Crispy salmon with basil coconut milk sauce is a fresh, easy, and clean dinner! Serve it up with your favorite side dishes for a well-balanced meal!
Funny how a well-designed sauce can turn a satisfactory meal into an otherworldly experience.
If you own my cookbook, Paleo Power Bowls, you know the sauce portion of a bowl recipe is one of my most coveted parts! It’s what gives the bowl a theme and brings many pieces together into one cohesive meal.
The combination of coconut milk and basil is always a clear winner for me. The basil coconut milk sauce in this recipe really adds a unique spin to just about any meal. Use it on your baked chicken, any fish or seafood, and/or our burgers.
Made with full-fat coconut milk, fresh basil, lemongrass and ginger, this super simple sauce is easy on your digestive system while adding immense flavor to a dish!
For me, a big bowl of brown rice with roasted carrots and crispy salmon, tied together with the basil coconut milk sauce is a mouth-watering win! In fact, I eat this exact dish, or a close rendition of it, at least once a week!
Let’s prepare it!
How to Make Basil Coconut Milk Sauce:
The recipe for the basil coconut milk sauce couldn’t be any easier! Simply add everything to a blender, blend until smooth, then heat it up on the stove top.
For a thick sauce, cook at a gentle boil, stirring regularly, until sauce has thickened and reduced by half its volume, about 15 minutes. Set aside until ready to use.
How to Make Crispy Salmon:
Just like I showed you in My Go-To Crispy Salmon Recipe, all we need to do in order to make crispy salmon is drizzle salmon with avocado oil (or high-temp cooking oil of choice), sprinkle it with sea salt and seasonings, and broil it under the oven broiler for 10 to 15 minutes.
THAT’S IT! The result is amazing each and every time and the method is goof-proof!
For this version of crispy salmon, I kept it super simple with just avocado oil, sea salt, and paprika. And nothing else! You can get fancy by adding onion powder, garlic powder, and/or ground cumin if you’d like. Whatever you’re feeling.
How to Roast Carrots:
I keep the carrot portion of this recipe super simple as well! I simply peel and chop the carrots, coat them liberally with avocado oil, sprinkle them with sea salt, and roast at 400 degrees for about 25 to 30 minutes. Badda bing, badda boom – roasted carrot perfection.
Recipe Adaptations:
- Use any of your favorite spices or spice blends on the salmon.
- Swap out the roasted carrots for your favorite roasted veggie.
- Make it grain-free by using cauliflower rice instead of regular rice.
Enjoy this bodacious bowl of bliss!
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If you make this Crispy Salmon with Basil Coconut Milk Sauce, please feel free to share a photo and tag @The.Roasted.Root on Instagram!
Crispy Salmon with Basil Coconut Milk Sauce
Ingredients
Crispy Salmon:
- 1 1-pound salmon fillet
- 2 tsp avocado oil
- 1 1/2 tsp ground paprika
- 1/4 tsp sea salt to taste
Basil Coconut Milk Sauce
- 1 15-ounce can full-fat coconut milk
- 1 3/4-inch nub ginger, peeled and grated
- 2 Tbsp lemongrass paste
- 1/3 cup fresh basil
- 1/2 tsp sea salt to taste
For Serving:
- 1 bunch carrots chopped and roasted
- 3 cups cooked brown rice
Instructions
Make the Basil Coconut Milk Sauce:
- Add all ingredients for the sauce to a blender. Blend until smooth, then transfer mixture to a saucepan. Heat over medium-high and bring to a gentle boil. Cook at a gentle boil, stirring regularly, until sauce has thickened and reduced by half its volume, about 15 minutes. Set aside until ready to use.
Make the Salmon:
- While the coconut milk sauce is thickening on the stove top, prepare the salmon. Place oven on the high broil setting and transfer the salmon fillet to a casserole dish or large baking pan. Drizzle with avocado oil and use your hands to smooth it all over the fish so that the flesh is lightly coated with oil. Sprinkle with paprika and sea salt (and any other seasonings you like).
- Place salmon on the second-to-the-top rack of the oven under the broiler. Broil 10 to 15 minutes, or until salmon is crispy, and has reached desired done-ness.
- Serve salmon with choice of sides (such as roasted carrots and brown rice) and a generous drizzle of basil coconut milk sauce.
I have never in my life commented on a recipe in a blog but I felt the need to for this recipe….the sauce!! DELICIOUS!! I even doused my rice with it it’s so good! I think it could also be used on chicken.
I could not find fresh basil so I used the stuff in the squeezy bottle, and used ginger from a squeezy bottle as well. I didn’t use a blender since they are already in paste form. So easy!
Thank you for such a great recipe!
Ahhh Diane, thanks so much for commenting! I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe and were able to make it work with the ingredients available to you! It’s one of my favorite meals I’ve made over and over so I’m so thrilled you enjoy it too! I really appreciate you taking the time to leave feedback and for your encouraging words! xoxox 🙂
Oh wow. Thank you. This was the best dish I’ve ever made. I’m making it tonight, yes again, for guests. This is a huge winner.❤️
I’m so happy you like it, Emily! xoxox
do you think i can make the coconut basil sauce in advance and store it in the fridge?
Absolutely! I would say up to 5 days in advance would work fine! xo
This recipe sounds fabulous. Just started Dr. Gundry’s Plant Paradox eating plan. Salmon is my favorite fish and I just manifested this recipe, thanks to you. One question…..which lemongrass paste do you recommend?
Will make this as soon as I order the lemongrass paste.
All of your recipes are keepers.
I’m so thrilled to hear it, Elizabeth! I use Gourmet Garden Lemongrass Paste, which is near the herbs in the produce section of my grocery store. I also found this one on amazon if you aren’t able to find it locally! Hope you love the recipe!