This tasty shrimp curry is blanketed in the most luscious coconut red curry sauce and full of so much flavor! It’s quick, easy, and crazy delicious!
This sassy shrimp curry cooks up super fast but magically tastes like it’s slow simmered for hours.
And the leftovers? OH.MY.GOSH. If you manage to squirrel a little away for the next day you’re in for a treat! It’s fantastic the first day and equally awesome the next.
I kept thing simple with the veggies this time around but we make this curry so often that I will toss in pretty much anything I have on hand.
I’ve added broccoli, cauliflower, peas, and zucchini along with the peppers and onion and have loved it every which way.
side dishes for shrimp curry
When it comes to curry, my side dish game is always the same. I either serve it up on a fluffy bed of jasmine or basmati rice or scoop it up with some warm and toasty naan bread. Or both!
You can choose your favorite long grain rice or choose a low carb option like cauliflower rice as your side. Fluffy quinoa or tender rice noodles would also work great too!
Another tasty option would be to cool things down with a fresh cucumber salad. Yum!
Easy Thai Coconut Shrimp Curry
Ready to faceplant? Let’s get our recipe on!
Easy Thai Coconut Shrimp Curry
Ingredients
- 1 pound raw shrimp, cleaned and prepped (thaw if frozen)
- 1-2 TBSP avocado oil or olive oil
- 1 white onion
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1-2 large jalapeño
- 3 TBSP red curry paste
- 1.5 TBSP fish sauce
- 2 TBSP brown sugar
- 14 oz canned unsweetened coconut milk
- 1.5 TBSP cornstarch dissolved in 1.5 TBSP cold water
- 2-3 TBSP fresh chopped Thai basil for topping
- lime wedges for serving
- crushed red pepper flakes (optional extra for a spicier curry) season to taste
Instructions
- Prep shrimp as needed. Should be peeled, cleaned, and thawed if frozen. I used extra-large shrimp but medium and large work great too.
- Dice onion, cut bell pepper into thin strips and chop, and mince or slice your jalapeno. For a spicier curry, include the jalapeño seeds and use two jalapeños. For a more mild curry remove the seeds and only use one jalapeno or skip entirely.
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large pan. Add onion, jalapeno, and bell pepper and cook until softened, approx 4-5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer veggies to a bowl and set aside.
- Over medium heat, add the coconut milk, red curry paste, fish sauce, and brown sugar. Whisk together and bring to a gentle boil. In a small bowl, add 1.5 TBSP cornstarch to 1.5 TBSP cold water and whisk to dissolve. Add to sauce and simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally. Approx 5 minutes.
- Pat shrimp dry and add to the sauce along with your cooked veggies. For more al dente vegetables, you can add them at the end if you prefer. Allow curry to simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until shrimp are cooked through and opaque.
- At this point you can taste-test the curry and decide if you'd like more heat (cayenne or red pepper flakes may be added to amp up the spiciness) or extra of any of the ingredients. Sometimes I'll stir in extra red curry paste or add a teeny pinch of salt, to taste.
- Top with Thai basil. Serve with jasmine rice or basmati rice or see blog post for more tasty serving suggestions!
Notes
Nutrition
If you get a chance to try this scrumptious shrimp curry, let me know!
Leave some love in the comment form below or tag your photos with @peasandcrayons on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creation. I can’t wait to see what you whip up!
looking for more Thai inspired recipes?
One of my all-time most popular recipes is this Thai Salad with Carrot and Cucumber Noodles. It’s studded with cilantro, chickpeas, and the most amazing sweet and sour dressing!
Because I’m clearly obsessed with Thai salads, I also make a mean Thai Chopped Salad with lemongrass ginger shrimp.
On the soup front, I whipped up the most amazing Red Lentil Curry Soup featuring a spicy kick from Thai red curry paste and chili garlic sauce.
I’ve also been working hard at perfecting my Drunken Noodles recipe and *cannot* wait to share it on here very soon – stay tuned!
Questions & Reviews
Was made for me and so delicious – no negative thoughts.
