• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Foodle Club

  • Recipe Index
  • All Recipes (date order)
  • Convert grams to cups
  • How to guides
  • Collections
  • About
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • All Recipes (date order)
  • Convert grams to cups
  • How to guides
  • Collections
  • About
  • Mobile Menu

    • Facebook
  • ×
    • Slices of gammon on a white serving platter surrounded by dishes of salads.
      Effortless honey mustard glazed gammon
    • A dark blue serving dish filled with mushroom chicken in mustard sauce. There is a dish of peas in the background.
      Lightly battered chicken with mushroom mustard sauce
    • Overhead shot of a creamy crab and roasted pepper pasta salad. The salad is in a white bowl and is surrounded by dishes of other salads and a platter of cold meat.
      Creamy crab and roasted pepper pasta salad
    • A spoonful of cheesy bacon and onion potato bake being lifted from a serving dish.
      Cheesy bacon and onion potato bake
    • A piece of slow cooker beef short rib on a dinner plate with vegetables. The beef is being pulled apart with a fork. There is a helping of thick gravy over the beef.
      Slow cooker beef short ribs with rich gravy
    • A dish of leftover shepherd's pie topped with potato and sweet potato mash, with a dish of green salad in the foreground.
      Leftover chicken shepherd's pie
    • A glass serving dish filled with fruity Eton mess.
      Fruity Eton mess with microwave meringue
    • A lemon and herb chicken flattie on a serving plate surrounded by dishes of salad.
      Air fryer lemon and herb chicken flattie
    • An easy meat pie in a baking dish with a corner of the pastry removed to show the filling.
      Easy meat pie
    • A boerewors puff pastry spiral on a wooden board surrounded by a selection of salads.
      Boerewors puff pastry spiral
    • A slice of raspberry meringue pie on a blue-patterned plate.
      Raspberry Meringue Pie
    • A black serving dish of Thai prawn and monkfish curry.
      Thai prawn and monkfish curry
    Home » Recipes » Curry recipes

    Thai red curry with chicken and prawns

    Published: Apr 26, 2021 · Modified: Jun 16, 2024 by VJ · This post may contain affiliate links · 1 Comment

    Jump to recipe

    Fragrant Thai red curry with chicken and prawns makes a delicious mid-week supper. It's packed with so much flavour you'd be forgiven for thinking it takes all day to make, but it's actually ready in minutes.

    Close up of a pan of Thai red curry sprinkled with coriander.
    Jump to:
    • So easy and delicious
    • Don't worry about the heat
    • Recipe information
    • What you will need
    • Preparation
    • Cook the chicken and prawns
    • Cook the vegetables and make the sauce
    • Questions
    • Save for later
    • Related recipes
    • 📋The recipe

    So easy and delicious

    If you're worried that making Thai food is difficult, then worry no more. This recipe for Thai red curry couldn't be easier. If you follow my 4 easy steps you could be tucking into delicious Thai red curry with chicken and prawns tonight.

    • Preparation - for this recipe, most of the work is in the preparation. Get that out of the way and you are three-quarters done!
    • Sear the chicken and prawns - just a quick sear in a frying pan to seal the chicken and turn the prawns pink.
    • Fry off the curry paste - I always think that frying off the curry paste brings out the flavour of the spices.
    • Simmer in the sauce - finally, mix everything together and simmer until cooked. What could be easier?

    And once it's ready, you will have a mouth-watering, restaurant-quality dish that will have the whole family asking for seconds.

    Don't worry about the heat

    Now, you may be worried that Thai red curry may be too spicy. But don't worry - you can control the heat yourself by controlling the amount of chilli you add. I use a brand of Thai red curry from my local supermarket that isn't too spicy at all - just full of flavour. I like to add extra chillies when I'm making this dish. You can leave them out if you prefer.

