Thai coconut shrimp curry. An amazingly quick and easy curry filled with plump shrimp and juicy bell pepper. The coconut sauce is ultra creamy, slightly spicy and can’t-stop-eating-delicious. Turn the spice level up or down, serve over rice, then top with lots of herbs and a splash of lime juice. Super satisfying any night of the week. You’ll love it!
Why you’ll love this Thai coconut shrimp curry recipe
A simple Thai-inspired curry with easy to find ingredients, loaded with shrimp and a variety of toppings. It’s full of warm spices, fresh herbs and is oh-so comforting. You can adapt this curry depending on which veggies you have on hand, my current favorite is bell pepper, but you can try adding zucchini or crisp baby bok choy.
This is a super flavorful one-skillet, fast weeknight-worthy dinner, but it’s also fancy enough to serve on a dinner party. Plus, it’s super easy to make.
How to make Thai coconut shrimp
And this is how we do it. We sear the shrimp, add bell pepper and coconut milk for a dish that rivals your favorite takeout in next to no time. We bump up the flavor of store-bought red curry paste with garlic, shallot and freshly grated ginger. Before adding the coconut milk, we brown the curry paste paired with some aromatics like brown sugar, soy and fish sauce to develop an even richer flavor. When it bubbles, the smell is outrageous!
With all the aromatics from the above, we just need a little hit of flavor from turmeric, cumin and coriander to finish off our quick coconut sauce. At the very end, we add a big burst of freshness with lime juice, a handful of thai basil and cilantro to balance the richness of the coconut milk. It just makes all the difference, and is a must.
Let me guide you through the recipe with thisstep-by-step VIDEO.
Helpful tips
This coconut curry shrimp lends itself to all sorts of variations. So many possibilities!
- Try adding other vegetables like zucchini, broccoli, spinach, crisp baby bok choy, green bell pepper, cabbage, sugar snaps, green beans,…
- Make it milder or spicier with sriracha, sambal oelek or fresh chili peppers.
- Try to look for a mild red curry paste.
- Pair with a crunchy cucumber salad, so delicious and refreshing.
- Serve over steamed rice, cauliflower rice or noodles.
- For toppings, you can use fried onions, cilantro, basil, mint, lime zest, beansprouts, fresh chili pepper,…
Storing tips
- Fridge: Store the leftovers refrigerated in airtight containers for up to 2 days.
- Freezer: Transfer the leftovers to airtight containers and freeze for up to 3 months.
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Thai Coconut Shrimp Curry
Ingredients
Shrimp
- 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 tsp low sodium soy sauce
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp white pepper
Coconut Curry
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 bell pepper sliced
- 4 garlic cloves grated
- 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- ½ cup chicken or vegetable broth
- 3 tbsp mild red curry paste
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 can (14 oz/400 ml) unsweetened coconut milk full fat
- ½ lime juiced
- 1 tsp sriracha optional
- 1 handful of torn thai basil
Toppings
- scallions
- fried onions
- cilantro
- chili pepper
Instructions
- Get all the prep done before you start cooking. Add shrimp, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, turmeric, garlic powder and white pepper to a bowl. Stir to combine, set aside.
- Grate the ginger and garlic cloves. Finely chop the shallot and slice the bell pepper.
- Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over high. Place shrimp in a single layer. Sear, 1 minute per side. Remove from skillet.
- In the same skillet, add bell pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes, or until it starts to soften. Add garlic, ginger and shallot. Cook until soft and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Deglaze with chicken broth, simmer for 2 minutes while stirring and scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon.
- Stir in red curry paste. Add brown sugar, turmeric, cumin, coriander, white pepper, soy and fish sauce. Cook for 1 minute, stir frequently. Pour in coconut milk and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce starts to thicken.
- Add lime juice, sriracha and Thai basil. Stir to combine. Toss in shrimp, simmer for no longer than 1 minute. Top with cilantro leaves, fried onions and chili pepper. Serve with a crunchy cucumber salad and steamed rice. Enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
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I made this for dinner last night, not being one to make much Thai or Asian food regularly. This was not difficult, although there are several steps and quite a few ingredients. The flavor is excellent, and it has just the right amount of heat, even with the sriacha. I would not change a thing.
