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 may be a new favorite. I’ve tried recipes from other blogs and they are usually good, but yours are always great. Thank you for continuing to offer easy, delicious meals.
We make this often in our house. It’s delicious! The first time I made this was for a Thai dinner party I had. It was a huge hit! I have since given the recipe out to everyone that attended. And now it’s a regular meal in their homes. Your recipes NEVER disappoint! I can’t wait to order the cookbook!
I found the green paste!!🙌🏾
Just cleaning out our bowls from this meal. Perfect flavor & temp for the babes. Husband & I spiked ours with some crushed red & a bit of ginger garlic paste. Per usual, amazing recipe & result. Cannot wait to make this again 💜
Wow!!! Absolutely amazing!!
Wonderful recipe! I did not have fresh cilantro, so I added some coriander powder after the onions were sauteed. I also used coconut oil instead. Thank you!
Oh and also left out the sugar because we eliminated sugar, dairy and modern wheat.
I made this soup for a very particular client I cook for. The only difference in my ingredient list was I used unrefined virgin coconut oil instead of vegetable oil, and I added bamboo shoots. It was AMAZING! It was so good that he requested it the following week and I made it for my own family twice afterwards. It is easy and delicious. Anyone can make this soup. Try it, you will not be disappointed.
Hi Jen, do you know if the curry paste loses flavor when stored for a while in the fridge? Thai food is one of my favorite cuisines, but this dish turned out very bland for me. Was wondering if it could have been the paste since it wasn’t opened fresh for this recipe (I used the same kind in your photos). I’m asking because your recipes are always a slam dunk in our house, so I wonder if something went wrong.
Hi Katie, Sorry this wasn’t a hit for you. I think the curry paste should last quite a while – did you use the full amount, as well as the fish sauce and brown sugar? The fish sauce adds all of the salt so if that’s omitted or reduced, the dish would definitely be bland.
I made the green curry mussel dish from your cookbook and it was delicious, so I decided to give this one another go (since I noticed some similarities between the two recipes). I clearly did something wrong the first time around, it was MUCH better this time. I think something went wrong with my curry paste before maybe… not sure. But it was definitely a hit on the second go, and so easy!
Made this last night, it was a bit mild for my taste. So I decided to add chopped cilantro, thin green bell pepper strips and bamboo shoots. My family loved it….I prefer mine to be a bit spicier so I added red chili flakes. Will make again. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
will try this!
We made this recipe last night and thought it was delicious, however, the flavor was a bit mild. Next time, I will make it with thin strips of chicken instead of shrimp and will add some peapods and red pepper for crunch. Really did enjoy this and look forward to enhancing it!
Flavor was a little too mild. Would also like to figure out a vegetable to incorporate to make it a fully balanced meal.