Thai Coconut Shrimp Curry – Creamy 30-Minute Dinner

Thai coconut shrimp curry is a weeknight pan dish built on red curry paste, full-fat coconut milk and raw shrimp. The sauce thickens in the pan while the shrimp cook through, so the whole thing lands on the table in under an hour.

I weigh everything. Gram weights drive the recipe; volume measures are there for convenience. The shrimp go in last because they need three minutes, not thirty.

Read the steps once before you start. Curry paste burns fast at high heat, and the difference between a good sauce and a bitter one is a single minute of attention.

About the Ingredients

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

Buy frozen shrimp labeled 21/25 count and thaw overnight in the fridge. If you only have cooked shrimp, add them at the very end for 60 seconds only.

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

Full-fat matters here; light coconut milk thins the sauce and never coats the shrimp. Shake the can hard before opening to blend the cream layer.

60 g (3 tbsp) Thai red curry paste

Mae Ploy or Maesri brands are consistent and salty. If you use a milder paste, taste after step 4 and add another 15 g.

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

Use an oil with a high smoke point; olive oil turns bitter at this heat. Avocado oil works as a direct swap.

20 g (1 tbsp) palm sugar or light brown sugar

Palm sugar rounds the paste's sharp edge. Light brown sugar is a fine substitute at the same weight.

15 ml (1 tbsp) fish sauce

Fish sauce is the salt in this dish. If you skip it, add 3 g (1/2 tsp) fine salt and taste again.

200 g (1 cup) canned crushed tomatoes

Crushed tomatoes add body without sweetness. Do not substitute tomato paste; it is too concentrated at this volume.

1 red bell pepper, about 150 g, sliced 5 mm thick

Cut strips to even thickness so they soften at the same rate. A green bell pepper gives a sharper, more bitter note.

1 small onion, about 120 g, sliced thin

Yellow onion is the default; shallots give a sweeter result at the same weight. Slice against the grain for softer pieces.

10 g (2 tsp) fresh lime juice, plus wedges to serve

Add lime off the heat; boiling kills the aroma. Bottled lime juice is acceptable but flatter.

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

Stems carry more flavor than leaves. Chop stems finely and stir them in with the sauce.

240 g (1 1/2 cups) jasmine rice, cooked, to serve

Cook rice before you start the pan; the curry waits for nothing. Basmati works, but jasmine absorbs the sauce better.

Tips & Tricks

Do Not Boil the Coconut Milk

Keep the sauce at a bare simmer; a rolling boil splits the fat and the sauce turns grainy.

Add Shrimp Last

Shrimp go in only after the sauce is finished; three minutes at 95 C (203 F) is enough for 21/25 count.

Taste Before Serving

Curry paste brands vary in salt; adjust fish sauce and lime only after the sauce is complete.

Dry the Shrimp

Pat shrimp dry with paper towel; surface water steams them instead of letting them firm up in the sauce.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Cook the Rice

Bring 480 g (2 cups) water and 240 g (1 1/2 cups) jasmine rice to a boil in a covered pot at 100 C (212 F). Reduce to low and cook 15 minutes, then rest covered 5 minutes off the heat. [Rice holds heat well, so it waits for the curry, not the reverse.]

2. Dry the Shrimp

Pat 680 g (1 1/2 lb) shrimp dry on both sides with paper towel and set them on a plate. [Dry surfaces brown and firm; wet surfaces steam and turn rubbery.] The shrimp should look matte, with no visible water film.

3. Bloom the Paste

Heat 15 g (1 tbsp) oil in a 30 cm (12 in) skillet over medium heat to 175 C (350 F). Add 60 g (3 tbsp) curry paste and fry 60 seconds, stirring constantly. [The oil carries the aromatics; a short fry removes the raw paste taste.] The paste is done when it darkens slightly and smells toasted, not raw.

4. Build the Sauce

Add 400 ml (13.5 oz) coconut milk, 200 g (1 cup) crushed tomatoes, 20 g (1 tbsp) sugar and 15 ml (1 tbsp) fish sauce. Stir and bring to a bare simmer at 95 C (203 F), then cook 8 minutes. [A bare simmer keeps the fat emulsified; a hard boil splits it.] The sauce is ready when it coats a spoon and bubbles only at the edges.

5. Soften the Vegetables

Add the sliced onion and 150 g red bell pepper and cook 6 minutes at 95 C (203 F), stirring twice. [Even slices soften at the same rate; thin pieces would collapse before the pepper is tender.] The onion turns translucent and the pepper bends without snapping.

6. Add the Shrimp

Lay the shrimp in a single layer in the sauce and cook 3 minutes at 95 C (203 F), turning once at 90 seconds. [Shrimp overcook in seconds past done; a single layer prevents uneven cooking.] The shrimp are done when they curl into a loose C shape and read 60 C (140 F) at the thickest part.

