Easy Thai Green Curry (5-Ingredient Recipe)
Craving Thai food but short on time? You only need 20 minutes for this delicious five-ingredient green curry with Thai green curry paste, coconut milk, your choice of protein (prawns, chicken, or tofu), broccoli, and fish sauce.
I adore Thai cuisine. Green curry is one of my all-time favourite Thai dinners. And, this easy five-ingredient recipe is perfect for when you’re craving fresh and delicious Thai food at home.
Made with only five main ingredients – Thai green curry paste, unsweetened coconut milk, your choice of protein, broccoli (or any green veggies), and fish sauce – this easy dish is perfect for a quick and delicious weeknight meal.
It’s more of a basic Thai green curry recipe template that you can customise to what you have in the fridge. Most days I long for the prawn green curry I enjoyed on the beautiful beaches of Thailand, but other days I opt for the green chicken coconut curry I ate in the North, and on meat-free days I make sweet potato curry foregoing the protein options.
Why I love this recipe
- It only requires five main ingredients, making it a quick and easy weeknight meal option.
- This basic green curry recipe is customisable with your preferred protein and veggies.
- It is gluten-free and easily made vegan by choosing tofu and swapping out the fish sauce.
- The recipe is super easy and takes only 20 minutes to have dinner on the table.
Ingredients and substitutes
The five key ingredients for this green Thai curry are:
- Green curry paste: I use store-bought green curry paste (specifically, Mae Ploy brand). You can use other brands, but keep in mind that they may vary in spiciness, saltiness, and sweetness. You can also use homemade green curry paste. Simply adjust the amount of curry paste and use fish sauce (or salt) and sugar to balance the flavours.
- Coconut milk: Use unsweetened coconut milk for cooking, not the milk alternative. Look for a brand that only contains coconut and water. I use the Thai coconut milk that comes in cartons (like Aroy D). You’ll find them at Asian grocery stores. But canned coconut milk is perfectly fine too!
- Prawns, chicken, or tofu: You can use any of these proteins in this curry. Simply adjust the cooking time as indicated in the recipe.
- Broccoli: I like to use broccoli for its vibrant green colour and accessibility. But you can also use other vegetables like snow peas, red bell pepper, or bamboo shoots. Or add cooked sweet potato cubes or even eggplant!
- Fish sauce: When I first set out to create a five-ingredient curry recipe, fish sauce did not make the cut. But, I quickly realised that without it, Thai curry simply does not taste like authentic Thai food (so I had to trade sweet potato for the fish sauce). However, if you are unable to use fish sauce, you can substitute it with salt or light soy sauce (which will, unfortunately, turn the curry brown).
In addition to the five key ingredients, I also use a few basic pantry staples:
- Neutral oil: I use vegetable oil for this recipe, but you can also use olive oil or coconut oil.
- Sugar (optional): This is optional but adds a touch of sweetness to balance out the flavours. You can use brown sugar, palm sugar, coconut sugar, or maple syrup. I’ve even seen some recipes adding a handful of golden raisins for a touch of sweetness!
How to make basic Thai green curry
Step 1: Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan or wok over high heat. Add the curry paste and stir-fry until the paste is fragrant and the oil is absorbed – about 10 seconds.
Step 2: Reduce to medium heat and carefully add half of the coconut milk. Simmer for about 2 minutes, stirring often, until the coconut milk starts to turn green with the curry paste.
Step 3: Add the remaining coconut milk and one tablespoon of fish sauce. Taste and add sugar to preference. I recommend starting with half a tablespoon of sugar.
I typically add one tablespoon of fish sauce when using Mae Ploy green curry paste, but adjust according to your taste.
Step 4: Add your chosen protein (shrimp, prawn, or chicken) and cook for a few minutes until the protein is mostly cooked. This takes about 2 minutes for small shrimp or up to 5 minutes for large prawn tails or chicken thighs.
For green chicken curry, I prefer to use chicken thighs, but you can also use chicken breasts in Thai chicken curry.
For tofu green curry, it is better to pan-fry firm tofu before you start with the green curry sauce. Then, add the cooked tofu at the next step with the veggies. You can even pop them in the air fryer!
Step 5: Add the raw broccoli (or other quick-cooking veggies) and gently stir. It will look like a lot of broccoli, but they’ll reduce in size and release moisture to make more sauce. Simmer until your protein is fully cooked and the broccoli is bright green and tender – about 3 to 5 minutes.
If you want to add vegetables that require longer cooking, like sweet potatoes and eggplant, it is best to pan-fry the veggies before you start with the green curry sauce and add the cooked veggies at this stage to warm through.
