This authentic Thai red curry paste is ready in minutes, made with chilies, lemongrass, galangal, and shrimp paste. Fresh, vibrant, freezer-friendly, and perfect for Thai curries. Much better than store bought.
If you love authentic Thai red curry, making your own curry paste at home is one of the best upgrades you can give your kitchen. Store-bought is fine for convenience, but homemade red curry paste is brighter, fresher, and way more customizable, especially when you like to bring the heat.
This version is loaded with fresh chilies, lemongrass, galangal, garlic, and bold Thai aromatics. It comes together quickly in a food processor, or you can go traditional and pound everything by hand with a mortar and pestle. Either way, the flavor is explosive and perfect for your favorite Thai curries, soups, stews, and stir-fries.
Let me show you how to make it at home.
What is Thai Red Curry Paste?
Thai red curry paste (prik gaeng phet) is a blend of fresh red chilies, garlic, aromatics, herbs, shrimp paste, and spices pounded into a thick, vibrant paste. It’s the backbone of Thai red curry sauces and countless other dishes.
The combination of chilies, lemongrass, galangal, shallots, garlic, and fermented shrimp paste delivers layers of heat, citrus, and deep umami.
Once you try homemade, it’s tough to go back.
Thai Red Curry Paste Ingredients
- Chili Peppers. Dried Thai peppers are best, but you can use any to you choice, fresh or dried – cayenne or red serrano are good substitutes. I prefer spicy peppers.
- Other Vegetables and Herbs. Shallot, garlic, galangal (ginger is an acceptable substitute), lemongrass, tomato paste, cilantro. I use many cloves of garlic for an extra garlic blast.
- Umami Elements. Fish sauce and shrimp paste (kapi).
- Seasonings. Chili powder, cumin, sugar, sea salt, black pepper, white pepper.
- Citrus. Makrut lime zest is ideal and traditional (aka kaffir lime). Use makrut lime leaves if needed. You can also use fresh lime juice, lime zest, or even lemon juice if you can't source the others.
How to Make Red Curry Paste - the Recipe Method
Prep the Aromatics. Trim your lemongrass, peel the galangal or ginger, remove chili stems, and roughly chop everything for easier blending.
Blend or Pound. Add everything to a food processor or blender and process until very smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
Process until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. You may need to run it through the processor a few times.
Traditional Method (Best Flavor). Use a mortar and pestle and pound the solid ingredients - chilies, aromatics, herbs, and spices - into a paste first. Add wet ingredients (fish sauce, shrimp paste, lime juice) last.
It takes longer, but the texture and flavor are unbelievable.
Taste and Adjust. Taste and adjust to your personal tastes. Need more salt? More lime juice? A pinch of sugar? Adjust as needed.
Strain the Red Curry Paste. Strain out excess liquid for a thicker curry paste, if desired, or use as-is.
Boom! Easy enough, isn't it? Making Thai red curry paste is quick and easy, and now you're ready to make some spicy curry. Time to get cooking! Make some easy curry sauce!
This recipe makes you about 1 cup of finished red curry paste, unstrained. I usually don't strain it and use it as-is. You can see how thick mine turns out.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Make It Spicier. Use fiery bird's eye chilies. You can add more chili powder or dried Thai chilies, or use hotter chilies, like habanero or ghost.
- Make It Milder. Use red jalapeños or Fresnos, or red bell pepper for a no-heat version.
- Make It Vegetarian. Replace the shrimp paste with miso or soy sauce. Use vegan fish sauce alternatives
How to Use Thai Chili Paste
This paste is the base of so many Thai dishes. Use it to make:
- Thai Shrimp Curry
- Butternut Squash Curry
- Coconut Curry Laksa
- Curry Meatballs
- Coconut Curry Chicken
- Easy Curried Rice
Pro Tip: For restaurant-quality curry, fry the paste in a splash of oil for 1-2 minutes before adding coconut milk. This “blooms” the aromatics and deepens the flavor.
Aside from curries, you can also use red curry paste for making quick and easy stir fries, like chicken stir fry or shrimp stir fry, and other Thai food. Swirl some into the pot to live up a soup or a stew. You really can use curry paste in so many ways.
Red Curry Paste Substitute
If you are unable to get all of the ingredients to make your own curry paste, you can use curry powder instead. Generally, use 1 teaspoon of curry powder for every tablespoon of curry paste in any given recipe. You can adjust to your flavor preferences from there.
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy my Thai red curry paste recipe. It's perfect for quick and easy weeknight meals of wonderful spicy curry to fill your belly. Let me know how you like it!
Storage Information
Store Thai Red Curry Paste in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 weeks. To maximize the storage life, make sure to refrigerate the paste promptly.
Freezing Curry Paste. Spoon into ice cube trays and freeze. Transfer cubes to a freezer-safe bag. Keeps up to 3 months without losing flavor.
1 cube ≈ 1 tablespoon.
This makes weeknight curries ridiculously easy. I love making large batches to freeze so I can use them anytime.
Thai Red Curry Paste FAQs
Is red curry paste very spicy?
It can be mild to hot depending on which chilies you use. You control the heat.
Can I make this without shrimp paste?
Yes. Miso, soy sauce, or fermented bean paste make great substitutes, though the flavor will be slightly different.
How much curry paste should I use?
Start with 1-2 tablespoons per curry, then adjust to taste. I usually use a little more for big flavor.
What’s the difference between red curry paste and Panang curry paste?
Panang Curry Paste (Prik Gaeng Panang) is richer and sweeter, often includes peanuts, and is less chili-forward. Red curry paste is brighter and more aromatic.
