Salmon-Fennel Red Curry Recipe

By
Leela Punyaratabandhu
Leela Punyaratabandhu
Leela Punyaratabanhu is a food writer, recipe developer, and award-winning author specializing in Thai cooking. She has written three cookbooks: Simple Thai Food, Flavors of the Southeast Asian Grill, and Bangkok, which won the 2018 Art of Eating Prize.
Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Updated March 24, 2025

Recipe Details

Salmon-Fennel Red Curry Recipe

Cook 20 mins
Total 20 mins
Serves 4 to 6 servings
Keep Screen Awake

Ingredients

  • 1 (14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk

  • 1/4 cup Thai red curry paste (more or less to taste)

  • 2 pounds skinless salmon fillets, cut into 2-inch cubes

  • 1 large bulb fennel, trimmed, cored, and sliced thinly lengthwise (about 1 1/2 quarts)

  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar (more or less to taste)

  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce (more or less to taste)

  • 2 to 3 jalapeño or serrano peppers, sliced (optional)

  • 1/2 cup Thai basil leaves

Directions

  1. Open canned coconut milk without shaking and scoop out three quarters of the solid coconut cream at the top onto a 4-quart saucepan and set it over medium-high heat. Add curry paste to coconut cream and cook, stirring occasionally, until fat separates from the cream and mixture begins to fry, about 4 minutes. Add the remaining coconut milk to the pot along with fennel; bring to a gentle boil, and reduce to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fennel is tender-crisp, about 5 minutes.

  2. Add salmon, sugar, and fish sauce. Adjust the sauce to desired consistency with water. Continue simmering until salmon is just cooked through. Adjust seasoning with more sugar or fish sauce if desired. Stir in peppers and basil leaves. Serve immediately with steamed jasmine rice.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
463 Calories
33g Fat
7g Carbs
36g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 463
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 33g 42%
Saturated Fat 16g 81%
Cholesterol 95mg 32%
Sodium 813mg 35%
Total Carbohydrate 7g 2%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 36g
Vitamin C 15mg 75%
Calcium 56mg 4%
Iron 3mg 19%
Potassium 865mg 18%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

More Serious Eats Recipes