This is what happens when your sockeye salmon takes a tropical vacation. Succulent, ruby-hued fillets are brushed with a silky sauce that’s equal parts creamy, slightly spicy, and curry-bright with a touch of sweetness. No muss, no fuss, and no shortcuts on flavor even though it only takes 20 min.
Serve this sockeye salmon with a simple Asian tomato salad, lemongrass tea, or garlic noodles.
For other sockeye salmon specific recipes, be sure to check out this pan-seared sockeye salmon recipe, sockeye salmon baked in foil with classic teriyaki flavors, and super seasoned sockeye salmon tacos.
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Ingredients
- Red Curry Paste - Every brand varies in saltiness and flavor. I used the commonly found Mae Ploy brand. Adjust the seasoning with salt or fish sauce as needed.
- Coconut Cream - The Thai brands, Cheokeh and Aroy-D are thick, luscious coconut milks that can be used instead of coconut cream. Otherwise, I find most other coconut milks (Trader Joe's, Whole Foods brands) to be much too watery and thin.
- Stick to coconut cream, if you're not using Cheokeh or Aroy-D coconut milk.
See recipe card for quantities.
Red Curry Paste vs. Others
What’s in Red Curry Paste?
- Red chilies (dried or fresh) for heat and vibrant color
- Garlic and shallots for depth
- Lemongrass for citrusy brightness
- Galangal (a ginger relative) for earthy spice
- Kaffir lime zest or leaves for fragrance
- Coriander root or seeds and cumin for warmth
- Shrimp paste for savory umami
How It Differs from Other Curry Pastes
Red Curry Paste has a lot more chili that makes it red and also spicy.
Yellow Curry Paste contains turmeric and curry powder.
Green Curry Paste has more fresh green herbs, such as cilantro and Thai basil, along with fresh green chilis.
Red curry paste is used in this recipe because the color just matches beautifully with the deep red sockeye salmon flesh.
You can use other curry pastes, if those are more readily available to you.
Instructions
- Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Mix together the glaze ingredients and spread over the salmon.
- Step 2: Because sockeye salmon is so thin, it will only take about 10 minutes to cook through.
- Step 3: One of the reason this recipe works well is that the red curry paste masks the white albument that will come out of the cooked salmon.
- Step 4: You can serve the fillet as is or garnish with additional coconut cream on top.
Hint: If serving this with rice, make sure that has been started well before hand, since this recipe will take less than 20 minutes from start to finish.
Coconut Cream vs. Coconut Milk
- Coconut Milk: Thinner consistency; made by simmering grated coconut in water and straining. Great for curries, soups, and sauces.
- Coconut Cream: Thicker and richer; made with less water or by skimming the thick layer from coconut milk. Adds creaminess and body to desserts, drinks, and rich sauces.
- Fat Content: Coconut cream has higher fat, making it silkier and more indulgent; coconut milk is lighter.
- Usage Tip: If a recipe calls for coconut cream and you only have coconut milk, refrigerate the can and scoop the thick layer from the top.
Storage
This tastes fabulous the next day. Store for up to 3 days in the fridge.
Fun Facts about Sockeye Salmon
Epic travelers — Some sockeye swim more than 1,000 miles upstream just to spawn. Talk about dedication.
Name with a story — “Sockeye” comes from the Coast Salish word suk-kegh, meaning “red fish.”
Fashion change — In the ocean they’re silver, but during spawning they turn bright red with green heads — bold new look!
Lean & strong — Lower in fat than other salmon, with firm, meaty texture.
Recipe
Baked Sockeye Salmon with Thai Red Curry Coconut Glaze
Ingredients
- 8 oz sockeye salmon skin on or off
Thai Red Curry Glaze
- 1 Tb red curry paste
- 3 Tb coconut cream or thick coconut milk, See Note 1
- 1 Tb cane sugar or sweetener of choice
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic about 1 large clove
Optional Garnishes
- extra coconut cream or thick coconut milk
- lime wedges
- chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Have an oven rack on the upper third or middle of the oven.
- Remove the skin and pin bones from the salmon fillet, if you'd rather not deal with those later.
- Place the salmon fillet on the baking sheet, skin side down.
- Mix together the glaze ingredients. Spoon over the flesh of the salmon.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F.
- Serve hot with any of the optional garnishes.
Notes
- If you have Aroy-D or Cheokeh brand coconut milk, that can be substituted for coconut cream. Just mix up the can well to distribute the coconut cream layer on top. Otherwise, most other coconut milk brands are too thin for this recipe. Use coconut cream if you don't have those coconut milk brands.
- If you don't have red curry paste, you can use yellow, green, or the one available to you. Just maks sure it is a Thai curry paste, which has different aromatics (lemongrass, galangal, cilantro roots) than an Indian curry paste.
- Store bought curry pastes vary widely in flavor and saltiness. You'll either need to add salt before or after cooking to taste. The Mae Ploy brand I use that is widely available is quite salty. This recipe was made with that brand.
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