Coconut milk flavored with peanut butter makes a classic Thai-inspired, creamy sauce for bell peppers and sautéed shrimp for an easy dinner any night of the week.
I feel that I’ve led you astray. That I didn’t deliver. That I was just a being a big tease.
Actually, there were 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 without sharing the recipe.
You’re right. I owe you this recipe. And I’m delivering it in two different versions, one that was the original from a cereal cooking challenge I was part of and the other version minus the cereal for those of you looking for a simpler version.
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 version by grinding the Reese’s Puffs and coating the shrimp in them then cooking for 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.
About the Recipe
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. After allowing the shrimp to marinade for about 15 minutes, roll the shrimp 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…)
The creamy sauce is then amped up by combining coconut milk with salty fish sauce and lime juice. 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.
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.
You can use fresh or dried ginger in this dish. I’ve used both. If using fresh, use 1 1/2 tablespoons minced ginger and cook it with the peppers and onions and omit the dried ginger from the coconut milk mixture.
I always use 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 Shrimps in the freezer section at my local Kroger (under the Private Selection brand).
I like to leave the tails on this dish for presentations sake, but if you want to, feel free to remove the tails from the get go.
Like many dishes, for me it’s all about the garnish. Cilantro leaves, fresh basil, sliced red jalapeño, chopped green onion and a squeeze of lime simply enhances 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.
I serve this dish over brown rice for another layer of nutty flavor. If you’re a white rice kinda 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.
If you try this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Shrimp In Thai Coconut Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pound jumbo shrimp shell and tail on
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil divided
- 2 gloves garlic minced or pressed
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
- 1/2 onion peeled and sliced
- 1/2 red bell pepper seeded and sliced
- 1/2 orange bell pepper seeded and sliced
- 1/2 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 lime juice about 1/2 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
-
Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails on. Place the shrimp in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of the oil, garlic, kosher salt and red chili flakes. Toss to coat and let marinade for 10 minutes.
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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 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.
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In another bowl or 4 cup measuring cup mix the coconut milk, fish sauce, peanut butter, 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.
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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Christie Finch says
February 15, 2016 at 6:21 amWhen I see shrimps and lime, I immediately think of summer freshness and mohito cocktails. I love your recipe! And longing for the hot summer, too.
heidi says
February 15, 2016 at 8:30 amNow you are talking! I have a Champagne Mojito recipe on the blog I need to make again to ring in spring.
Phi @ The Sweetphi Blog says
February 15, 2016 at 6:29 amOMG this looks so incredible. I have a new obsession with shrimp, and as I’m typing this, I have another window open ordering groceries to make this recipe!!
heidi says
February 15, 2016 at 8:29 amThat’s a smart idea for meal planning, ordering online! What service do you use?
Heather says
February 15, 2016 at 6:44 amThis looks too amazing! I will definitely be surprising the gang with your shrimp recipes. Thanks! : )
heidi says
February 15, 2016 at 8:31 amThank you! It’s a favorite for the whole family, just gauge your spicy level by adding more or less chile flakes.
Audry says
February 15, 2016 at 9:15 amI see two versions of this recipe in the pictures, right? One has the crusted puffs and one doesn’t? Just making sure. The one directly above this comment section doesn’t have the crust? Is that right? which way would you suggest to try on my first attempt?
heidi says
February 16, 2016 at 8:38 amHi Audry, yes! You are correct. The photo with the darker shrimp is the one with the Reese’s Puffs crusted shrimp. My tip if you want to try this version is to marinate the shrimp as in the other recipe but then dredge the shrimp in the crushed puffs right before frying so the puff coating stays crispy and don’t get soggy. You know, the Puffs version is kind of fun for a first timer, I just wanted to give both versions as options. Let me know how it goes!!
Laura (A Beautiful Plate) says
February 15, 2016 at 10:30 amThis looks delicious!!! As always! :)
Lauren Gaskill | Making Life Sweet says
February 15, 2016 at 2:50 pmI would have never thought to incorporate Reese’s cereal into a Thai dish for a peanut flavor! How unique! Love this version, too. :)
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
February 15, 2016 at 8:49 pmI’m so glad you posted the recipe because I can’t wait to give this a try – that cereal crust is brilliant!
Arthur in the Garden! says
February 16, 2016 at 11:32 amFunny because I just made vegetables in a Thai red curry and coconut milk sauce!
Kari says
February 17, 2016 at 12:27 pmMy favorite part about this post is that you used Reese’s Puffs. So clever!!!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
Eileen says
February 18, 2016 at 7:01 amDo you use sweetened or regular coconut milk?
heidi says
February 19, 2016 at 2:32 pmHi Eileen, I use regular coconut milk and find that full fat works best.
