Easy Paleo Dinners: Salmon, Coconut Prawns, Chicken Salad and an Egg Scramble

Four easy paleo dinners, each ready in about half an hour: baked salmon with lemon, garlic and dill; coconut-crusted prawns fried in coconut oil; a chicken salad bound with avocado mayo; and an egg scramble with capsicum and zucchini for the nights you want dinner in ten minutes. None uses grains, dairy, legumes or refined sugar, and every ingredient is something a supermarket carries.

These four used to be separate pages on this site. They are collected here so you can pick one by what is in the fridge.

Recipe	Time	Serves	Main ingredient
Baked salmon with lemon and dill	25 minutes	4	Salmon fillets
Coconut prawns	25 minutes	4	Large raw prawns
Paleo chicken salad	15 minutes	4	Cooked chicken
Vegetable egg scramble	10 minutes	2	Eggs

Baked Salmon with Lemon, Garlic and Dill

The simplest of the four. A lemon, garlic and dill dressing brushed over the fillets, then into the oven.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 4 salmon fillets, about 170 g (6 oz) each
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp fresh dill, chopped
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Heat the oven to 190°C (375°F) and line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, dill, salt and pepper together in a small bowl.
3. Lay the fillets on the tray and brush them all over with the dressing.
4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the salmon flakes easily with a fork. A thermometer in the thickest part should read 63°C (145°F).

Thinner fillets and tail pieces cook faster, so start checking at 12 minutes. Skin-on fillets go skin side down.

Coconut Prawns

The crumb is almond flour and shredded coconut, so it browns like a breadcrumb coating without any wheat.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 450 g (1 lb) large raw prawns, peeled and deveined, tails left on
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Coconut oil for shallow frying

Method

1. Mix the almond flour, shredded coconut, garlic powder, paprika and salt in a shallow bowl.
2. Set out three bowls in a row: coconut flour, beaten egg, then the almond and coconut mix.
3. Pat the prawns dry. Coat each one in coconut flour, dip it in egg, then press it into the coconut mix.
4. Heat about 1 cm of coconut oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry the prawns in batches for 2 to 3 minutes a side, until the coating is golden and the prawns are pink and opaque all the way through.
5. Drain on paper towel and serve straight away.

Shredded coconut catches quickly, so keep the heat at medium and do not crowd the pan.

Paleo Chicken Salad

A good use for leftover roast chicken or a supermarket barbecue chicken. It keeps in the fridge, so it doubles as tomorrow’s lunch.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
• 1/2 cup avocado oil mayonnaise or homemade mayonnaise
• 1 stick celery, diced
• 1/4 red onion, diced
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup red grapes, quartered
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• Salt and pepper
• 1 avocado, diced (optional)

Method

1. Put the chicken, celery, red onion, walnuts and grapes in a large bowl.
2. Stir through the mayonnaise and lemon juice until everything is coated.
3. Season with salt and pepper. Fold in the avocado last, if using, so it holds its shape.
4. Serve chilled or at room temperature, in lettuce cups or on its own.

Check the label on bought mayonnaise. Many use canola or soybean oil and some add sugar, which most paleo eaters avoid.

Vegetable Egg Scramble

Written as a breakfast, and just as useful as a ten-minute dinner when nothing else is in the fridge.

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 red capsicum, diced
• 1/2 yellow capsicum, diced
• 1 small zucchini, diced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Heat the coconut oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
2. Add the onion and cook for about 3 minutes, until soft and translucent.
3. Add the capsicum and zucchini and cook for another 5 minutes, until tender.
4. Whisk the eggs, pour them over the vegetables and stir often until the eggs are set all the way through. Season and serve.

Leftover roast vegetables work in place of the capsicum and zucchini. Add them with the eggs, since they only need warming.

What makes a dinner paleo?

Paleo cooking leaves out grains, legumes, dairy and refined sugar, and builds meals from meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds. That is why these recipes use almond and coconut flour instead of wheat, coconut oil and olive oil instead of butter, and mayonnaise made with avocado oil. Some paleo eaters use honey or maple syrup in small amounts; none of these four needs either.

Can I make these ahead?

The chicken salad is the best one to make ahead: it keeps in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days, with the avocado added on the day. The salmon can be baked ahead and eaten cold within 3 days. The coconut prawns and the egg scramble are best eaten straight away, since the coating goes soft and the eggs turn rubbery when reheated.

Can I use frozen prawns or frozen salmon?

Yes. Thaw them overnight in the fridge, or in a sealed bag under cold running water, then pat them completely dry. Prawns that are still wet will not hold the coconut coating, and wet salmon steams rather than bakes.

What can I serve with these?

Any of the sides in our squash and sweet potato sides go with the salmon and the prawns. A green salad or cauliflower rice keeps the whole plate paleo.

More paleo recipes

For more, see our paleo beef and broccoli, zucchini noodles with meat sauce and paleo banana bread.