Lemongrass Salmon Curry

A regular ingredient with a new twist

If you’ve followed for a while, you’ll know salmon appears on our dinner table almost every week. It’s one of those go-to ingredients in our house – nutritious, easy to cook and loved by everyone. Because of that, I’m always thinking of new ways to prepare it so it doesn’t get boring. This time, I decided to adapt my Vietnamese Chicken Curry recipe and turn it into a fish version. The result? This beautiful Lemongrass Salmon Curry – full of flavour, warming and comforting, and a dish the whole family enjoyed.

A quick and easy midweek meal

I made this dish on one of those typical weekdays when work ran later than planned. With just over half an hour to feed hungry mouths, I needed something that came together quickly without cutting corners of taste. That’s exactly what this curry did. It was quick, simple and completely satisfying. Proof that dinner doesn’t need to take ages to be full of flavour.

Preparing the salmon

Seasoning and air-frying the fish

I started by getting the rice on straight away. My rice cooker takes about 40 minutes, so I always try to do that first. Then I turned to the salmon – I had a lovely side in the fridge. I removed the skin and cut the fillet into thick strips, then seasoned both sides with sea salt, cracked black pepper, onion granules, garlic granules and a little smoked paprika.

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To finish, I brushed each piece with oil and drizzled them lightly with honey to help them caramelise. They went into the air fryer at 210°C for 10 minutes, and I gently flipped them after about 7 minutes to make sure they cooked evenly. The fish came out beautifully golden on the outside, still juicy on the inside – perfect for dropping into a curry sauce.

Building the lemongrass curry sauce

Getting the aromatics going

While the salmon was cooking, I started on the curry base. I chopped a small onion and minced a few cloves of garlic and a chunk of fresh ginger. Then I grabbed a few stalks of lemongrass, gave them a good bash with my meat tenderiser and cut them into short strips. Lemongrass is the heart of this dish, it brings that lovely citrus fragrance that makes Vietnamese curry so special.

I heated a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a shallow pot over medium-high heat, then added the onion, garlic and ginger. After a couple of minutes, when everything smelled fragrant and just started to brown, I added the lemongrass and sautéed for another minute or two.

Simmering the sauce

Once the base is ready, I added a tablespoon of curry powder and stirred it through so everything was well coated. Then I poured in some coconut water and brought it to a gentle boil. After that, I added a tin of coconut milk and turned the heat down slightly, letting it simmer for about 10 minutes. The sauce slowly thickened and turned beautifully golden. A splash of fish sauce and a sprinkle of brown sugar helped balance everything out and gave the curry a lovely savoury note.

Bringing it all together

When the curry sauce is ready, I gently placed the air-fried salmon into the pot, letting it sit in the sauce for just a minute or two to heat through and soak up the flavours without breaking apart. Then I turned off the heat and added a few sprigs of dill and some lime wedges. Dill isn’t traditional but I love how fresh it tastes with salmon and lemongrass, it really brings the whole dish together.

While the curry rested, I boiled some broccoli to serve on the side. It’s a simple way to add a bit of green and makes the meal feel even more balanced.

Time to eat

By the time the rice finished cooking, everything else was ready. I served the Lemongrass Salmon Curry with steamed rice and boiled broccoli. The salmon was juicy and packed with flavour and the curry sauce was rich, creamy and gently spiced with lemongrass, ginger and coconut. The honey added a hint of sweetness and the lime gave it a little lift. It was so moreish!

Why you’ll love Lemongrass Salmon Curry

This Lemongrass Salmon Curry is the kind of dish that’s going to appear regularly in our home. It’s simple, quick and full of flavour. If you’ve got some salmon in the fridge and want something that feels special but doesn’t take long to make, this is the perfect recipe to try. Warm, fragrant and nourishing, it’s everything I want in a weekday dinner.

Print Recipe

Healthy

Lemongrass Salmon Curry

Author: Thao @ summerandspice Cooking Method: Airfrying, Simmering Cuisine: Vietnamese Courses: Dinner, Soup Recipe Keys: Fish and Prawns Quick Meals Rice

Difficulty: Beginner Prep Time 5 mins Cook Time 25 mins Total Time 30 mins

Servings: 4 Estimated Cost: £ 10

Description

This Salmon Lemongrass Curry is a fragrant and comforting dish made with juicy air-fried salmon, fresh lemongrass, and a rich coconut curry sauce. Inspired by Vietnamese flavours, it comes together in just over 30 minutes – perfect for a quick and satisfying family meal. Serve with steamed rice and greens for a complete, nourishing dinner.

Ingredients

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Scale

1/2x 1x 2x 3x

For the salmon

• 500 g Salmon fillet (skin removed and cut into strips)
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon sea salt
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1 teaspoon onion granules
• 1 teaspoon garlic granules
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 tablespoons oil (for brushing)
• 1 tablespoon honey (for brushing)

For the curry sauce

• 1 small onion (chopped)
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 3 cm knob of ginger (minced)
• 4 stalks lemongrass (bruised and chopped)
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 200 ml coconut water
• 400 ml coconut milk (a can)
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce (or to taste)
• 1 lime (cut into wedges)
• A few sprigs of dill

Instructions

1. Prep and air-fry the salmon

   • Season the salmon strips with salt, pepper, onion and garlic granules, smoked paprika. 
   • Brush with oil and drizzle with honey. 
   • Place in the air fryer at 210°C for 10 minutes, gently flipping at 7 minutes. 
   Mark as complete

1. Make the curry base

   • In a shallow pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. 
   • Add onion, garlic, ginger.
   • Saute for 2 minutes until fragrant, then add the bruised lemongrass and cook for another 2 minutes. 
   Mark as complete

1. Add curry flavour

   • Sprinkle in the curry powder and stir well. 
   • Add coconut water and bring to a boil. 
   • Pour in the coconut milk, reduce the heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes to thicken. 
   Mark as complete

1. Finish the dish

   • Add fish sauce to taste. 
   • Gently place the cooked salmon into the curry and simmer for just 1 minute or so. 
   • Turn off the heat, stir in dill. 
   Mark as complete

1. Serve

   • Spoon the salmon curry over steamed rice with a side of green like boiled broccoli. 
   • Add lime wedges on the side. 
   Mark as complete

Nutrition Facts

Servings 4

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Amount Per Serving

Calories 590.46kcal

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 44.75g69%

Saturated Fat 22.57g113%

Trans Fat 0.02g

Cholesterol 68.75mg23%

Sodium 733.85mg31%

Potassium 1090.14mg32%

Total Carbohydrate 21.99g8%

Dietary Fiber 2.76g12%

Sugars 7.18g

Protein 29.45g59%

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Vitamin A 87.46 mcg

Vitamin C 15.38 mg

Calcium 84.19 mg

Iron 6.13 mg

Vitamin D 13.75 mcg

Vitamin E 6.3 mg

Vitamin K 8.47 mcg

Thiamin 0.33 mg

Riboflavin 0.28 mg

Niacin 12.09 mg

Vitamin B6 0.97 mg

Folate 72.24 mcg

Vitamin B12 4.05 mcg

Phosphorus 447.43 mg

Magnesium 124.45 mg

Zinc 1.72 mg

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Keywords: salmon lemongrass curry, Vietnamese salmon curry, quick salmon curry recipe, lemongrass coconut curry, easy weeknight salmon recipe, air fryer salmon curry, Vietnamese curry with salmon, salmon curry with coconut milk, healthy salmon dinner idea, lemongrass curry sauce recipe.

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