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:
Follow me for more great recipes
Recipe
Thai Red Curry
Ingredients
- 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
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tag @TastesBetterFromScratch on Instagram with #TastesBetterFromScratch!
Follow Me
This recipe is delicious! Curry has always intimidated me, but this recipe came together easily and was restaurant quality! I used 1.5T Maesri brand curry paste which gave just a bit of heat.
Absolutely delicious! We used shrimp 🍤 and it was so yummy 😋. Thank you for sharing your recipes & also creating a free platform to create meal plans with printable shopping list!! Your a life saver ❤
I made this Red Curry dish today and served it over rice and it was amazing! I’ve never made a curry before and couldn’t believe how easy it was! Definitely will be adding this to my meal planning! Yum! ❤️😋🌶️
Thai Red Curry recipe: Easy and Really Enjoyed the Blend of Ingredients!
I haven’t tried very manu curry recipies, but everything else from “Tastes Better From Scratch” has been so good I was emboldened to try it. I really liked it and my family did as well! I loved that it was all in one pot, (I made rice in a separate pot ) and I could substitute the veggies for my family’s taste. Thank you so much for another great recipe!