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    Home » Recipes » Thai Recipes

    Thai Red Curry Shrimp Tacos

    Published: Dec 17, 2019 · Modified: Aug 10, 2023 by Renee · Leave a Comment · This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe

    Shrimp tacos drizzled with Thai red curry sauce and topped with pickled cucumbers, carrots, jalapenos, and peanuts. It's a fusion of flavors that work so well together!

    Two Tacos on a plate with a glass of water in the background.

    These Thai Red Curry Shrimp Tacos look fancy, but they are actually so easy to make! My inspiration came from a local Phoenix Restaurant that had a Shrimp Curry Taco on their menu and absolutely loved the flavor combination.

    I knew I had to re-create the recipe and was excited when I nailed it the first try!

    The sauce is my standard Thai red curry, with the addition of a thickener, like cornstarch or arrowroot starch. The thicker curry sauce sticks to the shrimp better and prevents a runny tacos.

    Completed Red Curry Tacos on a plate with red curry sauce on the side.

    Not a fan of shrimp? These would be awesome with a grilled chicken or steak tacos.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • How to Make
    • Assemble the Tacos
    • How To Serve and Store
    • Thai Red Curry Shrimp Taco Recipe

    Ingredients

    These are the main ingredients you'll need for the Red Curry Tacos:

    • Red Curry Paste
    • Canned Coconut Milk
    • Corn Starch
    • Shrimp
    • Tortillas
    • Carrots
    • Cucumbers
    • Rice vinegar
    • Sugar

    Please note that not all curry pastes are the same! I linked the Mae Ploy brand above, which has authentic bold flavors. The Thai Kitchen brand will be significantly more mild. So depending on the brand you are using, please taste and adjust if needed.

    Two Tacos topped with pickled carrots and cucumbers.

    How to Make

    Start by quick pickling some shredded cucumbers and carrots. Just 30 minutes is all you need and the acidity helps add some brightness and crunch to the tacos.

    Simply combine rice vinegar with some sugar and place shredded carrots and cucumbers in a jar give it a shake and place in the fridge.

    Two Pieces of shrimp on tortillas with red curry sauce being drizzled on top.

    Next make the red curry sauce, which is just red curry paste, canned coconut milk, and a thickener like cornstarch or arrowroot starch. You want the consistency of gravy but not too thick.

    Season the shrimp with salt, pepper, and paprika for some spice and color on the shrimp. Then simply pan fry in some oil until they are no longer opaque. Don't overcook the shrimp.

    Assemble the Tacos

    I feel like this step is overlooked when making tacos, please heat up your tortillas. I promise it makes a difference in taste!

    You can either do this by heating up a skillet, no oil, and place the tortillas for a minute on each side. Or if you have a gas stove, directly over the flame.

    Toasted tortillas on a plate

    Keep the tortillas warm in a tortilla warmer, foil, or wrapped in a kitchen towel until you are ready to serve..

    Place Shrimp on a warmed tortilla, drizzle the red curry sauce, top with pickled cucumber and carrots, and garnish with sliced jalapenos, cilantro, and chopped peanuts.

    Want a Low Carb Version? Use butter lettuce instead of tortillas. Just as tasty and fresh!

    Up close view of shrimp tacos topped with sliced jalapenos.

    How To Serve and Store

    These Red Curry Shrimp tacos are best served immediately. You can prep the pickled vegetables ahead of time, but the sauce and shrimp cook quickly.

    These tacos are great on their own, but also go well with some Coconut Lime Rice and a Mango Salsa.

    If you have leftovers, store the shrimp, curry sauce, and pickled vegetables separately for up to 2 days in the refrigerator. Then heat the shrimp and curry sauce together and assemble the tacos.

    More Thai Curry Recipes:

    • Green Curry on a plate with rice and topped with 2 pieces of shrimp.
      Thai Green Curry Shrimp
    • Up close view of yellow curry in a white bowl.
      Thai Yellow Curry with Chicken
    • Overhead view of red curry cod on a bed of white rice.
      Easy Red Curry Cod
    • Feature image of Panang beef with rice on a plate.
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    Two shrimp tacos topped with carrots, cucumber, and jalapeno slices.

    Thai Red Curry Shrimp Taco Recipe

    Renee
    Shrimp tacos drizzled with Thai red curry sauce and topped with pickled cucumbers, carrots, jalapenos, and peanuts.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Share by Text
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 35 minutes mins
    Servings 12 Tacos

    Ingredients
      

    Red Curry Sauce

    • 1 tablespoon Coconut Oil or sub your favorite oil
    • 2 tablespoon Red Curry Paste I used Mae Ploy, which is spicier than the Thai Kitchen Brand.
    • 15 ounce Full Fat Coconut Milk (1 can)
    • 1 tablespoon Cornstarch or Arrowroot starch
    • 1 tablespoon Water

    Tacos

    • 12 Corn Tortillas
    • 24 Jumbo Shrimp 2 Pieces of Shrimp per a taco
    • 1 tablespoon Oil
    • ½ teaspoon Salt
    • 1 teaspoon Paprika
    • ½ cup Cucumber Shredded
    • ½ cup Carrots Shredded
    • 3 tablespoon Rice Vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon Sugar
    • Jalapenos, cilantro, and chopped peanuts For Garnish

    Instructions
     

    Pickled Cucumbers and Carrots

    • Use either a mandolin with a shredding attachment or a knife to make julienne shreds with a cucumber and carrot. Place in a mason jar or small container.
    • Mix Rice vinegar and sugar together to dissolve, then pour over carrots and cucumbers. Give it a good shake or stir and place in refrigerator while you make the tacos.

    Red Curry Sauce

    • In a small saucepan over medium heat, add coconut oil and curry paste (start with 1 tablespoon if you don't want it spicy). Break it up and after a minute add the coconut milk.
    • Mix well, and bring to a light simmer. Taste the sauce and see if additional curry paste or salt is needed.
    • Mix Cornstarch or Arrowroot starch with water to make a slurry. Then pour into red curry sauce. Mix well, and turn the heat off. Sauce will thicken as it cools, you want the consistency of gravy. If it's still too thin then add more starch slurry. If too thick add a little bit of water.

    Shrimp

    • In a large bowl add Oil, Salt, and Paprika to Shrimp, and mix to coat each piece.
    • In a saute pan over medium heat, place shrimp so they are not touching each other and cook on each side till they turn pink. This only takes a couple minutes.

    Tortillas

    • Warm tortillas on a skillet with no oil, or directly over a gas flame. Keep the tortillas warm in a tortilla warmer or wrapped in foil, or a clean kitchen towel.
    • Assemble Tacos: Place 2 shrimp on a warmed tortilla, drizzle red curry sauce on top, place pickled cucumbers and carrots, then top with sliced jalapenos, cilantro, and chopped peanuts.

    Notes

    If using Arrowroot starch to thicken the curry sauce, start with half of the slurry and see how it thickens. If you add too much, it can turn into a glob. 
    For leftovers, store all the ingredients separately in the refrigerator. I suggest keeping it for up to 2 days.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 185kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 8gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 344mgPotassium: 197mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 1374IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 55mgIron: 2mg

    Nutritional information is provided as an estimate only and depends on ingredients and amounts used. Thai Caliente makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

    Keyword Red Curry Shrimp Tacos
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