The prep work consumed about half of the hour it took me to prepare this. I served it over white rice.
It makes me so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe Paul! Thank you for making it!
Tastes like an Asian risotto when served over rice. The flavor medley is just awesome with perfect heat, saltiness, subtle sweetness, and complexity.
Thank you so much for the feedback Marie! I appreciate it!
We love this recipe because it is so flavorful! It’s also ver easy to make and has a lot of healthy ingredients like fresh ginger, turmeric.
Hey Dayna! Thank you so much! Love to hear that you’re enjoying this recipe 🙂
I did “Test Kitchen” tonight with this recipe, my first ever curry. My wife and neighbor (we cook for each other weekly) are not fans of curries. This was the best I’ve ever had anywhere. Wife and neighbor loved it. Wife said it was restaurant quality. Like a nice restaurant.
Absolutely a fireworks display of flavors. I’ve never loved a test kitchen night this much. I am so happy.
Truly incredible!
Thank you sooo much Jeff! Love to hear that you all enjoyed this recipe!
My entire family (kids ages 13-6) all loved it. Nothing short of a miracle.
Amazing!! So glad to hear that this dish turned out well for all of you, thanks for making it and your feedback!
I have always be a little reticent about making Thai type dishes although I love them. This was amazing! I will make it again and again. Thank you for the recipe!!
Thank you Robin! You’re welcome!
I added curry to the recipe. I was low on coconut milk so I ualso added 1/2 cup plain yogurt. Followed you suggestion and added chopped fresh spinach along w cilantro. This is a very tasty and satisfying dish
Thank you Sarah! I’m so happy you enjoyed t!
Fixed this amazing dish thinking there would be left overs, 24 super jumbo shrimp….three people polished this tasty dish and licked the bowls dry. Amazing flavors, perfect balance of hot and spice. LOVE your recipes! Complete fan!
Yay!! Thanks Sandy! You made my day!
While the prep work does take a fair amount of time, there is nothing difficult about this recipe. I was completely blown away by how good it is. It is a definite keeper!
Thank you so much! Always love to hear when a recipe is enjoyed!
I have made this several times and it is truly delicious. You can make it as spicy as you like and I use different colored peppers.
Thank you so much Martina! I’m so happy to hear that!
This was delicious!
It makes so happy to hear that Kayleigh!
Absolutely loved this recipe! The recipe itself is simple and easy to follow while the flavors were strong/developed. I sub’d orange/red bell pepper for a green bell pepper just due to convenience, but otherwise followed to the “T”! Will make again, thank you!
Thank you SO much for trying out this recipe! Love to hear that you enjoyed it! 🙂
We read the writer’s notes and did ALL the prep work before we started to cook. The cooking moves along quick once you start so no time to stop and measure, etc. Everyone around our table LOVED this dish!! Be sure to cook extra rice since there is lots of saucy goodness! I added thinly sliced carrots and bite size broccoli and it was a hit! We also made the cucumber salad and added slices of Roma tomatoes. It was so good! Will be making this again!!
Thank you so much Samantha! Always love to hear when a recipe is enjoyed! x
I was eager to try this dish. Followed recipe. The dish was okay. A little watery and not as creamy as I anticipated. Flavor was okay.
Thank you so much for your comment and giving this recipe a try!
5 star! So flavorful and pleasing to the palette. Whole family enjoyed each bite.
I’m thrilled this recipe was a hit!! 😀 Thanks for your review, Jen!!
Sometimes these recipes are too coconut-y for me, but this one was great. I didn’t add sriracha because I thought it had enough flavor on its own. I did simmer the broth for a while waiting for my rice to finish. Thanks!
Hi Karynne, it makes me so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for making it!
Terry
Very good. Putsey to prep but comes together fast. Spice level perfect for me, hubby adds chili oil to his. Used probably 2 C of shrimp stock instead of chicken broth, so needed a little corn starch to thicken.