Step 6: Do a final taste test and add more fish sauce or salt as needed. The exact amount depends on the type of curry paste you use. I add another half tablespoon for Mae Ploy brand.
Serve the easy green Thai curry over rice or noodles and top with fresh herbs and chillies, if desired.
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days.
Tips
- Taste, taste, taste: Different curry pastes have different spice levels, saltiness and sweetness. Mae Ploy is quite spicy, Thai Kitchen is milder (and without shrimp paste), and when you make your own green curry paste it could be anywhere on that scale.
- Extra coconut milk: If your curry ends up a bit too spicy, it’s great to have extra coconut milk to mellow the heat. Use any leftover coconut milk for coconut rice, or freeze it for next time.
- Don’t overcook: Not only will you lose the green colour of the sauce but your vegetables will get soft and mushy.
Serving suggestion
The curry serves two hungry people if you enjoy it on its own as a soup. But it serves up to four people when you serve it with rice.
Start with the base. All Thai curries go exceptionally well with jasmine rice, but you can also spoon your sauce curry over a bowl of cooked noodles, brown rice, or cauliflower rice.
Then, add a garnish. I always serve green curry with fresh herbs and lime wedges. Use fresh Thai basil leaves if you can find them, otherwise use regular basil, fresh mint leaves, finely chopped kaffir lime leaves, or roughly chopped fresh cilantro. Let everyone squeeze fresh lime juice to taste.
Not spicy enough? Add sliced red or green chillies. I love the pop of colour and extra heat!
Too spicy? Not everyone enjoys the same level of heat, so serve a little bit of extra coconut milk on the side to mellow down the heat of the curry.
Frequently asked questions
The main ingredients in Thai green curry include coconut milk, green curry paste, chicken or other protein, vegetables, and fish sauce. Other common ingredients include palm sugar, kaffir lime leaves, Thai eggplant, and fresh herbs (like Thai basil) as garnish.
Green curry paste adds flavour to Thai green curry. For a more intense flavour, add more green curry paste. But if this is too spicy, add aromatics like kaffir lime leaves and lemon grass to the green curry sauce. And, adjust it to taste with fish sauce, palm sugar, and lime juice.
Try more Thai recipes
Equipment
- Wok – or large saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons green curry paste*
- 1 can (14 oz) unsweetened full-fat coconut milk* , divided
- 1 pound raw prawn meat , or your protein of choice* (shrimp, chicken thighs, or tofu)
- 14 ounces broccoli florets* , cut into bite-sized pieces (about 4 heaped cups)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons fish sauce , more to taste
- brown sugar or palm sugar (optional) , to taste
To serve (optional)
- cooked Jasmine rice
- a handful of fresh herbs (Thai basil, shredded kaffir lime leaves, mint leaves or fresh cilantro)
- fresh chillies , sliced
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan or wok over high heat and add the curry paste. Stir-fry until the paste is fragrant and the oil is absorbed – about 10 seconds.
- Reduce to medium heat and carefully add half of the coconut milk. Simmer for about 2 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the remaining coconut milk and 1 tablespoon of fish sauce. Taste and add sugar to preference – I add 1 tablespoon of sugar when using Mae Ploy green curry paste, but other brands may already be sweet enough.
- Add your chosen protein (shrimp, prawn, or chicken). Cook for a few minutes until the protein is mostly cooked – about 2 minutes for small shrimp or up to 5 minutes for large prawn tails or chicken thighs (see notes for more).
- Then, add the raw broccoli (or other quick-cooking veggies). Gently stir and simmer until your protein is cooked and the broccoli is bright green and tender – about another 3 to 5 minutes.
- Do a final taste test and add more fish sauce (or salt) – I add another 1 tablespoon.
- Serve the easy Thai green curry over rice or noodles, and top with fresh herbs, if desired.
Notes
- Prawn or shrimp: Peel and devein shrimp or prawns. And, if you’re using frozen shrimp or prawn, thaw it fully before cooking. Cook until your shrimp or prawn is opaque and almost cooked through before adding the vegetables. It takes 2 minutes for tiny shrimp and up to 5 minutes for larger prawn tails.
- Chicken: Use chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces and cook in the sauce for 5 minutes before adding the veggies.
- Tofu: For a vegetarian Thai green curry recipe, opt for tofu. Pan-fry the tofu before you start with the curry, and add it to the green sauce when you add the broccoli. Also, swap the fish sauce for light soy sauce (the curry colour will be less green) and use a green curry paste without shrimp paste (like Thai Kitchen).
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