Coconut-Chile Salmon and Greens

By Ali Slagle

Updated February 2, 2026

  • Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.
Media 1 of 1
Ready In
30 min
Rating
5(109)
Comments
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In this one-skillet meal, silky salmon and greens grow rich, sweet and spicy as they roast with a mixture of dried coconut, garlic and crushed red pepper. The dish is inspired by thoran, a Keralan dish in which vegetables are stir-fried with fresh grated coconut and warm spices. Here, the vegetable is chard, and instead of stir-frying it, it’s roasted, which allows the coconut, chile and garlic to infuse the greens as their leaves soften and crisp. Instead of chard, you can use kale, but remove and discard its ribs and stems first. Lime-zested salmon cooks next to the greens, accentuating the tender and buttery qualities of the dish. 

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 1 to 1 ½ pounds skin-on salmon, (in one piece or four fillets), patted dry

  • Salt 

  • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

  • 1 lime

  • ½ cup shredded, unsweetened coconut

  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

  • ½ to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper, depending on heat preference, plus more for serving

  • 1 bunch chard, stems and leaves sliced crosswise 1-inch-thick

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

9 grams carbs; 78 milligrams cholesterol; 515 calories; 16 grams monosaturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 40 grams fat; 4 grams fiber; 694 milligrams sodium; 32 grams protein; 2 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle the salmon all over with salt and coat with 1 tablespoon oil. Finely grate the zest of the lime on top, then cut the lime into wedges for serving. Set aside.

    1. Step 2

      In a large, oven-safe skillet, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons oil, the coconut, garlic and crushed red pepper over medium. Stir until fragrant and just starting to color, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chard and a pinch of salt. Stir until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. 

    1. Step 3

      Scoot the greens to one side of the skillet. In the empty space, add the salmon skin-side down. Bake until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork (or an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 120 degrees), 12 to 14 minutes. 

    1. Step 4

      Serve the salmon and greens with a squeeze of lime and more crushed red pepper, if you like.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
109 user ratings
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Comments

Madison T.

Substituted de-stemmed chopped Kale for chard and used chili crisp oil with the coconut saute instead of just red pepper flakes.

Michael

Delicious! Cooked exactly as written. Substituted kale for the chard as mentioned in the note. Don’t forget to squeeze a little lime on the finished dish. Will definitely be making this one again.

Cynthia

Pleasantly surprised! I used Tuscan Kale, but otherwise followed the recipe. Served it with wild rice. Will make again.

Sheri

Wow how can such an easy and basic recipe be so good? Will definitely make this again!

amy s.

This was an excellent dinner. Made with Dino kale; slightly less oil and chili crisp in place of red pepper flakes. Next time, and there for sure will be one; I’d cut the coconut a bit and up the lime. Served with naan. Really enjoyed the unusual flavor. Glad to have discovered this

KM

I used the Swiss shard recipe on its own since my garden is heavily producing it now. I made one batch exactly as is and it was great. Made the second batch and added some yellow raisins for fun. Love the coconut.

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