Kathy says
February 19, 2016 at 4:17 pmNot that I am a cooking expert, but do watch food network and heard the small red pepper you referred to a red jalapeño as a Thai chilling pepper by Giada when she was making Thai food. This is by no means a criticism, just something I learned myself! I love this recipe! Thank you for sharing!
heidi says
February 21, 2016 at 6:49 pmThanks Kathy. Actually, this is a red jalapeño. A Thai chili pepper is more slender, similar to a serrano. I love them, but they ARE spicy!
smwinkfo says
February 19, 2016 at 6:51 pmI really like the looks of this recipe – right up my alley. The only thing I’m wondering about is the fish sauce. I usually measure the amount I put into a recipe in drops! Thanks.
heidi says
February 21, 2016 at 6:48 pmHey Scott. Fish sauce really isn’t THAT strong, but if you feel like it would be too much for your taste buds, start out with less, taste, and add to your liking.
Sharon says
February 24, 2016 at 10:57 amHeidi,
I don’t care for peanut butter, almond butter, those types of ingredients. If I omit the peanut butter in this recipe would I want to replace it with something else in order to get the proper consistency?
BTW, I also order my groceries online and it’s a great way to control my cost and get the ingredients I need. I build my grocery list online throughout the month and then go to my “notes” app and list the dishes I want to make and the ingredients I’m targeting to use for each of them, including anything currently in my freezer, so that I don’t forget why I ordered things. I order monthly from Peapod.
Jess says
March 14, 2016 at 5:25 pmHi Sharon,
I’m allergic to peanuts so I used plain Greek yogurt instead. It didn’t have that pretty curry color that the peanut butter would provide but it still has great flavor! If any one, or Heidi, has another suggestion for a substitute for peanut butter, I welcome them!
heidi says
March 16, 2016 at 6:56 amYou could always try almond butter and see how it turns out.
Jennifer says
April 14, 2016 at 3:58 amPerhaps you could mix your greek yogurt with a bit of numeric to stay in the same flavor palate, but would give it the color you want.
Jennifer says
April 14, 2016 at 3:58 amThat should have said numeric…!
mary says
January 11, 2019 at 2:55 pmdo u mean turmeric
Joan says
February 28, 2016 at 8:37 pmWe love Thai and we were really looking forward to this dish. It came together nicely but when we took tha first bite it was far too salty. I added no salt to this recipe so it must have been the fish sauce. 6 tablespoons is far too much. I would half that…or maybe even less. So disappointed because the texture was good. The spice from the chili pepper flakes was just right and the peanut flavor could have been very nice but the saltiness overshadowed everything. My husband picked the shrimp out and dumped the rest. Very disappointed.
heidi says
March 1, 2016 at 9:50 pmSorry you didn’t like the balance Joan. I made this twice and the flavor for me was spot on so I’m not sure what went wrong for you. Perhaps it was the quality of the fish sauce. It’s key to buy a really good fish sauce like the one I recommend above. Lower quality fish sauce could taste saltier.
Joan says
March 5, 2016 at 11:21 amMaybe we are just super salt sensitive. We will definitely try it again…either with a different fish sauce and/or only a few drops. Loved everything else about it though.
Pam says
April 24, 2016 at 5:59 pmI made this tonight and reduced the fish sauce and it was still very salty, way more than we care for. I add some Thai sweet chili sauce, more peanut butter and coconut milk but still was much too salty for our tastes. I would start with 1 Tbsp fish sauce and that would be plenty.
Wendy says
June 20, 2016 at 4:36 pmI made it and had to dump half the sauce, add another can of coconut milk and tons of honey and it was still way too salty. Think it should be teaspoon not tablespoons
Faye says
May 8, 2016 at 10:46 amShould always taste your food as your cooking through out, never in the end.
Stephanie says
March 3, 2016 at 9:57 amThis was the best recipe I’ve tried all year! I thought I had vegetable oil and then ended up not, so we substituted melted butter and WOW. We also threw some bean sprout in with the basil and cilantro. This dish couldn’t get any better. Thank you for the easy and fun recipe! Hopefully you have some more coming using that fish sauce, since I don’t know what else to do with it! :)
Jason says
March 3, 2016 at 8:38 pmI made this. It came out delicious! I think next time I might go with a little less fish sauce (but that’s just a personal preference thing, not a problem with the recipe).
Anyway, it was good! Thank you!!
