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    Home » Recipes » Main Dishes

    Coconut Macadamia Crusted Salmon

    Published: Jan 3, 2017 · Modified: Mar 12, 2020 by Alyssa · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    Coconut macadamia crusted salmon is a quick dish featuring salmon fillets piled high with a macadamia nut, coconut, and panko topping. You don't need many ingredients to pull together this healthy seafood recipe.

    A fillet of coconut macadamia crusted salmon on a plate next to a side salad

    Well hello, January! Ready or not, full-fledged post-holiday winter is here. I'm not huge on resolutions, but I'm putting forth an effort to jazz up our mostly-healthy weeknight meals with new flavors.

    Our go-to salmon recipe is this baked orange salmon that I've shared before. YUM. But a discovery of leftover macadamia nuts in the cabinet from my last batch of lemon white chocolate macadamia nut cookies got the wheels turning.

    Macadamia-crusted fish is something I tend to order in a restaurant - what's to prevent me from making it at home? The answer is...nothing at all. It's just one of those meals I love and then promptly forget about. 😂

    Salmon and the coating ingredients in separate containers on a marble board

    Ingredients

    This topping to this coconut macadamia crusted salmon is thick, crunchy, and so good! It includes:

    • roughly ground macadamia nuts
    • roughly ground unsweetened coconut flakes
    • panko breadcrumbs
    • melted coconut oil

    The macadamia nuts add a rich flavor that pairs up well with the coconut. In a pinch I've used regular sweetened coconut, but I prefer unsweetened coconut. You'll likely find them right alongside the 'snowflake' flaked coconut varieties in the baking aisle of the grocery store. They provide a coconut flavor more appropriate for a savory recipe like this salmon.

    Also in a pinch I've used chopped up pecans instead of macadamia nuts, and that was good, too. Macadamia nuts certainly aren't the cheapest, but you don't need much here.

    I like to use melted coconut oil here to enhance the coconut flavor (and keep this recipe dairy-free). I've also used olive oil and it works just fine. Just a slightly different flavor -- you do you.

    Ground macadamia nuts, unsweetened coconut flakes, and panko breadcrumbs in a bowl

    Instructions

    Start by brushing your salmon with oil, seasoning it with some salt and pepper, and then squeezing lemon juice over top (not super mandatory but I like a little citrus in there). Then the next steps are determined by the thickness of your salmon fillets.

    If you have a thicker piece of salmon (usually center-cut, around 1 ½" thick), you'll want to bake it for a few minutes before adding the topping.

    Reason being that the topping doesn't need that long to toast up nice and golden brown. You'll want to give a thick piece of salmon a head start cooking so the topping doesn't become burnt by the time the fish is fully cooked.

    If you have a thinner piece of salmon (closer to the tail end, around 1" thick), the topping can be added right away and be just fine with a 12-15 minute cook time.

    A cooked salmon fillet flaked on a plate

    The big thing when cooking multiple fillets of fish is that you want them to be as close in thickness to each other as you can get them. That way they cook in the same time.

    A general rule of a thumb to follow is that fish needs about six minutes of cook time (at 425°F) per every half-inch of thickness, plus an extra minute or two, as needed.

    An instant-read thermometer takes the guesswork out of seeing when it's fully cooked, which will be when the salmon easily flakes and is solid pink throughout. Using a thermometer also helps prevent against overcooking salmon, which can make it dry.

    Per foodsafety.gov guidance, salmon is fully cooked when it reaches 145°F in the thickest part. It'll have firmed up and become perfectly flaky.

    A crusted fillet of salmon cut in half on a plate with a side salad and a fork.

    Recipe notes

    • Use unsweetened coconut flakes instead of the sweetened, "snowflake" coconut. The unsweetened flakes are drier and (obviously) not sweet. Once given a quick whiz or two in the food processor they'll be the perfect size to blend into the topping and provide a hint of coconut flavor without any unnecessary sweetness.
    • If you'd rather not use macadamia nuts (or don't have them), pecans work great, too.
    A fillet of coconut macadamia crusted salmon on a dinner plate next to a mixed greens salad

    Coconut Macadamia Crusted Salmon

    Coconut macadamia crusted salmon is a quick dish featuring salmon fillets piled high with a macadamia nut, coconut, and panko topping. You don’t need many ingredients to pull together this healthy seafood recipe.
    4.29 from 14 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Dish
    Cuisine: Fusion
    Prep Time: 22 minutes
    Cook Time: 18 minutes
    Total Time: 40 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 342kcal
    Author: Alyssa

    Ingredients

    • 2 salmon fillets, about half a pound each
    • ¼ cup ground macadamia nuts
    • ¼ cup ground unsweetened coconut flakes
    • 3 tablespoon panko breadcrumbs
    • 2 tablespoon coconut oil, melted, plus extra for brushing
    • Salt and pepper, to taste
    • Juice from half a lemon, to taste
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.
    • Place salmon fillets on the baking sheet and brush fillets with oil (either olive oil or a bit of extra melted coconut oil). Season salmon fillets with salt and pepper.
    • Whiz macadamia nuts and coconut flakes in a food processor to break them into smaller pieces. Add to a bowl with the panko and stir to combine. Pour in 2 tablespoon melted coconut oil and stir until combined and everything is moistened evenly.