    A classic Thai curry has all the five elements of taste - sweet, sour, spicy, salty and umami. The sweetness is provided by coconut milk, and also brown sugar. The sourness comes from lime juice and lemongrass paste. The spiciness is provided by chilli. Salt provides saltiness and umami comes from fish sauce. While making this dish you should taste as you go so that you can adjust the balance of flavour if necessary.

    What I like about a Thai red curry is the way that your lips tingle slightly as you eat it, but there is no burn. Just lots of amazing aromatic flavours.

    I like to serve this dish with a pile of noodles, but it goes equally well with a bowl of white fragrant jasmine rice.

    Overhead shot of Thai red curry with a pile of noodles.

    Recipe information

    • Prep time - 15 minutes
    • Cooking time - 15 minutes
    • Yield - serves 4 people
    • Calories - 630 per serving
    • Main equipment - Large wok or frying pan. I prefer to use a wok for making this dish because it's large enough to take all the ingredients easily. If you don't have a wok, a large frying pan works just as well.

    What you will need

    These are the ingredients you will need.

    Ingredients for Thai red curry with chicken and prawns.

    Prawns - you will need frozen raw prawns. I buy ready-cleaned and shelled prawns. If your prawns are still in the shell, remove the heads, peel away the shell and remove the black vein running along the back. The easiest way to do this is to make a slit along the back of the prawn with a sharp knife and pull the vein out.

    Chicken - for the chicken you can either use breast or boneless, skinless thighs, or even a mixture of the two

    Coconut milk - you can use either full fat or reduced fat. The choice is yours.

    Thai red curry paste - I use ready-made Thai red curry paste from my local supermarket. If you want to make your own curry paste you can find the recipe on the RecipeTinEats website.

    Vegetables - you can use any mixture of vegetables you prefer. For this recipe, I have used shredded Chinese cabbage, pak choi, green beans and beansprouts. Sliced red or yellow peppers also make a nice addition, or you could use sugar snap peas, broccoli, mushrooms, celery and even onions - whatever you happen to have in the refrigerator. You should allow about 1 cup of mixed vegetables per person.

    I have allowed 10 minutes for the vegetables to soften, based on the vegetables I used. You may need to allow extra time depending on your choice of vegetables.

    Lemongrass paste, garlic and ginger - are essential Thai flavours. I find that shop-bought curry paste doesn't have enough of these flavours so I like to add extra. Taste and use your judgement!

    Lime juice (not shown) - a tablespoon of lime juice adds the essential sour element to this dish.

    Fish sauce - this adds an umami flavour, and contrary to its name, does not taste fishy at all.

    Brown sugar - for a hint of sweetness.

    Chilli - this is for extra heat, and how much you use is entirely up to you. I find that two birds-eye red chillies are enough for my taste. I like to remove the seeds because that is where most of the heat comes from. If you don't have fresh chillies on hand you can substitute with dried chilli flakes. And if you don't want the extra heat you can leave them out altogether.

    Chicken stock cube - dissolved in boiling water. If you have proper chicken stock in the refrigerator you could use that instead.

    Cornflour (or cornstarch) - for coating the chicken and for thickening the sauce.

    Fresh coriander - I like to stir some freshly chopped coriander through at the last minute and sprinkle a little on top before serving.

    Sunflower oil (or any other neutral-flavoured oil such as canola) - for frying the chicken.

    Salt - optional as always, or to your own taste.

    Preparation

    The key to getting this dish on the table quickly is all in the preparation. Once that is out of the way, the dish practically cooks itself.

    • Remove any skin from the chicken and then cut it into bite-sized pieces. Mix the chicken with 2 tablespoons of cornflour and 1 teaspoon of salt and set aside while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
    • Defrost the prawns, or peel and devein them if you are using unshelled ones.
    • Clean and/or peel the vegetables and cut them into bite-sized pieces.
    • If using fresh chilli, remove the seeds and membranes and chop finely.
    • Dissolve the stock cube in one cup of boiling water and mix in the lime juice, brown sugar and fish sauce.

