Shrimp Curry is a delicious restaurant dish that you can easily make at home. Tender juicy shrimp is simmered in a rich coconut curry sauce.
This dish is the perfect balance of flavors and is great served over rice!
Ingredients in Curry Shrimp
While this recipe is easy to make it does have quite a few ingredients (more than I usually add to a recipe). In this case, it’s 100% worth the extra time, the flavor is amazing. I prep everything before I begin as this curry recipe comes together quickly.
- Shrimp I most often use a large (or extra) shrimp (31/35per lb). Adjust the cook time slightly if your shrimp are larger or smaller.
- Spices A healthy dose of garlic and ginger add lots of flavor. Curry is a spice mixture and the flavors will vary slightly from brand to brand (and region to region). Use whichever you like best (or have on hand).
- Sauce This sauce is super easy to make. It includes coconut milk for creaminess. I prefer full fat but reduced fat versions do work in this recipe too.
- Veggies Bell peppers and tomatoes are added to this sauce.
How to Make Curry Shrimp
Much like a Chicken Curry, once you start this recipe comes together fast!
- Saute the onion in oil until tender. Add bell pepper, garlic, ginger, and spices. Cook until tender.
- Add tomatoes, coconut milk, and lime juice.
- Stir in the shrimp and simmer a few minutes until shrimp is cooked.
Serve over rice or pasta noodles for an easy but elegant weeknight meal!
What to Serve with Curry Shrimp
Most curries, like butter chicken, are pretty complementary to a variety of sides. Veggies like broccoli, roasted carrots or steamed cauliflower (or riced cauliflower) work well.
Mushrooms, or a variety of colorful peppers or even stir fried veggies are great with this shrimp curry! Add in a side of naan or pita for sopping up any sauce!
Leftovers
Leftover shrimp curry can be placed it in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple of days.
When you are ready to reheat, simply use the microwave or the stovetop. Refresh the flavors with a little fresh cilantro! Perfect for lunch at work or school!
Shrimp Favorites
- Shrimp Stir Fry – quick & healthy meal!
- Shrimp and Grits – easy, cheesy & delicious
- Garlic Shrimp Pasta – light yet hearty meal!
- Shrimp Tacos – easy Southwest favorite
- Easy Shrimp Scampi – ready in 10 mins!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds medium shrimp peeled and deveined
- salt and black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ onion finely chopped
- 1 red bell pepper sliced
- 1 ½ teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons curry powder
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon tumeric
- 14 ounces canned diced tomatoes 1 can, drained
- 14 ounces coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
- lime wedges for serving
Instructions
- Cook onion in olive oil in over medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in bell pepper, garlic, ginger and spices, cook an additional 3-5 minutes.
- Add tomatoes, coconut milk, and lime juice and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and simmer 8-10 minutes or until slightly thickened.
- Optional: To thicken sauce, combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water. Add to sauce a bit at a time to reach desired consistency. Cook 1 minute.
- Stir in the shrimp and cook an additional 5 minutes or until shrimp is cooked through. Taste and with salt before serving.
- Serve over rice with lime and cilantro.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Main Course
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Could I make the sauce the night before, then reheat it and add the shrimp when guests arrive the next day for lunch?
While I haven’t tried it, I think that should work. I’d suggest that after you add tomatoes, coconut milk, and lime juice and reduce heat to simmer, only do this for about 5 minutes. Then the next day, bring back to a simmer for about 2 minutes before adding the shrimp. Let us know how it goes if you try it!
Preparing the sauce the night before, and simmering for only 2 minutes the next day before adding the shrimp worked fine, though I may have overcooked the shrimp by a scant minute. This is a delicious sauce. It puts me in mind of the ingredients for a dish called Country Captain. That makes me think one could use this sauce recipe and replace the shrimp with left-over cooked chicken and come up with another tasty curry dish.
Glad it worked Bill! Sounds like a yummy idea with the chicken!
This was good. Used small can of tomato sauce and two large fresh tomatoes and tripled the spices. No red pepper. Needs more lime.
Excellent flavors! Easy to make substitutions based on what you have, made with head of cauliflower small chunks roasted 15 min on 425 instead of red pepper, two cups of leeks in place of onion. 2 cans of diced tomatoes. Arrowroot instead of corn starch. Basically following the same directions extending cook time by 15 min.
Is it ok to substitute curry paste instead of powder? I have a tub of yellow curry paste, but no powder.
Yes, you can use curry paste but will need a little bit extra (maybe a tablespoon). Let us know how it goes!
This was delicious! We used chicken and cauliflower rice instead of rice for healthy eating. I added 3 tablespoons of heavy cream to thicken the sauce. My wife loved it. Perfect amount of heat, not so spicy, just enough! Thanks for sharing the recipe! Shared on Facebook!
Absolutely delicious. I made this with chicken last week and I made it with shrimp tonight. One of my new favorite recipes. I added peas and a little basil. Thank you for this recipe, I had no idea how simple it was to make curry sauce.
Do you think I could sub fresh tomatoes for the canned ones?
Hi Mary, I think fresh tomatoes would taste wonderful! Let us know how this recipe turns out for you!
What do you mean by curry powder. Is it the Indian version? Could you pl clarify this for me.
Thanks. Loving this site
Hi Shar, you will want to use standard yellow curry powder. It can be found in the spices aisle of most grocery stores.
Thx Holly
I love making curry and trying curries from the Middle East, Indian sub continent and the Far East so when I saw Hollys recipe it looked great. I made the sauce a few hours in advance then added the prawns/shrimp. It is absolutely delicious and my friends loved it. I will definitely make it again and would highly recommend others to try it.
In love with this curry! Packed with flavor, and cooks so quickly. Thank you for the great recipe!
I have had Coconut Shrimp Curry in restaurants but have never made it at home. Yours sounds amazing and simple. I will be making this in the near future ..Thanks for such a yummy recipe.
I’ve had this before and this is so good I have it almost every other week at our home. I’m glad I’m not the only one who prefers full fat coconut milk!
When I saw this recipe it made my tongue tingle. I’ve been in a slump and wanted something spicy and a bit different. Well, we had shrimp thawing in the fridge and this recipe turned out to be everything I hoped for. So yummy. Will be making it again soon.
One of my favorite ways to eat shrimp! Love this quick curry recipe!
Coconut flavored curry is very tasty with vegetables. your shrimp curry sounds good too. I love the addition of curry powder and other ingredients.
I love this curry! So easy to make and a hit at my house! You can substitute the shrimp for chicken and it’s also amazing.
Coconut shrimp. That’s all you had to say. I will absolutely be making this. It looks delicious.
Made this for dinner tonight and mixed in cooked rice noodles. Very good!
I’ve made several of your recipes, always good and often with ingredients I have already. Thank you!
I did not like this recipe at all. My husband ate his but said not to make it again.
I would really like your advice on what I can use to replace peppers in your recipes because my wife will NOT touch anything with peppers in it and your recipes are always so delicious sounding. I follow you very much.
Hi Bryan! It can vary by recipe. In this recipe, I would suggest replacing them with another veggie that is good served tender-crisp such as snap peas, green beans or asparagus. Let us know how it goes!