This creamy, mostly-vegetables, spicy habanero cashew salmon is everything I want in a dinner right now. It’s low on ingredients but packed with flavor, easy to make even though it looks a little ~complex~. And you can dress it up or dress it down.
The base of this oh-so-creamy sauce is mostly vegetables, and the habanero gives it a much needed kick, while the cashews provide all the creaminess we know and love.
It’s a classic salmon weeknight dinner that is now one of my go-tos. Plus you can swap the salmon for tofu and make it full plant-based! It’s so versatile and delicious on all fronts.
Table of contents
But first, what is a habanero?
Habaneros are one of my favorite types of peppers. They pack a kick (which I love) so feel free to substitute out one or two peppers as you see fit for this habanero cashew salmon.
The habanero pepper originated in the Amazon, but is now widely grown and produced in Mexico. Unripe versions are green, but they gradually turn red or orange as they mature. Just make sure to remove their seeds in this recipe, because those things can BURN.
Ingredients for this habanero cashew salmon recipe
- 1 lb fresh salmon
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 1/2 small yellow onion
- 2-3 small habanero peppers seeded, subtract one if you don’t like spice, add one if you do!
- 1 small 1″ knob of ginger
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 lime for juicing
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 cup water, plus more as needed
- 1/2 cup plant-based milk, or milk of choice
Optional toppings:
- 1 handful cilantro leaves
- 3 scallions thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp coconut milk
- 1 tsp chile de arbol oil
How to prepare this habanero cashew sauce
Chop up the bell pepper, onion and habaneros into big pieces. Make sure to remove all the seeds from the peppers.
Add the bell pepper, onion, habaneros, garlic and ginger to a blender. Add in the juice from one whole lime, the honey and the pinch of salt.
Strain out the water the cashews were soaking in, and add the cashews to the blender. Add a fresh 1/2 cup of water and blend until smooth. This will take about 2-4 minutes.
The mixture should be thin, but not too thin. Add water as needed to thin it out.
How to prepare the salmon for this habanero salmon recipe
This salmon is easy. You want it to crisp on the outside but not fully cook in the center, but then continue to cook when you add it to the habanero sauce.
Portion the salmon into 4 pieces and season them with salt and pepper. Put the pieces on a parchment lined baking sheet and roast at 450F for 10-11 minutes or until the outside of the salmon is golden.
How to bring this habanero cashew salmon recipe together
Put a skillet on medium heat and add in the habanero sauce. Let it simmer slightly, cooking off the flavor of the raw onion and garlic. Stir occasionally and let it cook for about 4-5 minutes.
Add the plant-based milk to the habanero sauce and continue to stir. When the sauce is very creamy, put the heat on low.
Remove the salmon from the oven and place the fillets directly in the skillet. Let them continue to cook in the heat of the pan for about 2 minutes, then turn off the heat.
Top the salmon with coconut milk, cilantro, scallions and chili oil if you’d like, and serve family style with rice or grains.
Looking for other easy dinners?
Here are a few other ideas from the blog:
And that’s it for this habanero cashew salmon recipe!
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3
Habanero Cashew Salmon
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh salmon
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 1/2 small yellow onion
- 2-3 small habanero peppers seeded, subtract one if you don't like spice, add one if you do!
- 1 small 1" knob of ginger
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 lime for juicing
- 2 tbsp honey or maple syrup if you are plant-based
- 1 tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
- 1/2 cup water plus more as needed
- 1/2 cup plant-based milk or milk of choice
Optional toppings:
- 1 handful cilantro leaves
- 3 scallions thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp coconut milk
- 1 tsp chile de arbol oil
Instructions
- Add the 1/2 cup of cashews to a small bowl and pour over the 2 cups of boiling water. Let this sit while you prepare all the other ingredients.
- Set the oven to 450F.
- Portion the salmon into 4 fillets, season with salt and pepper and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Set them aside.
- Chop up the bell pepper, onion and habaneros into big pieces. Make sure to remove all the seeds from the peppers.
- Add the bell pepper, onion, habaneros, garlic and ginger to a blender. Add in the juice from one whole lime, the honey and the pinch of salt.
- Strain out the water the cashews were soaking in, and add the cashews to the blender. Add a fresh 1/2 cup of water and blend until smooth. This will take about 2-4 minutes.
- The mixture should be thin, but not too thin. Add water as needed to thin it out.
- Put the salmon in the oven and set a timer for 11 minutes. You want the salmon golden on top but still rare in the middle.
- Put a skillet on medium heat and add in the habanero sauce. Let it simmer slightly, cooking off the flavor of the raw onion and garlic. Stir occasionally and let it cook for about 4-5 minutes.
- Add the plant-based milk to the habanero sauce and continue to stir. When the sauce is very creamy, put the heat on low.
- Remove the salmon from the oven and place the fillets directly in the skillet. Let them continue to cook in the heat of the pan for about 2 minutes, then turn off the heat.
- Top the salmon with coconut milk, cilantro, scallions and chili oil if you'd like, and serve family style with rice or grains.
This feels like maybe a potentially silly question but would this go well with cod instead of salmon? Or in the alternative, what other fish do you think works well with this sauce?
Not silly at all! I love the idea of cod with this, although instead of baking it, I’d recommend poaching it in the sauce since it’s a more tender fish 🙂 other fish options I like are swordfish, tilapia and scallops!
Thanks for the quick reply!
I’m going to try this with chicken tomorrow. Would love to do it with fish but my hubs won’t eat any fish. But the sauce sounds amazing. But I’m definitely going to make the salmon version for my parents. I love your TikTok’s. thanks for sharing a passion for food with me that many don’t understand.
How would you recommend preparing the tofu for this if substituting it in for the salmon?
I like the method of pressing it and pan searing it (I have a full tutorial on my YouTube), but you can also cut it into sliced and bake at 425F for around 20 minutes or until slightly golden 🙂
Thank you!! I made the salmon for myself and the tofu (pan seared) for a vegetarian friend and it was absolutely delicious!! Used the rest of the habanero cashew sauce the next day on some pasta. Thanks again for the recipe 🙂
I made this with firm tofu and cooked it into the sauce and, although I’ve never used habaneros in cooking before, I loved it! I wish I had some fresh herbs because that would’ve really made it. Only thing I will say is that I was expecting spicy… but not this spicy!
It definitely packs some heat! If you have any leftovers you can add more honey and milk to hopefully dilute it a bit!
My family can’t handle the extreme spicy 🌶 food. What is the good replacement for habanero pepper. We like such kick though.