    Cook the chicken and prawns

    Steps for frying the chicken and prawns.
    • Heat the sunflower oil in a large wok or frying pan and add the chicken pieces. Fry gently until they turn golden (image 2 above). Don't overcrowd the pan or they will release moisture and boil rather than fry. Do this in batches if your pan is on the small side. Once browned, transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. There's no need to cook the chicken completely - it will continue to cook once it gets added to the sauce.
    • Now fry the prawns until they turn pink (image 3 above), then add them to the browned chicken.
    • Add the red curry paste, ginger, garlic and lemongrass paste to the pan and fry gently for 2 minutes (image 4 above).

    Cook the vegetables and make the sauce

    Steps for making Thai red curry.
    • Add the chopped vegetables to the spices in the pan and stir to coat thoroughly (image 1 above).
    • Pour in the prepared stock and coconut milk and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes until the vegetables start to soften.
    • Add the chicken and prawns back to the pan and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked (image 2 above).
    • Taste for flavour and adjust if necessary.
    • To thicken the sauce, mix 2 teaspoons of cornflour (cornstarch) with 2 tablespoons of water and stir through. Cook for another minute, stirring continuously, until the sauce thickens.
    • Stir in the chopped coriander.
    • Garnish with more chopped coriander (image 3 above) and serve with either jasmine rice or Chinese noodles.
    Closeup of a plate of thai red curry with chicken and prawns.

    If you'd like to be notified of new recipes, why not subscribe to my newsletter? To say thank you, you will receive a free recipe e-book containing some of my most popular cakes and desserts.

    Questions

    Can I freeze Thai red curry?

    Yes absolutely, this dish freezes beautifully. We are only 2 people at home and I always make a full batch (this recipe serves 4) and freeze half for another meal. It's a great standby to keep in the freezer.
    Allow it to cool and ladle it into a large plastic container. It can be kept in the freezer for up to 4 months.
    To use, allow the Thai red curry to defrost (either overnight in the refrigerator, or if you are in a hurry you can defrost it in the microwave).
    Transfer to a saucepan and heat until piping hot. Serve immediately with rice or noodles. Do not refreeze.

    Can I make it in advance?

    Yes, you can make Thai red curry with chicken and prawns in advance. Store it, covered, in the refrigerator until you are ready to eat it and then reheat it in a saucepan or wok until piping hot. Serve immediately with rice or noodles.

    What ingredients are in Thai red curry paste?

    The main ingredients in Thai red curry paste are red chilli peppers, garlic, ginger or galangal, lemongrass, shrimp paste, lime, coriander and cumin.

    What's the difference between Thai red curry and Thai green curry?

    Thai red curry is made using red chillies, whereas Thai green curry is made using green chillies and coriander root. Green chillies tend to be hotter than red chillies so you will probably find that Thai green curry is the spicier of the two.

    Save for later

    If you would like to try this Thai red curry with chicken and prawns for yourself, why not pin the recipe to one of your Pinterest boards so you can find it easily? Just click on the image below.

    Alternatively, you can save the recipe by clicking on the floating heart icon on the right-hand side of the screen.

    Related recipes

    If you are looking for other Thai-inspired dishes, why not try one of these recipes:

    • Close up of Thai green curry chicken being spooned from a serving dish.
      Thai green curry with chicken
    • Pad Thai Noodles with Chicken and Shrimp
    • A dish of thai meatballs sprinkled with spring onions
      Thai Meatballs with Satay Sauce
    • Overhead shot of a dish of Thai pork mince stir fry with a dish of noodles.
      Thai pork mince stir fry with green beans

    For more Thai-inspired dishes and other Asian meals why not browse all my Asian-inspired recipes?

    📋The recipe

    Closeup of a plate of thai red curry with chicken and prawns.

