Creamy Thai Coconut Shrimp Curry Recipe

Thai Coconut Shrimp Curry Recipe - crazy easy, super-tasty, and bursting with umami flavors this recipe gets done in less than 30-minutes. Served over a bed of fluffy Jasmine rice this Thai Shrimp Curry recipe is creamy, luscious, and totally worth your time. It's similar to my Thai Red Coconut Chicken Curry with Jasmine Rice.

Shrimps don't take much time to cook. And, if you have frozen shrimps then just thaw it out until they are completely defrosted.

What I love about this Thai Shrimp Curry

• Fish Sauce - Fish sauce intensifies the umami taste and gets that earthy tone into the curry. I use red boat fish sauce and it's 100% natural.
• Coconut Oil - Coconut Oil and Thai curries go hand in hand. Coconut oil has a sweet and nutty texture that adds an extra oomph to the curry. Also, coconut sugar is so healthy.
• Coconut milk - Creamy, flavorful coconut milk brings a nutty taste to the entire curry.
• Coconut Sugar or Palm Sugar - To get that authentic Thai taste use Coconut Sugar or Palm Sugar.
• Comes together Fast - This dish comes together in less than 30-minutes.
• Super-Tasty Leftovers - If you manage to squirrel away some leftovers, you are in for a treat the next day.

When I think of Thai Cuisines, I think bold flavors, sticky sauce, a perfect balance of spicy and sweet, zesty lemony freshness Fresh Thai Basil, Smoky hot Bird's eye chilies, and of course fish sauce to add that depth of flavor.

My Popular Thai Recipes

Creamy Coconut Shrimp

Sticky Thai Meatballs with Peanut Sauce

Instant Pot Thai Cashew Chicken

Crispy Baked Thai Chicken Wings

Thai Curried Roasted Carrot and Ginger Soup

Creamy Thai Peanut Chicken

Crispy Thai Sweet Chili Chicken

Ingredients You'll Need for Thai Coconut Shrimp Curry

• Jumbo Shrimps - Peeled and deveined. Make sure you thaw frozen shrimps before using.
• Coconut Oil - You could totally use Olive oil. But, coconut oil and Thai curries go so well. Coconut oil adds that "oomph" to the curry.
• Onions, ginger, garlic - White or red onions along with few cloves of garlic, and some grated ginger to add that kick.
• Sliced Bell Pepper - Thinly sliced bell pepper adds a nice crunch to the shrimp curry.
• Thai Red Curry Paste - Red curry Paste is so important in Thai cuisines. Packed with flavors Thai red curry paste is an integral part of this recipe.
• Coconut Milk - Keep your diet doctors aways 'coz in this curry you'll need a hefty amount of coconut milk.
• Fresh Lime Juice - Lime has a zesty freshness that brightens up the flavors.
• Fish Sauce - Gets that umami taste in your curry.
• Palm Sugar or Coconut Sugar - You can replace this with light/dark brown sugar
• Bird's eye chilies - these can be replaced with sliced Jalapenõs.

How to Make Thai Shrimp Curry

Step 1: Marinate Shrimps

If you've got frozen shrimps then thaw them out. Peel, clean, and devein. Coat them in coconut oil, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and a pinch of kosher salt. Allow this to stand for 10-minutes.

Step 2: Sauté Shrimps

In a sauté pan heat some coconut oil. As soon as the oil shimmers, add shrimps in one layer. Do not crowd the pan. Cook Shrimps just until opaque and light pink on the edges. Take them out and keep them aside.

Step 2: Sauté Veggies

In the same pan, add some coconut oil. Once the oil gets hot, add chopped onions, sliced bell peppers, bird eye chilies, grated ginger, and minced garlic. Sauté over low heat until the onions turn translucent.

Step 3: Add Other Ingredients

Add Coconut Milk, Coconut sugar or Palm Sugar, red curry paste, fish sauce. Squeeze lime juice. Stir gently and bring it to a quick boil.

Step 4: Add Cornstarch slurry

In a bowl combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water. Stir well and pour this into your sauce. Simmer until thickened.

Step 5: Add Shrimps

Add shrimps to the curry. Simmer for about a minute on low heat.

Step 6: Garnish and Serve

Garnish with crushed red pepper flakes and chopped Thai basil. Serve over a bed of fluffy jasmine rice.

What do I Serve this with

When it comes to serving a curry I generally serve it over a bed of Jasmine rice or basmati rice or Coconut rice. But, you can totally serve this with naan bread. If you're in a mood for something exotic then you can serve this with Thai Lemongrass Coconut Fried Rice.

Key Tips for Best Thai Shrimp Curry

• Overcrowding the pan - Make sure you do not overcrowd your pan while sautéing shrimps. Cook them in one layer. Once cooked, remove and then add the next batch.
• Overcooking Shrimps - Shrimp cooks fast. So, keep a close eye. Cook just until it turns opaque and light pink around the edges. Overcooked shrimps will become chewy.
• Coconut Oil - It is best if you use coconut oil. It has a sweet, nutty taste which makes your recipe, worth it.
• Lime Juice - Don't forget to squeeze in some lime juice to brighten up the flavors.
• Heat - If you want it spicier, you can add some chopped jalapenõs or serrano peppers as well.

What do I garnish this with?

It is best if you garnish your Thai Shrimp curry with fresh chopped Thai Basil. But if you cannot find that, then add regular Italian basil. You can also add chopped mint leaves.

I also like to add some crushed red pepper flakes on top before serving. Crushed red pepper flakes will make it mildly spicer and since there is coconut sugar It would be a good combination of mildly spicy and sweet. That's exactly how a Thai dish should taste like.

How to check doneness of Shrimps

I have learnt this after so many failed attempts. The thing is - Shrimp cook fast. And, therefore the only way to know that your shrimp is done is to see that they look opaque and lightly red or pinkish around the edges.

Do not overcook shrimps as it will become chewy.

Can I add shrimps directly to the sauce

Yes you can. If you don't want to sear your shrimps and want to add it directly in your sauce, you can do that as well.

But, make sure you cook your shrimps completely on low heat for 4-5 minutes.

Should I keep the tails on?

Keeping the tails or not keeping the tails is totally optional. It doesn't make much of a difference. If you don't like shrimp tails then just remove them before coating it in the marination.

And, if you like it then let them stay. I have kept the tails for photography purpose.

Can I replace Fish Sauce with Soy Sauce?

Yes, you can replace Fish Sauce with Dark/light Soy Sauce. Make sure you use low sodium Soy Sauce. Since Fish sauce is a result of the fermentation of small fishes like anchovies, it can be closely connected to Soy Sauce which is actually a fermentation of Soybeans. But, I highly recommend you to use fish sauce. I use red boat fish sauce since it is 100% natural.

Other Popular Shrimp Recipes

• Air Fryer Firecracker Shrimp
• Coconut Shrimps in Air fryer with Pineapple Chili Sauce
• Air Fryer Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple Salsa (just 10-minutes)
• Greek Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta Cheese
• Shrimp Fried Rice
• Shrimp Tacos with Mango Salsa
• Shrimp Fried Rice
• Creamy Garlic Shrimp Pasta
• Grilled Shrimp Skewers
• Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas
• 10-min Shrimp Scampi With Spaghetti
• Copycat Bonefish Grill Bang Bang Shrimp

If you are making this recipe, then please leave a rating below. Also, take a snap and share it on Instagram with #recipemagik. Tag me @recipemagik and let me know how this turned out.