I followed the recipe exactly the first time but thought the shrimp were too bland and didn’t like the texture. The second time, I sautéed the shrimp in oil with salt and pepper and lime juice and then added them to the sauce. We liked it much better this time. We love the sauce and the ease of this recipe.
I make it always. Very easy and delicious.
So honored you’ve been making my recipe on repeat! Thank you Muriel!
My new favorite❤️
Ahh yay! Thanks Kelly!
Love the texture and colors.. looks delicious… definitely a try.
Amazingly flavorful and easy to make. This will be a family dinner special. The jasmine rice and cucumber salad completes the meal.
I’ve made this several times…and it has evolved over time as my little tweeks have been added:
– I keep a stock of red Thai peppers in the freezer (they freeze well for up to a year) so I thaw and finely chop 2 or 3 when I make this rather than the dried pepper flakes,
– I add lime juice to the sauce…it adds a tang I like,
– I toss in chopped cilantro once the shrimp are cooked
Having had a similar dish in Bangkok I find these changes give the piquant, citrus freshness that makes Thai food so refreshing and appealing.
I serve it with Major Grey chutney and chunks of fresh mango and pineapple (perfect to quel the heat if it’s to far up the spice scale).
This is by far the easiest and best Thai curry recipe I’ve ever used. Everyone I’ve made it for loves it. Thanks for a keeper!
Absolutely delicious 😋!!
Yay! Thanks Sandra!
This came together quickly for a weeknight dinner. My family loved it and requested it again! It was a bit spicy for me. I omitted the jalapeño and will use less red curry paste next time.
Excellent recipe, super easy to make.. I added a few more veggies. Will make this again and again!
Woot! Super stoked to hear it! Thanks Valerie!
Deliciousness!! Will be the best to describe this dish. Love the recipe, we were very impress with the flavor and how easy it was to complete the dish. We added frozen stir fry combo veggies, delicious!!
Thank you for the recipe.
Easy, flavourful dish! It’s a staple in our household.
Made this today, easy and so delicious.
Thank you !
Happy to hear you enjoyed the curry recipe, Anne! Thanks! 😃
Loved the soup so easy to make.however did not use corn starch the coconut milk was thick enough
I’m rating this recipe as is. I’m not reading my own recipe on someone else’s page. I consider myself a great chef, and can make decent Thai food. This is my first time making coconut curry anything. But, I cooked it per the instructions. So easy! I didn’t stray from anything. First time making coconut curry anything this became one of our top five favorite dishes immediately. I agree, I would like more peppers in it for texture. but that is a matter of preference. But the amount of curry paste was just enough and didn’t have to cook the curry paste first. Fantastic recipe! And so easy even a beginner chef can do this one.
Thank you Robin! I’m thrilled you enjoyed the curry recipe and so appreciate your kind review!
It is an okay recipe. Can use as a guide. Needs more pepper. I used a bhut jolokia to get some heat.
As others have stated. Need to cook the curry paste before adding coconut milk. NO need for sugar or starch. Add 3-4 minced garlic and same amount of grated ginger.
This recipe is a perfect side dish for Thai Coconut Shrimp, This acidic salad pairs great with the sweet main dish
Made this recipe for the first time….we love Thai curry foods. Followed recipe as is except added brócoli & cauliflower. I found it a bit sweet, I didn’t have unsweetened coconut milk, so didn’t add the sugar, but my husband totally loved it. Will definitely make it again.
Hi Frankie! So glad y’all tried it and I love the added broccoli and cauliflower! The sweetness of your coconut milk is what made it sweet (original/regular coconut milk has around 7g sugar if not more) so using unsweetened next time will be the way to go.
I tried this recipe and LOVED it. It was mt 1st try with Thai and it turned out great, very authentic flavors. Pairs terrific with cucumber Thai salad. The acidic salad with the sweet Thai shrimp is a hit with my book club who never tried anything Thai.
Thank you so much! Love that you paired it with a thai cucumber salad — such a perfectly medley of flavors! xoxo
Fabulous!! Quick, easy, and extremely tasty. I loved how customizable it was. Thank you.
Woot woot! Stoked to hear it!
