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Thai Green Curry Salmon

Thai Green Curry Salmon

Coconut Green Curry Salmon with Crispy Skin

Rich green curry paste blooms in coconut milk to create a fragrant base for pan-seared salmon and tender vegetables. The salmon gets a proper sear first — that crispy skin is worth the extra pan — then finishes gently in the simmering curry. It's Thai comfort food that feels special enough for company.

ThaiAsianDinnerGluten FreeDairy FreeHigh ProteinQuick MealsOne PotSeafoodFish
Prep15 min
Cook20 min
Total35 min
Servings4
Difficultymedium

Ingredients

  • 1 lbsalmon fillets, skin-on, about 6 oz each
  • kosher salt
  • 1 tspvegetable oil for searing

Curry

  • 2 tspvegetable oil
  • 3 tbspThai green curry paste
  • 1 canfull-fat coconut milk
  • ½ cupchicken stock
  • 1 tbspfish sauce
  • 2 tspgranulated sugar
  • 1 cupgreen beans, trimmed and halved crosswise
  • 1 smallJapanese eggplant, halved lengthwise and cut into half-inch pieces
  • 6 Thai basil leaves, torn

Instructions

  1. Warm the oil in your largest skillet over medium heat, then add the curry paste. Let it sizzle and fry for about a minute, stirring constantly — you'll smell it become more fragrant and see it darken slightly. This blooming step is crucial for developing the curry's full flavor.
    ⏱ 1 min
  2. Pour in the coconut milk, chicken stock, fish sauce, and sugar, whisking everything together until smooth. Give it a taste — the curry should be well-balanced between salty, sweet, and spicy. Adjust with more fish sauce or sugar if needed.
  3. Bring the curry to a rolling boil, then dial it back to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Let it bubble away for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it reduces and thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. The oil will start to separate slightly on top — that's exactly what you want.
    ⏱ 10 min
  4. While the curry simmers, pat the salmon dry and season both sides generously with salt. Heat the remaining oil in a separate heavy skillet over high heat until it shimmers and just starts to smoke. Carefully place the salmon skin-side down and don't move it — let that skin get properly crispy for about a minute before transferring to a plate.
    ⏱ 1 min
  5. Drop the green beans and eggplant into the simmering curry and stir them in. Let them cook for 4 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the beans are bright green and just tender, and the eggplant has softened but still holds its shape.
    ⏱ 4 min
  6. Use a spoon to create four shallow wells among the vegetables, then nestle the salmon pieces skin-side up into these spaces. The curry should come about halfway up the sides of the fish. Simmer gently for 2-3 minutes until the salmon is just cooked through — it should flake easily but still look slightly translucent in the very center.
    ⏱ 3 min
  7. Pull the skillet off the heat and scatter the torn basil leaves over everything. Serve immediately over steamed jasmine rice, making sure each person gets a piece of that beautifully crispy-skinned salmon.