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Creamy coconut shrimp is everything you could want in a dinner: healthy, colorful, flavorful, and easy. This delicious recipe features tender shrimp in a creamy coconut sauce bursting with color and flavor — and crunchy veggies! It’s all cooked in a large skillet and ready in under 30 minutes.
It’s no secret I’m a fan of a one-skillet meal — and my new favorite recipe is no exception. While it’s quick and easy, it’s no ordinary weeknight dinner. That’s because Thai recipes are known for their layers of bold flavor (just like this Thai curry noodle soup or Thai steak salad).
Love savory coconut recipes? Try this Hawaiian chicken with coconut rice, Coconut curry chicken, or Mango chicken curry next.
Ingredients You Need
Here are the main ingredients you need to make this creamy coconut shrimp recipe. Skip to the recipe card for exact measurements.
- Jumbo shrimp: To save time, buy shrimp that’s already peeled and deveined with the tails removed. You’re always better off buying frozen shrimp and thawing it over fresh shrimp.
- Red pepper flakes: Add a touch of spice.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is best.
- Shallot: Adds a sweet taste to recipes like this one and spanish chicken and rice. Use this guide for how to cut shallots!
- Red bell pepper: Adds a little crunch.
- Tomato paste: Thickens the creamy coconut milk sauce like in cajun sausage pasta.
- Full-fat coconut milk: See my list of substitutions for coconut milk like coconut cream, heavy cream, or even Greek yogurt.
- Corn: Use fresh or frozen.
- Lemon juice: Substitute with fresh lime juice.
- Parsley: Garnish with fresh parsley.
Recipe Variations
- Herbs: Top with diced green onion, fresh lime zest, fresh basil, or Thai basil.
- More veggies: sliced mushrooms or fresh spinach while simmering.
- More heat: Add a tablespoon or two of curry paste to the sauce mixture.
- Serve it over a bed of white rice, coconut rice, cauliflower rice, rice noodles, or even orzo.
- Not a fan of shrimp? Substitute it with chickpeas or white fish.
- Asian flare: dd a little ginger paste along with the garlic.
How to Make Creamy Coconut Shrimp
Here are the basic steps, with images, for this creamy coconut shrimp dish. Skip down to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe.
Step 1. Cook Shrimp. Pat the shrimp dry, season it, and sear it over medium heat for 2-3 minutes on each side.
Step 2. Saute Veggies. Cook the shallots and peppers for 2-3 minutes, until soft.
Step 3. Finish the Sauce. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and simmer over medium-low for 6-8 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
Step 4. Mix with Shrimp. Mix the seared shrimp with the sauce until it’s coated. Serve right away with fresh herbs.
Recipe FAQs
Unless you have access to shrimp fresh from the ocean, you’re almost always better off buying frozen shrimp over fresh shrimp. The “fresh” shrimp you see at the deli counter was most likely previously frozen and has been allowed to thaw out, but there’s no way to know how long they’ve been defrosted. When you buy it frozen, you have more knowledge of just how long the shrimp has been defrosted. When buying it frozen, skip over any bags that have freezer burn inside.
Keep the shrimp in the bag, place the bag in a bowl, and run the bowl under cold water for a few minutes. Be sure to thoroughly dry the shrimp before cooking. Most frozen shrimp have instructions to thaw on their bag as well!
Fish and seafood cook much faster than meat and poultry, so it can quickly overcook. Shrimp is cooked at 120 degrees F and will have an opaque pink color. The tails should curl up to a slight “C” shape. Too tight of a curl means it’s overcooked.
How to Store
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through or microwave for 30 second intervals.
You can freeze the dish for up to 3 months, but know that the texture of the shrimp may be different after defrosting your leftovers.
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Creamy Coconut Shrimp
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Ingredients
- 1 lb large shrimp peeled, deveined and tails removed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil divided
- 3 gloves garlic minced
- 1 shallot thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 15 ounce can full fat coconut milk
- 1 cup fresh or frozen corn 2 ears
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice 1/2 lemon
- Basil for serving
Instructions
- Thoroughly pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt, red pepper flakes, and pepper.1 lb large shrimp, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Cook the shrimp on one side for 2-3 minutes, flip, and repeat for another 2-3 minutes (4-6 minutes total). Remove the shrimp to a clean plate or bowl.2 Tablespoons olive oil
- Add the remaining Tablespoon of olive oil and cook the shallots and diced pepper for 2-3 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste to create a thick paste mixture.3 gloves garlic, 1 shallot, 1 red bell pepper, 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- Add the coconut milk, corn, and lemon juice and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a bubble over medium-high heat then turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for 6-8 minutes. Taste and add more salt as needed.1 15 ounce can full fat coconut milk, 1 cup fresh or frozen corn, 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- Stir in the cooked shrimp then taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve warm with rice and fresh herbs.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’m not sure why, but when I only added the two tablespoons of tomato taste, the color barely changed and the flavor was lacking. I tried adding more and it all ended up curling.
Hey Angel! What kind of coconut cream did you use? Sometimes things can very based on the brands you use. In that case I’d add a little more tomato paste. I always recommend tasting and adjusting seasoning as desired because it can be subjective. I would add some more salt and red pepper flakes if I were you. I’d also make sure to add the real garlic. Hope this helps!
Delicious! Will definitely be making this again soon- so full of flavor. Added Cilantro to rice and garnished shrimp with some too- thank you for sharing!
Sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing!
I made this meal for the first time last night,wow. This recipe is rich in flavor and is perfect for an end of summer stew! The fresh corn is my favorite part for a pop of crunch.
The fresh corn was my favorite part! Glad you liked it!