Poached Salmon With Coconut, Lime & Herbs (18 Min)
Most of us bake or pan-sear salmon, but this poached salmon deserves a spot in your rotation if you like fish that’s moist, tender, easy to cook, and pretty on the plate – with the bonus of a rich, built-in sauce.
Here, the salmon gently simmers in a rich sauce of coconut milk with lime, chili crisp, ginger, and herbs. You get excellent texture and bright, layered flavor in just 3 simple steps.
What to expect
Expect a simple recipe with clear step-by-step instructions that even a beginner can follow. Adjust it to be as sweet, tangy or spicy as you like. Perfect for a weeknight dinner or elegant enough for company.
The dairy-free coconut sauce with Asian notes makes the dish shine: combine everything in one pan, simmer gently with the salmon, then spoon the sauce over the fish for a delicious finish.
Poaching adds: infused flavor, a built-in sauce, and one-pan cleanup – not to mention wonderfully moist fish ready in under 20 minutes.
Ingredients – tailored to your taste
- Salmon: Fresh salmon fillets (I find at least 1 inch/2.5 cm thick are best), skin on or off. For larger fillets, cut into smaller portions for even cooking and easier handling.
- Coconut lime sauce: Full-fat unsweetened coconut milk, chili crisp (see FAQ for good brands), fresh lime juice, fish sauce, brown sugar, grated ginger, salt.
- Fresh herbs: Great options for this dish are fresh cilantro, basil, parsley, and chives (any combination). Top the salmon with chopped green onions while poaching.
Substitutions
- Salmon: Swap with haddock, cod, grouper, halibut, arctic char, trout, or snapper. Or poach shrimp (just 3-5 minutes)
- Chili crisp swaps (vary the heat using more or less):
- Want crunch: chili oil + fried shallots/garlic.
- Just heat: sambal oelek or sriracha.
- More depth/umami: gochujang
- Or try this homemade chili crisp recipe by Chili Pepper Madness.
- Lime juice: Use lemon juice instead. A splash of rice vinegar also works.
- Brown sugar: Swap with maple syrup or honey.
- Fish sauce: See substitutes, including vegan, in the Recipe notes.
- Herbs: Replace fresh herbs with dried (1/3 the amount) or frozen herb cubes. Thai basil is lovely if you have it.
Variations
- Vegetarian version: We included instructions for tofu, cauliflower steaks and chickpeas-spinach in the Recipe notes.
- Veggie add-ins: You can add 1 cup/120 grams of small diced zucchini, red pepper, carrot ribbons or bok choy to the sauce in the last 5 minutes of cooking. But keep in mind that veggies release water and can make the sauce thinner. For a richer sauce, serve veggies on the side.
- Coconut-lime-curry version: Instead of the chili crisp, add about 2 teaspoons red curry paste along with lime. You might need to add a pinch of sugar. Cook the sauce for a minute or two before adding the salmon.
Step by step instructions
Tips
- Use lots of fresh herbs to add a bright pop of color and fresh flavor. I stir them into the sauce and also sprinkle more on top before serving.
- Use full-fat coconut milk for a richer, silkier sauce. Lite coconut milk will work but you will find it is thinner and much less flavorful. I’ve given up on it!
- Skin on or off? Either works. For the most forgiving results, poach skin-on, skin-side down (the skin protects the flesh and helps keep it intact), then slip it off before serving. But poaching is gentle, so skin off is perfectly fine – no fussing with skin at the end, and the fish absorbs more sauce – just use smaller portions and handle gently so they don’t break.
Shortcuts
The recipe only takes a few minutes to prepare, so there aren’t too many shortcuts 🙂
- Salmon: Save a minute by using skinless salmon or buying pre-portioned salmon fillets.
- Ginger: Instead of grating fresh ginger, used frozen cubes or ginger in a jar or tube.
- Lime: Use lime juice from a bottle.
What to serve with coconut poached salmon
Serving options: As shown in the pictures above, serve salmon fillets or break it up into chunks. Either way, spoon the delicious sauce over the salmon.
Sides: Great pairings are jasmine rice, quinoa or couscous, along with roasted bok choy, microwave green beans. roasted zucchini, or steamed spinach, asparagus or broccoli.
Garnish: More herbs and chopped green onions, toasted sesame seeds, a drizzle of chili crisp for some extra heat, lime slices or lime zest.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, but thaw it first overnight in the fridge, or in a ziploc back for 20–30 min in cold water. Poaching from frozen can water down the sauce and cause uneven cooking.
Chili crisp (also called chili crunch) is a chili-oil condiment with crunchy bits – usually dried chilies, fried garlic/shallots, and spices. It adds heat, savory flavor, and texture.
Bon Appetite editors recommend these top 10 chili crisps in a jar. Favorites are Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisps (crunchy and spicy but not too spicy), Mẹ’s Way Chili Sauce (includes fish sauce), Momofuku Chili Crunch (very hot, crunchy, umami with some sweetness). Check the ingredients if you are vegetarian (some contain fish sauce, anchovies or dried shrimp).
The recipe is dairy-free as written (coconut milk has no dairy). To make it gluten-free, use certified GF fish sauce or swap it with tamari.