Used cabbage for more volume. Finished with cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
Hi Terry, sounds amazing. I’m so happy you both enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for making it!
I am 9 months pregnant and was craving thai food. Normally I would get take out but decided to try this recipe and omg it did not dissapoint. Full of flavor, nourishing, delicious. I made some gummy eggs and added one and served it all over rice ramen.
Hi Amy! I’m so glad it was a hit! Congratulations on your pregnancy! x
I absolutely loved this recipe. Quite possibly my the best red curry recipe I have ever tried. Was spicy enough without the sriracha (for me), and even fried up some onions for the topping- that kicked up a notch. So good!
That makes me so happy Laura!
This dish was to die for. As usual with Anna’s recipes, the prep work was work every chop, slice, and measure. My husband could not stop eating it and I was right behind him. I followed the recipe exactly as written down to the garnish suggestions. I always find that these recipes are tried and tested so I don’t mess with the measures and they always turn out for me. Such a tasty dish with such a true Thai flavour explosion. Thumbs up for this one! Will definitely be adding this to my favourites list. Thank you.
Thank you Tia! You’re welcome, it makes me so happy to hear you’re enjoying the recipes!
This is a great recipe, although I’ve never seen “mild red curry paste” and so the curry I made was definitely not kid friendly. Good thing my fridge is jammed with stuff for my kiddo! Definitely will make again. I even added another can of coconut milk and it is still pretty darn spicy!
Thank you so much for your comment Jess!
Can you make ahead of time.?
Hi Cathy, you can make the sauce beforehand. When ready to serve, just sear the shrimp separate while warming up the sauce. Enjoy the recipe!
Made this a couple of nights ago and it was/is delicious! ( have to dial back the Thai chili paste next time: I loved it but too much for one: she actually had coffee ice cream immediately after to cool palate!😉). Definitely a keeper !!
Yay! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for making it!
Hi, is there a different kind of curry (powder, etc.) I can sub with if I can’t find the curry paste?
Hi, you can use curry powder, Thai red curry powder, Garam Masala (This is another spice blend used in Indian cuisine, not a direct substitute, but can add depth and warmth). A mix of cumin + turmeric + coriander + ginger powder. Happy cooking!
I loved this recipe using red curry paste! Do you have suggestions or modifications for using green curry paste just for a change of pace?
Thanks for this delicious recipe!
Hi Louis, so glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for trying it! Absolutely, switching things up with green curry paste can be a delightful change of pace. As green curry tends to be spicier, you might want to start with a little less than the amount of red curry paste. You can always add more to adjust to your preferred level of spiciness. Anna
We had this for dinner last night and really enjoyed it. The flavors were wonderful. I will definitely make this again.
Thank you Julie! It makes me so happy to hear that!
OMG—This may just be the best dinner I’ve ever made! Didn’t have bell pepper so put in yellow squash. Also used yellow curry paste instead since that’s all I had. Thank you for a great recipe!!
You’re welcome Denise!So happy you enjoyed!
It’s was fun to make and we added tofu, lime zest, and extra bell peppers.. sautéed onions with bell peppers. I’ll make this again, but probably use less red curry paste, no red pepper, and more coconut milk to our liking. Husband couldn’t finish it and I sweated threw it lol . Otherwise a good recipe. Any other suggestions to make it a little less spicy?
Hi Bonnie, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, you could try another red curry paste that’s a bit less spicy. Happy cooking!
This was fantastic! I also added broccoli & baby corn. I sampled as I was cooking fully expecting to add more soy sauce or sriracha or turmeric but nope —it was already perfect! It took about 30 mins to make and there was a fair bit of cleanup afterwards but it was totally worth it!
Hi! Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know how it turned out for you. I love this dish and could eat it once a week! Have a great weekend!
That was delicious! We added some broccoli. Super tasty!
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it, Reiner! I love adding broccoli to this curry too!
I don’t see cumin and coriander in the ingredient list, but you have to add it to the curry in the recipe. What are the measurements for those ingredients?
Hi Kara, they are listed in the coconut curry section, underneath brown sugar, turmeric, …
Enjoy the recipe!