The easiest Thai red curry recipe that’s healthier and quicker than takeout. Super customizable based on whatever protein or vegetables you have in your fridge and it will be ready by the time your rice cooks!

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Ingredients:

• Rice: Any rice works for this! Just prepare however you prefer.
• Oil: Any mild flavored oil is perfect. Only used so the chicken doesn’t stick and we also need some oil to be able to saute/fry the red curry paste.
• Protein: I like using chicken in this curry. The best part is basically any cut of chicken works, as well as any type of protein like beef, shrimp, etc. You can dice it up like I did in the pictures or slice it up so it looks more like the chicken pieces in takeout. If you’re vegetarian, you can substitute some tofu in.
• Aromatics: I like to use shallots, ginger, and garlic to really bring out the fresh flavors of Thai red curry. If you look at the ingredients section on your curry paste bottle, it’ll probably list these. The jalapeno is optional, but we love it spicey at our house so I always add some.
• Red curry paste: I’ve made it curry paste from scratch before and while it does taste fresh…having bottled red curry paste on hand in your pantry just can’t be beat when it cuts down the prep time and still tastes amazing. Making curry paste from scratch also adds an extra step of needing to crack the coconut milk, so honestly it’s just easier to use the premade kind. Each brand will taste different, so adjust the amount you put in accordingly! This brand (Mae Ploy) is my favorite authentic paste that was recommended by a friend who works at a Thai restaurant! It has a little spice though so be ready for a little kick!
• Fish sauce: Some people find fish sauce off-putting and I get that it’s not for everyone! I love the umami flavor it adds to Thai curry, but if you don’t like it, just leave it out and season a little more with salt!
• Brown sugar: This is important!! It’s what gives Thai curry that sweet taste and helps bring out the coconut flavor.
• Coconut milk: If you haven’t used coconut milk before, don’t be surprised if you open the can and it’s separated into solid and liquid. Dump all of it into the pan and it’ll blend together as it cooks!
• Vegetables: The best part of the recipe is being able to use literally whatever vegetables you have in the fridge! I love adding in kabocha or any kind of pumpkin into Thai curry because it adds more sweetness, so I always have some pieces that I precook and keep in my freezer to throw into curries. But potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc. all work!
• Toppings: Chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice really gives a fresh taste. Basil instead of cilantro would be delicious too!

Tips:

After cooking the chicken, I like to saute the aromatics until the shallots are cooked through. This adds a fresh kick.

Mix the red curry paste and fish sauce in and fry the paste with the oil already in the pan for a few minutes. If there’s not enough oil left in the pan to fry it, add a scoop of the coconut cream from the coconut milk pan and use that instead. Frying the curry paste with the cooked aromatics helps bring the flavor to life again. If you’re using freshly made curry paste, I’d also suggest frying it to get rid of the sharp flavor.

Depending on what vegetables you use, I’d adjust the simmering time after adding in the coconut milk to thoroughly cook everything. If you add raw potatoes, carrots, or something else with a longer cooking time, then keep that in mind!