This quick and easy Thai shrimp curry recipe is loaded with flavor, made with spicy curry paste, creamy coconut milk and succulent shrimp. Serve it with rice or noodles. It's a perfect weeknight meal.
Easy Thai Shrimp Curry
Craving big, bold Thai flavors with a spicy seafood spin? This Thai Shrimp Curry is going straight to the top of your favorites list.
We're talking plump, juicy shrimp simmered in a rich coconut curry sauce that’s loaded with my homemade yellow curry paste, a touch of sweet palm or brown sugar, and a savory punch of fish sauce.
It’s easy to make, super satisfying, and exactly the kind of heat we live for here at Chili Pepper Madness.
Let's talk about how to make Thai shrimp curry, shall we?
What You'll Love About This Dish
- Flavor Explosion! It’s the perfect balance of creamy, savory, sweet, and spicy, all in one bowl.
- Easy to Make! It's quick to prep and cooks up fast. This dish will hit the table in 30 minutes or less.
- Customizable. It's easy to swap proteins, add veggies, or dial the heat up or down as you wish to please the whole family.
Thai Shrimp Curry Ingredients and Substitutions
- Shrimp. Or prawns. This recipe also works with chopped fish.
- Fish Sauce. Use a mix of soy sauce and lime juice as a sub.
- Coconut Milk. Full-fat coconut milk is best. As a sub, use heavy cream for richness. For coconut flavor, try 1/4 teaspoon coconut extract or shaved coconut, though texture can be affected.
- Yellow Curry Paste. Sub in Thai red curry paste if needed.
- Diced Tomato. Fresh or canned can be used.
- Palm Sugar. Brown sugar is a good substitute.
- For Serving. Fresh chopped cilantro or parsley, spicy chili flakes, cooked jasmine rice.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Seasonings. To spice it up even more, add a teaspoon or more of extra curry powder or other spicy chili powder, like cayenne or even ghost pepper flakes. You can also stir in spicy chili peppers - just cook them in the pan with a bit of olive oil then set them aside before starting the recipe. Tuck them in to simmer with the shrimp.
- Homemade Yellow Curry Paste is Best. Store bought curry paste is good, but I encourage you to make your own curry paste at home. You'll achieve far superior flavor this way. See my homemade yellow curry paste recipe, which is loaded with the flavors of fresh lemongrass, garlic, ginger, chilies, shallot, lemon, and a vibrant blend of curry spices.
How to Make Thai Shrimp Curry - the Recipe Overview
Marinate the shrimp with fish sauce and salt and pepper and set aside.
Simmer the coconut milk in a large pan over medium heat until the oil starts to separate from the white cream portion, about 10 minutes, then add the curry paste.
Simmer to thicken, then add diced tomatoes, fish sauce, and sugar. Simmer, then add the shrimp and simmer to cook them through.
Boom! Done! That's how to make homemade Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp. I hope you enjoy it!
Serving Thai Shrimp Curry
Serve the coconut shrimp curry with white rice and garnish with chopped herbs and chili flakes, if desired. Lime wedges are great here, too. It's nice with a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
I prefer Jasmine rice or other long-grain rice. It's also delicious with noodles.
Recipe Variations
- Make it with Chicken or Other Proteins. Chicken is a great substitute. Just simmer longer to cook it through. You can also use other seafood or tofu.
- Add Veggies. You can easily toss if your favorites like snap peas, sliced bell peppers, mushrooms, or others.
- Additional Ingredients. Other flavors you might consider including are fresh ginger, brown sugar (instead of palm sugar), mild red peppers (red bell peppers), snow peas, or chicken broth for thinning.
Storage & Leftovers
Store any leftover curry in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in a sealed container. You can reheat it in a pot on the stove top or gently in the microwave.
You can also freeze curry for 3 months or longer in freezer containers.
Looking for More Curry Recipes?
- If coconut flavor is what you'll love, try my Thai Curry Chicken Soup, Coconut Chicken Curry, or this Northern Thai Coconut Curry Soup (Khao Soi). You also can't mix the famous Thai Panang Curry.
- This Chicken Korma is marinated in a homemade korma paste with yogurt and simmered with cream. It's mild in heat, but big on flavor, it's a spicy food lover's dream.
- You will love my Tom Yum Soup Recipe, which is a Thai hot and sour soup.
- Looking for quick and easy curries? Try my Easy Chickpea Curry or these simple but satisfying Thai inspired Red Curry or Green Curry dishes.
- See all of my Curry 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 Shrimp Curry Recipe
Ingredients
FOR THE SHRIMP
- 1.5 pounds shrimp peeled and deveined
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
FOR THE CURRY
- 2 cups coconut milk
- 5 tablespoons yellow curry paste see my yellow curry paste recipe
- 2 cups diced tomatoes or use a 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce + more to finish
- 1 tablespoon palm sugar + more to taste
- FOR SERVING: Fresh chopped cilantro or Thai basil, lime juice, spicy chili flakes, cooked jasmine rice
Instructions
- Toss the shrimp with the fish sauce and a bit of salt and pepper. Set aside to marinate for 10 minutes, covered. Start the curry while the shrimp is marinating.