Can I use this in place of store-bought?
Absolutely. Use the same amount the recipe calls for, usually a tablespoon or two.
Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Thai Red Curry Paste Recipe
Ingredients
- 6-8 dried red chilies, stems and seeds removed (about 1 ounce) (OR use 4 ounces fresh chilies - Thai red chilies are best; serrano, Fresno, cayenne, or red jalapeño for milder heat. Add a bit of red bell pepper for an even milder paste.)
- 1 medium shallot chopped
- 4-6 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped galangal chopped (or fresh ginger if unavailable)
- 1 stalk lemongrass tender inner part only, thinly sliced (or 1 tablespoon lemongrass paste)
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro roots or stems
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon shrimp paste (kapi)
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil (optional but helps blending)
- 1-2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 teaspoon makrut lime zest (or use 1 teaspoon regular lime zest, or 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice)
Instructions
- Add the dried chilies to a small bowl and cover with hot water. Let steep for 20 minutes to rehydrate and soften. Drain and add to a food processor or blender.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the blender. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Alternatively (more authentic), you can grind down the solid ingredients and spices in a mortar and pestle, then slowly add in the liquid ingredients as you mix. Mix until a paste forms to your preferred consistency.
- Taste and adjust to your personal tastes. Need more salt? More lime? A pinch of sugar? Adjust as needed.
- Strain out excess liquid, if desired, or use as-is.
Notes
Heat Factor: Mild-Medium. You can easily up the heat level by using hotter chili peppers, or adding either spicy chili flakes or powders.
Nutrition Information
NOTE: This recipe was updated on 11/26/25 to include new information and photos. It was originally published on 2/10/20.
Diane Boyer says
Easy and wonderful recipe. I used Arbol peppers and skipped the fish sauce and shrimp paste. After making this I saw the post to use lemon juice and fresh parsley for subbing the lemon grass. I will have to try that next time. Thanks for sharing your recipes.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks for sharing, Diane! Glad to help!
Katie Quinn says
Two questions:
Do you have a substitute for shrimp paste? Omit or maybe extra fish sauce? We have an awesome Asian market with everything we could dream of, but it is just far enough away that we only go when we have a larger shopping list (or that our half gallon tub of gochjuang is running low lol). Does not always fit with my impulsive cooking needs!
Do you have a go-to shrimp paste brand? Our market usually has 5+ brands of everything and I figured there was a chance that not all products are created equal.
Mike Hultquist says
Katie, I don't have a particular brand to recommend. As a substitute, you can use a bit more fish sauce with a little more gochujang or miso paste to thicken. Other fish or anchovy pastes can work, though not as common laying around. I hope this helps.
Sian says
I live in Spain and I can buy this although it’s extremely expensive. I had a go at your recipe and froze it in my ice cube tray in teaspoon sizes and it works like a dream so I will be continuing to use your recipe. Thank you so much for making the effort to share this. Just love it!
Mike Hultquist says
Excellent to hear, Sian! Yes, definitely save some $$$! I love it. Enjoy!
Manfred Koptisch says
Absolutely fantastic! I will never buy any curry paste in shop.
Thanks for all those lovely recipes, Mike! I tried quite a bunch of them and they all turned out great.
Greetings from Bavaria
Fred
Lakshmi says
Can I substitute fish sauce and shrimp sauce with something to make a vegetarian version?
Mike Hultquist says
Lakshmi, yes, you can use soy sauce or other source of umami, like aminos or mushroom powder.
Alex says
Mike, I make your curry paste to use in coconut curry, and it turned out amazing! Thanks for making a recipe that is practical and convenient with ingredients that are not crazy hard to find or has a billion steps like some other red curry recipes I saw!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks so much, Alex! Glad you enjoyed it! Definitely a favorite here. I appreciate your comments!
Richard Parks says
Mike;
I hate to sound like a dummy but in the recipe you call for chili powder, do you mean the kind you use for chilli or like ancho powder or something like that. I make my own chilli powder so I have all kinds of dried chillies.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Richard, there are many options to choose from. You can use a typical American chili powder blend if you'd like, or just use something like cayenne for spicier or paprika for milder, or your favorite.
Gary Finch says
Hi Mike....do you think rehydrating dried chillies would be an acceptable substitute? winter over here at the moment so i'd prefer to use my home dried peppers rather than purchase imported exotics - i've also got some that i froze - am thinking 'lemonella' habaneros would add a bit more citrus?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Gary, absolutely. You can use dried peppers without issue, and actually, many people use dried over fresh. You can toast them first for more flavor. Simply grind them with the wet ingredients to make the paste, or rehydrate them in very hot water, then squeeze out excess moisture and grind them together with the other ingredients. Let me know how it turns out for you. This would be GREAT with your habaneros.
Gary Finch says
Hi Mike, i ended up using 4 frozen red devils and a fatali chilli - i omitted the chilli powder as it wasn't needed - makes a really nice thai sauce
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Sounds GREAT, Gary! Nice and spicy for sure!
Lori Higgons says
I would love to make this but finding some of the ingredients for it is impossible at my local grocery stores. I don't have a car, so I am limited to 2 stores that have delivery. I do have a question about the peppers.... can red Anaheim peppers be used instead? THOSE and jalapenos are readily available at the store. I have never seen shrimp paste or lemongrass paste.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Lori, yes, you can use red anaheim peppers and also jalapeno peppers, no problem. Instead of lemongrass, try a bit of lemon juice along with some lemon zest and fresh parsley. Instead of shrimp paste, you can try a bit of soy sauce. Won't really be the same, but will still give good flavor. Let me know how it turns out for you.