Thai
One-Pot Coconut Shrimp Curry
Shrimp simmer in coconut milk with garlic, ginger, curry powder, and spinach. This pot is a shrimp curry, not a chickpea stew, and it is done when the shrimp are pink and opaque.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 18 min
- Total
- 33 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- Curry powder is bloomed in oil with garlic and ginger so it tastes toasted, not dusty.
- Shrimp go in near the end because they overcook and turn rubbery if they simmer the whole time.
- Coconut milk makes the sauce without a flour thickener.
- Spinach wilts into the pot and gives the shrimp something to sit in besides sauce.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Pat the shrimp dry and toss them with the salt. Set them aside while you start the sauce.
- 2
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook the onion until softened, about 4 minutes.
- 3
Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook 30 seconds. Add the curry powder and cayenne and stir for 45 seconds, until the oil smells fragrant.
- 4
Pour in the coconut milk and water. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 3 minutes so the sauce comes together.
- 5
Add the shrimp in a single layer as well as you can. Simmer until they are pink, opaque, and just firm, 3 to 5 minutes. The thickest shrimp should reach about 145°F.
- 6
Stir in the spinach and lime juice. Cook 1 minute, until the spinach wilts. Taste and add a pinch more salt if the curry needs it.
Pro tips
- This is a shrimp curry. Do not swap in a can of chickpeas and expect the same timing.
- A hard boil will tighten the shrimp and split the coconut milk. Keep it at a gentle simmer.
- Rice on the side is a natural plate if you want a starch. The curry itself is the cooked dish.
Easy substitutions
- curry powder
- 2 tbsp Thai yellow curry paste
- baby spinach
- 4 cups chopped bok choy
- lime juice
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate in a covered container for up to 2 days. Shrimp do not improve past that.
Reheating
Warm gently in a saucepan over medium-low until the shrimp are hot, about 4 minutes. Do not boil, or they will toughen.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 360
- Protein
- 28 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
Moderate · One Pan, Stovetop
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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