Super Easy Shrimp Curry (One Pan)
This is my go-to when I want something that eats like it simmered all day, even though it's done in one pan in about half an hour. I build the whole curry in a single skillet — garlic and onion to start, then coconut milk and tomatoes simmered down into a rich sauce, and the shrimp go in right at the end so they stay tender. It's warm, a little spicy if you want it, and the kind of dinner that makes the kitchen smell incredible.
I open the video by saying that if you've been searching for a quick and easy curry recipe, you're in the right place — and that's exactly the cook I made this for. It's also why I walk through every ingredient on camera before the pan ever gets hot: with the spices lined up, the cooking part moves as quickly as possible. The one thing on the list you might not have is cardamom. I find mine at an international market, and if you can't get it, make the curry anyway — it just adds a more authentic flavor when you do.
The single technique worth borrowing from this video is the shrimp timing. The sauce simmers a full 10 to 15 minutes before the shrimp ever go in — I wait until the last minute on purpose, because I don't want them overcooked. Five minutes on low, just until they're completely pink, is how you get tender shrimp.
Watch me make it — video from my YouTube channel
The recipe
Super Easy Shrimp Curry (One Pan)
Ingredients
- about 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 5 to 6 garlic cloves, minced
- onion, chopped
- freshly grated ginger, to taste
- 2 tablespoons red curry paste (optional — for spice)
- 14 ounces unsweetened coconut milk
- 15 ounces diced tomatoes (with the juice)
- 1 teaspoon cardamom
- ground cumin, to taste
- ground turmeric, to taste
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
- cilantro, for garnish
How to Make It
- Heat about 1 tablespoon avocado oil in a pan over medium heat.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the onion and cook until translucent.
- Add the grated ginger.
- Stir in 2 tablespoons red curry paste until the onions are fully coated (skip it if you don't want it spicy).
- Pour in the 14 ounces unsweetened coconut milk.
- Add the diced tomatoes with their juice.
- Stir in 1 teaspoon cardamom.
- Add the ground cumin, turmeric, salt, and pepper to taste, and stir until the seasoning is blended in.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens and the vegetables float to the top.
- Add the 1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp.
- Cook on low for about 5 minutes, until the shrimp are completely pink.
- For a thicker sauce, let it sit 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve.
Curtis's Tips
- Cardamom is best found at an international market, but you can still make this without it — it just gives a more authentic flavor.
- The red curry paste is optional and only there to add spice, so leave it out if you want a mild curry.
- Coconut milk works whether you grab it in a can or in a carton — I use a carton.
- Keep the juice from the diced tomatoes — I want that tomato juice in there.
- Season to taste and keep tasting as you go to make sure it's good.
- Add the shrimp at the very end so they don't overcook — cook just until they're completely pink, about 5 minutes, for tender shrimp.
- Make sure your shrimp is peeled and deveined.
- If you want a thicker sauce, let the finished curry sit for 5 to 10 minutes and it'll thicken right up.
Why this works
Watch what happens before any liquid hits this pan: the garlic gets a one-to-two-minute head start in the oil over medium heat, the onions cook down until they're translucent, and only then does the red curry paste go in — stirred until the onions are fully covered. I repeat that on camera, so don't pour in the coconut milk until everything's coated. The diced tomatoes are added juice and all, because I want that tomato juice in the sauce. Then the 10-to-15-minute simmer shows you it's working: the curry condenses and the tomatoes start floating to the top as it thickens. Even the shrimp's five minutes keep building the sauce — it tightens up a little more while they turn pink.
FAQ
Is this curry spicy?
Only if you want it to be. The heat comes from the red curry paste, and that's optional — it's just there to make it spicy. Leave it out and you've got a mild curry; if you're in, stir the two tablespoons through until the onions are fully covered in the paste.
What if I can't find cardamom?
Make the curry anyway. I get mine at an international market, so check there first if you have one nearby — but you can still make this recipe without it. It just gives the curry a more authentic flavor. If you do have it, the teaspoon goes in right after the tomatoes.
Does coconut milk from a carton work, or does it have to be canned?
Either works. You need 14 ounces of unsweetened coconut milk, and you can find it in a can or get it out of a carton — in this video I'm pouring from a carton. It's up to you.
My curry looks thin — how do I get it thicker?
The thickening is built into the timing. The simmer does most of it: 10 to 15 minutes on low, stirring occasionally, until you see it condense — the tomatoes floating to the top are your sign it's tightening up. The sauce keeps thickening during the five minutes the shrimp cook, too. And if you want it thicker still, let the finished curry sit for 5 to 10 minutes and it'll thicken on its own.
How much cumin and turmeric go in?
I don't call out exact amounts for those in the video — they go in to taste, along with the salt and pepper. Here's how I judge it on camera: stir until the seasoning is blended all the way through the food, then taste it to make sure it's actually good, and adjust before it goes to the simmer.
Estimated nutrition, per serving (recipe makes about 4 servings): ~390 calories · 26 g protein · 26 g fat · 13 g carbs. Computed from the ingredient list using standard reference values — an estimate, not a lab analysis; your exact brands and portions will vary.