I added a few more vegetables based on other reader’s recommendations (zucchini, mushrooms and peas) and it was fabulous! Super creamy sauce and excellent heat – I’ll be making it again soon for guests this time. Thanks!
no need for cornstarch, coconut milk will thicken on its own when cooked.
and you have to saute the red curry paste first before adding the coconut milk.
Great recipe! I’ve made it a few times now and its definitely easy and delicious… I will say that I’ve got a stomach condition that doesn’t allow me to eat seeds so I had to leave out jalapeños but I added some chillie paste to compensate and it was amazing. Also pairs well with chicken!
I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying the recipe Dylan! xo
Loved the recipe will make it again
I’m so thrilled you enjoyed it, Lynne! Thanks!
My gut senses told me this recipe would not be good, and I should have listened. There are several basic mistakes in this recipe that make it a disaster. There are so many great Thai curry recipes out there, and if you read through a few you’ll notice odd things omitted or added to this recipe that don’t make sense. If you are going to use this recipe follow these tips unless you want you thai curry to be a sticky porridge: 1) add the curry paste on medium to hot heat BEFORE the the coconut milk and other wet ingredients so it can cook for a least 2 minutes and dry out, 2) DO NOT add corn starch for the love of good food. Coconut milk will thicken on its own in a beautiful way without corn starch (add it and you’ll have to chew your sauce), 3) try to find a red thai chile pepper to replace the jalapeno for complimentary tastes, 4) DO NOT add brown sugar, as there is absolutely no reason to do this, 5) add garlic and ginger with the onion unless you’ve made your own homemade paste, 6) add more veggies than a single pepper. So pretty much look at any other recipe unless you want to find out how not to make a thai curry.
My mom taught me if I had nothing nice to say…..
also like MANY others here I thought this recipe was AMAZING.
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe, Brenda! Thanks! xoxo
Smelled so delish I couldn’t wait to try a bite before it cooled down. I burned my tongue, and still took a few more bites after that. Wish I doubled the recipe!
I generously salted the vegetables and added ginger, broccoli, lime, cilantro, and a little soy sauce.
Best recipe ever
So I want to try this it’s my boyfriends birthday today what can I add instead of the spicy ingredients cause he can’t have anything spicy he’s got stomach problems. Thaaaanks
Hi Margie! Omit the jalapeno pepper and red pepper flakes. Start with 1 TBSP red curry paste and then add extra to taste so that it isn’t too spicy. The Thai brand I use isn’t very spicy but there are some varieties that are very hot so I would be careful there and taste test ahead of time as curry in general is a spiced dish and has a bit of heat for some while others are not bothered by it. I also have some very mild shrimp recipes that are not spicy at all if you think that would be a safer bet for him! Just LMK xo
what wine would you have this meal
Hey Charles! I’d choose a dry riesling or maybe a chardonnay personally (I love white wines) but I think there are a number wines that pair excellent with shrimp curry!
I made this last week and my boyfriend said it was top five dishes I’ve made of all time! I cook a lot, so that means something. I used lite coconut milk and added a bit of sesame oil for some fat (since the coconut milk was missing it), and I also used a mix of green and red curry pastes since I only had 1 tbsp of red left. Otherwise, I followed the recipe. My boyfriend ate at least 2 servings, so we didn’t end up with much leftover, so I’m going to make it again this week with chicken. I’ve made other Thai curries before – sometimes the sauce doesn’t thicken up as much as I like, but that’s not the case here. The sauce is flavorful and consistency was great. Thanks for the recipe!
I just made this and it was absolutely amazing! Thank you!!! I added sweet peas, mushrooms, and liquid aminos as well. Veggie egg rolls for a side. My kids can’t get enough. Definitely a weekly rotation!
Also, I didn’t have brown sugar so I omitted and step 4, I didn’t do separate yet added all in pan with veggies and stirred it up. Soooooo good! Thanks again!
My first ti dish! It was excellent
This curry was so delicious and easy to make! Idon’t life things that are too spicy but this was sweet and yummy. I substituted an Anaheim pepper instead of a jalapeño but I think next time I will kick it up a bit and add some more spice and some peas. I paired it with broccolini. Fabulous dinner. Thank you.
