Thai Red Curry – everything we know and love about Thai food! Big, bold Thai flavours, beautifully fragrant, the creamy red curry sauce is so good you can put anything in it and it will be amazing!
Make the easy 30 minute red curry recipe using my trick to pimp up store bought curry paste. Or go all out and make a Thai Red Curry Paste from scratch! Complete your Thai banquet with Thai Satay Skewers or Thai Fish Cakes to start.
Thai Red Curry recipe
We’d all love to be able to have a Thai Red Curry any night of the week made with homemade red curry paste. Freshly made, like the best Thai restaurants do every day. But it’s simply not viable.
So today, I’m sharing a recipe for how to make Thai Red Curry two ways:
30 Minute quick version using curry paste in a jar – sharing my secret for how to make an AMAZING curry using curry paste in a jar!
From scratch, using a homemade red curry paste
The BEST Thai Red Curry Paste – Maesri
The best Thai Red Curry Paste by a long shot is a brand called Maesri. This is also the brand I use for Thai Green Curry. Other brands tend to have less authentic flavour and are (usually) too sweet.
Sold in small cans for around $1.30 (it’s the cheapest!), it’s available in large grocery stores (Coles, Woolies, Harris), Asian grocery stores and here is the cheapest one on Amazon US.
Don’t worry if you can’t find it. This recipe is still great even with mainstream curry pastes.
How to make jar curry paste better
Store bought curry paste in a jar lacks the freshness of freshly made curry paste. So if you just dump it into coconut milk, you’re going to be sorely disappointing.
So here is how to make curry paste in a jar taste way (way, way!) better:
Sauté the paste in oil with garlic, ginger and fresh lemongrass or lemongrass paste
Adding the fresh aromatics does wonders for improving the flavour!
What does a Thai Red Curry Taste like??
Thai Red Curry, like most Asian curries, has a great depth of flavour. The sauce flavour is complex, it has many layers from all the ingredients in the paste that is then simmered with broth and coconut milk. It’s sweet and savoury, and it is quite rich.
The use of shrimp paste and fish sauce in the curry paste (jar or homemade) provides the saltiness as well as the umami *. However, this red curry recipe does not have a strong fishy or fermented shrimp flavour like some “hardcore” Thai restaurants. Most non-Thai nationals find those versions too fishy for their palette.
While one may assume Thai Red Curry is fiery hot, if from the colour alone, in actual fact it is not! It is actually quite mild, and generally most restaurants tend to stick with the mild level of spiciness though you will find some restaurants that dial up the heat considerably.
* Food-nerd word for savouriness, now officially considered to be the 5th taste in food along with sweet, salt, bitter and sour.
We love Thai Red Curry for the flavour, the creamy sauce, and how can one not love the colour!!
Complete your Thai meal with a starter of Thai Fish Cakes or Satay Skewers with Peanut Sauce, and a fresh Asian Slaw on the side. And while you can totally serve the red curry with plain steamed Jasmine rice, you could take it to the next level with Thai Fried Rice or Coconut Rice! – Nagi x
PS If you’re wondering if the sauce is supposed to look sort of split – yes it is. The oil is actually supposed to separate. I’ve included some general commentary in the recipe notes, for those that are interested. 🙂
Thai red curry
Watch how to make it
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Thai Red Curry with Chicken
Ingredients
Red Curry Paste – choose ONE:
- 5 – 6 tbsp Thai Red Curry Paste (store bought, Maesri best) (Note 1)
- 1 quantity homemade Thai Red Curry Paste
Extras – only for jar curry paste (Note 2)
- 2 large garlic cloves , minced
- 2 tsp fresh ginger , finely grated
- 1 tbsp lemongrass paste or finely chopped fresh (Note 3)
Thai Red Curry
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil (or canola or peanut)
- 1 cup (250 ml) chicken broth/stock , low sodium
- 400 ml / 14 oz coconut milk (full fat!)
- 6 kaffir lime leaves (Note 4)
- 1 tbsp sugar (white, brown or palm)
- 2 tsp fish sauce , plus more to taste
- 350g / 12 oz chicken thighs (boneless and skinless), cut into 0.75 / 1/3″ thick slices (Note 5)
- 150g / 5 oz pumpkin or butternut squash, cut into 1.5cm / 3/5" cubes (~1 heaped cup)
- 120g / 4oz green beans , trimmed and cut into 5cm/2″ pieces
- 12 Thai basil leaves (Note 6)
Garnishes (optional) & serving:
- Fresh red chilli slices (small chilli – spicy, large = less spicy)
- Fresh coriander / cilantro leaves
- Steamed jasmine rice
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large heavy based skillet over medium high heat.
- Add curry paste and Extras (if using jar paste) and cook for about 2 minutes so it “dries out” (See video)
- Add chicken broth and stir to dissolve paste. Simmer rapidly for 3 minutes or until liquid reduces by half.
- Add coconut milk, lime leaves, sugar and fish sauce. Stir, then add chicken.
- Spread chicken out, bring to simmer, then turn heat down to medium. Simmer for about 8- 10 minutes or until Sauce reduces, the chicken is cooked and the sauce is almost at the thickness you want.
- Do a taste test. Add more fish sauce (or even shrimp paste) to add more saltiness, sugar for sweetness.
- Add pumpkin and beans, stir. Cook for 3 minutes or until pumpkin is just cooked through and Sauce is thickened – see video for Sauce thickness.
- Remove from heat. Stir through a handful of Thai basil leaves.
