Coconut Orange Poached Salmon
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This coconut poached salmon tastes incredible and will melt in your mouth. Fillets of salmon are gently poached in a creamy and flavorful Thai-inspired orange coconut sauce. It’s easy to make and it’s ready in just 22 minutes!
There are endless ways to cook salmon, but this coconut-poached version is at the very top of my list. Gently simmered in coconut milk with orange, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, fish sauce, and lime, the salmon turns incredibly tender and silky, with a sauce that’s creamy, fragrant, and full of layered flavor. If you’ve never poached fish before, this is a wonderfully forgiving place to start.
I keep the method simple and gentle, letting the salmon slowly cook in the aromatic coconut broth just until it turns opaque. The orange adds subtle sweetness and brightness, while the ginger, garlic, and fish sauce bring depth and savory balance, keeping the dish from feeling heavy.
I love serving this coconut-poached salmon over fluffy jasmine rice with plenty of the sauce spooned over top. It’s an easy, low-fuss dinner that comes together beautifully on a weeknight, but it also feels special enough for a cozy date night at home.
Tips for making the best poached salmon
Poaching salmon in coconut milk is simple, but there are a couple of tricks to making sure it stays tender. Here are two things to keep in mind:
- Use steelhead salmon (sometimes called steelhead trout). It’s naturally a fattier fish which means it’s more tender and less likely to dry out.
- Think low and slow! Simmer the fish at a very low temperature. You want the poaching liquid to barely be simmering. If there are several bubbles at one time, it’s probably too high.
- If you want to learn more about poaching fish, read our guide Perfect Poached Fish for even more tips and tricks.
What to serve with poached salmon
Turn this orange poached salmon into a deliciously simple meal with some basmati rice. It also goes well with most vegetable sides like roasted broccoli, sautéed green beans, or sautéed bok choy.
Coconut Orange Poached Salmon Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 large oranges (divided)
- 1 cup canned coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons finely minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 3 cloves garlic (finely minced)
- 1 tablespoon lime juice (fresh is best)
- 4 fillets salmon
- Orange slices, cilantro, and chili flakes (to serve)
Instructions
- Slice one orange. Zest and juice the other orange and place both in a large skillet. Add the coconut milk, coco aminos, ginger, fish sauce, garlic, and lime juice to the skillet. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 5 minutes.1 cup canned coconut milk, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons finely minced ginger, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 3 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 2 large oranges
- Reduce the heat to low and add the salmon. Simmer very gently (see notes) for about 6-7 minutes, or until the salmon is opaque. At the first hint of white forming on top of the salmon, remove it from the heat.4 fillets salmon
- Serve the orange coconut poached salmon with some orange slices, cilantro, and if you'd like some heat, some chili flakes.Orange slices, cilantro, and chili flakes
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
Wow this is so flavorful! Made it on a whim and will 100% make again. So quick and easy as well.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Marie!
Great recipe! So easy and super flavorful. My family loved the salmon this way, and I’ll be making the recipe again.
Really delicious, loved the citrus and coconut combination which really compliments the salmon. I think it was quite rich with salmon (not that it takes away from the deliciousness of the dish) so I might make it with white fish one time to experiment.
So easy and delicious. Moist, full of flavor without being overwhelming.my husband does not like lemon on fish, this was beautifully mild. My lime went bad so I squeezed a touch of lemongrass, and instead of zesting used orange extract. Will definitely be using this again. Thanks
I would love to try this recipe as salmon is my favourite meal!
When poaching salmon does it matter if it has skin on it or not?
I would suggest removing the skin first. It won’t be very nice to eat when poached and really hard to remove (unlike baked salmon). Here’s how to do it: https://www.theendlessmeal.com/how-to-remove-skin-from-salmon/
My husband does not like salmon, can I use Basa or cod instead.
I think cod would work well!
just made this tonight for mother’s day. it was amazing. everyone LOVED it. THANK YOU! will definitely be making this again.
I’m so happy to hear it was a hit!
I am new to Whole30 and cooking with coconut milk. This may be a silly question…but…For this recipe, do you only use the liquid in the coconut can and not the harder “milk” on top?
Not silly at all! For this recipe, you want to use the entire can of milk. Pour the whole can in, or scoop it out if it is too hard. It will turn to liquid once it warms. 🙂
I have salmon steaks in the freezer and need to cook them up…could I do the steaks instead of the fillets? Would you adjust the cooking/poaching time? I’ve never poached fish before but would love to try this recipe!
You absolutely can! Make sure they’re thawed first. Depending on how thick they are, they’ll need to be cooked a little longer. As soon as they flake easily, they’re done cooking. 🙂
I have several vacuum sealed, frozen salmon fillets. Do you think it is safe to thaw in refrigerator for a day or two prior to making a dish that calls for fresh?
Absolutely it’s safe! If you take them out of your freezer in the morning and put them in your fridge they will be thawed and ready to use by dinner. 🙂
I tried this a couple of nights ago and it was a hit! I didn’t have fish sauce so just left it out. It was delicious anyway, and my whole family loved it. Thanks for an easy and delicious salmon recipe.
I’m so happy you like the recipe! It really is my fav way to cook salmon. 🙂
Welcome to the club! I’m starting to count down the days now lol. I’m sharing a few everyday Whole30 recipes over on Instagram, too. If you make something you’d love to share, tag #Whole30groupies. I love the inspiration!
my mouth is watering. I’ve been buying ALL the salmon, and am constantly on the hunt for new ways to prepare. i’ll definitely be giving this a try.
Salmon is so good, isn’t it? This is my fav way to make it. I hope you enjoy it, too!