TRay says
March 4, 2016 at 1:11 pmI adored this recipe!! I actually used crunchy peanut butter and loved that there was small bits of peanut in the dish as it gave it a more authentic Pad Thai feel. I also tried it on a bed of couscous and it worked very nicely.
Samira says
March 9, 2016 at 9:03 amHi Heidi!
I tried this last night and LOVED it. It all came together so nicely, including the 6 tbsp. of fish sauce. My extremely picky husband loved it too and we were not talking much as we gobbled the shrimps up. I am so glad I stumbled across your website! Thank you for this.
maayan says
March 12, 2016 at 8:04 amMade it now amazing recepie. Full of flavour…so happy
Becky Staple says
March 12, 2016 at 12:52 pmThis looks great! We make coconut curry often, but only with vegetables. I look forward to trying this version!
C. H. says
March 22, 2016 at 5:29 amMy daughter has a peanut/tree nut allergy. What can be used as a substitute for peanut butter.
Cassie says
June 19, 2016 at 2:55 pmI’d love to try this as well without the peanut butter (I’m allergic to peanuts too! ) I’m thinking of trying either Almond butter or Tahini as a substitute.
Tamar says
March 22, 2016 at 8:12 pmTried this recipe tonight. I would agree with others in that I felt that the dish was too salty. The salt overpowered the other flavors in the dish. I did specifically purchase the brand of fish sauce recommended in the write up. As others have mentioned, it may be a matter of personal preference if you are salt sensitive. If so, I would use less fish sauce (perhaps try half of the recommended amount) Otherwise very easy to make and glad I gave it a try!
Lydia says
March 25, 2016 at 1:13 pmHi Heidi!
We tried this recipe tonight. It’s gorgeous! Thank you!
Amber says
March 28, 2016 at 8:19 pmYum! Great recipe thx for sharing! Easy enough for this non-chef! ( though deveining shrimp was annoying) couldn’t find fish sauce at Kroger, so some extra salt and soy did the trick and the sauce was amazing!
Emily @ Ritely.com says
April 3, 2016 at 1:16 pmThese look amazing. Thanks for the recipe :-)
Anne Beth says
April 10, 2016 at 5:30 amThe photos made me drool! Made this with half the fish sauce, a little extra lime juice, and the result was absolutely delicious! Served mine over quinoa and rest of the gang over rice noodles. Also eliminated the garlic and onions as low FODMAP, but added hot sauce to garnish and they weren’t missed. Thank you for this recipe:)
Tamara says
April 10, 2016 at 9:25 pmThank you for this recipe. I did use two tablespoons of fish sauce and it turned out perfectly. It was a wonderful date night meal for my boyfriend and I. I made it with a coconut jasmine rice. Yum! I’ll definitely make it again.
Amanda says
April 12, 2016 at 8:48 amHi there,
This looks great! I’d like to make it Friday night. I just have one question — What gives the sauce its yellow colour? Is it the red bell peppers? I’m asking because I have an intolerance to bell peppers (green are usually ok, but reds especially bother me) and was going to substitute with snow peas. Will this change the colour and/or taste of the dish drastically?
Thank you!
Josie Paterson says
April 12, 2016 at 5:39 pmUnfortunately mine turned out much too salty to eat. Had to throw it out. Maybe it’s my fish sauce… very disappointing :(
I would recommend adding a note in the recipe about the quality of fish sauce needed or to lower the amount of fish sauce if not using the one you recommend
heidi says
April 12, 2016 at 9:40 pmThanks for the note Josie, I will do that.
Tiffany S. says
April 12, 2016 at 7:43 pmWas a bit weary about all of the comments about the dish being too salty but I decided to give it a try anyway. I followed everything to a “tee” and the final result was an extremely salty dish. So disappointing…currently throwing it down the drain and ordering my dinner for the night :(
heidi says
April 12, 2016 at 9:37 pmSorry you had that experience Tiffany. I’ve made this several times and it was great. Again, my suggestion is to be sure to use a high quality fish sauce. Lower quality fish sauces can taste extra salty.
Pam Richard says
April 12, 2016 at 8:27 pmWhen eating this, my husband just kept saying “Oh wow!!!” High praise indeed!! I do have to say, I thought it was a little salty (but kept right on eating!). But, again, my husband thought it was spot on! (I’ve been trying to cut back on my salt intake, so I’m sure that’s what it was. Also, I didn’t have Red Boat fish sauce. I’ll try that next time!). I’m SO glad I came across your recipe! This is DEFINITELY a keeper!!
heidi says
April 12, 2016 at 9:37 pmI’m so glad he loved it Pam. Be sure to use a high quality fish sauce. Lower quality fish sauces can taste extra salty.