7. Finish Off Heat

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 10 g (2 tsp) lime juice and the chopped cilantro stems. [Acid and herbs fade with heat; off-heat addition keeps them bright.] Taste and add fish sauce in 5 ml (1 tsp) increments if needed.

8. Serve

Spoon the curry over the rice and scatter the cilantro leaves on top. Serve with lime wedges on the side. [The rice absorbs sauce; a wetter curry is correct here.] Serve immediately while the shrimp are still firm.

Delicious Variations

Green Curry Version

Swap red paste for green at the same 60 g weight; the sauce turns sharper and more herbal.

Vegetable Only

Replace shrimp with 400 g firm tofu, pressed and cubed, and simmer 8 minutes instead of 3.

Extra Heat

Add 2 sliced bird's eye chilies with the vegetables; remove them before serving if you want aroma only.

How to Store Thai Coconut Shrimp Curry

Frequently Asked Questions

Cook the sauce first, add the shrimp last, and taste before you serve. Weigh, watch, repeat.

Thai Coconut Shrimp Curry

Thai Coconut Shrimp Curry is a creamy one-pan dinner with plump shrimp, red curry paste and lime, ready in about 50 minutes for six.

★★★★½ 4.7 (218 ratings)

15 minPrep time35 minCook time6Servings412 kcalCalories

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🧂 Ingredients

• 680 g (1 1/2 lb) large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 400 ml (1 can, 13.5 oz) full-fat coconut milk
• 60 g (3 tbsp) Thai red curry paste
• 15 g (1 tbsp) neutral oil, such as canola
• 20 g (1 tbsp) palm sugar or light brown sugar
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) fish sauce
• 200 g (1 cup) canned crushed tomatoes
• 1 red bell pepper, about 150 g, sliced 5 mm thick
• 1 small onion, about 120 g, sliced thin
• 10 g (2 tsp) fresh lime juice, plus wedges to serve
• 15 g (1/4 cup) fresh cilantro, chopped
• 240 g (1 1/2 cups) jasmine rice, cooked, to serve

📋 Instructions

1. 1Cook the Rice — Bring 480 g (2 cups) water and 240 g (1 1/2 cups) jasmine rice to a boil in a covered pot at 100 C (212 F). Reduce to low and cook 15 minutes, then rest covered 5 minutes off the heat. [Rice holds heat well, so it waits for the curry, not the reverse.]
2. 2Dry the Shrimp — Pat 680 g (1 1/2 lb) shrimp dry on both sides with paper towel and set them on a plate. [Dry surfaces brown and firm; wet surfaces steam and turn rubbery.] The shrimp should look matte, with no visible water film.
3. 3Bloom the Paste — Heat 15 g (1 tbsp) oil in a 30 cm (12 in) skillet over medium heat to 175 C (350 F). Add 60 g (3 tbsp) curry paste and fry 60 seconds, stirring constantly. [The oil carries the aromatics; a short fry removes the raw paste taste.] The paste is done when it darkens slightly and smells toasted, not raw.
4. 4Build the Sauce — Add 400 ml (13.5 oz) coconut milk, 200 g (1 cup) crushed tomatoes, 20 g (1 tbsp) sugar and 15 ml (1 tbsp) fish sauce. Stir and bring to a bare simmer at 95 C (203 F), then cook 8 minutes. [A bare simmer keeps the fat emulsified; a hard boil splits it.] The sauce is ready when it coats a spoon and bubbles only at the edges.
5. 5Soften the Vegetables — Add the sliced onion and 150 g red bell pepper and cook 6 minutes at 95 C (203 F), stirring twice. [Even slices soften at the same rate; thin pieces would collapse before the pepper is tender.] The onion turns translucent and the pepper bends without snapping.
6. 6Add the Shrimp — Lay the shrimp in a single layer in the sauce and cook 3 minutes at 95 C (203 F), turning once at 90 seconds. [Shrimp overcook in seconds past done; a single layer prevents uneven cooking.] The shrimp are done when they curl into a loose C shape and read 60 C (140 F) at the thickest part.
7. 7Finish Off Heat — Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 10 g (2 tsp) lime juice and the chopped cilantro stems. [Acid and herbs fade with heat; off-heat addition keeps them bright.] Taste and add fish sauce in 5 ml (1 tsp) increments if needed.
8. 8Serve — Spoon the curry over the rice and scatter the cilantro leaves on top. Serve with lime wedges on the side. [The rice absorbs sauce; a wetter curry is correct here.] Serve immediately while the shrimp are still firm.

👨‍🍳 Chef's Note: Curry paste is the whole flavor of this dish, so buy a brand you trust and store it covered in the fridge after opening.

Servings: 6

Cuisine: Thai

Course: Main Course

Nutrition (per serving): 412 kcal · 26g protein · 38g 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.