Easy Thai Coconut Shrimp Curry – Creamy 35-Minute Dinner

This curry uses full-fat coconut milk and Thai red curry paste as the base. Both are shelf-stable, so the dish works on a weeknight without a shopping trip. Shrimp cook in five minutes, which keeps the total time near 35 minutes.

Weight first, volume second: 680 g shrimp, 400 ml coconut milk, 70 g curry paste. The order matters because the paste controls heat and the milk controls richness. Taste after the paste goes in, before the shrimp.

The sauce thickens by reduction, not by starch. Simmer until it coats a spoon, then add the shrimp. Weigh, watch, repeat.

About the Ingredients

680 g (1 1/2 lb) large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails off

Buy frozen raw shrimp and thaw overnight in the fridge; frozen shrimp are frozen at peak freshness. Substitute 680 g firm white fish cut into 4 cm cubes, cooked 2 minutes longer.

400 ml (1 can, 13.5 oz) full-fat coconut milk

Full-fat gives body; light coconut milk turns the sauce thin. Substitute 400 ml coconut cream for a thicker sauce and reduce the simmer by 3 minutes.

70 g (3 tbsp) Thai red curry paste

Check the label for shrimp paste if cooking for shellfish allergies; many brands contain it. Substitute 60 g massaman curry paste for a milder, sweeter sauce.

15 ml (1 tbsp) neutral oil, such as canola

Neutral oil carries heat without flavor. Substitute coconut oil, but keep the pan at 180 C so it does not smoke.

1 medium onion, 150 g, sliced 5 mm thick

Yellow onion melts into the sauce; red onion stays firm. Substitute 2 shallots, 80 g, sliced, for a sweeter base.

3 garlic cloves, 12 g, minced

Fresh garlic is sharper than jarred. Substitute 1 tsp garlic powder added with the curry paste.

20 g (1 tbsp) fresh ginger, grated

Grate on a microplane so the fibers disappear. Substitute 1 tsp ground ginger added with the paste.

15 ml (1 tbsp) fish sauce

Fish sauce supplies salt and umami. Substitute 15 ml soy sauce plus a pinch of salt for a vegetarian version.

8 g (1 tbsp) brown sugar

Brown sugar rounds the paste's acidity. Substitute 8 g palm sugar or 5 ml honey.

200 g (1 cup) cherry tomatoes, halved

Halving releases juice that balances the coconut fat. Substitute 200 g canned diced tomatoes, drained.

15 g (1/4 cup) fresh cilantro, chopped

Add stems to the pan for aroma and leaves at the end. Substitute Thai basil for a licorice note.

1 lime, 45 ml (3 tbsp) juice, plus wedges

Add lime off the heat; boiling kills the brightness. Substitute 30 ml rice vinegar mixed with 5 ml water.

Tips & Tricks

Do not boil the coconut milk

keep it at a bare simmer, 95 C, or the fat separates and the sauce turns grainy.

Pat the shrimp dry before cooking

surface water steams instead of sears, so the shrimp stay pale.

Taste before salting

fish sauce and curry paste are both salty, so season at the very end.

• Add the lime juice after the pan leaves the heat: heat flattens the citrus aroma within a minute.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Prep the shrimp

Pat 680 g shrimp dry with paper towels and refrigerate. Dry shrimp sear instead of steam, and the surface browns in the hot pan.

2. Heat the pan

Heat 15 ml oil in a 30 cm skillet over medium-high heat to 180 C (355 F), about 2 minutes. A drop of water should sizzle and vanish immediately.

3. Soften the onion

Add 150 g sliced onion and cook 4 minutes, stirring twice, until the edges turn translucent. Translucent edges mean the moisture has cooked off.

4. Bloom the paste

Add 12 g garlic, 20 g ginger and 70 g curry paste and stir 60 seconds until the mixture darkens and smells fragrant. Do not let it brown or it turns bitter.

5. Build the sauce

Pour in 400 ml coconut milk and stir to dissolve the paste. Bring to a bare simmer at 95 C (203 F) and cook 8 minutes until the sauce coats a spoon.