Sandy says
April 29, 2016 at 9:38 pmThis was so delicious! We also just cut down on the fish sauce and kept tasking. We added a couple zucchinis and some tofu. It was great!
Tere Vidal says
May 7, 2016 at 9:01 amWanted to make something special for grandkids and it was a hit. Thank you for this recipe and for the step by step instructions, and tips. We used the plain shrimp version and went light on the red pepper flakes, and it was amazing. Next time will try the more adult version.
Ben says
May 28, 2016 at 7:19 amI will be doing this tonight!!! Will let you know what transpired. Maybe get a photo afterwards BEFORE consuming it ( if I can keep my daughter away for long enough to take a photo!!!)
Tiffany says
June 10, 2016 at 4:30 pmHow many calories ?
Joe says
June 10, 2016 at 5:23 pmI was so excited to make this dish and literally had to throw it away after tasting it. Between salting the shrimp (which I should have known not to do since shrimp already can be salty) and the fish sauce (I used the recommended brand), the dish was so salty and the flavors of peanut butter or the coconut did not come through at all. I ended up adding another can of sweeten coconut milk to try and dissipate the salt flavor and that didn’t help. We served over pasta.
A major disappointment!
I’ll go back to my own recipe for Thai pasta that has pang curry paste, coconut milk, basil and ginger, ertc. yielding a smooth, creamy sauce that is perfect with chicken or shrimp tasting more like a Thai Panang dish.
france says
June 13, 2016 at 7:30 amWe also have a dish like this called kare-kare but instead of shrimp we use ox tripe & vegetables. It also uses peanut butter & coconut milk but instead of fish sauce we use shrimp paste & we just serve it with the kare-kare. By that we could control te saltiness to your preferred taste.
heidi says
June 13, 2016 at 7:30 pmWow, what an interesting combo. What country would this dish hail from?
Hello Kitty says
November 1, 2016 at 12:50 amIt’s a Filipino dish. Very tasty & the shrimp paste controls the saltiness as said above. It’s a great dish and keep up with the great recipes! I’ll taste my trial run of your recipe (as any good chef would do) and control the fish sauce. Thank you!
Liv says
June 14, 2016 at 2:14 amI was wondering if you think it would be okay to use chicken instead of shrimp? Thank you :)
heidi says
June 16, 2016 at 8:22 pmI haven’t made it with chicken Liv, but I’m 99% sure it would be delicious!
Brandy says
June 15, 2016 at 6:54 pmI made this dish tonight and OMG!!! DELICIOUS!!! My family is totally in love. We eat Thai, alot, but always at restaurants. They thought this taste like our favorite place. Only thing missing is Basil Rolls, thanks!
heidi says
June 16, 2016 at 8:16 pmThank you Brandy! But you have to share…What are basil rolls??? Do tell!
Julie says
June 18, 2016 at 4:34 pmThis was OUTSTANDING, absolutely delish!!!!!! I served with coconut rice mixed w/green onions and a Thai zucchini recipe I found on Pinterest! SO, SO good, will always make this, thank you so much for sharing :-)))))))
Ana says
June 20, 2016 at 5:27 pmMade this recipe yesterday and the flavors are spot on! Next time I will start with 2 1/2 tablespoons of fish sauce (I used the Thai Kitchen brand) and then salt up from there. I ended up using the whole can of coconut sauce to help de-saltify the sauce and it really helped. Thanks for the recipe!
Jennifer Z. says
July 5, 2016 at 11:10 pmThis is fantastic. I used 3 tablespoons of Thai Kitchen fish sauce, and I did not add salt to recipe, and my family thought it was just right. Also, I used light coconut milk; I can’t imagine how decadent this will be with the full fat! I served it over farro. My 9 year old daughter can be hard to please when it comes to dinner … her unsolicited compliments to me on this meal darn near brought me to tears.
Melissa M Stern says
July 12, 2016 at 8:54 amWe bought the fish sauce recommended and used the reduced amount in the recipe. It was just too salty! Like, burn your taste buds off salty! I picked the shrimp out of mine, but the toddler and husband didn’t take more than a couple bites. It’s a shame it went to waste because shrimp is expensive and we don’t buy it more than a couple times per year.
Holly says
July 18, 2016 at 9:21 pmThis is calling for canned coconut milk not carton correct?
Bev says
July 25, 2016 at 5:33 pmMade this for supper tonite. Added diced sweet potato. DEE-lish! Thank you!
Linda Cornish says
August 1, 2016 at 5:21 pmHi Heidi – This was such a delicious recipe. I had almond butter on hand so use that instead of peanut butter and still came out great. Will be making this again!
