Thai Red Curry Recipe – Love and Lemons

Craving Thai food? Instead of ordering takeout, make this red curry recipe at home! It’s comforting, flavorful, and easy to make in 30 minutes.

Who else loves Thai red curry?! When we go to our favorite Thai restaurant (or more likely, get takeout from it), red curry is nearly always part of our order. I can’t get enough of the crisp-tender vegetables and soft tofu in the rich, fragrant coconut broth.

So naturally, I had to develop my own Thai red curry recipe to make at home. It’s just as delicious as takeout…and it’s almost as easy. With the help of store-bought curry paste, this homemade red curry comes together in less than 30 minutes on the stove.

Comforting, flavorful, and easy, this Thai red curry recipe is a perfect weeknight dinner. Leftovers—if you have any—make a great lunch the next day. The flavors just get bolder as they develop in the fridge!

Red Curry Recipe Ingredients

Here’s what else you’ll need to make this Thai red curry recipe:

• Coconut milk – Use full-fat canned coconut milk for the richest flavor. You’ll thin it with a little water to make the red curry sauce.
• Coconut oil – For sautéing the vegetables, ginger, and curry paste.
• White onion, red bell peppers, green beans, and bamboo shoots – I love this mix of veggies here, but feel free to use others if you prefer! Find my favorite swaps under “Recipe Tips & Variations” later in this post.
• Baked tofu – Optional, but a great way to add protein to this dish. Make homemade baked tofu, or get store-bought.
• Fresh ginger – It adds refreshing bite.
• Tamari – It deepens the curry’s savory flavor.
• Cane sugar – Its sweetness balances the savory tamari and curry paste.
• Fresh lime juice – For bright, tangy flavor.
• Fresh basil and cilantro – For garnish. I love Thai basil here, but in a pinch, Italian or sweet basil works too.
• Thai chiles – For extra heat! Skip them if you’re sensitive to spice or have a particularly spicy curry paste.

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

How to Make Thai Red Curry

This recipe has three simple steps:

1. Sauté
2. Simmer
3. Season and serve

Start by sautéing the onion in a large skillet. Cook until it softens. Add the red pepper to the pan and stir fry until it softens slightly. Then, add the curry paste and ginger. Cook for 2 minutes. The curry paste will smell amazing at this point!

Next, simmer. Pour in the coconut milk and water and add the tamari, sugar, green beans, and bamboo shoots. Stir to combine. Bring the curry to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes, or until the green beans are tender but still have a slight bite.

Season the curry with the lime juice and add the tofu, if you’re using it. Season to taste with salt, more tamari, sugar, and/or lime.

Serve the curry over jasmine rice with fresh herbs and Thai chiles for garnish.

• Tip: Squeeze a lime wedge over your plate or bowl for an extra pop of brightness!

I hope you enjoy!

Recipe Tips & Variations

• Don’t skip the sugar. It might be tempting to omit this ingredient, but please, don’t! It’s essential for making this curry taste like one from a restaurant. The sugar’s sweetness brings out the floral flavor of the coconut. It balances the savory tamari and curry paste too. If you’d like to use a less refined alternative, substitute coconut palm sugar for cane sugar.
• Change up the veggies. You could use so many different veggies in this recipe! Try replacing the green beans with snap peas or snow peas, or add thinly sliced or julienned carrots. Cubed butternut or kabocha squash would be nice too—just note that you’ll need to increase the simmering time to 15 minutes or more. I also love greens here. Toss in some small broccoli florets, chopped napa cabbage, or even a handful of spinach.
• The leftovers are delicious. If you end up with leftover curry, you’re in luck! It keeps well for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat it on the stove or in the microwave for a super-flavorful lunch.

More Curry Recipes To Try

If you love this Thai red curry, try one of these easy curry recipes next:

Thai Red Curry Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

Serves 4

This Thai red curry recipe is just as delicious as takeout…and almost as easy. Made with store-bought curry paste, it comes together in 30 minutes on the stove! I love the peppers, green beans, and bamboo shoots in this recipe, but feel free to experiment with other veggies. Snow peas, broccoli, carrots, and more are great here too.

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• ½ medium white onion, thinly sliced
• Sea salt
• 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and sliced into strips
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons red curry paste, (we like the Mekhala brand best)
• 1 14-ounce can full-fat coconut milk
• ½ cup water
• 1 tablespoon tamari
• 2 teaspoons cane sugar
• 4 ounces fresh green beans, trimmed (about 1 cup)
• ½ cup bamboo shoots, drained
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, plus wedges for serving
• Baked tofu, optional
• Fresh basil or Thai basil leaves, for garnish
• Fresh cilantro, for garnish
• Red Thai chiles, thinly sliced, for garnish
• Cooked rice, for serving

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

• Heat the coconut oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes, or until softened. Add the red pepper and cook for another 2 minutes, then add the ginger and red curry paste and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

• Add the coconut milk, water, tamari, sugar, green beans, and bamboo shoots and stir to combine. Simmer until the green beans are tender but still have a slight bite, about 10 minutes.

• Remove from the heat and add the lime juice and tofu, if desired. Season to taste.

• Garnish with basil, cilantro, and Thai chiles and serve with rice.