Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp Recipe | foodiecrush.com (2024)

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Coconut milk flavored with peanut butter and red curry paste makes a classic Thai-inspired, creamy sauce. When tossed with shrimp and bell peppers, it makes for an easy dinner!

I feel that I’ve led you astray. That I didn’t deliver. That I was just being a big tease.

Actually, there was a plethora of you who said that’s exactly what I was when you e-mailed me in droves asking where the recipe was for the photo of this dish in my Friday Faves because I hadn’t shared the recipe.

You’re right. I owe you this coconut curry shrimp recipe. So I’m delivering it in two different versions: the original from a cereal cooking challenge I was part of and another minus the cereal for those of you looking for a simpler option.

This recipe was my divine inspiration when I was put on the spot for a cooking challenge at General Mills HQ. We were tasked to create recipes using a General Mills cereal, ANY cereal. And that’s a lot of cereals!

I channeled my main man in the kitchen (my husband) and used Reese’s Puffs to create a Thai-flavored dish, grinding Reese’s Puffs and coating shrimp to make a peanut-y crust.

To recreate the recipe, I went to the store to buy the cereal and came home with…Cocoa Puffs, not Reese’s Puffs. So, instead of making yet another trip to the store, I’m giving you the stripped-down version as well, minus the Reese’s Puffs coating.

What’s in This Thai Shrimp Curry?

Here’s what you’ll need to make my take on Thai shrimp curry:

  • Jumbo shrimp
  • Vegetable oil
  • Garlic
  • Kosher salt
  • Red chili flakes
  • Onion
  • Bell pepper
  • Coconut milk
  • Thai red curry paste
  • Fish sauce
  • Peanut butter
  • Lime juice
  • Ground ginger
  • Brown sugar
  • Basil
  • Cilantro
  • Green onion

How to Make Coconut Curry Shrimp

First up, peel and devein the shrimp (but leave the tails on). Then, toss the shrimp with a little oil, garlic, kosher salt, and red chili flakes. Let the shrimp marinate for 10 minutes.

Cook the onion and peppers in a hot skillet until softened, then transfer them to a bowl. Working in batches, cook the shrimp in the skillet and then place it in a separate bowl.

Next, make the coconut shrimp sauce. The creamy sauce is amped up by combining coconut milk with salty fish sauce and lime juice, plus peanut butter, red curry paste, brown sugar, and ground ginger. Don’t be afraid of fish sauce. It sounds odd but lends a distinctly Thai flavor to the dish. My husband read somewhere Red Boat is a highly-rated fish sauce, and is 100% natural, so it’s the one we buy now.

Add the cooked onion and peppers back into the skillet and pour in the coconut milk mixture. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook until reduced by half. Add the shrimp to the skillet with the basil and cilantro and toss to coat.

When serving this coconut curry shrimp, it’s all about the garnish. Cilantro leaves, fresh basil, sliced red jalapeño, chopped green onion, and a squeeze of lime simply enhance this dish in my opinion. And if you’re using the Reese’s Puffs, a few tablespoons of crushed puffs adds a peanut buttery crunch.

Can I Add in Extra Veggies?

Of course! Feel free to swap out one of the bell peppers for another favorite veggie.

What Type of Coconut Milk Should I Use?

You should use canned unsweetened, full-fat coconut milk. If using low-fat coconut milk, the sauce will be thinner and has a tendency to break.

How to Make Coconut Milk Shrimp with Cereal

If you’d like to try the version with the cereal-crusted shrimp, simply grind 1 cup of Reese’s Puffs in a food processor. Marinate the shrimp for 15 minutes, roll in the crushed cereal, and sauté in the skillet.

You will need to wipe the pan out after each batch and may need a little extra oil as well.

It’s a pretty tasty crunch, if I do say so myself. (Pat on back…)

Tips for Making Coconut Curry Shrimp

PLEASE TAKE NOTE! There have been some comments that the dish is too salty. I believe this is from using a lesser quality fish sauce, which will lend a saltier taste. Please use a high-quality fish sauce like the one I recommend, or add just 4 tablespoons of sauce and then taste it, and add more to your liking.

Use fresh or dried ginger in this dish. I’ve used both. If using fresh, use 1 ½ tablespoons minced ginger and cook it with the peppers and onions and omit the dried ginger from the coconut milk mixture.

I like Key West Pink Shrimp in my shrimp dishes. In my opinion, they’re sweeter and more flavorful than striped or tiger shrimp that are typically farmed. I find the wild caught Key West Shrimpsin the freezer section at my local Kroger (under the Private Selection brand).

