This dish is a coconut curry with shrimp, built on 400 g (1 2/3 cups) of full-fat coconut milk and 30 g (1 1/2 tbsp) of red curry paste. The shrimp go in last, so they stay tender.
The sauce reduces at a hard simmer until it coats a spoon, which takes about 8 minutes. You do not need a blender or a second pot.
Weigh the shrimp after peeling. Wet shrimp add water to the pan and thin the sauce.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
About the Ingredients
700 g (1 1/2 lb) large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Pat them dry before cooking. Frozen shrimp work if thawed overnight in the refrigerator and drained well.
30 g (1 1/2 tbsp) Thai red curry paste
Check the label for shrimp paste if you avoid shellfish. Massaman curry paste is a milder substitute at the same weight.
400 ml (1 2/3 cups) full-fat coconut milk
Full-fat matters; light coconut milk splits at a hard simmer. Shake the can hard before opening to mix the cream.
15 ml (1 tbsp) neutral oil
Grapeseed or canola both hold heat without smoking. Do not substitute olive oil here; it browns too fast at 200 C.
1 medium onion, 150 g, diced
Yellow onion gives sweetness; a red onion works but colors the sauce pink. Cut into 8 mm dice for even softening.
3 garlic cloves, 12 g, minced
Fresh garlic only; jarred garlic tastes flat after simmering. Mince fine so it does not burn in the paste.
15 g (1 tbsp) fresh ginger, grated
Grate on a microplane so the fibers disappear. Ground ginger at 3 g (1 tsp) is the dry substitute.
15 ml (1 tbsp) fish sauce
This is the salt of the dish. Soy sauce at the same volume is the shellfish-free swap.
5 g (1 tsp) brown sugar
Balances the curry paste. Honey at 7 g (1 tsp) works but browns faster, so add it after the coconut milk.
200 g (1 cup) cherry tomatoes, halved
They add acid and body. Canned diced tomatoes at 200 g drained are the off-season substitute.
15 g (1/2 cup) fresh cilantro, chopped
Stems included if you chop fine. Thai basil is the sharper substitute; add it off heat.
1 lime, 60 g, cut into wedges
Juice goes in at the end, off heat, so it stays bright. Lemon is a workable swap at half the volume.
Tips & Tricks
Dry the Shrimp
Pat shrimp dry with paper towel before they hit the pan; surface water steams them instead of searing.
Simmer Hard, Stir Often
Coconut milk splits when it sits still at high heat, so stir every 90 seconds during reduction.
Salt Late
Fish sauce goes in after the coconut milk, because reducing the sauce concentrates salt fast.
Pull Shrimp Early
Remove shrimp at 63 C (145 F) internal; they finish cooking in the residual sauce heat.
Pro Tips
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Dry the shrimp
Pat 700 g shrimp dry with paper towel and refrigerate. Wet shrimp steam rather than sear at 200 C (390 F).
2. Heat the pan
Set a 30 cm skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes, then add 15 ml oil. The oil shimmers when it reaches 200 C (390 F).
3. Bloom the paste
Add 30 g curry paste and stir constantly for 45 seconds. It darkens one shade and smells toasted, not raw.
4. Soften the aromatics
Add 150 g onion and cook 4 minutes, stirring twice. Edges turn translucent and the pan bottom stays clean.
5. Add garlic and ginger
Stir in 12 g garlic and 15 g ginger for 45 seconds. The mixture smells sweet; do not let it brown.
6. Build the sauce
Pour in 400 ml coconut milk and 200 g tomatoes, then bring to a hard simmer. Bubbles should break across the whole surface at 95 C (203 F).
7. Reduce the sauce
Simmer 8 minutes, stirring every 90 seconds. The sauce coats a spoon and a drawn line holds for 2 seconds.
8. Season the sauce
Stir in 15 ml fish sauce and 5 g brown sugar. Taste; it should read salty first, then sweet.
9. Cook the shrimp
Add the shrimp in one layer and cook 3 minutes, turning once. They curl into a C and reach 63 C (145 F) internally.
10. Finish off heat
Remove the pan from heat and stir in 15 g cilantro and juice of half the lime. Serve with lime wedges.
Delicious Variations
Green Curry Version
Swap green curry paste at 30 g for a sharper, herbier sauce; add Thai basil at the end.
Crispy Tofu Swap
Replace shrimp with 400 g pressed tofu cubes browned 6 minutes; add them after the sauce reduces.
