Coconut Shrimp Curry
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This Coconut Shrimp Curry features delicious shrimp in a coconut curry that’s perfect over cooked rice and ready in only 25 minutes! Super easy, made all in one pot and packs tons of flavor!
The Best Coconut Shrimp Curry
This coconut shrimp curry is so delicious and easy to make, you could literally have this on your dinner table in no time at all. Forget take-out, forget going out for dinner, make this curry right at home! There’s a reason this recipe has been so popular on my blog for many years and it’s because of the flavors we achieve!
This curry is packed full of aromatic spices and delicious plump shrimp, making it the perfect meal if you’e feeling like experimenting a little in the kitchen. It’s also chock full of creamy coconut milk, my absolute favorite curry base to achieve a nice rich texture with a smidge of coconut flavor.
What Is Curry?
Originating in India, curry describes a variety of dishes, typically sauces, that contain a variety of exciting and complex spices. I tried to make this dish as simple as possible with just a couple spices: turmeric, cumin, and curry powder. Those combined with a few aromatics result in a curry so good you’ll be craving it for days after!
What Is Turmeric?
This curry though is quite simple, and you get that gorgeous yellow color from the turmeric. If you’ve never cooked with turmeric before it’s a bit bitter in flavor, but it’s mildly aromatic and has scents of ginger or orange. If cooking with turmeric, make sure you don’t overuse it because it is slightly bitter and it has a note of medicinal powdery aftertaste in large amounts.
Shrimp marinade
- Shrimp – Extra large, raw, deshelled and deveined.
- Seasoning – Salt and pepper.
- Spices – Cayenne pepper is all we need for this marinade.
- Lemon juice – We need a nice acidic base to penetrate the meat.
Sauce
- Coconut oil – We’re going to use this oil to ensure that coconut flavor carries through every note of this dish.
- Onion – We want an onion that cooks down well like white or yellow.
- Aromatics – Fresh ginger and garlic.
- Spices – Ground coriander, curry powder, and turmeric.
- Tomatoes – One large can of diced tomatoes.
- Coconut milk – Rich, delicious, and the creamy component of our curry.
- Cilantro – Fresh chopped up nice and fine for garnish. If you’re not a fan of cilantro feel free to use parsley instead.
- Marinate the shrimp: In a small bowl toss the shrimp with the marinade ingredients. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
- Form the flavor base: While the shrimp is marinating, heat the oil in a medium size skillet. To it add the onion, and cook for 2 or 3 minutes until the onion softens and becomes translucent. Stir in the garlic, ginger, pepper, salt, coriander, turmeric and curry powder. Allow to cook for another minute.
- Cook the shrimp: Add the diced tomatoes with juices and all, the coconut milk, stir and bring to a boil. Cook for about 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the shrimp with the accumulated juices from the marinade and cook for another 2 minutes or until the shrimp is pink and cooked through.
- Finish the curry: Serve over hot rice and garnish with cilantro or parsley.
Curry In An Instant Pot?
Rather than using the stovetop and saucepan method, this curry can be prepared in an instant pot in a matter of minutes. Turn the instant pot to the sauté setting and add the olive oil, onion, and garlic. Once the garlic is fragrant the other ingredients can be added. Turn the manual setting on high and set the timer for 2 minutes.
Always wait a further 10 minutes for the pressure to release naturally before opening. For more information on preparing an instant pot curry, refer to this recipe.
What Else Can I Use In My Curry?
Curry is such a perfect blank canvas! You can incorporate so many amazing flavors, textures, and ingredients to achieve whatever it is you want to achieve!
Veggies
- Peas
- Bell pepper
- Butternut squash
- Zucchini
- Eggplant
- Chickpeas
- Potato
Meat
- Chicken
- White fish
- Lamb
- Beef
How to Serve
- Any kind of rice you like. I like to make some fluffy jasmine rice to spoon this delicious mixture over.
- Naan Bread
- Spoon this curry over french fries for a British classic
- A light, simple salad like this Cucumber Salad
- These Roast Potatoes With Indian Spices
Leftovers
Curry should be safely sealed in an airtight container and refrigerated for 3 days. If you want this curry to last, my advice is to freeze it where it will last for up to 3 months. Ensure that it is fully cooled before sealing and use a shallow container to ensure even freezing. Stir well while reheating.
More Delicious Shrimp Recipes To Try:
- One Pot Couscous with Shrimp and Peas
- Coconut Shrimp with Spicy Mango Dipping Sauce
- Cajun Shrimp with Tomato Alfredo Pasta
- Brazilian Shrimp Soup
- Avocado Shrimp Salsa
- Tomato Shrimp Pasta
- Garlic Butter Shrimp
More Delicious Curries You Might Enjoy
- Thai Inspired Green Curry Tofu
- Thai Red Chicken Curry
- Coconut Chicken Curry
- Coconut Basil Chicken Curry
- Thai Red Curry Turkey Meatballs
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Coconut Shrimp Curry
Video
Ingredients
For Shrimp Marinade
- 1 pound extra-large shrimp (peeled and deveined)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground )
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
For the sauce
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger (minced)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground )
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 14½ ounce diced tomatoes
- 13½ ounce coconut milk
- 2 tablespoon cilantro (for garnish (or parsley))
- cooked rice for serving
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- In a small bowl toss the shrimp with the marinade ingredients. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
- While the shrimp is marinating, heat the oil in a medium size skillet. To it add the onion, and cook for 2 or 3 minutes until the onion softens and becomes translucent. Stir in the garlic, ginger, pepper, salt, coriander, turmeric and curry powder. Cook for another minute.