Keep the tails. I like to leave the tails on my shrimp for presentation’s sake, but if you want to, feel free to remove the tails from the get-go.

Serve over brown rice for another layer of nutty flavor. If you’re a white rice kind of eater, go for it. Cellophane or rice noodles would be really good underneath too, or spiralize a few zucchini noodles to keep the veg-love flowing.

More Thai-Inspired Recipes You’ll Love

  • Thai Quinoa Salad
  • Thai Chicken and Cucumber Salad
  • Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Soup
  • Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Krapow Gai)
  • Thai Coconut Chicken and Rice
  • Thai Coconut Noodle Salad

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Bookmark this recipe and leave a comment below, or take a photo andtag me onInstagramwith #foodiecrusheats.

Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp Recipe | foodiecrush.com (8)

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4.27 from 421 votes

Shrimp In Thai Coconut Curry Sauce

Coconut milk flavored with peanut butter and red curry paste makes a classic Thai-inspired, creamy sauce. When tossed with shrimp and bell peppers it makes for an easy dinner!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Thai

Keyword shrimp

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 438kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 pound jumbo shrimp , peeled and deveined, tail on
  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil , divided
  • 2 cloves garlic , minced or pressed
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
  • ½ onion , peeled and sliced
  • ½ red bell pepper , seeded and sliced
  • ½ orange bell pepper , seeded and sliced
  • ½ yellow bell pepper , seeded and sliced
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 4-6 tablespoons high quality fish sauce , start with 4 tablespoons and add more to taste
  • 2 tablespoons peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons red curry paste
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice , about ½ large lime, juiced
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 2 tablespoons basil leaves , chopped
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro , chopped
  • 1 green onion , chopped
  • Red jalapeno pepper , thinly sliced (optional)

Instructions

  • Place the shrimp in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of the oil, garlic, kosher salt and red chili flakes. Toss to coat and let marinate for 10 minutes.

  • Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium high heat with 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the onion and peppers and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer the peppers and onion to a bowl.

  • Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet and cook half of the shrimp for 2 minutes, then flip and cook for another 2 minutes or until opaque. Transfer the shrimp to a plate. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and cook the remaining shrimp then add to the other shrimp.

  • In another bowl or 4-cup measuring cup mix the coconut milk, fish sauce, peanut butter, red curry paste, lime juice, brown sugar and ground ginger and stir well.

  • Transfer the cooked onion and peppers to the skillet and pour the coconut milk mixture of the peppers. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.

  • Add the shrimp to the skillet with the basil and cilantro and toss to coat. Serve over rice or noodles. Garnish with more cilantro and basil, chopped green onion and sliced red jalapeño of desired.

Notes

I like to leave the tails on the shrimp for presentation's sake, but if you want to, feel free to remove the tails from the get-go.

Nutrition

Calories: 438kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Cholesterol: 286mg | Sodium: 1077mg | Potassium: 395mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2276IU | Vitamin C: 75mg | Calcium: 192mg | Iron: 5mg

More Easy Shrimp Recipes to Try

  • Shrimp Scampi Pasta
  • Grilled Shrimp Vietnamese Spring Rolls
  • Peel ‘n’ Eat Beer Steamed Shrimp
  • Saucy Greek Baked Shrimp
  • Shrimp Tacos with Garlic Avocado Crema

Thanks for stopping by and checking out the recipe. I hope it inspires you to get in the kitchen and cook something good.

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Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp Recipe | foodiecrush.com (2024)

FAQs

Which Thai curry is best for seafood? ›

Yellow curry is often found with chicken or lamb as the protein although it can also be used with seafood. Most of its flavor and color comes from the spice turmeric. You will also be able to taste lemongrass, garlic, and chiles in yellow curry.

Does Thai curry use coconut milk or coconut cream? ›

The majority of Thai curries are made with coconut milk as the main liquid, which produces creamier curries, but they're not necessarily “rich.” The amount of coconut milk can vary by quite a lot, depending on the texture one is looking for: massaman curry, for example, is quite rich because it uses coconut milk and is ...

How to enhance Thai curry flavor? ›

You can skim the fat off the coconut milk, then 'split' it to fry the paste in; this enhances the flavour and gives the curry an authentic glossy finish. Caramelising the sugar element of the sauce will also deepen the sweetness.

