Red Curry

This Thai Red Curry recipe is packed full of flavor, veggies, and will become a new favorite. It’s easy to customize and is made in one pot for mess-free cooking.

Looking for more Thai recipes? Try Drunken Noodles, Yellow Curry, Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps, or my popular Pad Thai!

Why I love this recipe:

• Veggie Packed: I modeled this red curry after one I had in Oregon at a fantastic little restaurant called Buttercup Ice Creams and Chowders. It was packed with veggies, and I wanted the same here, using leeks, yam, cabbage, bell pepper and snap peas. It’s easy to serve as a Vegetarian red curry, or add shrimp or chicken for extra protein.
• Easy to Customize – Feel free to use your favorite veggies you already have on hand, and you can also use tofu for a vegetarian option.
• One Pot Meal: All made in just one pan for the easiest clean up. Anyone can make this chicken red curry recipe!

How to make Red Curry:

Sauté Vegetables: Heat oil in a pot over medium heat. Add leeks and sauté for a few minutes until softened. Toss in yams, cabbage, bell pepper and snap peas and sauté over medium-high heat.

Add Curry Paste: Reduce heat to medium and dump in ginger, garlic and curry paste and sauté for 3 minutes. Add chicken, if using. *Here’s a homemade red curry paste recipe.

Pour in Chicken Broth: Stir in chicken broth. Mix cornstarch with the coconut milk, and then add to the pot. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and chicken is cooked through.

Fry Shallots: Add 3 Tablespoons oil and sliced shallots to a small skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring gently the entire time, for several minutes until they begin to get golden. Once they start to get barely golden brown, remove to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.

Finish Curry: Stir in fish sauce, brown sugar, lime juice (and shrimp, if using). Simmer 5 more minutes. Stir in Thai basil leaves.

Serve: Top red Thai curry with fresh cilantro leaves and fried shallots before serving. Serve as a soup, or serve over hot cooked jasmine rice, cauliflower rice, zoodles, or cooked spaghetti squash.

Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:

To Make Ahead: Store red curry in the fridge for 3-4 days. Rewarm on the stove before serving.

To Freeze: Place in freezer safe bags or containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stove or in the microwave. Serve as a soup, or serve over hot cooked jasmine rice, cauliflower rice, zoodles, or cooked spaghetti squash.

Recipe Variations:

• Veggie Substitution Ideas: broccolini, green beans, zucchini, mushrooms and carrots.
• Tofu: If you’d like to add tofu, I suggest air frying or baking it first, and then stir in towards the end.
• Curry Paste: Spice level of curry paste varies by brand, so start with less and add more, for more heat and bold flavor. I prefer Mae Ploy Brand and use 1-2 tablespoons. If using Thai Kitchen brand, I use the entire 4oz container for a mild/medium spice curry.

More Curry Recipes:

• Massaman Curry
• Yellow Curry
• Panang Curry
• Thai Green Curry Meatballs

Recipe

4.86 from 41 votes

Thai Red Curry

This Thai Red Curry recipe is packed full of flavor, veggies, and will become a new favorite. It's easy to customize and is made in one pot for mess-free cooking.

Print Pin Review

Author Lauren Allen

Course Main Course

Cuisine Thai

Servings 5

Calories 522

Prep 10 minutes mins

Cook 30 minutes mins

Total 40 minutes mins

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Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 3 Tablespoons oil , canola, vegetable or coconut oil
• ▢ 1 leek , chopped (the white and light green part only)
• ▢ 1 yam , small, peeled and chopped into ½ inch cubes
• ▢ 1 cup cabbage , chopped
• ▢ ½ green bell pepper , chopped
• ▢ 1 cup snap peas , halved
• ▢ 2 teaspoons fresh minced ginger
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic , minced
• ▢ 1-6 Tablespoons red curry paste*
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• ▢ 14 oz can unsweetened coconut milk
• ▢ 1 or 2 teaspoons cornstarch*
• ▢ 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon lime juice , about 1 small lime
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon light brown sugar
• ▢ 1 boneless skinless chicken breast , chopped or ½ lb uncooked shelled shrimp
• ▢ 1 cup Thai basil leaves , loosely packed

Fried Shallots:

• ▢ 2 shallots , sliced very thinly into rounds
• ▢ 3 Tablespoons oil , canola, vegetable or coconut oil

Garnishes

• ▢ fresh cilantro
• ▢ hot cooked rice , jasmine or white rice, optional

Instructions

 

• Heat oil in a pot over medium heat. Add leeks and sauté for a few minutes until softened. Add yams, cabbage, bell pepper and snap peas and sauté over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add ginger, garlic and curry paste and sauté for 3 minutes. Add chicken, if using.
• Stir in chicken broth. Mix cornstarch with the coconut milk, and then add to the pot. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender (and chicken is cooked through).
• Meanwhile, add 3 Tablespoons oil and sliced shallots to a small skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring gently the entire time, for several minutes until they begin to get golden. Once they start to get golden brown, remove to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.
• To the curry, stir in fish sauce, brown sugar, lime juice (and shrimp, if using). Simmer 5 more minutes. Stir in Thai basil leaves.
• Top with fresh cilantro leaves and fried shallots before serving.
• Serve as a soup, or serve over hot cooked jasmine rice, cauliflower rice, zoodles, or cooked spaghetti squash.

Notes

Curry Paste: You can make the curry paste from scratch, or I use the Mae Ploy Brand, which is very bold so I use 1-3 Tablespoons. Spice level of curry paste varies by brand, so start with less and add more later, for more heat and bold flavor. For example, if using Thai Kitchen brand, I use the entire 4oz container for a mild/medium spice curry.

Cornstarch: I love to serve this as a soup so I only add 1 teaspoon cornstarch, but if you want the broth thicker to serve over rice, add 2.

Veggie Substitution: broccoli, green beans, zucchini, and carrots.

Tofu: If you’d like to add tofu, I suggest air frying or baking it first, and then stir in towards the end.

Make Ahead Instructions: Store red curry in the fridge for 3-4 days. Rewarm on the stove.

Freezing Instructions: Place in freezer safe bags or containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stove or in the microwave. Serve as a soup, or serve over hot cooked jasmine rice, cauliflower rice, zoodles, or cooked spaghetti squash.

Recipe Inspired by Buttercup Ice Creams and Chowders in Nehalem, OR

Nutrition

Calories: 522kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 11gFat: 37gSaturated Fat: 18gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 171mgPotassium: 1220mgFiber: 7gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 1891IUVitamin C: 49mgCalcium: 82mgIron: 3mg

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