Absolutely delicious!!! I don’t normally leave reviews for anything but this was so good I couldn’t resist. My husband LOVED it and requests for it to be added to our rotation. I know my red curry paste (which I used before) was on the spicier side so I just did 1.5 tsp instead of 3 tbsp. It was the perfect amount of kick. Once again, I only adjusted the recipe because of the brand of red curry paste I used. Perfect and delicious recipe. 5 STARS!
I’m so honored you popped back over for a recipe review – thank you Courtney!!
Easy and super yummy!
Super yummy! Making it for guest tonight, can I make the curry in the morning then leave it till later and do the shrimp before serving?
Hey Jane! Yes absolutely! Just pop it in the fridge for later and cook the shrimp while you’re reheating the curry. I often make enough of it for leftovers because I like it the next day too!
This is an amazing recipe, it is super easy and delicious!!!! THANK YOU FOR SHARING
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Rafaela! Thank you!
Very easy prep and quick to cook but very spicy! 3 tablespoons of curry is quite a bit. I like heat but it was overwhelming. Had to cut way down and start again.
Hi Tracy! It will vary as we all have different tastes. It also depends on the brand you use as some are really spicy while others are mostly mild but flavorful. What brand of red curry paste do you typically buy so I can make note of it? I use Thai Kitchen Red Curry paste and sometimes end up adding an extra spoonful to mine because I like the extra punch of flavor since we serve our curry over rice or rice noodles so the bland grains benefit from the extra flavor boost from the sauce.
This was really good. The only changes I made was the coconut milk because the only one I could find was sweetened and I added garlic. It was really good and flavorful. I will for sure make again.
So glad you enjoyed it, Kim! Thanks!
Great recipe! I used 1.5 pounds of shrimp, skipped the sugar, and added some boiled, cubed potatoes and peas to extend the number of servings. Delicious!
Love your addition of potatoes and peas — for sure trying that! Thanks Kristen!
Terrific recipe!!! Served it over zucchini to cut the carbs and 100 percent would make again. The perfect amount of spice!!
Thanks Shay! xo
Amazing didn’t know what to expect but It was amazing
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Elaina!
Fantastically delicious and easy! I have made many complicated Thai shrimp curry dishes in the past and this beats them all hands-down. Added extra veg as suggested, yummm!
I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the shrimp curry, Karen! Thank you!
Love it!
This was fantastic!! I had hot green curry paste on hand so I used that. What a great meal! Thanks for posting this.
Woooooot! So stoked it worked with green curry paste (I cannot wait to try that out) and I’m glad the recipe was a hit! xoxo
I made this tonight!! It was amazing. And hit the spot As I was craving curry. Only took about 25 minutes and I’ll be making often. My kind of dish.
I rarely leave reviews on recipes because I usually just use them as a starting point and make a lot of changes. Having never eaten, let alone, made Thai Curry Shrimp before and the ingredients sounded so delightful I made this pretty much as stated. It was amazing and to quote my husband, “phenomenal!”. I did reduce the sugar by half (we like spicy over sweet) and couldn’t find Thai Basil, but otherwise it was made as written. Will reduce the sugar further next time and will spice it up some more, but we thank you for this awesome recipe!!
Great recipe! Easy to make packed with so much flavor!
Super yummy and easy to make! It was fun to try something new in our menu line up!
This recipe calls for some ingrdients that might not be a staple in everyone’s pantry. Try to be more specific of the time it takes to SHOP for fish sauce.
15 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of cooking time is not the case.
It takes time to scour the internet for substitutions for some of the ingredients.
Pretty much every chain grocery store has fish sauce. It’s in the Asian food aisle. It’s also completely skippable in curry so you didn’t need to search for a sub.
Very good recipe. Next time, I’ll use two jalapeños for more heat as we like spicy in our house.
More jalapeños are always a hit here too! I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Julie!
My first Thai curry, it turned out amazing!! I wasn’t sure about the lime so I juiced it and add it at the end, it worked great. Thank you for this simple and wonderful receipt!
Yay!!! So happy to hear it Vera!
This was a huge hit at my party. Thank you for a great recipe. Your blog rocks!