You can combine the sauce ingredients 2 days ahead of time and keep it in the fridge. If you are serving the fish hot, it’s best to cook it just before serving. The fish can also be served cold – poach, cool and refrigerate up to 2 days in an airtight container. To reheat, warm gently in the sauce, don’t boil.
The pan should comfortably fit the fish portions without touching each other. The sauce should come ⅓–½ way up the sides of the fillets (shallow poach). If you don’t have a cover for your pan, use an upside-down plate, the bottom of another skillet or foil.
More salmon recipes (<30 min)
- salmon with coconut curry (another poached fish recipe)
- pecan-crusted salmon
- maple ginger salmon with peach salsa
- salmon with citrus glaze
- maple-glazed salmon
For more ideas, check out our fish and seafood collection.
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Poached Salmon In Coconut Sauce
Equipment
- skillet or pan with a lid, Note 4
Ingredients
- 3/4 pound fresh salmon fillets, skin on or off, Note 1
- salt and black pepper
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
Coconut sauce
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk, full-fat
- 1 tablespoon chili crisp, Note 2 (start with half, then add more later if needed)
- 1 tablespoon lime juice (about 1/2 a medium lime)
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar (or honey or maple syrup)
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce, Note 3
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger (or ¼ tsp powdered ginger)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup chopped fresh herbs (½ for sauce, ½ for garnish) any combo of basil, cilantro, parsley, chives
Instructions
- MAKE THE COCONUT SAUCE: Add all the sauce ingredients (including 2 tablespoons of the chopped herbs) into a 10-12 inch/25-30 cm skillet. Stir and heat to a gentle simmer (tiny bubbles around edges), about 2 minutes.1 cup unsweetened coconut milk, full-fat, 1 tablespoon chili crisp, Note 2, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 2 teaspoons brown sugar, 2 teaspoons fish sauce, Note 3, 1 teaspoon grated ginger, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- POACH SALMON: Cut salmon fillet lengthwise into smaller portions if needed, about 2 inches/5 cm wide -not essential, just easier to handle and quicker cooking. Place salmon, skin side down, on top of sauce. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spoon a little sauce on salmon. Top with most of chopped green onions (save a few for garnish). Cover a lid (Note 4) and poach 8-12 minutes, depending on thickness of fish (thinner cooks faster). An instant read thermometer will be 125–130°F (52–54°C) for medium (warm pink).
- FINISH & SERVE: Transfer salmon to a board to remove skin – slip a spatula between flesh and skin. If you want the sauce a little thicker, cook 2 minutes longer to reduce. Taste and adjust – adding more lime, sugar, salt or chili crisp. Place salmon back into sauce. Garnish salmon with remaining herbs, lime wedges and extra green onions if you like. Serving options Note 5.
Recipe Notes
- Salmon: I find that at least 1 inch/2.5 cm thick are best. Skin on or off?
- Skin on: For the most forgiving results, poach skin-on, skin-side down (the skin protects the flesh and helps keep it intact), then slip it off before serving.
- Skin off: Poaching is gentle, so skin off is perfectly fine – no fussing with skin at the end, and the fish absorbs more sauce – just use smaller portions and handle gently so they don’t break.
- Chili crisp alternatives: (if you don’t have)
- If you still want crunch: chili oil + fried shallots/garlic.
- Just heat: sambal oelek or sriracha.
- More depth/umami: gochujang
- Or try this homemade chili crisp recipe by Chili Pepper Madness.
- Fish sauce alternatives (if you don’t like it and for vegans)
- Soy sauce or gluten free/vegan tamari (but it won’t have the same depth of taste).
- Worcestershire (note this has anchovies in it). Use half the amount.
- Recipe for Vegan Fish Sauce from Food52.
- Recipe for Vegetarian Fish Sauce using mushrooms by Cook’s Illustrated.
- Skillet cover alternatives: If you don’t have a lid for your skillet, use foil, an upside-down plate, or place another pan on top.
- Serving options:
- Place salmon back in skillet and serve straight from skillet
- Serve as fillets
- Cut fillets into chunks (~ 2 inches/5 cm) and serve with sauce and sides.
- Garnish options: lime wedges, herbs, sesame seeds, more chili crisp.
- Variations
- Vegetarian version (use tamari/coconut aminos instead of fish sauce):
- Tofu steaks (extra-firm, pressed, patted dry) shallow-poached 6–8 min.
- Cauliflower “steaks” (¾-inch thick) simmer gently 8–10 min until just tender.
- Chickpeas + spinach: warm 5–7 min in the sauce; finish with herbs and lime.
- Veggie add-ins: You can add 1 cup/120 grams of small diced zucchini, red pepper, carrot ribbons or bok choy to the sauce in the last 5 minutes of cooking. But keep in mind that veggies release water and can make the sauce thinner. For a richer sauce, serve veggies on the side.
- Coconut-lime-curry version: Instead of chili crisp, add about 2 teaspoons red curry paste along with lime. You might need to add a pinch of sugar. Cook the sauce for a minute or two before adding the salmon.
- Vegetarian version (use tamari/coconut aminos instead of fish sauce):
- Make ahead: You can combine the sauce ingredients and store in the fridge for up to 2 days ahead. Poach fish in it before serving. To serve poached fish cold, cool salmon, refrigerate in airtight container without garnish for up to 2 days. Add garnish and serve cool or at room temp.
