This quick and easy coconut shrimp curry comes together in less than 20 minutes making it the perfect dinner recipe for busy weeknights. Serve it over rice or quinoa for a flavorful and filling dinner.
If you’re anything like me you’re always looking for healthy weeknight meals that taste awesome, but don’t take forever to make. I like to spend time in the kitchen, but even I can’t tolerate recipes that take longer than 30 minutes on a weeknight. Mostly because I’m typically starving come dinner time, but also because I’d much rather spend my evenings going for a walk or playing with the kids.
For this reason I gravitate toward quick, one-pan recipes like this coconut shrimp curry, pesto chicken and veggies, egg roll in a bowl or chicken fajitas.
With a help of jarred red curry paste, you can easily toss together this flavorful shrimp curry in less than 20 minutes! It’s loaded with nutrient-dense veggies, protein thanks to the shrimp and healthy fat from the coconut milk, which also makes this dish extra creamy.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick and Easy – This recipe comes together in one pan and in less than 20 minutes, making it perfect for busy weeknights.
- Flavor-Packed – The combination of garlic, ginger, and red curry paste creates a rich and aromatic base, while the coconut milk adds a creamy touch that balances the spices beautifully.
- Customizable – Feel free to add your favorite veggies or adjust the spice level to suit your taste. This recipe is versatile and can easily be adapted to what you have on hand.
- Healthy and Nutritious – Packed with fresh vegetables and shrimp, this curry is a wholesome meal that provides a good dose of protein, vitamins, and minerals. Plus, you can serve it over brown rice or quinoa for added fiber and nutrients.
Ingredients Needed
- shrimp – I love using frozen peeled and deveined shrimp because it saves so much prep time. Just thaw them before cooking, and they’re ready to go.
- coconut or avocado oil – a little bit of healthy fat to sauté the garlic and ginger, giving the curry a rich base. Any neutral oil will work well.
- garlic and ginger – freshly minced garlic and ginger are must-haves for a fragrant and flavorful curry. They create the perfect foundation for the dish.
- veggies – we went with red bell pepper and broccoli for this curry, keeping this simple but still delicious.
- coconut milk – you can use lite or full-fat coconut milk. Full-fat gives a richer, creamier sauce, while lite is a bit lighter. Personally, I love using full-fat for a creamy curry, but choose what you enjoy.
- red curry paste – this is where the curry gets its bold flavor! Feel free to adjust the amount based on your spice preference.
- scallions – these add a mild onion flavor and a nice pop of color. Save a few for garnishing the finished dish.
- fresh basil – chopped basil adds a fresh and aromatic touch. It’s a perfect finishing herb.
Recipe Substitutions
- Use different veggies: You can easily swap out the veggies based on what’s in season and what you have on hand. I love the bell peppers and broccoli, but I bet the curry would be amazing with butternut squash… especially as the weather gets cooler. Mushrooms, cauliflower, snap peas, carrots and/or spinach are all excellent options for this recipe.
- Use a different protein: Want to swap out the shrimp? Go right ahead! You could swap it with chicken or just try my chicken curry. For a vegan version, you could swap the shrimp for tofu or tempeh (my tofu pumpkin curry is also delicious) or you can skip the protein altogether and add more vegetables for a veggie-packed dish like with my summer vegetable curry.
- Want to add more spices? Want to add more spices? Go for it! Some additional spices that would be good in curry are cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, or garam masala. If you prefer to use curry powder instead of curry paste, that should work just fine. I’d start with 1.5 tablespoons of red curry powder and add more as desired.
How to Make Coconut Shrimp Curry
Step 1: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, ginger and red bell pepper, cook for about 5 minutes or until fragrant.
Step 2: Add in the broccoli, coconut milk, curry paste and salt. Stir and bring mixture to a low boil for about 5 minutes.
Step 3: Add shrimp and scallions to the pan, stir and cook for 5 minutes.
Step 4: Remove pan from the heat and stir in fresh basil. Serve over rice or quinoa and enjoy!
Brittany’s Tip!
Shrimp cooks very quickly, usually in just a few minutes. Be sure to add them towards the end of the cooking process and keep an eye on them. Overcooked shrimp can become rubbery, so remove them from heat as soon as they turn pink and opaque.
How to Serve Shrimp Curry
You could enjoy this curry as is, but I highly recommend serving over a grain for a complete meal! Here are some more options that would be a great side:
- With naan: There’s really nothing better than a warm piece of garlic naan to go with this chicken curry. Naan + curry = pure perfection!
- Over grains: Serve this curry over basmati rice, jasmine rice, brown rice, quinoa or cauliflower rice for a full meal.
- Side salad: You can never go wrong with a side salad! Try this garlicky kale salad, easy spinach salad or arugula salad for some more greens.
How to Store Leftovers
This is a great recipe for meal prep! Make a batch over the weekend and you’ll have lunches or dinners ready to go for the week!
Store in the fridge: Let the curry cool completely and store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days.
Store in the freezer: To freeze, place the cooled curry in a freezer-safe container or bag, seal and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight before reheating.
To reheat: You can reheat this curry in the microwave or over the stovetop. Feel free to add more liquid when reheating, if desired as the veggies might soak up some of the liquid as it sits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can use fresh shrimp instead of frozen. Just make sure they are peeled and deveined. If using fresh shrimp, you can skip the thawing step and add them directly to the curry when instructed.
The spiciness of this curry depends on the amount of red curry paste you use. If you prefer a milder curry, start with 1 tablespoon of curry paste and add more to taste. If you like it spicier, you can add extra curry paste or a pinch of cayenne pepper.
Yes, you can make this curry vegan by substituting the shrimp with tofu, tempeh, or extra vegetables. Ensure that the curry paste you use is also vegan, as some brands contain fish sauce.
Yes, you can use green or yellow curry paste instead of red curry paste. Each type will give the curry a slightly different flavor, but all will be delicious.
More Curry Recipes
Be sure to check out the full collection of dinner recipes on EBF!