Kendall says
August 9, 2016 at 8:36 amHi Heidi, two quick questions – My sauce turned out more brown than yellow like in your photos…any idea why? Also, when finished, mine tasted strongly of peanut butter, which is fine, but I was just wondering if it was supposed to be the most prominent taste in the dish? Definitely possible that I didn’t add enough of something else, but just wanted to check before I tried again! Thanks!
Deepthi Mony says
August 9, 2016 at 8:38 pmHi,
I was just hooked on to the yummy looking recipe from the time I read so decided to give it try… But I didn’t have any shrimp I the freezer (and was to lazy to head out and buy) so I used mushroom and it tasted amazing!!! I did tweak the amount of fish sauce for fear of it tasting like a fishy veg dish….And I also added some lemon grass ….
It is one of the most amazing thai style curries I’ve had…my whole family licked it clean ..thanks!!!
Sheila says
August 14, 2016 at 12:24 pmVery disappointed. After reading the reviews I went with 4 of the fish sauce lower end) — it was far too salty despite adding more coconut milk, peanut butter and lime juice. Chucked the sauce. And added veggies to shrimp so as not to waste the dish…
Coya says
November 6, 2016 at 6:54 amI believe the word you wanted was ‘marinate’. Marinade is what you marinate in.
Jermaine says
October 10, 2017 at 2:18 pmGet a life….heard of typos?!?!
daniel says
November 6, 2016 at 7:20 pmWe just made this tonight. It was so good. You got a very good restaurant quality recipe here, i highly recommend.
Mary says
November 16, 2016 at 7:12 amThis has become a household staple. We actually made it TWICE last week it was so yummy! All your recipes are so easy to make and follow. You have brought some delightful variety to our family dinners. Thank you!
Ginger says
November 25, 2016 at 5:46 pmPhenomenal! Loved it so much! Even reheated.
Tamanna says
November 29, 2016 at 10:47 amOne of my favorites in Thai Restaurant. Tried it last night, It was simple, fast and tasty. Will try with chicken soon. Thanks and Love!
Susan says
December 5, 2016 at 5:08 pmYour sauce looks a lovely yellowish colour, how did you achieve that?
Deanna Ramos says
December 11, 2016 at 6:14 pmMy husband and I love Thai food. We just made it and finished eating. This recipe was delicious and I’m sure we will be eating this again very soon
Deanna Ramos says
December 16, 2016 at 3:13 pmbest food I have eaten in a long time. It’s a favorite between my husband and myself. He was asking me to make it the next day also. I used 3 tsp. Of fish sauce. We love Thai food.
rebecca says
January 17, 2017 at 3:36 pmcould you add green curry paste to this? we like it extra spicy.. I know it will change the color but not concerned with that… can’t wait to try this out!!
Beth Kirton says
January 21, 2017 at 7:03 pmI don’t think the fish sauce is the . I think it’s cooking the curry in the shrimp skillet with all that salt from the marinade. I would suggest wiping out the skillet before adding the peppers back in. The brand of fish sauce isn’t going to make or break the salt level. I also thought it needed a bit of acid at the end, squeeze a lime wedge on each serving.
Beth Kirton says
January 21, 2017 at 7:04 pm*problem
Bridget says
January 22, 2017 at 6:40 pmCould rice be the answer to the salty/not too salty debate? I took a bite without rice and it was super salty. With the rice, it is perfect! Even my salt-sensitive husband asked for me to make this again! I eliminated the salt in the marinade and only used 4 tbsp of fish sauce, but those were the only changes. Thanks for the yummy recipe!
Bridget says
January 22, 2017 at 6:44 pmI used “Red Boat” fish sauce because we already had it in our fridge. :)
Cheryl says
February 3, 2017 at 8:36 pmJust a thought, but maybe the over saltiess complaints are because people are using a regular salt and not kosher salt? Kosher salt has larger crystals. I made that mistake once with a recipe and it was crazy salty.
heidi says
February 7, 2017 at 5:27 pmThat could totally be a game changer Cheryl. I always use Kosher salt as it has less of an iodine flavor to me.
Miss B says
February 9, 2017 at 8:48 amI made this last night and I agree with it being too salty to start (even though I used high quality fish sauce)- to cut that I added an extra table spoon of brown sugar, a bit more coconut milk, and threw in some hot curry powder for extra flavour then it was totally delicious. For a bit more color I added in some snow peas to the peppers and onions. People just need to experiment a little if they find it not to their taste profile. I served it over organic jasmine rice and there was not a drop left in the pan after dinner. Thanks for a great recipe.
heidi says
February 10, 2017 at 5:21 pmI’m so glad you made it fit to your liking Miss B, those are all great tips to tweak the flavor profile. Thank you!!