Thank you Ramya! I’m soiled you enjoyed it as well as your guests! xoxo
Made for a test run. Definitely making this to deliver to some friends.
SO SO happy to hear it, Rebecca! Thank you!
Awesome thanks for sharing
You’re super welcome! xo
Fantastic recipe !!!! Made this with tilapia yesterday and had leftovers today. I wouldn’t change anything except try different proteins and will be making this again with lamb.
Great recipe ..
Thank you
Made this tonight and it was delicious! We bumped up the red curry paste and the fish sauce as suggested. Also used a couple of unseeded Fresno peppers. We like heat. Added a pinch of brown sugar and some sugar snap peas to bump up the veg. I might suggest cooking the shrimp with the veg: Because of the color of the curry sauce, it is easy to undercook or overcook the shrimp. Our shrimp gave off no water, so we may rethink the corn starch slurry.
I just made it. I added mushrooms and rice. Delicious delicious delicious…
Mushrooms and rice sound like the perfect pairing! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Amagi! Thanks!
This was soooo good and so easy to make! I added carrots at the beginning and broccoli with the shrimp to get my veggie fix. Thanks for sharing!
It was amazing!
Thanks Donna!
This was our first curry to make at home and it was absolutely delicious!!!! I wanted to thank you especially for making it to where when we print we can add how many servings we need! That is so very helpful!!! At Christmas we always pick a different ethnic group (or however you say it) for our meals. We dont want the same thing for Thanksgiving and Christmas. We have done german, chinese, and thai this time. Next year is Greek! I can also make this Low Carb for this year! Thank you so much!!!!
This was easy to make and delicious! I used double the amount of peppers and also added zucchini. My family loved it! ❤
I stumbled upon this easy recipe originally looking for a Thai soup to use up some garden veggies and herbs. Instead of using Thai Basil, Insubstituted lemongrass, cilantro, and African basil . This was better than most creamy coconut shrimp recipes I have had in restaurants and it was so fast and easy! Thankyou!
Have made this twice now. SO SO SO good!!
Against my better judgment, I added the shrimp last. Big mistake. I should have cooked the shrimp first. There’s a weird taste to it, either from the packaging or ocean-like unpleasant taste. Next time I will follow my gut. Otherwise this would have been delicious.
Hi Arienfire! It sounds like it may have been the shrimp? Were they cleaned (rinse/dried etc…) and have you used that type of shrimp before? They should 100% not have had an ocean-like flavor, I totally agree! Happy to help troubleshoot if you need me! xoxo
Very simple but incredibly tasty
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Steve!
Restaurant quality delicious! It was a hair spicy for ya, but otherwise a great dish with lots of flavor.
*us (not ya)!
I’m so glad y’all enjoyed the recipe, Jane! If you’d like to reduce the heat/spice next time you can either reduce or skip the crushed red pepper flakes and jalapeño. xo
This was so delicious and easy. We had unexpected company arrive for dinner and it was a hit with everyone. I didn’t even have time to take a photo before as it was gone. I will definitely be making this again!!
Ahhh yay! So happy to hear it, Laurey!
I was looking for a Thai shrimp curry recipe and came across yours. I made it and it was great! Thanks so much. Looking now at your web site I’m hungry all over again 🙂 You obviously enjoy not just good, but very colourful dishes.
Thank you Richard! I can’t wait to hear what you try next!
Tried a Thai curry for the fuest time using your recipe and we loved it!
Yay! Thank you, Sherine!
I made this tonight and it was a hit. Both my kids loved it as well, this includes my picky 11 year old. Wouldn’t change a thing. So delicious and will be making this again soon.
That was so easy and absolutely amazing! What a great find! Thanks
I wish i had a picture to share, but seriously it looks like the posted recipe picture. We’ve cooked this probably 5 times this month and had friends over every weekend for the past four weeks and EVERYONE loved this dish. So easy to put together, great with shrimp, chicken or both! I’ve been hesitant to try Thai cooking because I thought it’d be complicated or I’d mess it up…. this recipe makes you look like a fabulous cook!! One girlfriend couldn’t stop saying that it was the best food she’s ever had, so flavorful and fresh and delicious! Eat with a good sticky rice, extra lime wedges, and if you have some fresh lovely basil in your garden like I did it’s even better!
