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Easy Thai Shrimp Curry

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By Jenn Segal
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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.

Bowl of Thai shrimp curry over rice.

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

thai shrimp curry ingredients
  • 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.

stir-frying thinly sliced onions

Add the scallions, garlic and green curry paste.

adding scallions, garlic, and green curry paste to the skillet

Cook a few minutes more.

stir-frying the aromatics

Add the coconut milk, water, fish sauce and brown sugar, and bring to a gentle boil.

adding the coconut milk, fish sauce, and sugar to the skillet

Add the shrimp.

Shrimp cooking in a coconut milk mixture.

Cook until the shrimp are pink and just cooked through, then stir in the lime juice and sprinkle with the fresh chopped cilantro.

Cilantro and shrimp in a coconut milk mixture.

Spoon into shallow bowls and serve with jasmine rice and lime wedges.

Bowl of Thai shrimp curry over rice.

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Thai Shrimp Curry

By Jenn Segal

In this quick Thai-style shrimp curry, plump shrimp are simmered in a coconut sauce infused with aromatics and green curry paste.

Servings: 4 - 6
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Total Time: 25 Minutes

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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

Powered by Edamam

  • 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
Nutritional Data Disclaimer

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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Comments

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  • Great recipe, easy, quick, came out restaurant quality. Used red Thai curry paste instead of green, and added shiitakes with the onions. Thank you!!

  • Could you substitute Thai Red curry paste in this recipe?

    • Sure! Hope you enjoy. 🙂

  • Hi Jenn,
    Does the brand of fish sauce used matter? I noticed a color difference from red boat Fish sauce to another Thai fish sauce that was much lighter in color? I also noticed you use different brands; is that on purpose or is that what’s on hand
    Thanks,
    I love your receipes , they are easy, delicious, and forgiving.

    • Hi Jasmine, I’ve learned that there is a decent amount of variability in fish sauce. My favorite is Red Boat if you can find it. Second choices would be Thai Kitchen or A Taste of Thai. Hope that helps!

  • Hi,
    I needed input on a few points:
    1. The coconut milk added remained a bit ‘curdled’ in this dish… how does one eliminate this?
    2. It was too watery and without ‘body’ as a curry dish…
    thanks

    • Hi JooJoo, Based on what you’re describing I’m wondering if it was a problem with the coconut milk. Was it, by any chance, fat-free or reduced fat? Also, certain brands may be thinner than others or may have additives. The one that I really like is Thai Kitchen. Hope that helps!

      • Hi, I used GOYA coconut milk and it was not nonfat …

        • Hi Joojoo, I believe Goya might be a bit thinner than some other brands. Next time I’d suggest using a Thai brand. I really like Thai kitchen.

  • I made this with Maesri green curry paste. It was excellent, nice, and bright!

  • Can it be served with Thai Noodles instead of rice?

  • Just did it today and was fantastic! Great flavors and super easy to do! My husband loved it

  • I just realized I only have a can of coconut cream (unsweetened brand) I must have grabbed it by mistake instead of coconut milk when at Whole Foods. I also only have green peppers not red …is there something I should do differently if using the cream instead of the milk? I assume the green peppers will be ok:)? Thanks!

    • Hi Marsha, I’ve never tried this with coconut cream — while I think it will work, you’ll need to thin it out a bit with some milk or water. And a green bell pepper is fine to use. Please LMK how it turns out!

  • Simple, quick and delicious. I browned the shrimp and set it aside. At the same time I steamed my veges (snap peas carrots, red pepper, some minced garlic and shallot. Meanwhile I sauted the green onion, garlic, curry paste; added coconut milk, fish sauce and brown sugar(2tsp only) and no water (as sauce will be too thin) brought sauce to a gentle boil then added the steamed veges and shrimp and cooked a little longer until shrimp were done. Sprinkled each serving with cilantro.

  • Great easy recipe. Grocery store only had red curry paste so used that. Turned out great! My family loved it! Served with siracha. I’m so happy I found your website!

    • I made this tonight and while easy it lacked flavor in my opinion. I’ve made many of your other recipes which were excellent.

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