Coconut Orange Poached Salmon

There are endless ways to prepare salmon, but this salmon poached in coconut milk tops our list. It's easy to make, creamy, and flavorful. The fish is so tender it will melt in your mouth. If this is your first time poaching fish, you're in for a treat!

To make it, we start by simmering a poaching liquid made from coconut milk, orange (slices, zest, and juice), soy sauce, ginger, garlic, fish sauce, and lime juice. Then we add the salmon fillets and very gently simmer them at a low temperature until they turn opaque.

We love to serve this coconut poached salmon over a bed of jasmine rice with a generous amount of sauce. It's a low-fuss weeknight meal that feels fancy enough that you could make it for date night.

Coconut poached salmon ingredients

With a few simple ingredients, you can make this flavorful coconut poached salmon at home. Here's everything you need to make it:

• Oranges – in most places you can find oranges year-round, but we love to make this recipe in the winter when citrus is abundant. We use two large navel oranges.
• Coconut milk – this will be the base for the creamy poaching liquid.
• Soy sauce – for seasoning and a bit of saltiness. You can also use coconut aminos (a soy sauce alternative), or gluten-free soy sauce.
• Ginger + garlic – ginger and garlic add lots of flavor and a bit of kick.
• Fish sauce – fish sauce amplifies the savory flavor and adds depth to the broth.
• Lime juice – for a bit of acidity which brings brightness and balances out the creaminess.
• Salmon fillets – we use steelhead salmon (sometimes called steelhead trout) in this recipe. If you can find it, it's a wonderfully fatty fish that won't dry out, but any type of salmon will work for this recipe.
• Orange slices, cilantro, and chili flakes – for garnish.

How to make coconut poached salmon

Making poached salmon in coconut milk is a wonderfully gentle way of preparing fish, and it's surprisingly easy to do! Here's how we make it in a few simple steps:

1. Slice one orange into rounds, and zest and juice the other. Place the oranges slices, zest, and juice in a pan with the coconut milk, soy sauce, ginger, fish sauce, garlic, and lime juice. Bring it to a boil, then lower it to a simmer.
2. Add the salmon fillets and gently simmer until the salmon is opaque.
3. Serve the salmon on a bed of rice with orange slices, cilantro, and a sprinkle of chili flakes.

Full recipe instructions are in the recipe card below.

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.

FAQS

What to serve with poached salmon

Turn this orange poached salmon into a deliciously simple meal with some rice, or try cauliflower rice for a low-carb alternative. It also goes well with most vegetable sides like roasted broccoli, sautéed green beans, or sautéed bok choy.