AJ says
March 2, 2017 at 1:51 pmFish Sauce – I’m highly allergic to fish (as in “fin & scale”) can I substitute clam juice instead? Thx!
Marta says
March 14, 2017 at 5:33 pmHi, Heidi! Not trying to be snarky (is that a word?) or anything but at least 2 comments asked about the yellow color of this dish & I didn’t find a reply from you on this…is it just the photo or did you add curry or some other ingredient? I would love to make your recipe but before I do, I’d like to know…..thanks so much!
Helen Stirling says
March 19, 2017 at 12:55 pmJust made this now, yes a bit salty, should I add more coconut milk ????? Other than that I’ll see what the family thinks later when I add the rice or egg noodles. Will keep you updated
Jeanie says
March 27, 2017 at 12:04 amThe photos look beautiful, and I liked how you cooked the shrimp, but the sauce was just way off. I guess it’s partially my fault for expecting it to taste Thai, and not realizing how much of an “interpretation” this was. I was able to rescue it with curry paste and some more coconut milk. Looking back at the comments now, a lot of people had the same issues with the taste.
Nancy says
April 6, 2017 at 9:24 amI made this last night! Oh yum oh! Definitely a keeper. In fact there was a small serving left, which I just ate for breakfast! Haha!
Kadi says
April 20, 2017 at 9:43 pmThis recipe exceeded my expectations! Omg perfect mix of sweet and spicy! I feel like a gourmet chef. So amazing.
Shelley says
April 24, 2017 at 8:57 pmThis was delicious! I added half of the peanut butter and half of the fish sauce. It was smooth and creamy. My husband tells me it has to go on the. Rotation. Great recipe (and I’m kinda picky!).
heidi says
April 25, 2017 at 6:55 amThank you for coming back around to let us know Shelley.
Shelley says
April 24, 2017 at 8:57 pmThis was delicious! I added half of the peanut butter and half of the fish sauce. It was smooth and creamy. My husband tells me it has to go on the rotation. Great recipe (and I’m kinda picky!).
Joann Meitler says
April 30, 2017 at 7:43 pmyummy my family loved it. i didn’t have fish sauce it still was great!
Nikki says
May 6, 2017 at 8:28 pmThis was an incredibly tasty, gourmet tasting meal that came together in 30 minutes – perfect! My toddler and husband both cleaned their plates, and the toddler even requested a second serving! Win!! Thank you!
Nick says
May 31, 2017 at 10:03 pmWill you ever have a YouTube channel on how to make this? I’m a visual learner like literally but I’ll do my best on making this
Extravedettblond says
July 4, 2017 at 2:17 pmAbsolutely delicious! My boyfriend who’s usually very picky, loved it!
Sam says
July 6, 2017 at 6:21 amI love this recipe. I once bit into a red thai chilli
.. needless to say my wife laughed her buttons off watching me fly about the kitchen eyes watering buckets of tears, hiccupping coughing . After that episode I had new respect for the blasted thing. I added squid to the recipe the second time I made it and payed homage to the pepper by not biting into one again. I love the spicey heat thought.
Maria LoCastro says
July 18, 2017 at 7:39 pmThis was great! The family loved it. The suggestion about holding back on the fish sauce was perfect. I didnt have a choice of fish sauce to buy and I’m assuming it wasn’t high quality, but it came perfect! This will easily be a family favorite.
Sandra says
July 23, 2017 at 7:59 pmI am so crazy about this recipe! It is divine! It’s perfect, healthy and everything I could want in a recipe. Thank you!
Petra says
August 8, 2017 at 3:09 pmOMG 22nd time I made was better than the first ! If that was possible
Love it love it….
Mary P says
August 13, 2017 at 5:07 pmThis was excellent, and it will now be apart of my rotation! Thanks for sharing it!
Joanna says
September 6, 2017 at 12:29 pmI made this yesterday with a couple of tweaks, and it was delicious!! For simplicity, I used a full can of coconut milk (about 1.5 cups), a whole red bell pepper, and a whole orange bell pepper (and no yellow bell pepper). I also decreased the fish sauce to just shy of 1 tbsp, and I added a couple of teaspoons of chili paste to the sauce. It was perfect!
Dayton says
September 12, 2017 at 2:29 pmLoved this shrimp in Thai coconut sauce recipe. Wanted to make for friendswho are in town tomorrow; however, my local stores are out of wild caught shrimp. Think substituting chicken would work with theses ingredients?
