlic, ginger and lemongrass with a smidge of sugar before adding the coconut milk. It’s incredible what a difference it makes!
Poached Salmon
Poached fish has a bad reputation. The mere mention of it conjures up visions of pale, overcooked, flavourless fish swimming in murky water.
It’s time for a makeover.
Enter – THIS Poached Salmon swimming in an outrageously tasty caramelised Coconut Lime Sauce with lemongrass, ginger and chilli. Poached fish never tasted so good!! 😂
This poached salmon is lightly seared on the outside first then we finish cooking it by poaching in a simple Thai coconut curry sauce.
How to poach salmon
The “normal” way to poach salmon involves bringing a pot of water to the boil with some basic aromatics like lemon and sprigs of herbs, then the salmon is gently simmered until it’s cooked.
This isn’t my favourite way to cook salmon. I miss the flavour you get from searing.
So my method of making poached salmon involves lightly searing first THEN poaching in the same skillet.
Coconut Curry Sauce – real easy!
Looks like Thai Red Curry, tastes like Thai Red Curry…..
Sure, it doesn’t have quite the same depth of flavour – but it requires a fraction of the time and ingredients. I think even those with sophisticated South East Asian palettes will still be mighty impressed with the flavour of we manage to get in this so quickly and with so few ingredients!
Here’s what goes in the coconut curry sauce – and it’s all things you can pick up at supermarkets.
The one thing that some supermarkets may not carry is Chilli Garlic Sauce which, as the name suggests, is a spicy garlicky paste. But don’t worry if you can’t find it – just sub with any chilli paste, even if it’s not Asian (eg Franks), OR use a chilli sauce like Sriracha.
Caramelisation makes all the difference!
If you’re looking at the ingredients suspiciously, thinking surely she’s exaggerating, how on earth can so few ingredients make a coconut curry sauce that tastes like Thai Red Curry? I don’t blame you. I’ll be honest – I’ve tried a few simple Coconut sauces before and been disappointed.
So here are the 2 key things in this recipe that add depth of flavour into this otherwise simple sauce:
Sear the salmon first. Just lightly – to add colour and flavour to the salmon as well as leaving behind tasty brown bits in the skillet (it’s called fond!) that adds flavour into the sauce. This is a cooking fundamental – never waste those precious golden bits from searing things!
Caramelise the aromatics (garlic, ginger, lemongrass) with a touch of sugar. It’s amazing how much more flavour that adds to an otherwise simple sauce!
What to serve with poached salmon
There’s enough sauce to serve this over jasmine rice or any rice you prefer, or with noodles (pictured). I’ve used vermicelli noodles here because they’re quick to prepare – just soak in boiling water for a few minutes,
Add a side of steamed Asian greens and voila! A healthy, Omega 3 rich dinner on the table in 20 minutes!!! – Nagi x
PS If you’re wondering if salmon is good for you, the answer is yes, we should all eat more of it! It’s rich in protein and Omega 3 fatty acids which do all sorts of good things for you – brain, joints and heart. So don’t shy away from salmon because you think it’s too fatty or too high in calories – it’s good fat.
MORE QUICK & EASY SALMON RECIPES
Christmas Baked Salmon: Easy & Make-ahead – Dead-easy, eye-catching centrepiece!
Sesame Crusted Salmon (that crust!)
Honey Garlic Salmon (super quick)
Salmon Cakes (they’re baked!)
And if you love coconut milk sauces, you’ll love these!
An amazing easy Thai Coconut Noodle Soup
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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Poached Salmon in Coconut Lime Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 salmon fillets , 180g/6oz each preferably skinless (Note 1)
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp oil , separated
- 2 garlic cloves , finely grated
- 2 tsp ginger , finely grated
- 1 lemongrass , peeled, finely grated (Note 2)
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp chilli garlic paste or other chilli paste, adjust to taste (Note 3)
- 400 g/14oz coconut milk (Note 2)
- 1 tbsp fish sauce (or soy sauce)
- 2 tsp lime zest (1 lime)
- Lime juice , to taste
Garnish/serving:
- Fresh coriander/cilantro leaves , finely chopped (recommended)
- Finely sliced large red chillies (optional)
- Vermicelli noodles OR , soaked per packet, or rice
- Steamed jasmine rice
- Steamed Asian greens
Instructions
- Sprinkle both sides of salmon with salt and pepper.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a non stick pan or well seasoned skillet over medium high heat. Add salmon, skin side up, and sear for just 1 1/2 minutes until golden. Turn salmon and cook the other side just for 1 minute, then remove onto a plate (should still be raw inside).
- Turn heat down to medium low and allow skillet to cool.
- Heat remaining 1 tbsp oil. Add garlic, ginger and lemongrass. Cook until garlic is light golden ~ 1 minute.
