Salmon Panang Curry Recipe

Overhead shot of Salmon Panang Curry served on a plate with jasmine rice. The salmon is coated in a rich red curry sauce, topped with crushed peanuts and fresh Thai basil leaves, with gold cutlery resting on the side.

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Salmon Panang Curry Recipe

Creamy, rich, and full of Thai-inspired flavor — tender salmon fillets simmered in a velvety Panang curry sauce with coconut milk, kaffir lime, and Thai basil. Comforting, bold, and ready in under 40 minutes.

Prep Time15

Cook Time25

Total Time40

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Asian, Thai

Keyword: coconut curry, easy salmon dinner, panang curry, salmon curry, thai salmon

Servings: serves

Author: Karina

Ingredients

1 tbsp oil for frying
1 cup long beans cut into 2-inch pieces
1 cup carrot slices 0.2-inch thick
1 red onion cut in wedges
1 cup shiitake mushrooms sliced
6 tbsp panang curry paste mae ploy
1½ tbsp palm sugar
8 kaffir lime leaves torn
3 thai bird’s eye chilies chopped
3 tsp fish sauce
3 cups coconut milk
1 tbsp lime juice
½ tsp salt
1½ cups unsalted chicken stock
24 oz salmon fillet skin on 4 fillets
1 cup thai basil leaves roughly torn
½ cup roasted peanuts chopped, for topping
Extra thai basil leaves for garnish

US - Metric

Instructions

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add beans, carrots, red onion, and shiitake mushrooms. Stir-fry 2 minutes. Remove and set aside
In the same pan, add curry paste. Stir-fry 30 seconds until aromatic. Add palm sugar and stir briefly.
Add kaffir lime leaves, chilies, fish sauce, coconut milk, lime juice, and salt. Mix well, cover with a lid, and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in chicken stock.
Gently place salmon fillets into the curry. Simmer 4–5 minutes, then gently flip and cook 3–4 minutes more until just opaque.
Return sautéed vegetables to the pan. Add Thai basil leaves and stir to combine.
Serve hot with jasmine rice, topped with roasted peanuts and extra basil leaves.

Notes

Tips For The Best Salmon Panang Curry.

A few small tweaks make all the difference with this curry — here’s how to bring out every layer of flavor.

Use full-fat coconut milk for that silky, restaurant-style sauce. Light versions work, but the texture won’t be as rich or glossy.
Don’t rush the paste. Frying the Panang curry paste first wakes up all those Thai spices — it’s where the flavor starts.
Go easy on the heat if you’re new to Thai curries. Start mild, then add more chilies or paste once you taste the sauce.
Add the salmon last. It cooks quickly and stays buttery and tender if you poach it gently in the curry.
Balance before serving. Taste the sauce — add more lime for brightness, fish sauce for salt, or palm sugar for sweetness until it hits that perfect harmony.
Finish with fresh basil. It lifts everything with fragrance and color, right at the end.

Nutrition