Shelley says
September 17, 2017 at 9:42 amHi. Love the recipe, turned out great! Can you tell me what makes your sauce yellow? Ours turned out a pale beige but no where near the yellow you show. Also i can’t figure out what would make it that color. Thanks.
Michelle says
September 20, 2017 at 2:07 pmThis recipe is THE BEST! It’s literally as good (if not better) than some of the best Thai curries I’ve had in restaurants, so definitely a winner that I’ll be making again in the future! Thank you so much for sharing. As for the fish sauce which I’ve seen others post about, I found the amount to be just right, not too salty, so must just be different depending on brand/quality.
heidi says
September 22, 2017 at 7:28 amThank you Michelle! So glad you like the recipe so much. Yes, the quality of fish sauce definitely plays a part. I always buy Red Boat Fish Sauce because I’ve found it to be the most mellow. Aging fish sauce can get pretty strong too.
Kim Gibson says
October 3, 2017 at 3:33 pmThe first Thai recipe I’ve ever made and it was delicious!! Definitely will make again!
Judi Tockston says
November 5, 2017 at 11:23 amThis dish is a winner. Skipped the fish sauce and substituted chicken broth. Baked chopped zucchini, sweet potato and carrot in a little oil, salt and pepper with fresh garlic which I topped on brown rice before the shrimp in Thai coconut sauce plus garnish. Used Argentine shrimp. Yumm!
Frosted says
December 1, 2017 at 10:36 pmWhat makes the sauce such a beautiful yellow? There is nothing in the recipe that would achieve that color.
Gayle King says
December 20, 2017 at 11:48 amMy husband made this last night for dinner. It was DELICIOUS. We usually try new recipes on ourselves before we serve to dinner guests. This will DEFINITELY be on the menu for our next dinner party. Thanks so much, we LOVE your site.
Tanya says
February 9, 2018 at 8:06 pmSounds like a yummy dish. Don’t have any shrimp, but planning to use cod or pollock. Will heed the advice of others and half the peanut butter and third the fish sauce. Will come back and let you know the results.
Tomasz Wiendlocha says
February 26, 2018 at 9:59 amHi from Poland! Great recipe. Had this today for dinner with my wife. We loved it.
Danielle L Nicol says
March 13, 2018 at 5:55 pmThis was AMAZING. I’ve been searching for a recipe with this Thai taste. So good. I used powdered PB2 as my peanut butter and served over cauliflower rice. Will be making this again.
Sheila Chinn says
April 30, 2018 at 6:46 pm4/30/2018
Made this tonight. Delicious!
kanarek says
June 1, 2018 at 2:45 pmAnother hi from Poland:)
The sauce was perfect! After reading the comments I was careful with the fish sauce, but actually 4 spoons is the minimum. Many thanks!
Rebecca says
June 4, 2018 at 6:10 pmSo good. I didn’t make the cereal version. BUT I did have to make double the sauce to combat the salty in only four tbsp. Def a favorite and my husband LOVED IT.
heather liecht says
June 11, 2018 at 6:48 pmThis was… D-I-V-I-N-E. I’m really surprised how much flavor this had with so few ingredients.
I read and headed the other comments about using the right brand of fish sauce and checking the saltiness- for anyone curious whose in the US- buy the bottle called “Thai Kitchen Premium Fish Sauce, “. Do NOT buy the cheaper brands that dont say
“Premium Fish Sauce”, they are way saltier.
As for the recipe, I’m a huge fan of indian curries so I added half a pod of cardamon and a dash of ground cassia to make it more authentic. I also used crunchy peanut butter and the peanuts really added some nice texture to the dish. My grocery store doesnt sell scallions for whatever reason but had leeks, theyre great chopped up on top as a substitute.
Overall the sauce is amazing though! It will taste really weird until its reduced then suddenly its fantastic. Weird fire magic at work I guess. The only major part I’d change is boiling the shrimp instead of pan frying- its a pain in the ass to get them done correctly having to flip them one at a time.
Susan says
July 5, 2018 at 10:23 amThis was good. I garnished with what was suggested, plus toasted coconut and chopped peanuts for additional texture. I am not a fan of fish sauce, but recognize the flavor profile that it offered, so I used 1T and thought it was the right amount of salt/flavor for me. Would definitely make again.
Elaine says
July 9, 2018 at 7:41 pmI made this tonight. It was delicious. I used the whole can of coconut milk and also added some red curry paste and chili sauce. Next time I may put in another can of coconut milk as we like a lot of sauce.
I also sautéed mushrooms and zucchini and added them to the vegetables.
