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Coconut Shrimp Curry with Chickpeas features aromatic spices in a coconut milk sauce, creating a luscious dining experience. Serve it up with steamed brown rice or white rice for a filling, balanced meal.
This easy Thai-inspired shrimp curry recipe is perfect for those who love Thai flavors and are seafood enthusiasts to boot!
Made with simple ingredients, this easy recipe features juicy shrimp in an aromatic coconut curry broth.
The next time you’re craving shrimp and authentic Thai curry, make this easy recipe at home! From start to finish, it requires less than 30 minutes if your shrimp are already peeled.
Customize this amazing Thai shrimp curry by using your favorite kind of Thai curry paste instead of curry powder to turn it into a green shrimp curry or red shrimp curry.
The Inspiration For This Recipe:
Nicole Morrissey, who writes the blog, Prevention RD published her first cookbook, Prevention RD’s Everyday Healthy Cooking, back in 2013.
Focused on whole foods and cleaner meals, it includes 100 mouth-watering well-balanced recipes that are delicious, fun, creative and healthy!
The first recipe I made from Nicole’s book was this recipe you see right here. Although I have made a couple small changes, this shrimp curry recipe is nearly identical to the original recipe.
Ingredients for Shrimp Curry:
Raw Shrimp: Pick up 1 pound of raw shrimp to make this coconut curry shrimp recipe. Shrimp cook quickly and only need a couple of minutes so add the shrimp at the end of the cooking process for tender shrimp.
You can buy deveined shrimp to save time, as well as shrimp that have already been peeled.
If your shrimp come with the shell still on, I recommend peeling off the shells so that you don’t have to do so while enjoying the curry.
Chickpeas: Bringing pops of texture and some dietary fiber to the meal, canned chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) bring additional health benefits for a balanced meal.
Full-Fat Canned Coconut Milk: Responsible for the rich creamy texture and luscious flavor, we need a can of full-fat coconut milk. For the most delicious result, be sure to use full-fat, not light coconut milk.
Yellow Curry Powder, Ground Turmeric, Coriander, Ground Cumin, Cayenne Pepper, Sea Salt, and Black Pepper: This combination of ingredients is what gives us that traditional Thai curry flavor.
You can replace these ingredients with 2 to 3 tablespoons of red curry paste, green curry paste, or yellow curry paste.
Canned Tomatoes: Adding some acidic flavor to the mix. Skip the tomatoes if you aren’t into them.
Onion, Garlic, and Fresh Ginger: This trifecta brings huge flavor to all curry recipes. Be sure to include all three for the best flavor!
For Serving:
- 3 to 4 cups of cooked brown rice, cauliflower rice, or white rice.
- Fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges for a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
Now that we’ve covered the basics for this Thai curry recipe, let’s make it!
How to Make Shrimp Curry:
In a large pot such as a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until softened.
Stir in the salt, pepper, fresh ginger, fresh minced garlic, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, and curry powder.
Continue cooking, stirring often for approximately 5 minutes. This process allows the spices to open up and become more flavorful.
Add the diced tomatoes and coconut milk to the pot and bring to a a full boil. Reduce the heat and cook 5 to 6 minutes, stirring often.
For thicker curry, continue cooking the curry sauce at a full but controlled boil for about 10-20 minutes, or until the sauce reaches your desired level of thickness.
Add the peeled shrimp and chickpeas.
Cook until shrimp are pink and curled, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
Stir in the chopped fresh cilantro.
Serve shrimp curry over cooked rice and enjoy!
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 days. Shrimp curry is best when served fresh, so I recommend eating it the same day you prepare it.
Quick, easy, and delicious, this simple shrimp curry recipe is perfect for weeknight meals yet fancy enough for special occasions.
Make it whenever the craving for Thai food arises!
If you love Thai curry recipes, also try some of these favorites.
More Thai Curry Recipes:
- Red Curry Salmon and Vegetables
- Butternut Squash and Yam Curry
- Crock Pot Thai Chicken Curry
- 30-Minute Chicken Green Curry
- Paleo Panang Curry
Put the shrimp in the coconut!
Coconut Shrimp Curry
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper, optional
- 1 Tbsp curry powder
- 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- In a medium-sized stockpot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the chipped onion and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in pepper, fresh ginger, salt, fresh minced garlic, coriander, turmeric, and curry powder. Continue cooking, stirring often, until onion is soft and translucent, approximately 5 minutes. This process allows the spices to open up and become more flavorful.
- Add the diced tomatoes to the pot and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add coconut milk and bring to a a full boil. Reduce the heat and cook 5 to 6 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the peeled shrimp and chickpeas. Cook until shrimp are pink and curled, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in cilantro. Serve hot over cooked rice.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!
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I made this for foods class and was scored a 10/10. This recipe is great in its simplicity, yet still turned out to be a well rounded dish. I am quite pleased! The only things I changed was no shrimp, longer simmering time, and I halved the ingredients. Thanks for sharing!
Oh how fun! I’m so happy the recipe was well-received! Thank you for sharing your changes – this is super helpful to others who want to try the same thing xo
This was really easy and great. No onion so I substituted a sad-looking Fiji apple. No ginger so left it out. Simmered for 15 min with chickpeas and then threw in frozen cooked shrimp for a couple minutes, and served over quinoa. I’m sure it will be even better tomorrow!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Katherine! Happy to hear it was great without the onion and ginger!
Wow sounds like a easy recipe. Thanks for sharing.
I cannot wait to make this!
This looks fantastic!! My husband and I are searching for relatively quick dishes that are wheat- and soy- free (I’m breastfeeding and my daughter has sensitivities) AND that can be adapted for my husband, who’s on the Keto diet.
I imagine this recipe could be amazing with quinoa instead of rice, and then it would suit all of our food needs!
I’m so happy I stumbled on this site 🙂 Dinners other than salad and burgers (sans buns), here I come!!
Hey Julia,
My husband stumbled upon your blog while looking for a gluten-free pancake recipe. He landed on the banana pancake tribute to Jack Johnson post. It was amazing and we’ve been trying your recipes ever since. Just tested out the chickpea curry on my one-year old daughter and she loved it (I followed your recipe minus the shrimp). It’s delish. Love your work!
I’m so glad you like the banana pancakes! That recipe continues to be one of my favorites – hard to beat! Thanks so much for your compliment and I’m happy to hear you’re trying and enjoying my recipes! 🙂
Love the lamb curry in the slow cooker dish!!!! I’ve been following The Plan diet and your cook book has just opened up a whole world of new food ideas I can enjoy and still stay on track with my clean eating way of life. Bravo!
ty for the chance!!
This looks really good. We eat a lot of curry dishes and especially like to use shrimp — so this would be an ideal recipe for your family!
Oh dang that looks good!! And I need to get my hands on that book – blue cheese brussel sprouts? YES please!
Oh man, oh man. This looks so awesome! Lemme at it!!! Thanks to both of you for the giveaway- hooray for publishing!
Can’t wait to try this!!!
This looks so good! I love finding new curry recipes, my family loves them!
Thanks for sharing..I will make it for tonight dinner..sounds delish
Mmmmmm coconut, curry, shrimp and chickpeas all in one dish = foodgasm. Thanks for sharing! Pinned 🙂
I am working on improving my eating habits and searching for delicious recipes like this to help me get there!