20 minute Thai Prawn Curry
This red Thai prawn curry combines succulent shrimp, aromatic herbs, and creamy coconut milk, resulting in a balanced and quick weeknight dinner!
I’ve had the incredible privilege of traveling to Thailand (omg 10/10 recommend) and I just love Thai cuisine. Nothing will beat the dishes we had while exploring there, but this simple at-home version gets close! And the best part? It’s ready in 20 minutes. I guess you could call it… a curry in a hurry.
I’m annoying, I’m sorry.
Alright, let’s make it.
To prepare this heavenly Thai Prawn Curry, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Coconut oil: I like to use virgin coconut oil, but for a less “coconutty” flavor you can use refined.
Garlic: you know me, I’m all about fresh garlic, but you can use garlic paste or jarred garlic in a pinch!
Curry Paste: the key ingredient! I get the Thai Kitchen variety which is available in the Asian aisle of most local grocery stores. You can also find curry paste at your local Asian market.
Lemongrass paste: I find this in the refrigerated section of the produce area, next to the mushrooms and herbs
Coconut milk: the kind from the can, not the carton! I recommend using full-fat coconut milk for this recipe as it will make a beautifully creamy curry sauce
Bell pepper: any color will work but I’m partial to sweet peppers
Snap Peas: the perfect, no-chopping-required veg!
Shrimp/prawns: you can use fresh or frozen for this recipe. Trader Joe’s has some awesome wild-caught Argentinian shrimp that I love to use. I like to get the shrimp that say 21-25/lb, which are a bit larger than the 31-40/lb shrimp. Tiger prawns would be fabulous here if you can find them!
Brown sugar: just a touch of sugar is necessary to balance out all of the flavors in the curry
Fish sauce: another key ingredient to curry, find it in the Asian aisle or at an Asian market
Lime: the lime juice gives a much-needed lift and pop of bright flavor to finish the dish!
Balanced Meal Check-in: what makes this curry balanced!?
- Protein: lean protein from shrimp helps keep us feel full and satisfied.
- Carbohydrate: serving this curry over a whole grain like brown rice or quinoa provides energizing carbohydrates and filling fiber.
- Veggies: Vibrant colorful vegetables like bell pepper, snap peas and garlic provide antioxidants and vitamins.
- Fat: coconut milk contributes irresistible creaminess, and the fat helps us absorb the fat-soluble vitamins in the veggies.
Substitution ideas:
Sweetener: feel free to use maple syrup, white sugar or agave! In Thailand they use palm sugar, so if you want to be really authentic and you can find it, you can use that!
Veggies: the sky is the limit here. Other vegetables that work well are broccoli, bean sprouts, sweet potatoes, spinach, green beans, kale, snow peas, cauliflower, bamboo shoots, or bok choy. Note that if you use heartier veggies like sweet potato and cauliflower the cook time does increase.
Protein: try chicken, white fish, tofu, edamame or pork loin
Grains: you can use brown rice, jasmine rice, white basmati rice, quinoa, cauliflower rice or serve up with some quick bread or naan!
Common Variations:
Make it kid-friendly: try deconstructing this meal by serving the rice, shrimp and curry with vegetables separately. This recipe is pretty mild but you may want to reduce the curry paste by half for kiddos sensitive to spice.
Make it vegan: sub out the shrimp in favor of tofu and use a vegan fish sauce alternative. In a major pinch you could use soy sauce in place of the fish sauce but I do recommend using fish sauce or the vegan alternative if you can find it!
Make it green: for a fun twist try green curry paste instead of red!
Make coconut rice: to reinforce the coconut flavor even more, try preparing your rice with coconut milk instead of water! See how.
How to Store:
This recipe stores wonderfully! You can keep the curry and rice separately or do it “meal prep” style by using air-tight containers to layer in rice topped with curry and fresh herbs. Note that the rice will soak up some of those delicious curry juices, but for me, that notches up the deliciousness factor!
What to serve with this shrimp curry:
For an appetizer try these fresh summer rolls with peanut sauce
to make an entire Thai feast pair with this veggie-loaded Pad Thai
and of course, for dessert, mango sticky rice is a must.
