Thai Red Curry Salmon is a super easy one pot less than 30-minute low carb recipe. It's packed with healthy salmon, shrimp, vegetables in a creamy rich spicy coconut sauce.
Jump to:
- Easy Weeknight Dinner
- Low Carb and Satisfying
- Flavors & Dietary Needs
- Ingredients in Red Thai Curry Paste
- Sourcing Thai Ingredients Outside of Asia
- Healthy Warming Recipe
- Secrets to Making a Thick Luxurious Thai Curry
- What is the Crack Stage of Curry?
- More Delicious Coconut Based Curry Recipes
- Thai Red Curry Salmon
Easy Weeknight Dinner
One bite of that succulent salmon and coconut curry sauce and you will be hooked. This is a great little recipe for when you have zero time to devote to dinner. Life is crazy busy and you need some healthy 30 minute recipes to get you through the hectic week.
Low Carb and Satisfying
Have you ever noticed how you feel more full on a low carb diet with a little extra fat? The richness of the coconut milk along wit the fatty salmon makes you feel satisfied. Colorful crisp vegetables and a super moist and succulent pan-seared and then poached salmon make for one delicious easy meal. With just 9 net carbs per serving, this salmon dish has a lot going to it.
Flavors & Dietary Needs
Thai Red Curry Salmon is full of the 4 basic flavors of Thai Cuisine. These can be adjusted up or down to adjust to your desired taste preferences.
- savory - Thai Fish sauce
- spicy - red curry paste
- sweet - sweetener of choice
- sour - fresh lime juice
Do you have family members that need carbs or they get "hangry"? Just add a side of rice or rice noodles and call it a day. Otherwise, this recipe is delicious all on its own or with a side of cauliflower rice.
We used a gluten-free red curry paste and Thai fish sauce. This recipe is happily dairy free, egg free and gluten-free.
Ingredients in Red Thai Curry Paste
Do you live in Asia? If you do, you may wish to make your own homemade red curry from scratch. All you need are these Essential Thai Ingredients chilis, lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, garlics, shallots, coriander roots, shrimp paste and a good ole fashion mortar and pestle and you are good to go.
Sourcing Thai Ingredients Outside of Asia
However, for most of finding these Asian ingredients can be rather difficult. That is exactly why our ingredient list uses only items you will be able to get in your regular grocery store down the "International Isle". As you can see in the list below, there is nothing too crazy on the list.
- Salmon
- Shrimp - optional
- Coconut milk
- Red curry paste (pre-made in a jar)
- Fish sauce We like Red Boat brand (gluten-free)
- Lime
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Onion
- Vegetables of choice
Healthy Warming Recipe
According to the National Institute of Health, Salmon is high in omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 Fatty acids are good for brain health, protects against inflammation and may help decrease risk for cardiac disease.
Red curry paste is medium hot. Green curry is usually the hottest. Most generally speaking, yellow curry paste is usually the mildest of the three.
Curry paste is warming for the body due to the chilis and galangal. Be sure to read our Introducing the Five Energies of Food to help clarify what foods are warming, cooling, neutral, etc. Thai Kitchen makes a gluten-free version of red Thai curry paste and we have had good results with this product. If you are a red curry lover, you may like to try our Thai red coconut curry dumpling soup.
Coconut Milk gives the recipe that silky luxurious feeling but is high in fat so use a low-fat coconut milk if you wish for this recipe. However, that fat is what keeps you feeling full and satisfied without the addition of carbs.
Secrets to Making a Thick Luxurious Thai Curry
- Choose a quality brand coconut milk that only has coconut and water as part of the ingredients. Avoid the brands with thickeners and such.
- Shake up your Coconut Milk: Give your coconut milk a good hard shake before adding it to your pan. This helps mix the fats with the liquids and gives it a head start.
- Allow the curry to come to the crack stage before adding the rest of your ingredients.
- Avoid adding wet soggy vegetables to your curry as this will water down the sauce. If you must use frozen vegetables, fry them up in a separate pan first to let the moisture escape before adding to your curry sauce.
What is the Crack Stage of Curry?
The crack stage of curry happens when you simmer the coconut milk and curry paste until the oil separates out. This might take about 7 to 10 minutes. By this time, much of the liquid is evaporated out. The result is a thicker and more delicious curry.
Once you add the coconut milk to the pan, get stirring and keep your heat up. You need to see bubbles and be on a medium high heat. Your Thai Red curry must get what we call the crack stage before adding the rest of ingredients back into the pan.
Our Indonesian Slow Cooker Beef Rendang is a great example. It shows the effects of allowing your coconut milk to crack and allowing the oils to extract from the liquids. This is a dry curry, but the concept is very similar. If you use a light coconut milk or a cheap coconut milk with additives, you might not ever get to the cracked stage.
More Delicious Coconut Based Curry Recipes
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Thai Red Curry Salmon
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil or oil of choice
- 4 fillets salmon skin removed and remove any bones
- 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 inch ginger knob fresh peeled and grated
- 2 tablespoon red curry paste
- 1 green bell pepper sliced
- 1 red bell pepper sliced
- 1 cup baby bok choy or vegetable of choice
- 14 ounces coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce gluten-free
- 1.5 tablespoons brown sugar or sugar alternative of choice (we used a brown sugar stevia alternative- if using stevia based use 0.75 tablespoons)
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon lime zest
- fresh chilis garnish - optional
- cilantro (coriander) garnish - optional
Instructions
- Prepare all ingredients mise en place (chopped and ready togo) as this cooking procedure is going to go quickly.
- If your salmon has the skin on it remove it. Find the sharpest knife you have in your house and hon it. Lay your salmon skin side down on a cutting board. Grab the end of the skin. Hold down firmly and you run your knife along the edge, pressing down to the skin.
- Salt and pepper your salmon on both sides. Add coconut oil to a frying pan or oil of choice.
- Sear the salmon on both sides for about 3 minutes. Remove from pan.
- Add your ginger, garlic, red curry paste and onions to the pan and cook for a minute or two until aromatic.
- Add your green and red bell pepper and bok choy to the pan. Stir to incorporate. Next, shake up your coconut milk well and add to the pan. Turn up your heat and allow the steam to escape and your sauce to reduces lightly and your coconut milk will start to get to the cracking stage. Then add your fish sauce and sugar alternative of choice.
- Add shrimp and seared salmon back into the pan with curry. Continue to cook uncovered for another 1 to 2 minutes or until the shrimp are no longer translucent and the salmon flakes easily with a fork.
- Drizzle with lime juice, lemon zest and stir.
- Garnish with red chilis and cilantro as desired. Serve Thai Red Curry Salmon on its own or with a side of cauliflower rice for a lower carb dinner or on top of rice noodles or rice if you are not watching the carbs. We like to serve with an extra lime wedges on the side. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Choose a quality brand coconut milk without any additives or stabilizers.
- Shake the can of coconut briskly before adding to your red curry paste and aromatics.
- Allow the curry to come to the crack stage before adding the rest of your ingredients.
- Do not add frozen or wet soggy vegetables or other ingredients to your curry.
Heidi says
Salmon and shrimp is one totally tasty protein combo. I also love the just right amount of heat from the red curry. The best part of your delicious recipe... how fast it comes together! Talk about the perfect way to serve up big flavors in a hurry!!
HWC Magazine says
Thank you Heidi! Life is so busy so having a quick and easy recipe like this red curry salmon is part of our monthly meal plan, especially in the cooler months. Stay well and take care