Thanks great recipe
Richard says
August 27, 2018 at 5:30 pmI made this for dinner tonight. It was delicious. I used Hoisin sauce instead of fish sauce, this way I didn’t have to worry about the salt. Very easy to make. I served it over
Ramen noodles (did not use the flavoring). Give this recipe a try.
Mera Cason says
September 7, 2018 at 4:29 pmDelicious. Not salty at all but recommend using less pb if you don’t want to taste the flavor of pb. I’m not a pb fan but this recipe is great even with it tho I will use half for my own taste next time. I added extra heat to the recipe as we like spicy and I used a whole can of coconut milk and adjusted everything for use with 2lbs of shrimp minis the PB which i kept the same. I give it 5 on a scale of 1-5 and recommend you try it right now!
Lori says
September 9, 2018 at 11:12 amI’m wondering too about the yellow color where nothing in the recipe as written would make it that color. I’m assuming it might be turmeric which adds a yellow color without much taste. This question has been asked so many times it’d be nice if it was answered.
Helene Lapointe says
October 16, 2018 at 9:49 amCan we replace chicken instead of shrimps…
SERGIO ERAZO says
October 20, 2018 at 11:04 amHi i just made the shrimp recipes .great taste my wife was so happy thanks so much..
Luis says
October 21, 2018 at 5:28 amHi! It looks delicious! What can I use instead of sugar? I don’t want to use sugar in my food. Would honey work or maybe the dish is sweet enough without the sugar?
Thank you!
Ashley Sorenson says
October 22, 2018 at 2:21 pmLuis, you could definitely try with honey!
Johnny says
October 25, 2018 at 7:00 pmThis dish is awesome!! Everyone I’ve made it for loves it, thank you!!
Mieke says
November 21, 2018 at 8:46 amHi
Loved this recipe and have made it several times. But as I like to serve it with rice, I added more coconut milk to get more sauce.
Delicious!
Julie Etzel says
January 16, 2019 at 5:48 pmOMG! I made this tonight with just a couple of modifications because I am doing Keto, and it was seriously the most delicious thing I think I have ever made! I used yellow and green squash instead of red pepper, used a whole can of coconut milk, and added an extra tablespoon of peanut butter. It is so good that I immediately sent this recipe to 3 other friends. Well done!!!!!
Maureen says
February 3, 2019 at 7:33 pmWonderful dish, my whole family loved it!
Jim says
February 4, 2019 at 12:44 pmWould are it more in line with proper Thai cooking spicey so need chillie paste and a few birds eye chillies as well.
I love proper Thai food and the heat they take it having lived there for a few years.
Lucy Ho says
February 25, 2019 at 7:32 pmOmg I made this last night and it was AMAZING N PHENOMENAL. tasted just like the restaurants. Thank you so much. Will definitely keep this in rotation.
Ashley @ Foodie Crush says
February 26, 2019 at 7:16 amI love to hear that! Thank you Lucy!
Elaine says
March 20, 2019 at 9:31 pmMy husband is allergic to seafood. Could I use soya sauce instead of fish sauce? Also, I only buy peanut butter that is peanuts only…is that the kind you use?
Ashley @ Foodie Crush says
March 21, 2019 at 8:50 amAbsolutely!! And yes Elaine, that peanut butter will work great.
Sophia says
March 29, 2019 at 4:40 pmAmazingly delicious! I used soy sauce and dried basil and cilantro and it still tasted great! Thank you! Will be making this again for sure!
Heidi says
March 30, 2019 at 6:58 amSo good to hear Sophia and glad to know you were able to substitute what you had on hand. That’s the key to easy cooking. :)
Marilyn Walker says
March 29, 2019 at 6:01 pmThis was a pretty easy dish to make, I do think the sauce was a little thin and a little salty but otherwise delish!!
Heidi says
March 30, 2019 at 6:57 amthanks Marilyn, The sauce may have thinned out if it got too hot while cooking but I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Chelsea Bennett says
April 3, 2019 at 9:45 pmSo delicious and simple!!
linn jones says
April 12, 2019 at 7:00 pmwow, that is far too much fish sauce!!! It should need no more than 2T.
Maureen says
May 21, 2019 at 12:13 pmA new favorite in our house! I modified things slightly…
Sauce modifications: Only 3 tbsp fish sauce, added extra lime juice and fresh ginger, and subbed almond butter. More fish sauce would have been too salty.
Marinade: No salt, added more chili pepper flakes.
Veggies: Added watercress chestnuts to cook with the peppers and threw in garlic when they were cooking.
Onion: Switched for shallot for preference
Heidi says
May 24, 2019 at 7:32 amThanks for the recipe ideas Maureen, and glad you made it fit your tastes!