6. Add tomatoes

Stir in 200 g halved cherry tomatoes, 15 ml fish sauce and 8 g brown sugar. Simmer 5 minutes at 95 C (203 F) until the tomatoes soften and the edges bubble.

7. Cook the shrimp

Lay the shrimp in one layer in the sauce and cook 3 minutes per side at 95 C (203 F). They are done when opaque and curled, with an internal temperature of 60 C (140 F).

8. Finish and rest

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 45 ml lime juice and 15 g cilantro. Rest 3 minutes so the sauce thickens, then taste and adjust salt.

Delicious Variations

Green Curry Version

swap 70 g green curry paste for red and add 100 g frozen peas in the last 3 minutes.

Vegetable Swap

replace shrimp with 400 g firm tofu cubes, pressed and seared 4 minutes per side before the sauce.

Extra Rich

stir 60 ml coconut cream into the finished sauce off the heat for a thicker, sweeter finish.

How to Store Easy Thai Coconut Shrimp Curry

Frequently Asked Questions

Cook the paste until it smells sweet, not raw, and pull the shrimp at 60 C. Weigh your ingredients once and the timing takes care of itself. Weigh, watch, repeat.

Easy Thai Coconut Shrimp Curry

Easy Thai Coconut Shrimp Curry is a creamy one-pan dinner with sweet shrimp, red curry paste and lime. Ready in 35 minutes with pantry staples.

★★★★½ 4.8 (214 ratings)

15 minPrep time35 minCook time6Servings285 kcalCalories

Print RecipePin Recipe

🧂 Ingredients

• 680 g (1 1/2 lb) large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails off
• 400 ml (1 can, 13.5 oz) full-fat coconut milk
• 70 g (3 tbsp) Thai red curry paste
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) neutral oil, such as canola
• 1 medium onion, 150 g, sliced 5 mm thick
• 3 garlic cloves, 12 g, minced
• 20 g (1 tbsp) fresh ginger, grated
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) fish sauce
• 8 g (1 tbsp) brown sugar
• 200 g (1 cup) cherry tomatoes, halved
• 15 g (1/4 cup) fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 lime, 45 ml (3 tbsp) juice, plus wedges

📋 Instructions

1. 1Prep the shrimp — Pat 680 g shrimp dry with paper towels and refrigerate. Dry shrimp sear instead of steam, and the surface browns in the hot pan.
2. 2Heat the pan — Heat 15 ml oil in a 30 cm skillet over medium-high heat to 180 C (355 F), about 2 minutes. A drop of water should sizzle and vanish immediately.
3. 3Soften the onion — Add 150 g sliced onion and cook 4 minutes, stirring twice, until the edges turn translucent. Translucent edges mean the moisture has cooked off.
4. 4Bloom the paste — Add 12 g garlic, 20 g ginger and 70 g curry paste and stir 60 seconds until the mixture darkens and smells fragrant. Do not let it brown or it turns bitter.
5. 5Build the sauce — Pour in 400 ml coconut milk and stir to dissolve the paste. Bring to a bare simmer at 95 C (203 F) and cook 8 minutes until the sauce coats a spoon.
6. 6Add tomatoes — Stir in 200 g halved cherry tomatoes, 15 ml fish sauce and 8 g brown sugar. Simmer 5 minutes at 95 C (203 F) until the tomatoes soften and the edges bubble.
7. 7Cook the shrimp — Lay the shrimp in one layer in the sauce and cook 3 minutes per side at 95 C (203 F). They are done when opaque and curled, with an internal temperature of 60 C (140 F).
8. 8Finish and rest — Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 45 ml lime juice and 15 g cilantro. Rest 3 minutes so the sauce thickens, then taste and adjust salt.

👨‍🍳 Chef's Note: Full-fat coconut milk is not optional here; light versions give a thin, watery sauce. Taste after the lime goes in, not before.

Servings: 6

Cuisine: Thai

Course: Main Course

Nutrition (per serving): 285 kcal · 24g protein · 11g carbs · 18g fat

Written by Tomasz Wiśniewski

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.