If you love this curry you will also love these other Thai-inspired meals and curry dishes:
Frequently Asked Questions:
Absolutely! Just make sure to thaw them thoroughly before cooking and pat them dry to prevent excess moisture.
The level of spiciness can be adjusted according to your preference. As written I would give this curry a 2/5. If you like more heat, use a tablespoon or more of curry paste. If you like less, reduce curry paste to 1 tablespoon.
Yes. Coconut cream will make this dish even more rich and thick, you may need to add a touch more water to reach desired consistency. If you use lite coconut milk omit the water entirely. The curry will be slightly less creamy and have a thinner texture but will work.
Yes. You can use fish, chicken, pork or tofu but keep in mind that the cooking times will vary. The beauty of shrimp is that it cooks so quickly!
Prefer to watch? See how this recipe comes together!
I know you will all love this one! It’s a quick weeknight dinner, perfect for leftovers, balanced and delicious. If you try this recipe, I would absolutely love if you left me a comment and review! I love hearing from you all 🙂
Print
20 minute Thai Prawn Curry
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 3–4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Thai
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This shrimp curry only requires a handful of ingredients but packs a flavorful punch. It requires only 20 minutes and uses quick-cooking protein and veggies like shrimp, snap peas and peppers!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste (I like Thai Kitchen)
- 1 tablespoon lemongrass paste
- 1 can coconut milk
- 1/3 cup water (enough to rinse out the can)
- 1 bell pepper, sliced
- 8oz sugar snap peas
- 1lb shrimp or large prawns
- 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
- Juice of entire lime
- For serving: brown rice, fresh Thai basil, crushed peanuts
Instructions
In a large frying pan, add the coconut oil over medium high heat. Add the curry paste and stir-fry until fragrant, about 60 seconds. Add the lemongrass paste and garlic, cook another 60 seconds. Pour in the coconut milk, use a swish of water (about 1/3 cup) to rinse out the can and add that as well. Stir. Add the fish sauce and sugar.
Bring the curry to a low simmer, add the veggies and shrimp and simmer for 5-6 minutes until veggies are crisp tender and shrimp is cooked through. Squeeze in the juice of the lime. Taste and adjust with a touch more fish sauce or sugar, if needed!
Serve over grain of choice (we love brown jasmine rice!) topped with fresh herbs like basil or cilantro and a big handful of chopped peanuts.
Notes
I buy 21-25 per pound shrimp (these are larger than the package that says 31-40/lb shrimp!)
See FAQ and variation ideas for how to modify this recipe!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 recipe
- Calories: 289
- Sugar: 9.1 g
- Sodium: 865.4 mg
- Fat: 13.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 13.4 g
- Protein: 25.2 g
- Cholesterol: 182.5 mg
When do I use the brown sugar and fish sauce?
So sorry about that, thanks for the catch. The fish sauce, brown sugar and lime is added at the end as the final seasoning for the dish. I’ve updated the recipe, thanks again for bringing that to my attention!
xx,
Erica
I really blundered this one 🙁
My mistake – I used teaspoon instead of tablespoon for thr curry. But I didn’t see when to add the fish sauce, sugar, or lime juice. I should’ve gotten a red pepper with the snow peas for some color. I have to try again, it can only get better!
Hi Shannon,
I so apologize for that! The fish sauce, sugar and lime juice is added at the end as seasoning. I’ve updated the recipe, thanks for the catch!
I hope you try again with a bit more curry paste!
xx
Erica
I don’t have lemongrass. Can I make this without it?
Yes! You can. The lemongrass adds a nice flavor but the curry will still be complete without it! 🙂
So yummy and easy to make! Thanks for the recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed! Thanks for trying it!
Erica
This is like my comfort food and I love how easy it is to make! I can never find lemongrass paste so I just finely grated a piece of actual lemongrass (my local grocery store is weird – has actual lemongrass but not the paste…)
I’m also sensitive to fish sauce so I barely added any and it was perfect. I’ve made it twice already. YUM!
Omg my store always has paste and never fresh lemongrass! Such a good call using actual lemongrass. Also good to know it’s good with just a touch of fish sauce!