    If salmon fillets are thicker (1 ½"):

    • Place salmon in the oven and bake for 6 minutes. Thicker salmon needs a head start on cooking before adding the topping. Once the 6 minutes are up, remove from the oven and continue on with the next step.

    If salmon fillets are thinner (1"):

    • Press the macadamia/coconut mixture onto the tops of the fillets and squeeze the lemon juice over both. Place the salmon in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until salmon reaches your preferred doneness or is 145° in the thickest part. Let salmon sit for a few minutes before serving.
    • Serve with additional lemon wedges to squeeze over top if desired.

    Notes

    To grind both the macadamia nuts and the unsweetened coconut flakes, I give them a few pulses in the food processor until they're in small bits.
    Just to be clear, thicker cuts of salmon need a bit of time to cook before adding the topping, so the topping doesn't burn in the time it takes for the salmon to reach the right temperature.
    Thinner cuts of salmon don't require any pre-topping cooking time. You can add the topping right to the raw fillets and cook until done.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 342kcal | Carbohydrates: 6.1g | Protein: 24.7g | Fat: 24.4g | Saturated Fat: 11.4g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 170mg | Potassium: 41mg | Fiber: 1.6g | Sugar: 1g | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1.3mg
    Tried this Recipe?Tag @mysequinedlife - I love to see what you're making!

    Nutritional information is provided as an estimate. As it can vary due to many factors (brands used, quantities, etc.), we cannot guarantee its accuracy.

    Food Safety and Nutrition Disclaimer

     

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    Comments

    1. Cyni says

      January 16, 2023 at 6:16 pm

      5 stars
      excellent recipe!
      Very, very tasty - I will add it into my salmon dinner rotation for sure!

      thanks very much for the great recipe!

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        January 18, 2023 at 8:05 am

        You're so welcome - I'm glad you like it! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Karen says

      July 08, 2022 at 10:49 pm

      I made this tonight, followed the recipe EXCEPT.... we cooked it on the grill, on a grill pan. The salmon was SO good, the crunchy topping was perfectly golden, & the salmon was so moist. Sprinkled with lemon juice after it came off the grill. YUM!! Will def make again.
      One question: HOW do I store leftover topping & for how long? On the counter? In fridge?

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        July 10, 2022 at 5:11 pm

        Hi Karen, I'm so glad you liked this salmon! Cooking it on the grill sounds delicious. If you've combined the nuts/coconut/panko by itself you could leave that mixture at room temperature, but if you've added the coconut oil I would refrigerate. You then may need to let it sit out at room temp for a few minutes before topping something and cooking.

        Reply
    3. Barbara says

      February 02, 2021 at 12:55 pm

      I made this using hogfish. It was so good. Thanks for the recipe.

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        February 06, 2021 at 8:26 am

        Yum! You're very welcome, Barbara. 🙂

        Reply
    4. Lily says

      June 21, 2019 at 11:52 am

      5 stars
      Thanks for sharing. I now have lunch. I made it with cashews.

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        June 21, 2019 at 2:02 pm

        So glad you like it, Lily! It sounds delicious with cashews.

        Reply
    5. Chef Ken Hayes says

      August 24, 2018 at 2:29 pm

      5 stars
      I made this recipe and served it with my spicy mango cream sauce it was OUT OF BOUNDS! With Cuban rice and beans and sauteed vegatables. Some crusty bread and a glass of wine perfect meal.

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        September 09, 2018 at 12:05 pm

        So glad you liked it! Sounds like you put together a perfect meal.

        Reply
      • Karen K says

        June 27, 2022 at 11:43 pm

        Do you have a recipe for the mango cream sauce recipe?

        Reply
    6. Ashley@CookNourishBliss says

      January 05, 2017 at 12:09 pm

      Ooooo I love that you crusted this with the macadamia / coconut combo! I always think about sweets when I think of that combo but I soooo need to branch out to savory! Cheers to the new year lady!

      Reply
    7. Sues says

      January 04, 2017 at 8:08 am

      Salmon is my absolute favorite and there's probably no better combination than salmon and coconut! Love this tropically fun dish 🙂

      Reply
    8. Annie says

      January 03, 2017 at 3:13 pm

      SALMON! Is there anything better? I don't believe so! This looks perfect!

      Reply
    9. Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says

      January 03, 2017 at 7:06 am

      We are the biggest salmon lovers here and I love crusting proteins with nuts! Nuts always make it so buttery and delicious but add it to already buttery rich salmon and PERFECTION!

      Reply
    10. Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says

      January 03, 2017 at 6:26 am

      Happy New Year, Alyssa! I hope you had a great idea! I'm ready to get back on track of eating better, because I indulged a little (ok A LOT) too much over the past few weeks. Salmon is a favorite of mine, so this crusted version looks so good! Just what my January needs!

      Reply

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