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 the 5th time I’ve made this recipe. I absolutely love it! I add double the liquid bc I like brothy curry, but the only ratio I change is the shrimp. I keep that at 2 pounds. I can’t recommend this enough. My husband and I could eat the entire recipe in one sitting. FREAKING DELICIOUS!
Recipe rating: 4 Stars
I had to add 1 tbsp of the “Thai Kitchen” brand green curry paste to make a flavourful curry taste. I’m not a lover of spicy curries, but needed the extra flavour in this recipe.
Also- next time I make this recipe I will replace the Coconut Milk with Coconut Cream to give the liquid a bit more thickness and coconut flavour.
I paired this curry with a commercial blend of wild rice and Jasmine rice- I prefer the nutty taste & texture that the wild rice brings, and it lowers the carb count a bit, which helps if you’re diabetic or trying to lose weight.
Lastly: I very much enjoy reading the recipes that “Once Upon A Chef” sends me, but have only recently been trying them out.
This is a restaurant-quality dish that can be served to company or family. I added carrots and red and green peppers at the beginning. I substituted Mae Ploy Red Curry paste. Delicious!
This recipe is perfect! I am didn’t have rice but I had rice noodles so I used those instead which didn’t change the flavor of the dish. I followed everything else perfectly and this dish was bowl lickably good! I had to talk myself out of eating another portion. That’s how good it is.
Bravo. Nailed it. Guests went home with this recipe too this evening. Thank you.
This was a delightfully flavorful and fragrant dish! As always, your recipes never disappoint!! Question: If I want more heat in the curry, do I increase the green curry paste?
Hi Tina, so glad you enjoyed it! I wouldn’t add more curry paste as that would throw off the ratios in the sauce. To add more heat, you could either add a pinch or two of cayenne pepper, dried red pepper flakes, or a bit of Sriracha to the sauce.
Made this last night and it was a hit with my family! Bursting with flavour and just the right amount if heat. Definitely make this again and again.
Wow! We really enjoyed it, very very tasty, easy to follow instructions as usual, thank you so much for the recipe. I will be making it again
Wow! We really enjoyed it, very very tasty, thank you
This recipe was amazing and tasted very authentic! I also loved how easy it was to make and how accessible the ingredients were to find at my local Wal-Mart. I added sugar snap peas, bell pepper, carrots, and a diced fresh tomato to mine. I have already forwarded this recipe to several friends!! 10/10!
Hello, I think it’s a good idea to add veggies. At what stage did you add yours?