This recipe for Baked Salmon with Creamy Coconut Ginger Sauce is a reader favorite. It’s a delicious way to prepare salmon fillets!
I created this recipe many years ago when I was hosting a lot of dinner parties in my old neighborhood. There were 16 of us in a gourmet dinner group, and we took turns hosting themed dinners once a month. This baked salmon with creamy coconut ginger sauce was the main dish served at my Seafood Extravaganza Dinner Party. The dinner was a big hit, but this salmon was definitely the favorite. We tend to make it quite often. And I featured it in my cookbook too: The Recipe Girl Cookbook.
What readers are saying:
- Jamie says: Don’t usually comment, but this was fantastic! My hubby said this was his favorite way of having salmon and we eat a good amount of salmon in our house. The sauce was so good, I could have licked it off my plate!
- Libbie says: This is my go-to salmon recipe and every time I make it, people ask for the recipe.
- Jeniece says: Delicious and easy! The flavors were very different and it was a nice change. I substituted sriracha for the sambal oelek but it still had a hint of spice without being spicy.
Ingredients needed:
- salmon fillets
- extra virgin olive oil
- salted butter
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- canned coconut milk
- chili paste
- fresh ginger
- lime
- fish sauce
- brown sugar
- chives, for garnish (optional)
How to make Baked Salmon with Creamy Coconut Ginger Sauce:
The complete, printable recipe is at the end of this post.
The first step is getting the salmon into the oven. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9×13-inch glass baking dish with nonstick spray. Place the salmon fillets in the prepared dish, leaving space between each fillet. Drizzle oil on top of the fillets. Top each fillet with a piece of butter. Sprinkle the salmon generously with salt and pepper. Bake for 13 to 16 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked through and flakes apart easily. Cook time will depend entirely on how thick your salmon fillets are.
How to make Coconut Ginger Sauce:
While the salmon is baking, prepare the sauce. In a medium saucepan, mix the sauce ingredients together and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer (stirring often) until the sauce has thickened slightly. Remove from heat.
Serve the baked salmon with the coconut ginger sauce drizzled on top. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
- Don’t use light coconut milk. Your sauce will turn out too thin. You want it to be a little bit thickened.
- The easiest way to grate fresh ginger is to freeze it. Peel it first, then place it in a little zip baggie in the freezer. Grate it while frozen, and the stringy texture of the ginger won’t cause any problems. Then you can put the ginger back into the freezer and use the rest of it another time.
- Chili paste can be found in the Asian products section of your market. I use “Sambal Oelek.” Ask your grocery manager if you cannot find it!
The Best Salmon Recipes:
- Asian Salmon Fillets
- Grilled Salmon with Dill Pickle Butter
- Baked Maple Miso Salmon
- Lemon Oregano Salmon with Roasted Tomatoes
- Barbecued Salmon
If you happen to be following the Weight Watchers WW plan, you’ll find a link to the WW Points on the recipe card below.
Baked Salmon with Creamy Coconut Ginger Sauce
Ingredients
SALMON:
- Six 6-ounce portions skinless salmon fillets
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon chilled salted butter, cut into 6 pieces
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
COCONUT GINGER SAUCE:
- 1½ cups canned coconut milk (don't use light)
- 1½ teaspoons chili paste
- 1½ teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- 3 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1½ teaspoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
- chopped chives for garnish (optional)
Instructions
PREPARE THE SALMON:
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9x13-inch glass baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Place the salmon fillets in the prepared dish, leaving space between each fillet. Drizzle oil on top of the fillets. Top each fillet with a piece of butter. Sprinkle the salmon generously with salt and pepper. Bake 13 to 16 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked through and flakes apart easily. Cook time will be dependent upon how thick your fillets are.
MAKE THE COCONUT GINGER SAUCE:
- While the salmon is baking, in a medium saucepan, mix the sauce ingredients together and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer (stirring often) until the sauce has thickened slightly. Remove from heat.
- Serve the salmon with sauce drizzled on top. Add chives on top, if desired.
Notes
- Chili paste can be found in the Asian products section of your market. I use "Sambal Oelek." Ask your grocery manager if you cannot find it!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Very good! I made it with tumeric cauliflower rice. A keeper!
Can the sauce be made ahead and then reheated
That should be fine. Might be a little thicker than if you make it just before serving…
Delicious and easy! I would half the sauce next time as we didn’t use about 1/2 cup of it anyways but the flavours were very different and it was a nice change. I substituted sriracha for the sambal oelek but it still had a hint of spice without being spicy.
It sounds delicious! I love salmon & coconut, this might be a great combination. Have to give it a try.
Thanks.
This is my go-to salmon recipe and every time I make it, people ask for the recipe. I’ve used light coconut milk trying to save calories, but the sauce becomes translucent and slightly unattractive but it’s still tasty.
Just made this tonight. Don’t usually comment, but this was fantastic! My hubby said this was his favorite way of having salmon and we eat a good amount of salmon in our house. The sauce was so good, I could have licked it off my plate! Mine did turn out a little thin, not sure why, but the flavor was great. Thank you so much!
Any chance you used light coconut milk? That would definitely make the sauce thinner.