Easy Shrimp Curry Recipe

This shrimp curry dish is a favorite around our house. It’s a one-skillet recipe that’s easy to prepare and it adds an exotic flair to an evening meal. The spicy, slightly sweet curry sauce brings out the flavor of the tender shrimp in every bite!

Jump to:

• ℹ️ Why This Recipe Works
• 🤷 What is Shrimp Curry?
• 🛒 Ingredients You'll Need
• 📋 Step-by-Step Recipe Instructions
• 🍚 Types of Rice
• 👩‍🍳 Alternatives to Shrimp
• Storage
• 💭 Expert Tips and FAQs
• 🍽️ Other Shrimp Recipes You'll Love
• Shrimp Curry Recipe

Since we moved out of the big city it’s been hard to find restaurants with good Indian food. I especially miss curry sauce and I assumed it was difficult to make.

I also thought I might have to find a specialty store to buy the ingredients. If you’ve thought the same thing, it’s time to throw out those assumptions.

The ingredients for this shrimp curry recipe are readily available and it’s easy to make. When it's ready to serve, it's so attractive and delicious that friends and family will think that you slaved away for hours. Try your best to look a little bit tired after you've whipped up this tasty, simple meal!

🤷 What is Shrimp Curry?

Curry is a combination of spices and seasonings. It can be specific to one cuisine or a combination of seasonings from different cuisines. Typically, when spices are ground into a powder, they are categorized as Indian curries and when a wet curry paste is used, the resulting curry is considered Thai curry. But it’s common to mix things up and have combinations that are not strictly Indian or Thai. The curry sauce in this recipe is a mix. This recipe uses a Thai-based wet curry paste and powdered seasonings like cumin, coriander, and cardamom that are Indian-based curry seasonings.

To keep it simple, shrimp curry is just shrimp in a curry sauce. As with many recipes, the protein is named first. (think Beef Stroganoff and so on.)  Coconut milk is common in many curry sauces as it helps offset the heat of the spices, some of which are ground chiles. I'm pretty sure you'll agree that this curry sauce is delicious even if it crosses cuisine boundaries.

🛒 Ingredients You'll Need

You can use use fresh, frozen, or pre-cooked shrimp for this shrimp recipe. Look for the ones that have the shells and tails already removed to cut down on your prep time.

I use canned, regular coconut milk because it gives the coconut curry sauce a creamy texture. The coconut sugar gives the sauce a bit of sweetness. If you don't have coconut sugar, brown sugar works well.

For the ginger, you have a few options. You can buy fresh ginger and grate it yourself, use pre-grated ginger, or even use ground dry ginger. I prefer pre-grated ginger that comes in a jar. It has plenty of ginger flavor without the hassle of grating.

The dry spices I use to season this dish are cumin, coriander, and ground cardamom. Along with the red curry paste, these spices give the sauce a curry flavor. For the red curry paste, use the type that comes in a jar. Thai Kitchen brand is available in most grocery stores.

Thinly slice the red bell pepper so they can soak up the small amount of sugar in the curry sauce. This makes for a slightly sweet, tart burst of flavor every time you bite into one. To make life easier, I use bagged spinach. It cooks up quickly in the hot curry sauce.

📋 Step-by-Step Recipe Instructions

If you plan to serve this over rice, get the rice going first. That way it will be ready when the sauce is done. For an easy and convenient rice recipe, check out my recipe for how to make rice in an Instant Pot.

Thaw the shrimp according to package instructions or use fresh shrimp.
Slice the bell pepper and onions and set them aside.

Measure out 3 ounces of raw spinach and set it aside.

Now it's time to mix all the sauce ingredients. In a large mixing bowl combine the coconut milk, ginger, water, soy sauce, coconut sugar, red curry paste, lime juice, ground cumin, coriander, and cardamom. Set aside.

Add a Tablespoon of olive or sunflower oil to a large skillet and sauté the shrimp for about two minutes on each side. They'll be nice and pink when they're done.

Once done, place the shrimp in a dish and set aside. Using the same skillet, sauté the bell peppers and onion for about 3-5 minutes.

Add the sauce to the skillet and stir on medium heat until it just starts to bubble. Next, add the cooked shrimp and raw spinach. Heat until the spinach is just starting to wilt, about three minutes.

The shrimp curry is now ready to eat. Serve this coconut curry shrimp recipe in a bowl over a bed of rice. I also like to serve it with super soft Naan bread to mop up the sauce!

🍚 Types of Rice

I used brown rice because that's my favorite type of rice to use with this coconut curry sauce. Brown rice has a nutty taste and a chewy texture that works well with this dish.

Basmati, Jasmine, or plain white rice also works well. When you decide on what type of rice to use, it's best to keep it simple. The purpose of the rice is to absorb the tasty curry sauce. You don't want to choose a flavored rice that will compete with the flavors in this shrimp curry recipe.

👩‍🍳 Alternatives to Shrimp

I love using shrimp in this dish but I have friends who are either allergic or just don't like it at all. When they told me that they had passed on one of my recipes because shrimp was in the title, I explained that the recipe also worked well with chicken, which they love.

So don't pass on this curry sauce if you're not a fan of shrimp. This coconut curry sauce is good with chicken, salmon, and Baked Tofu. For all three of these alternatives, you can make them ahead of time and add to the sauce just before serving.

Storage

Store any leftovers in a container with a lid in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. It can be reheated both in the microwave or on the stovetop.

You can also freeze shrimp curry in a freezer safe container, but it's best to keep the freezer time to less than three months. After that, the vegetables start to soften and they won't be as tasty. The coconut milk might be more grainy after it thaws, but it is still good to eat.

To thaw, place the container in the refrigerator and let it slowly liquify. From there, reheat it in either to microwave or on the stovetop.

💭 Expert Tips and FAQs

• I use cooked, frozen shrimp because this saves me a lot of time and it still tastes delicious. Buy the frozen, shelled, tail-off variety. Add in the thawed shrimp while the sauce is heating up.
• To thicken the sauce, add about two Tablespoons of cornstarch to two Tablespoons of water and whisk until it forms a slurry. Whisk this cornstarch slurry into the curry sauce before you add the shrimp and spinach. When the sauce has started to thicken, add in the shrimp and spinach, and then serve the sauce. Because this recipe is typically served over rice which absorbs the liquid, a thin sauce is usually okay. But if you prefer a thicker sauce, follow the steps described here.
• You can easily make a gluten free version by using a tamari sauce.
• To get a head start on preparing the vegetables, cut the bell pepper and onions ahead of time and place them in a container in the fridge. You can do this a day ahead of time and grab them when you're ready to make the recipe.
• Cilantro is a really nice addition to a curry recipe. Pinch off some leaves and either snip them with scissors or tear them into small pieces and sprinkle them on top of the shrimp curry before serving.
• Naan pairs perfectly served alongside curry dishes in restaurants. You can pick up a package in the bakery section of your grocery store and toast it or microwave it before serving. It not only tastes great, but it's also perfect for soaking up the last bit of curry left in your bowl.

🍽️ Other Shrimp Recipes You'll Love

If you like shrimp, you'll also like this tangy pasta and shrimp recipe. It's flavorful and full of cheese and pistachios. Also check out these Grilled Shrimp Skewers With Summer Herb Sauce and these stuffed mushrooms with shrimp recipe. These plump shrimp are coated in a simple spice rub and grilled to perfection.

As for this Baked Shrimp recipe, it's absolutely the most flavorful and delicious garlic butter lemon shrimp recipe on the planet! And, it's ready in 30 minutes with minimal effort to make!