    Thai red curry with chicken and prawns

    Fragrant Thai red curry with chicken and prawns makes a delicious mid-week supper. It's packed with so much flavour you'd be forgiven for thinking it takes all day to make, but it's actually ready in minutes.
    Recipe by: Veronica
    Main Course
    Thai inspired
    Calories 630
    Prep 15 minutes minutes
    Cook 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time 35 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Print Pin Comment Bookmark Saved!
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    5 from 1 vote

    (Click the stars to rate this recipe)

    Equipment

    • Wok or frying pan
    • Sharp Knife
    • Chopping Board
    • Spatula

    Ingredients

    Meat and vegetables

    • 6½ ounce / 180 grams frozen raw prawns or shrimp defrosted
    • 1 lb / 425 grams skinless, boneless chicken thighs cut into pieces
    • 1 medium red pepper or capsicum sliced
    • 1 cup chinese cabbage shredded
    • 1 head pak choi coarsely chopped
    • 1 cup beansprouts washed
    • 1 cup green beans chopped
    • 2 medium red chilli finely sliced (optional)
    • 3 tablespoons fresh coriander finely chopped
    • 2 tablespoons cornflour or cornstarch for coating the chicken
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 2 tablespoons sunflower or canola oil for frying

    Sauce and spices

    • 4 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
    • 2 teaspoons lemongrass paste
    • 1 chicken stock cube dissolved in 1 cup boiling water
    • 2 cloves garlic minced
    • ½ teaspoon ginger paste
    • 1 tablespoon lime juice
    • 1 cup coconut milk
    • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
    • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
    • 2 teaspoons cornflour or cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water (for thickening)

    Instructions

    Preparation

    • Defrost the frozen prawns and cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Coat the chicken in a mixture of 2 tablespoons cornflour and 1 teaspoon of salt. Leave to stand while you prepare the vegetables.
      6½ ounce / 180 grams frozen raw prawns or shrimp, 1 lb / 425 grams skinless, boneless chicken thighs, 2 tablespoons cornflour or cornstarch, 1 teaspoon salt
    • Remove the seeds and membranes from the red pepper and cut them into slices. Chop the pak choi into 2"-long pieces. Snip the ends off the green beans and cut into 2" pieces. Shred the Chinese cabbage. Remove the seeds and membranes from the red chilli and slice thinly. Rinse the beansprouts in cold water and drain.
      1 medium red pepper or capsicum, 1 cup chinese cabbage, 1 head pak choi, 1 cup green beans, 1 cup beansprouts
    • Dissolve the stock cube in one cup of boiling water, then add the coconut milk, brown sugar, lime juice and fish sauce. Mix well and set aside until required.
      1 chicken stock cube, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1 cup coconut milk, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 2 tablespoons fish sauce

    Thai red curry

    • Heat the sunflower oil in a wok or large frying pan and fry the chicken in batches until it starts to turn brown. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
      2 tablespoons sunflower or canola oil
    • Fry the prawns/shrimp in the same pan until they turn pink. Add to the chicken on the plate.
    • Place the red curry paste, ginger, garlic, chilli (if yusing) and lemongrass paste into the pan and fry gently for 2 minutes (add a splash more oil if needed).
      4 tablespoons Thai red curry paste, 2 teaspoons lemongrass paste, 2 cloves garlic, ½ teaspoon ginger paste, 2 medium red chilli
    • Add all the vegetables (red pepper, pak choi, shredded cabbage, beans and beansprouts) to the pan and stir to coat with the red curry paste.
    • Add the prepared stock and the coconut milk and stir well.
    • Cover the wok or frying pan with a lid and allow to simmer for 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender but still crisp.
    • Add the chicken and prawns to the vegetables in the wok and simmer uncovered for 5 to 7 minutes until the chicken is completely cooked through.
    • Taste for flavour and adjust if necessary.
    • Make a slurry with 2 teaspoons of cornflour and water and stir into the mixture. Stir until thickened.
      2 teaspoons cornflour or cornstarch
    • Stir in ¾ of the chopped coriander, garnish with the remaining coriander and serve immediately with either a bowl of fragrant jasmine rice or thin Chinese noodles.
      3 tablespoons fresh coriander