DAY = MADE!!!! I’m so so glad the shrimp curry was a hit and that it has made repeat status in your kitchen. Thank you!
Nyc recipe
Good and easy recipe but next time I’ll leave out the sugar entirely, or else only use half a teaspoon. It’s way too sweet for me.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe Delilah! Yes the sugar can be 100% omitted and if you like it spicy, you can even add more heat! xoxo
Amazing recipe and so easy !
Definitely making this again…!
I live alone so I’m grateful for the leftover…! I followed the directions exactly and only added a teeny bit more curry paste and red pepper flakes at the end… Would probably cook my vegetables a little shorter and add the seeds from the jalapeño for a little if that heat. But this is so flavorful and not difficult to prepare.
The key is to prep all of the ingredients because the recipe goes fast…! Thanks for sharing…!
Hi, could you use scallops instead of shrimp in this recipe?
Hi Vickie! Scallops would be glorious here! I’d personally pan sear them in their own skillet (they cook up fast!) then add to the curry just before serving.
Incredible!!!!!!
Thank you Yolandi!
Amazing recipe! Thanks very much! I a beginner in cooking and always kinda intimidated by it but I made this last night and I really really enjoyed it!!
However, I have 2 1/2 suggestions:
1. I wish I could pat and dry the shrimp in advance. I did not dry the shrimp early enough, so I just threw my shrimps in and it kinda diluted the thickened up sauce. And it turnt out to be a bit watery than I expected. So maybe mention dry the shrimps at an early step or maybe I m just really lack of cooking common sense.
2. I think you forgot to mention to add the bell pepper, onions mix which was set aside in a bowl earlier back to the curry. I read the recipe word by word and I didnt know when and which step I should put the veggie mix back to the sauce pan lol. Again, lack of cooking common sense here :p
3. Comparing the dish I made last night by following very strictly step by step per the recipe to the similar dish I had at Thai restaurants, the flavor is not as strong as the restaurant version, I wonder if adding more salt or more red curry paste can strengthen the flavor? Or a way that wont make it saltier? Any insight would be appreciated.
But anyways, thank you very much! You made cooking easy, encouraging and possible for me 🙂
So glad you enjoyed the shrimp curry Clara! I will certainly add these little extra details. I make this one so often my brain is often on autopilot and I for sure need to add more tips and steps to help out my beginner chefs! <3 To amp up the flavor, you can add an extra dash of fish sauce (just a little) as well as more red curry paste. You mentioned the shrimp needed patting dry for you so that will also help as to not dilute any yummy flavor! Updating some more details into the post as we speak! xoxo
Ooh and for drying the shrimp, you want to pat them dry before tossing them in the pot. If you do it earlier they will just release moisture again while waiting for their turn to get cooked, from my experience. If your curry ever seems to thin you can add a little extra corn starch diluted in cold water. Some restaurants use canned coconut cream instead of just coconut milk to make their curries extra thick, though I try to avoid the extra calories and stick with the coconut milk and cornstarch combo so I can control the thickness to my liking. Hope that info helps!
If you slightly precook th ed shrimp ahead 9f time they wont give 9off so much water in the final cooking. Pat dry and saute them in th ed olive/ avocado oil first for just a minute. Then remove them and throw in your veggies with a bit more oil. Then remove those and set both aside separately till you add them into the sauce. The shrimp will finish cooking in the sauce and won’t water down the curry.
Question about your recipe: Step #5 that has a note mentions CHICKEN when this is s shrimp recipe. Did you mean this note for this recipe, and mean to say “SHRIMP” instead of chicken? Thanks!
Hi Vicki! Thank you so much for catching that! I have been testing the recipe over the course of the year and originally made it with chicken, then decided I liked the shrimp best and kept testing it that way. When I uploaded my recipe notes over from my app it still that that note in there and I didn’t catch it. So happy you pointed it out! xo
I had no idea this would be so easy to make! So delicious!
Thanks Ashley!
I made this for dinner last night and it was incredible! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
Love it! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe Tayler!