- Serve over jasmine rice, garnished with fresh red chilli slices and fresh coriander/cilantro leaves, if desired.
Recipe Notes:
Spiciness: Thai Red Curry is not supposed to be crazy spicy but it has a nice tingle to it.
Sauce thickness varies drastically between restaurants – at some it is almost watery, at others it is really thick and seems to be made with coconut cream. I like mine in between – a sauce that is pourable but with a gravy like consistency. I am not a fan of very sweet Red Curry, but if you are, just add more sugar.
Consistency: Thai red curry sauce doesn’t look completely smooth, it looks a bit split because of the oil and that’s the way it is supposed to be.
Stuff in it: There are no hard and fast rules about what goes into a Thai Red Curry. You’ll find Thai eggplant in curries at very authentic Thai restaurants but to be honest, I am not a huge fan of them – they are like tiny eggplants and kind of hard (also not easy to find in shops). I’d say that the two most common vegetables I’ve noticed are pumpkin and green beans or snake beans. While pumpkin may not sound “Thai”, don’t dismiss it, it is spectacular in red curry for both the texture, the sweetness and also because it soaks up the sauce. 8. Nutrition per serving, curry only.
Nutrition Information:
I adore Thai curries
See?
Life of Dozer
It’s lucky he’s so cute because he isn’t going to win any prizes in the spelling bee…. When he bonks his head on the door frame, it sounds hollow. I swear!
Hands down the BEST curry I have ever made! I will never order this from a Thai restaurant, it really is delicious!!
Hey Nagi the recipe says 5 tbspns of the curry paste (i used the Maesri) but that was more than the whole 114gm can! I only used the can but way way too hot for me! Just wondering if maybe 5 teaspoons?
Yes I agree! his was way way too much curry paste and I was also wondering if it should have read teaspoons instead of tablespoons. Nagi, can you weigh in here?
If you look at the video she’s using a lot of paste. That’s how the Thais like it
Love this recipe! Tastes like it was ordered from a Thai restaurant 😍 even my 6yo daughter loved it!
Outstanding. Each child had a sleepover at ours, Hubby and I both worked today and I needed something quick, delicious and a bit spesh. This is that dish. Thank you Nagi!
Hello Nagi. I haven’t even finished making this and it seems delightful. I’m thinking of making it for a family celebration. How long would it keep for in the fridge do you think? Is it like most curries that taste nicer after a day or two?
This is amazing well to be honest all of your recipes are fantastic but his one in particular is one of my favourites..
The saying in our house is it a Nagi recipe and if yes I end up with all the family over 😀 cannot wait to meet you at the food and wine festival in Perth x
Loved the variations given with ingredient choices and food prep options!👍
We must be missing something we increased the portions to 6 and it said 7.5 – 9 tablespoons of paste. We bought the small can of paste from the supermarket and there wouldn’t even be 3-4 tbs in the can. Seemed excessive but we followed the recipe and it was so hot we couldn’t finish. Flavour was amazing though
Umami is a chemical reaction on the taste buds caused by msg and natural soy and wheat compounds that act similarly. It doesn’t have a specific taste bud receptor and the effect on mouth feel is temporary.
Nagi could I use this recipe with Maesri penang curry paste?
Good morning Rosanna, I was wondering how the penang curry paste worked out last year?
The best every Thai red curry..😍 I used breast fillet and they were so soft and juicy. My son loved it so much and it’s going to be on our weekly menu. I used the Maesri paste and added fresh ginger, garlic and lemongrass.
Beautiful red Thai curry but Nagi, I do not understand why you say to put the pumpkin in for three minutes, it’s just raw! I now put it in a couple of minutes after the chicken and it comes out perfect. I think you need to review this recipe because I just don’t think this instruction is correct.
I agree the pumpkin needs more time to cook through so add earlier. Also as with other recipes, again too much liquid which means reducing it down takes too long. Tasted good and I enjoyed the recommended curry paste which I haven’t used before. I will definitely make it again but with modifications.
I agree Sally, on both points. always knew the pumpkin wouldn’t cook in 3 minutes and added it with the chicken, cut very small. Also found the quantity a bit short for 4 serves. Lovely flavour though- i made the paste 12 chillies. Great to see a curry recipe with veg too
This was perfect!
Fantastic! I used the Maesri Red Curry Paste with your extras & it’s delicious! Way better than any takeaway. Can’t wait to try some recipes in your book. Congratulations Nagi!
Used a store bought red curry but added your extras. First time of cooking from your menu. Absolutely outstanding. Long may you reign.🥰
Made red Thai curry again, once again delicious. I pimp up the paste as suggested which really make a huge difference. I have made several of your recipes and all were great. I am a senior,75 years, living in western Canada so you have a fan base here too!
Delicious! The best red curry recipe I’ve tried so far. I’ve been looking for a specific taste to replicate that of my favorite Thai restaurant, and this one comes closest. I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s leftovers and will definitely make it again.
Great flavors! Just wondering how to cook this with beef? As my husband loves his red beef curry!
I made this with maesri paste, I didn’t have the kaffir lime leaves but otherwise did it to your recipe, honestly one of the tastiest things I’ve ever made, your recipe is a gem!
Thanks Nagi, this was amazing!
Wow this recipe just ticks all the boxes for replicating a restaurant worthy Thai red curry at home . Previously only made curries as per the recipe on the paste pack – and they were always mediocre. The addition of fresh garlic and ginger , lemon grass and fish sauce takes the dish to a whole to level of yumminess.