Easy Thai Shrimp Curry
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In this quick Thai-style shrimp curry, plump shrimp are simmered in a coconut sauce infused with aromatics and green curry paste.
This Thai-style shrimp curry is made by simmering plump shrimp in a fragrant coconut curry sauce infused with aromatics and fresh herbs. It’s quick and easy to make. In fact, if you keep shrimp in the freezer and a few Thai staples – like canned coconut milk, green curry paste, and fish sauce – in the pantry, you’re never more than 25 minutes away from this satisfying meal.
There’s plenty of sauce if you’d like to add some vegetables to round out the meal; carrots, bell peppers or snap peas would all be welcome additions (cook them separately and add them at the end). Serve the curry with jasmine rice for soaking up the plentiful sauce, and be sure to put the rice on first so that everything is ready at the same time.
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need to Make Shrimp Curry
- Onion, Scallions and Garlic: These aromatics form the flavor foundation for the sauce.
- Thai Green Curry Paste: This common Thai ingredient is made from a blend of lemongrass, galangal (a cousin of ginger), cumin, coriander root, Kaffir lime, and hot green chilies to name just a few. I use the Thai Kitchen brand. Note that different brands will have different levels of heat, so you may need more or less depending on the kind you use.
- Coconut Milk: A staple in many curry dishes, it’s essential to opt for full-fat coconut milk to achieve that rich texture and taste. However, be aware that canned coconut milk’s consistency can differ depending on the brand. I’ve consistently had great results with the Thai Kitchen brand. Don’t worry if the coconut milk looks solidified or separated when you open the can; it can be added to the recipe “broken” and then whisked back together into a creamy emulsion.
- Fish Sauce: This dark, pungent liquid used in Southeast Asian cooking doesn’t have a “fishy” taste, but rather a salty, savory flavor. If possible, buy a brand imported from Thailand or Vietnam, and don’t worry about buying a large bottleit keeps forever.
- Lime Juice: Brightens up the sauce with citrusy freshness.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by cooking the onions until soft, about 3 minutes.
Add the scallions, garlic and green curry paste.
Cook a few minutes more.
Add the coconut milk, water, fish sauce and brown sugar, and bring to a gentle boil.
Add the shrimp.
Cook until the shrimp are pink and just cooked through, then stir in the lime juice and sprinkle with the fresh chopped cilantro.
Spoon into shallow bowls and serve with jasmine rice and lime wedges.
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Thai Shrimp Curry
In this quick Thai-style shrimp curry, plump shrimp are simmered in a coconut sauce infused with aromatics and green curry paste.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup thinly sliced scallions, white and green parts, from 4-5 scallions
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2½ tablespoons Thai green curry paste
- 1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark or light brown sugar
- 2 pounds large, extra large (26-30 per lb) or jumbo (21-25 per lb) shrimp, peeled and deveined (see note), thawed if frozen
- Juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons), plus more lime wedges for serving
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, Thai basil, or Italian basil (or a combination)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 3 minutes. If the onions start to brown, reduce the heat to medium. Add the scallions, garlic, and green curry paste, and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes more. Add the coconut milk, water, fish sauce, and sugar and bring to a gentle boil. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring frequently, until the shrimp are pink and just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and sprinkle with the cilantro (or basil). Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary, and serve with jasmine rice.
- Note: For the shrimp, I recommend buying frozen shrimp labeled “shell split and deveined.” Most shrimp are cleaned and flash frozen shortly after being caught, so the “fresh” shrimp you see in the seafood case at the supermarket are typically thawed frozen shrimp. Who knows how long they've been sitting there, so you’re better off buying frozen shrimp and defrosting it yourself. Come dinnertime, all you have to do is run the shrimp under water to defrost, and then peel.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 299
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated fat: 13 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Sugar: 3 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 23 g
- Sodium: 1372 mg
- Cholesterol: 191 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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This is a really good base recipe. We added double the green curry paste, Thai chili paste, fresh basil and some red pepper flakes. Still mild but flavorful. Will try the red curry paste next time.
My family loved it.
Wow! I just made the Easy Thai Curry and it was delicious! Soooo easy and flavorful! I don’t like a lot of heat, but my husband does. I just put Siracha and red pepper flakes on the table. He loved it! Thanks, Jenn! I love your website – it is my go to site. I love your cookbook too! Beautiful!
💗
Like others, I modified the recipe a bit. I added one each yellow, red and green bell pepper, mushroom and fresh ginger. I exchanged the water for some chicken stock. And since I increased the volume with veggies, I doubled the curry and fish sauce and increased the garlic. This was my first time making a Thai dish. It was absolutely delicious! I will definitely make it again. Maybe try chicken.
An easy and satisfying dish!
So…ummm…where’s the lemongrass and ginger? It’s missing from the ingredients yet mentioned in the recipe description!!
Hi Faith, Sorry for the confusion — the recipe doesn’t actually have ginger or lemongrass, but the green curry paste that the recipe calls for has that. Hope that clarifies! 🙂
This was very good! Thank you for sharing.
Regarding your description of the recipe….. no mention of Lemongrass in the recipe?
Hi Glenn, Sorry for any confusion — I don’t actually use lemongrass in the recipe, but the green curry paste that the recipe calls for has that. Hope that clarifies!
This was really good. I used some info from Thai Shrimp Curry on Epicurious that I made before. Here are my changes: Epi wanted 1 C chicken broth, this called for 1/4 C water – I used 1/2C chicken broth. Next time, no water or broth. Found the green curry too mild so I added some red curry -still mild so maybe all red curry next time. Added red bell pepper strips and frozen peas & corn (always in the curry at the Thai restaurant) for more vegs. Since I am growing Thai basil I added a bunch of leaves to the curry & also chopped some for a garnish. All in all, a very good base recipe.
PS Loved the Thai Chicken Curry recipe on this site.
I should have said carrots & peas – not corn!
Why is your page set up without an easy option to print the recipe?
Hi Etienne, There is an option to print the recipe — when you’re viewing the full recipe, look in the upper righthand corner of that box – you’ll see an icon there that looks like a printer. Select that and it will print the recipe. Hope that clarifies!
Flavors are spot on and just like the dish we order at our favorite Thai restaurant. If we wanted to add some spice to it – what would you recommend? Thanks for another terrific meal.
Hi Lisa, Glad you enjoyed! You could add Sriracha or red pepper flakes for more heat.
Hi Jenn,
Your recipes are WONDERFUL!
We are planning a cookout at a park for a friend’s birthday and she wants curry shrimp on the barbie. Is there a way to do that with this recipe? Should I make it at home and just wrap it in foil to “reheat” on the grill at the park? Thanks in advance for your help!
Hi Karen, So happy you like the recipes! I think this will be hard to reheat on the grill, as it’s very saucy. I wonder if this recipe from Food & Wine might be easier for a cookout?