Coconut Shrimp Curry

This coconut shrimp curry is incredibly delicious thanks to the simple spices that build flavor. It comes together in less than 30 minutes!

This recipe is in a league of its own. So many self-professed curry haters have fallen in love, and many of you have declared it your all-time favorite recipe ever! It is an incredibly easy and incredibly delicious meal.

5 Simple Steps for Making Coconut Shrimp Curry

1. Toss the shrimp with salt, pepper, cayenne and lemon juice and let it hang out in the fridge while prepping the rest of the dish.
2. Cook the onion with the ginger, salt, coriander, curry, pepper, turmeric, and garlic. This step is very important! It creates the foundation of flavor for the curry.
3. Add the diced tomatoes and simmer for a few minutes.
4. Add the coconut milk and shrimp. Cook just until the shrimp turn pink and are cooked through. Over cooking the shrimp can cause it to have a rubbery texture.
5. Stir in the cilantro. This fresh ingredient brightens up the dish and is so yummy. But if you don’t like cilantro, you can leave it out.

You can see from the above steps how quickly and easily this shrimp curry comes together. It is a fast and easy meal that tastes even better than takeout!

Additional Ingredient Notes

• Shrimp: the recipe calls for peeled, deveined shrimp. If the shrimp is frozen, thaw and pat dry before using.
• Ginger: an easy way to work with fresh ginger is to buy a knob of fresh ginger, cut it into 1-inch pieces, and store in the freezer. When needed, pull a piece from the freezer and grate it on a rasp grater or on the small holes of a box grater (no need to peel or thaw first). Frozen ginger cubes work well in this recipe in place of the fresh ginger.
• Curry Powder: curry powder is a blend of spices, so the flavor and heat level will vary depending on the brand, so make sure to use a curry powder you like the taste of. My all-time favorite curry powder is the sweet curry powder from Penzey’s spices.
• Coconut Milk: light or regular coconut milk can be used in this recipe; however, the curry will be slightly thicker if using full-fat coconut milk. 
• Salt: there have been lots of varied comments over the years about the saltiness of this dish (some people think the salt is fine, others find it way too salty). To make it more foolproof, I’ve edited the recipe to start with a lesser amount of salt with the important note to add additional salt to taste, at the end, if needed, as well as details about using table salt vs coarse kosher salt. A good rule of thumb if subbing table salt in for coarse, kosher salt is to use half the amount of table salt.

Shrimp Substitution: many readers over the years have subbed chicken for the shrimp. If doing so, I recommend seasoning the chicken with salt and pepper, cooking in oil until golden and cooked through, and then removing to a plate. Proceed with the recipe and then add the cooked chicken in at the end to heat through.

A Tried-and-True Favorite

The flavor and quality of this meal is incredible! Just read through the comments, and you’ll get a taste (no pun intended) for the absolute devotion this coconut shrimp curry inspires.

I get asked a lot what my favorite recipe is on my food blog. I’m always very hard pressed to answer that question. It’s akin to asking me which of my kids is my favorite. Both answers depend on the day. 😜

But, most of the time, I land on this coconut shrimp curry as my favorite dinner to make and eat. I love everything about it. It comes together fast, I usually have all the ingredients on hand (shrimp in the freezer), and it is crazy, crazy delicious.

Oh my gosh! Mel! This was A-MAZ-ING! I LOVED it! Actually my whole family did! I have tried a lot of your recipes and have loved them all, but I think this is by far my favorite!

—Bonny

Coconut Shrimp Curry

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

4.73 stars (153 ratings)

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Ingredients

For the shrimp:

• ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt (cut in half if using table salt)
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 pound large shrimp (31 to 40 per pound), peeled and deveined (see note)

For the sauce:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil or other cooking oil
• 1 medium red or yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger (see note)
• 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt (cut in half if using table salt)
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon curry powder (see note)
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can coconut milk (see note)
• ½ to 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Hot cooked rice for serving

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Instructions 

• Place the shrimp in a resealable bag or in a dish. Add the salt, pepper, cayenne and lemon juice and toss until evenly combined. Cover and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a 12-inch skillet or saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat until rippling and hot. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the ginger, salt, coriander, curry, pepper, turmeric, and garlic.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the mixture is fragrant and the onions have softened and turned translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Increase the heat to medium-high and simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring often.
• Add the coconut milk and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
• Add the shrimp and any accumulated juices. Simmer until the shrimp are pink and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the cilantro. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
• Serve over hot, cooked rice, if desired.

Notes

Shrimp: some readers report they like adding more shrimp. You can increase the shrimp up to 2 pounds.

Ginger: an easy way to work with fresh ginger is to buy a piece of fresh ginger from the store, cut it into 1-inch pieces, and store in the freezer. When needed, pull a piece from the freezer and grate it on a rasp grater or on the small holes of a box grater (no need to peel). The popular frozen ginger cubes work well in this recipe, as well. 

Curry Powder: curry powder is a blend of spices, so the flavor and heat level will vary depending on the brand. My all-time favorite curry powder is the sweet curry powder from Penzey’s spices (available online). 

Coconut Milk: light or regular coconut milk can be used in this recipe; however, the curry will be slightly thicker if using regular coconut milk. 

Thickening: for a thicker curry, add a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 to 3 tablespoons cold water) with the shrimp and simmer until shrimp are pink and curry has thickened. 

Salt: there have been LOTS of varied comments over the years about the saltiness of this dish (some people think the salt is fine, others find it way too salty). To make it more foolproof, the recipe has been edited to start with less salt with the important note to add additional salt to taste, at the end, if needed, as well as details about using table salt vs coarse kosher salt. 

Author: Mel

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Method: Stovetop

Serving: 1 Serving, Calories: 303kcal, Carbohydrates: 8g, Protein: 33g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Cholesterol: 243mg, Sodium: 1646mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g

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Recipe Source: adapted from American Masala by Suvir Saran – a great find I checked out at my local library

Recipe originally published January 2012; updated July 2025 with new photos, recipe notes, etc

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