- Add the diced tomatoes with juices and all, the coconut milk, stir and bring to a boil. Cook for about 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the shrimp with the accumulated juices from the marinade and cook for another 2 minutes or until the shrimp is pink and cooked through.
- Serve over hot rice and garnish with cilantro or parsley.
Notes
- Nutritional information does not include rice.
- Curry should be safely sealed in an airtight container and refrigerated for 3 days.
- If you want this curry to last, my advice is to freeze it where it will last for up to 3 months. Ensure that it is fully cooled before sealing and use a shallow container to ensure even freezing. Stir well while reheating.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
Loved it! I do have to say that I improvised and did make some slight additional tweaks. First, I put at least 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper and lime vs lemon with the shrimp. For the spices, I added 1 tsp of cumin and at least 1/2 tsp of cayenne (I love the kick and added more chili sauce to my own plate).
Also, I do have to note that the recipe was not specific as to when to add the veggies and how/when to add. After adding the tomatoes and coconut milk, I added zucchini and red peppers. I did cook for longer than the 5 min and added Thai red curry paste to make thicker. I did not measure how much. But I would say at least 1 TBSP.
This was really flavorful and quick to make! Topped with avacado!
Glad you liked it!
it was good. My family loved it
Add a couple cups blanched broccoli and cauliflower.
I have made this recipe so many times, it’s wonderful just the way it is. I’ve never felt the need to change or substitute any ingredient. It comes together really quickly for a busy weekday meal, especially with a little food prep done on a Sunday afternoon!
I REALLY enjoyed this! Next time I will measure the turmeric and coriander because I had a slight oddity with the taste on the back of my tongue. So easy!
That’s wonderful to hear!
Delicious, easy recipe! Have made many times, sometimes serve over quinoa instead of rice, sometimes add peas for an extra serving of veggies. Such great flavor. Keep up the good work!
Horlly shit this is delicious
I made this shrimp curry tonight. It was AMAZING!!! (I didn’t have diced tomatoes, so I used a can of tomato sauce. I added 1 tsp of garam masala, 1 tsp of cumin, and a1 Tbsp of dried cilantro since I didn’t have any fresh. For the curry powder, I had Madras Curry powder, so that is what I used. I also used 2# of shrimp instead of 1 and doubled the marinade, but didn’t change any other increments)
Your take on the Coconut Shrimp Curry sounds fantastic! Love how you improvised with the ingredients you had and made it your own. Great job!
Quick, easy and delicious!
This was a very quick, easy dinner and tastes amazing. I marinated the shrimp overnight. The shrimp marinade need double the lime juice. I also pre-measured the spices out so it only took 15 minutes to prepare the night of. I didn’t use fresh ginger or garlic but I used powders instead, which was still good. The sauce was way too thin so I mixed in two tablespoons of corn starch with 1/8 cup water and it was good. Next time I will use 3 tablespoons of cornstarch just because we like our sauces a little thicker. My boyfriend ate almost all of it (he even took some of mine) and was raving about how good it was and how exciting he was to try authentic Indian food even though I assured him it was not authentic. This is a top on our favorites recipe list now. We devoured it too quickly for any pics, sorry. Also, it is good with cream cheese wantons if you find it a bit too spicy.
Wow, I’m thrilled to hear that both you and your boyfriend loved the coconut shrimp curry so much! It’s great that you took the initiative to marinate the shrimp overnight and make adjustments to suit your own taste preferences. The cornstarch tip is a fantastic one for those who like their sauces a bit thicker. And pairing it with cream cheese wontons to balance out the spice—what a delicious idea!
Thank you for taking the time to leave such a detailed review! 🍤🍛🌶️
Nice and simple recipe that has good flavor. I added cauliflower and green beans as well as a touch of fish sauce. Will definitely make agin.
I’m thrilled to hear you enjoyed the coconut shrimp curry! Adding cauliflower and green beans sounds like a fantastic way to sneak in some extra veggies, and a touch of fish sauce is always great for that umami kick. Can’t wait for you to make it again! Thanks for sharing your tweaks! 🍤🥥🌶️
Very nice recipe. Quick and easy.
I like the suggestion of adding curry paste to make the sauce a little thicker. Another option might be to add 1/2 cup of uncooked white rice when the sauce is simmering, simmer for ~20 mins until rice is cooked, and about 1/2 the liquid is absorbed, then add the shrimp (perhaps!)
Thank you Jo
Delicious. Will make again.
This is a delicious recipe. I added some frozen peas and a can of chickpeas. I did find that it was a little runny so I added a tablespoon of Thai Red curry paste and that thickened up the sauce. Yummy recipe that I will make again!