- Add sugar and cook for 20 seconds until it becomes a caramel (see video). Then stir in chilli paste.
- Add coconut milk and stir, scraping the bottom of the skillet to dissolve any bits stuck on the base into the sauce.
- Stir in fish sauce, increase heat to medium. Simmer for 2 minutes.
- Place salmon into the sauce, lower heat and simmer gently for 4 minutes, or until just cooked.
- Remove salmon, stir in lime zest and juice to taste. Adjust salt to taste with fish sauce.
- Serve salmon over noodles or rice. Spoon over sauce, garnish with coriander and chili if using.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
That time he got my sneakers wet so I took them off and made him carry them back to the car.
Another great recipe !!! Just taste great !!
Hi Naga – I was wondering about Salmon and coconut and low and behold … I need wonder no more. Your recipes are all a massive winner and I’m sure this will be no exception. Always love your comments on creating the recipe. Now just need to get home and start cooking! Thank you
My family gobbled this up. It was so incredibly delicious. And it was so quick and easy that I had my children make it. Thanks for another great recipe.
It was simply delicious, i have not had salmon in a gravy form this tasty. In the end felt that i could have done with more gravy. But the star of the dish was the salmon, it gelled really well. Thank you very much.
Simple yet delicious.
I needed a quick salmon recipe and this was amazing! I adjusted a few things – including adding some lightly steamed bok choi and sugar snaps to the fish and sauce at the end, and serving it over brown rice – and it was simple, tasty and satisfying. Since discovering your website a few months ago, I’ve made several of your recipes each week, and they have all been fabulous. I’m an Australian living in Kenya, where it can be difficult to get some ingredients, but I love the recipe notes with all the options for changing or simplifying different aspects of a recipe. Even my fussy two-year-old has eaten several of your recipes without complaint! Thank you so much!
this was so good!
I seriously LOVE this recipe. I make it almost every week with roasted broccoli! AMAZING!
So yummy and so healthy 😍
Made this tonight and it was AMAZING!
This is a fantastic way to use salmon fillets other than a simple pan fry! Lovely sauce! Yet ANOTHER fantastic recipe!
OMG Nagi, the best salmon recipe ever!!! My partner couldn’t stop saying Mmmm throughout the meal.
The sauce complemented the salmon without overpowering it.
Thank you very much for another lovely experience in top notch food!
WOOT! Sounds like you nailed it Montserrat! N x
So looking forward to making this!! Does it work without the chilli paste (cooking for kids and loving that i can make something that caters for us all – we can add some chilli on top for the adults)
I like to substitute the chilli paste with sweet chilli sauce so it still has some flavour without the heat!
This recipe is awesome, my 3 big boys loved the sauce!! I adore your recipes, especially when you add grams as the weight, makes it so much easier for me in the UK.
So delicious. Loved the fresh flavours. Used coconut cream as didn’t have coconut milk and the sauce was soo rich and creamy and good. Will definitely make this one again.
Perfect Kate! N x
Nagi, I’ve lost track of how many of your recipes I’ve cooked, most multiple times. Every one a family winner. This one is no exception. Essential Thai curry flavours but straightforward to make. Definitely goes into the meal rotation. I only hope you didn’t get into trouble making poor Dozer carry your sneakers 🤣
This is so easy and so delicious! The sauce is devine. I only had coconut cream so it was so creamy. Will definitely be making again!
Wahoo!!! Thanks Rachael!
I do not have lemongrass. Any substitute?
Also, how do you think it would turn out with red curry paste instead of the chilli paste.
I am cooking for children as well as parents so don’t care for heat.
I used lime zest and a bit lime juice and it turned it very good!
Hi Ava, red curry paste will have heat too, if you don’t have lemongrass, you can use some lime zest instead or use the jarred paste. N x
All l can say is yum, yum, yum. Nagi, you are royalty in our household, we absolutely love you. This was another winner.
Thanks so much Carol! N
Can’t believe how easy this is. So much flavour and such little effort required. I don’t think I took a breath while eating this. 😂 loved it.
Wahoo – and that’s the best way of cooking! N x
OMGEEEE! I love this. I made it last week with salmon over vermicelli noodles. Going to make again tonight but going to try with chicken tonight! Any advice with the chicken? I am not a chef haha
Hi Nagi, can I use Chilli oil instead of Chilli paste in this recipe?
(And thank you so much our family is loving your recipes!! We had the slow roasted lamb shoulder last night and your beef enchiladas are a family fav too.. we have too many Favs to list) 😁
Hi Wendy, I’m so glad you loved it – it will be fantastic with chicken!! What cut are you going to use? If it’s breast, I would slice in in half to make two thin steaks, cook it off first and then make the sauce 🙂 N x
GUYS GUYS GUYS. YOU. HAVE. TO. TRY. THIS. AMAZING!! THANKYOU