How much Thai curry paste per can of coconut milk? ›

Curry sauce ingredients
  1. 2 tbs. curry paste.
  2. 1 14 to 16 oz. can of coconut milk.
  3. 1.5 cups of vegetable broth / chicken stock.
  4. 1 tbs. of sweetener (e.g., brown sugar)
  5. 2 tbs. of fish sauce (can be purchased in most grocery stores in the Asian section, or of course Amazon)
Mar 29, 2012

How do Thai restaurants make curry so creamy? ›

Often, Thai curries are made using coconut milk as the main liquid, which results in a creamy consistency. You can use as much or as little coconut milk as you wish based on your preference for texture, spice, and flavor.

What makes restaurant Thai curry so good? ›

An interesting characteristic of Thai curries is that they are made of fresh ingredients only. Contrary to the Indian cooking, Thai restaurant prefers to use fresh herbs and spices to make the curry dishes, including fresh chillies and roots.

What is the most popular Thai curry? ›

Green curry is considered the most popular curry. With coconut milk as one of the main ingredients, there is a hint of sweet flavoring as well. Because the green curry paste is made with green chilis, it is far hotter than other curries.

What is the difference between Indian coconut curry and Thai coconut curry? ›

Thai curries have a brighter flavor and soupier consistency, because they use lots of fresh herbs and are cooked for less time than Indian curries. It's worth your time stocking up on some of the unique ingredients — you can freeze herbs like lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves for multiple future uses.

Why is my Thai curry so watery? ›

First you can make your curry thick by adding as little liquid as possible. Secondly if you already have a lot of liquid in your curry, you reduce it by simmering. You may have to remove dry ingredients and set them aside to be added back later as some of them can be overcooked if not removed.

What thickens a Thai curry? ›

Cornflour

Ideal for Chinese sauces or Thai curries but can also be used for Indian curries. Add one tablespoon of cornflour to two or three tablespoons of cold water and stir. Pour the mixture into the sauce and allow to simmer until the sauce begins to thicken.

How do you add depth to Thai curry? ›

3) Season your paste with fish sauce and palm sugar to develop depth of flavor. Both fish sauce and palm sugar need a few minutes of heat to fully incorporate into the curry. The fish sauce needs to "cook" to mellow the fishy aroma, and the palm sugar needs heat to melt. 4) Stir fry raw meat in the paste for 2 minutes.

Do you need to fry Thai curry paste? ›

You can, but most curry recipes instruct you to sauté the paste to bloom the herbs and spices in fat as the first step, and if you use a watery paste, you'll be boiling it for a while before it actually starts to fry.

Do you put curry paste before or after coconut milk? ›

You should fry the paste briefly in the pan until you can smell all the flavours, then add the coconut milk. If you're using chicken or something, fry that in the paste before adding the coconut milk. Then add things like lime leaves or sliced chilli or bamboo shoots while it's simmering.

Should I use canned coconut milk for curry? ›

Certainly! Coconut milk curries are rich and flavorful, and they pair well with a variety of side dishes and accompaniments.

Are you supposed to put rice in Thai curry? ›

Basically, it's depend on individual preference and the places you eat. At most street food shops, curry is put over rice as is usually we eat at home. If you order curry together with say fried egg or fish, each will be placed on either side so not to mix them.

Is red or green Thai curry better? ›

Green Curry: How They're Different. While the dish's spiciness can vary based on the chef, typically, red curry is hotter than green. Red curry tends to be more versatile, while green is more unique in its flavors.

What's the difference between massaman and panang curry? ›

Massaman has much more complex in flavour and includes ingredients like mace (outer covering of nutmeg), cinnamon, clove and cardamon. These additional ingredients make this dish towards Malaysian and Indian flavours. Panang Thai curry is basically Red Thai curry's sister, just a sweeter and milder version!

Which Thai curry is the tastiest? ›

5 Mouth Watering Thai Curries That'll Leave You Wanting More
  • Green Curry. This Green Curry is one of the best Thai curries if you like hot, spicy food. ...
  • Red Curry. Kaeng Phet is as spicy as they come, bursting with the flavor of both fresh and dried red chillis. ...
  • Yellow Curry. ...
  • Panang Curry. ...
  • Massaman Curry.
Mar 9, 2020

What is the difference between panang and yellow curry? ›

For example: yellow curry paste contains curry powder and turmeric, panang curry paste has cumin seeds and coriander seeds, massaman curry paste has a whole truckload of dry spices, and green curry paste uses fresh green chiles.

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