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Thai Coconut Curry With Shrimp

Heidi Larsenby Updated: Jun 23, 2025

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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!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“My favorite food is Thai curry. I travel around and try any and all Thai restaurants I can find. And I love this recipe. I have been making this since 2016 for my family. Always a huge hit. Restaurant quality. Seriously good.”

~Rachel, FoodieCrush reader 

Thai red shrimp curry in a skillet

This is the red Thai shrimp curry of your dreams, with big, succulent shrimp coated in a coconut-based curry sauce. 

Even better, this is a fast and easy recipe that takes just 30 minutes to prepare. While the curry bubbles away, I like to make a batch of steamed white rice in my Instant Pot. 

Just like chili, this creamy coconut shrimp curry tastes even better the next day after the flavors have had time to come together. 

Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success

  • 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.
  • I like Key West Pink Shrimp in my shrimp coconut curry. In my opinion, they’re sweeter and more flavorful than striped or tiger shrimp that are typically farmed. 
  • Don’t skip the brown sugar! You need a little sweetness to balance out all the rich and savory umami flavors going on in this dish. 
Ingredients for Thai shrimp curry
Ingredients for Thai shrimp curry

Key Ingredients in This Recipe 

The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.

  • Shrimp — I find wild caught Key West Shrimp in the freezer section at my local Kroger (under the Private Selection brand).
  • Vegetables — I used a blend of brightly colored bell peppers, plus onion for flavor. Use any combo of vegetables you like in your red shrimp curry. 
  • Coconut milk — Use canned unsweetened, full-fat coconut milk. If using low-fat coconut milk, the sauce will be thinner and has a tendency to break.
  • Thai red curry paste — Each brand varies in how spicy it is, so taste yours before adding the full amount to the curry. 
  • Fish sauce — 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.
  • Peanut butter — Use creamy peanut butter for the best consistency. 
  • Lime juice — The acidic lime juice cuts through the salty fish sauce and brightens the curry. 
  • Ginger — 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.
  • Brown sugar — Rounds out the flavor profile of the red curry. 
  • Fresh herbs — Cilantro, basil, and green onions add a fresh pop of flavor that rounds out the hearty curry. 
Thai Coconut Milk Shrimp curry in a skillet

How to Make Coconut Curry Shrimp

  1. Prep and marinate the shrimp. 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.

Heidi’s Tip: 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.

  1. Cook the veggies and shrimp. 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.
Sliced chile, basil, and lime in a bowl
  1. Next, make the red curry 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. 
  2. Bring it all together. 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.
  3. Garnish before serving. 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.
Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp over rice

FAQs

Can the peanut butter be omitted? 

The peanut butter doesn’t make the curry taste like peanuts, it just deepens the flavor. However, you can omit the peanut butter if you’re out or have an allergy in your family. (You could also experiment with using almond butter, if an allergy is the issue.) 

How do I make this recipe more or less spicy? 

To adjust the spice level of this Thai red shrimp curry, add more or less curry pasta and red chili flakes to taste. 

Can I use different vegetables in this recipe? 

Go for it! The bell peppers can be replaced with another type of pepper, broccoli, bok choy, you name it. 

Thai Coconut Shrimp in a skillet

Storage Tips 

Shrimp curry lasts up to 5 days in the fridge, and leftovers should be gently reheated over medium heat or in the microwave. Be very careful if microwaving, because shrimp tends to go dry and rubbery when microwaved. 

What to Serve with Thai Shrimp Curry

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 the curry too, or spiralize a few zucchini noodles to keep the veg-love flowing.

Side dish ideas include: 

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.

4.29 from 436 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!
Print
Course Main Course
Cuisine Thai
Keyword shrimp coconut curry, Thai shrimp curry
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 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
Thai Coconut Milk Shrimp curry

More Easy Thai Recipes to Try

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  2. Amber

    Yum! 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!

    Reply

  4. Tamar

    Tried 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!

    Reply

    • Cassie

      I’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.

      Reply

  8. Samira

    Hi 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.

    Reply

  9. TRay

    I 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.

    Reply

  10. Jason

    I 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!!

    Reply

  11. Stephanie

    This 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! :)

    Reply

  12. Joan

    We 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.

    Reply

    • Heidi Larsenheidi

      Sorry 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.

      Reply

      • Joan

        Maybe 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.

        Reply

        • Pam

          I 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.

          Reply

        • Wendy

          I 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

          Reply

    • Joe

      I agree totally, way too much fish sauce. I doubled the coconut milk and red curry paste to try and get a better balance of flavors.

      Reply

      • Heidi LarsenHeidi

        Hey Joe, as noted, always use a fresh, high quality bottle of fish sauce. There are many brands out there that are super fishy. I like Red Boat the best.

        Reply

  13. Sharon

    Heidi,
    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.

    Reply

  14. smwinkfo

    I 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.

    Reply

    • Heidi Larsenheidi

      Hey 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.

      Reply

    • Mary

      Having made this delicious recipe several times, I think 4 tablespoons of fish sauce is perfect. Last night I increased it and the dish was very salty.

      Reply

  15. Kathy

    Not 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!

    Reply

  22. Audry

    I 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?

    Reply

    • Heidi Larsenheidi

      Hi 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!!

      Reply

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