Extra Vegetable
Add 150 g green beans with the tomatoes and simmer 2 minutes longer for crunch.
How to Store Coconut Curry Shrimp You Can Pull Off Fast
Refrigerator
Store in a sealed container up to 3 days; shrimp toughen after that. Reheat gently, never boil.
Freezer
Freeze the sauce without shrimp up to 2 months in 250 ml portions. Shrimp do not freeze well in sauce.
Reheating
Warm over medium-low heat at 70 C (158 F) for 4 minutes, adding 30 ml water to loosen the sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I use frozen shrimp for coconut curry shrimp?
Yes, thaw frozen shrimp overnight in the refrigerator and drain them well before cooking. Pat them dry so the sauce does not turn watery. Add them straight to the pan only after full thawing.
Q: Why did my coconut curry sauce split?
The sauce split because it sat unstirred at a hard boil or used light coconut milk. Use full-fat coconut milk and stir every 90 seconds during the 8-minute reduction. A split sauce can be rescued with 15 ml warm water and constant whisking.
Q: How do I know when the shrimp are done?
Shrimp are done when they curl into a loose C shape and reach 63 C (145 F) internally. A tight O shape means they overcooked. Cook them 3 minutes total and pull the pan off heat.
Q: Can I make coconut curry shrimp ahead of time?
You can make the sauce up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate it, then cook the shrimp fresh when serving. Shrimp held overnight in sauce lose their snap. Reheat the sauce to a simmer before adding raw shrimp.
Q: Is red curry paste very spicy?
Red curry paste is moderately spicy, and 30 g in this volume of coconut milk reads as warm rather than hot. Start with 20 g if you are unsure, then taste after the sauce reduces. Brands vary widely, so taste before adding more.
Weigh the shrimp dry, watch the sauce coat the spoon, and repeat the dish until the timing is yours. Start with 20 g of curry paste if you are new to it.
Coconut Curry Shrimp You Can Pull Off Fast
Coconut Curry Shrimp You Can Pull Off Fast delivers a silky, spice-warm sauce in one pan, so a weeknight dinner lands on the table in under 35 minutes.
🧂 Ingredients
- 700 g (1 1/2 lb) large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 30 g (1 1/2 tbsp) Thai red curry paste
- 400 ml (1 2/3 cups) full-fat coconut milk
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) neutral oil
- 1 medium onion, 150 g, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, 12 g, minced
- 15 g (1 tbsp) fresh ginger, grated
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) fish sauce
- 5 g (1 tsp) brown sugar
- 200 g (1 cup) cherry tomatoes, halved
- 15 g (1/2 cup) fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 lime, 60 g, cut into wedges
📋 Instructions
- 1Dry the shrimp — Pat 700 g shrimp dry with paper towel and refrigerate. Wet shrimp steam rather than sear at 200 C (390 F).
- 2Heat the pan — Set a 30 cm skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes, then add 15 ml oil. The oil shimmers when it reaches 200 C (390 F).
- 3Bloom the paste — Add 30 g curry paste and stir constantly for 45 seconds. It darkens one shade and smells toasted, not raw.
- 4Soften the aromatics — Add 150 g onion and cook 4 minutes, stirring twice. Edges turn translucent and the pan bottom stays clean.
- 5Add garlic and ginger — Stir in 12 g garlic and 15 g ginger for 45 seconds. The mixture smells sweet; do not let it brown.
- 6Build the sauce — Pour in 400 ml coconut milk and 200 g tomatoes, then bring to a hard simmer. Bubbles should break across the whole surface at 95 C (203 F).
- 7Reduce the sauce — Simmer 8 minutes, stirring every 90 seconds. The sauce coats a spoon and a drawn line holds for 2 seconds.
- 8Season the sauce — Stir in 15 ml fish sauce and 5 g brown sugar. Taste; it should read salty first, then sweet.
- 9Cook the shrimp — Add the shrimp in one layer and cook 3 minutes, turning once. They curl into a C and reach 63 C (145 F) internally.
- 10Finish off heat — Remove the pan from heat and stir in 15 g cilantro and juice of half the lime. Serve with lime wedges.
Tomasz writes precise, method-first recipes for breads, ferments, and slow braises, drawing on Polish and Central European home cooking. He cares about weights, temperatures, and timing, and explains the reason behind each step so cooks can repeat results. His angle is turning fussy techniques into clear, checkable instructions.