- For the curry, heat the coconut milk in a large pan over medium heat about 10 minutes. The coconut oil should start to separate from the white creamy portion. (If this does not occur, simply proceed with the recipe).
- Add the curry paste and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for 3-4 minutes, stirring, to cook the paste and thicken up the sauce.
- Add the diced tomatoes, fish sauce and palm sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes to let the flavors develop.
- Add the shrimp and accumulated marinade and cook 2-3 minutes, or until the shrimp is cooked through.
- Taste and adjust with fish sauce and palm sugar to your tastes.
- Serve over white rice with a squeeze of lime and garnish with chopped herbs and chili flakes, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition Information
NOTE: This recipe was updated on 6/25/25 to include new information and photos. It was originally published on 10/25/19.
Kevin Bail says
I made this right after it was published. Outstanding! Tasted like a restaurant dish. Not too spicy as my wife doesn't like too many stars but delicious with deep flavors! Thanks, Mike!
Mike H. says
I appreciate it, Kevin. Happy that you like it!
RMB says
Delicious and really simple and quick. I didn't change any ingredients. What I did in addition though is saute the shrimp shells in 1 tbs of vegetable oil until they turned pink, then added 1/4 cup of water, and then the coconut milk. I strained the coconut milk before I added the tomatoes. I don't know how much additional flavor that may have added, but the recipe is perfect and delicious.
Mike H. says
Super happy to hear it, RMB. Enjoy the recipe!
Ed Moder says
I made this today for lunch. Jaidyn drove over today. She has her new 16 year-old's driver's license. She liked it so it was a big hit with us.
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Great recipe!
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Mike Hultquist says
Great to hear! I'm glad Jaidyn liked it, too. I guess it wasn't TOO spicy this time! Haha. I can't believe she's driving already.
Bridget says
Made this tonight and got rave reviews! I only used half the curry paste and it was just right. It had a good bite but didn’t set my tongue on fire. I will definitely make again and may add some veggies next time.
Mike Hultquist says
Boom! Glad you enjoyed it, Bridget! Nice! Thanks for sharing. =)
Ed Moder says
Since Connie cut the grass yesterday, I made dinner. I made this all by myself. Connie made a few comments from the living room and answered a few questions, but never came into the kitchen. UNTIL This morning when I got up and found out that she had to clean up my mess on the stove. So I didn't finish the job. We had coconut milk and jasmine rice but I had to use green curry paste since we didn't have any yellow. Plus I put 12 ounces of scallops with 16 ounces of shrimp.
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We really liked this dish. Five stars for sure!
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Mike Hultquist says
Excellent! Glad you enjoyed it, Ed! All that cooking practice is coming into great use. =)
Ed Moder says
I definitely put too much salt in this, so when eating leftovers, I suggested to Connie that we dilute it with something and she decided to use heavy cream. Also, we had an egg that was broken so I suggested she add that too. Of course one egg is nothing so she used 3.
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WOW! It was awesome! Thanks for the recipe even if we doctored it.
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Mike Hultquist says
Nice! Great way to dilute the salt, Ed. I'm sure the cream worked nicely with the coconut milk, and eggs? Why not? They're always welcomed in stir fries. Great doctoring. Glad you enjoyed it. =)
Kathy says
What is the brand of the fish sauce you use?
Mike Hultquist says
I usually pick up different brands when I visit my local Asian market. Right now I'm using "Healthy Boy Brand".
Cindy McKusker says
Made this last night for the first time, but it won’t be the last! Followed your recipe with the addition of some red pepper flakes and parsley. Delicious - thanks for sharing!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Nice! Glad you enjoyed it, Cindy!
High Yield Analyst says
Hey Kathy ... good observation about fish sauce ... 🙂 ... they all smell a little stinky to me too! ... 🙂 ... However, after cooking many, many Thai recipes they seem to work out well in most Thai finished menu items ... give fish sauce a good try and if you still don't like the overall flavor, then eliminate ... that is our luxury in being the chef of our own kitchen! ... 🙂 ... good luck!
Kathy says
Thanks on your opinion on the fish sauce. I guess I’ll try a couple of brands to see the difference in smell and overall menus results.
Jazz says
Super yummy!! I played around with amounts a bit, just for convenience, but it was still delish!
Since shrimp I buy comes in 2 lb bags, I increased the amount of shrimp in the recipe from 1.5 pounds to 2 pounds.
I used 2 cans (10 oz each) of Rotel for the tomatoes, and replaced 2 C coconut milk with 1 can (14 oz) of coconut cream plus 1 can (13.5 oz) of coconut milk.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Perfect, Jazz! I love it!
Kathy says
Could you suggest a good fish sauce? They all smell really fishy. I need to know of a quality one. Thank you
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Kathy, I usually can get the Thai Kitchen Fish Sauce from my local grocer, but there are some highly rated fish sauces at Amazon.