    Notes

    You can substitute the chicken thighs with the equivalent amount of chicken breast.
    To adjust the flavour:
    • Add more lime juice or lemongrass paste for sourness
    • Add more brown sugar for sweetness
    • Add chilli paste for extra heat (spiciness).  Note - don't add extra chopped fresh chilli at this time as the chilli won't have time to cook through.
    • Add salt for saltiness.
    The amount of salt used in this recipe is to my own taste - adjust to your own preference.
    You can use your own choice of vegetables, but be aware that the cooking time may vary depending on the vegetables you use.
    Calories have been calculated excluding any rice or noodles that may be served with this dish.
     

    Nutrition

    Calories - 630kcal | Carbohydrates - 24.9g | Protein - 35.1g | Fat - 43.6g | Saturated Fat - 18.7g | Cholesterol - 190mg | Sodium - 2253mg | Potassium - 622mg | Fiber - 4.1g | Sugar - 9.2g | Calcium - 141mg | Iron - 4mg

    I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.

    Unless otherwise stated, a cup is the standard US cup containing 240 ml. In all my recipes this cup is assumed to hold 140g of flour. For help converting other ingredients between cups, grams, ounces and other measures, see my recipe conversion calculator.
    All my recipes are developed and tested at sea-level. For tips on adjusting recipes for high altitudes see my post on baking at high altitudes.
    Tried this recipe?If you made this recipe I'd love it if you could leave me a comment and let me know how it went!
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

    If you made this recipe and enjoyed it, I'd love it if you could give me a star rating in the comments below. And if you'd like to get in touch, you can email me at [email protected]. I'd love to hear from you. And don't forget to subscribe to my mailing list so you can grab yourself a copy of my FREE COOKBOOK!

    If you'd like to continue browsing, just click on this link to all my recipes.

    More Curry recipes

    • A dish of slow cooker chicken curry next to a small bowl of brown rice.
      Easy slow cooker chicken curry
    • Close up of slices of curried slow cooked lamb on a bed of rice and peas.
      Slow cooker curried leg of lamb (in foil)
    • A black serving dish filled with chicken tikka masala with a dish of white rice in the background.
      Slow cooker chicken tikka masala
    • Two chicken tikka skewers on a bed of rice, smothered in creamy tikka sauce.
      Chicken tikka skewers
    98 shares
    • Share on Facebook6
    • Tweet

    About VJ

    Before I started my food blog I was an IT Consultant. Now that I've swapped an office for a kitchen I have a lot more time to spend on things that interest me such as trying out new recipes. Most of my cooking is based around quick and easy meals, mostly made from scratch, using everyday pantry ingredients.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

      Did you make this recipe? Let me know! Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. cat rice

      June 02, 2022 at 8:06 pm

      It is amazing adding chicken and prawns

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    A picture of Veronica in the garden in front of a pink-flowering shrub.

    Hi, I'm Veronica! Welcome to my little kitchen. Step inside and browse my collection of recipes collected over the years.

    More about me →

    Readers favourites

    These are my most viewed recipes:

    • Sliced silverside on a plate with carrots and potatoes.
      Slow-cooker beef silverside
    • Slices of oven-baked gammon on a serving dish.
      Easy oven-baked gammon
    • Overhead shot of a white serving bowl filled with beef and kidney stew. There is a large wooden spoon at the side of the bowl.
      Slow-cooker beef and kidney stew
    • A slice of bacon and egg pie on a plate
      Proper bacon and egg pie
    • A pile of crusty German bread rolls.
      Crusty German bread rolls (Brotchen)
    • A dish of twice-cooked pork belly garnished with sesame seeds and spring onions.
      Twice cooked pork belly - with a sticky glaze

    Footer

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer

    Subscribe

    • Subscribe to my newsletter and get a free recipe ebook.

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 www.foodleclub.com

    Copyright © 2025 Foodleclub.com

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.