Thai Fish Curry
Thai fish curry is a 20 minute dinner recipe that tastes like a special treat. The fish is gently poached in a flavorful, coconut curry sauce that's bursting with delicious Thai flavors. You'll love it!
Put on a pot of rice or make some cauliflower rice and the meal is complete. And if you love Thai curries, also try our Thai peanut curry and our Thai beef curry
Thai fish curry
This Thai fish curry is so flavorful and cozy that it's hard to believe it's a simple recipe.
The coconut milk curry sauce with garlic, ginger, and curry paste is creamy and flavorful. And ever so gently simmering the fish keeps it tender and delicate.
How to make this Thai fish curry recipe
Thai fish curry is so easy to make! Here's what you're going to do:
- Saute onions, garlic, and ginger for big-time flavor.
- Now create the sauce by adding coconut milk, curry paste, fish sauce (stinky but tasty!), a little coconut sugar.
- Now some chopped veggies go into the pot to cook for a few minutes.
- Add the fish last as it cooks very quickly.
That's it! You've just made Thai fish curry!
Full recipe in the recipe card below.
Can I use a different curry paste?
Yes! Any kind of Thai curry paste will work in this recipe. While the flavor will change slightly depending on whether you choose green, yellow, or red curry paste, the fish will be delicious no matter what.
But if you're after a Thai flavored meal, avoid using curry powder, which is a blend of Indian spices and would dramatically change the flavor of this recipe.
What kind of fish is best for fish curry?
Any kind of white fish works great in this recipe. We like lingcod, which is in the pictures, but there are many different kinds that work well. Here are a few others to choose from:
- Cod
- Tilapia
- Haddock
- Grouper
- Rockfish
- Sole
How long does Thai fish curry last?
Fish curry will keep for 2 days in your fridge. Be very careful when reheating it and don't let it come to a boil. You only want to warm the fish, not cook it more.
Can I freeze this recipe?
Cooked fish does not freeze very well as it becomes tough when reheated. While it is possible to freeze fish curry, it won't be as good as it is fresh.
Only freeze fish curry in a pinch, or if you don't mind fish that's a bit tough.
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Thai Fish Curry Recipe
If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star rating!
Ingredients
- 1 Ā½ lb white fish
- 3 tablespoons red Thai curry paste, divided
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- Ā½ medium onion, finely minced
- 2 tablespoons finely minced ginger
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 15 ounce can coconut milk
- Ā½ cup water
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon coconut or brown sugar
- 4 cups chopped veggies, pictured are green beans, carrots, and red bell peppers
- Minced cilantro and lime juice, to serve
Instructions
- Cut the fish into pieces about 2-inches wide. Dry the fish with a paper towel then rub 1 tablespoon of the curry paste over the pieces.1 Ā½ lb white fish
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. (See notes.) Add the onion, ginger, and garlic and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of curry paste, coconut milk, water, fish sauce, and sugar. Add the veggies and bring the pot to a boil.2 tablespoons coconut oil, Ā½ medium onion, 2 tablespoons finely minced ginger, 3 cloves garlic, 15 ounce can coconut milk, Ā½ cup water, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 tablespoon coconut or brown sugar, 4 cups chopped veggies
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the fish. Cover the pot and cook for 5 minutes, or until the fish is no longer opaque. If your fish is quite thick, you may need to flip the pieces over and cook for 1-2 minutes more.
- Serve with a little minced cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice.Minced cilantro and lime juice
Notes
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So easy and tasty. We added a few extras: Thai basil, mint minced lemon grass. For veggies oyster mushrooms, baby bok choy and zucchini
Super watery. Cut the water altogether or use coconut cream and keep the water. Add more curry paste than recipe states and add lime juice and chili for more punch
Excellent Thai Fish Curry. I can’t eat really spicy hot food so I substituted Thai Green Curry Paste for the red and reduced it to 1 TBSP. Ā It was perfect for me. It tasted like a restaurant meal. So good and full of nutrition.Ā
Absolutely delicious. I added beans, broccoli, potato, carrot and red pepper. Served it over rice noodles. I used New Zealand Hoki fillets which broke up a little. Will use a thicker fish like Basa next time. Would also be yummy with a combination of fish, prawns and mussels. I used less water, about a 1/4 of a cup. I guess it depends on the viscosity of the coconut milk. Ā My husband and I cant wait to eat it again. Ā Thank you for sharing the recipe.Ā
Outstanding recipe! Ā We made it as specified, except we cut fish pieces larger (4″ instead of 2″), increased the fish sauce and curry paste, and added 1 tablespoon of Thai Kitchen chili paste for a touch of heat. This is THE most flavorful and satisfying fish dish we have ever had. I used red bell pepper cubes and bite-sized green beans for the vegetables per the photo, and they were the perfect. Be sure to add lots of the chopped cilantro and lime juice before serving. We’ve served this over white rice and also over cauliflower rice. The sauce is so flavorful, that both are equally good. The sauce is also plentiful, and probably enough for up to 2 lbs of fish.Ā
Made this as written, though only used 1/4 cup of water. I was very surprised that this had almost no flavor at all. Couldn’t taste either the curry or the coconut. Disappointing.
All day long a great recipe…..i used the bare bones and used a shop bought sauce….lovely….just followed the timings….hake and prawns !!!
This was easy and good but you donāt need the water. Instead of creamy from the coconut milk this was waterey.Ā
Melting in the mouth, loved it
This was SO delicious! I had to improvise lots but still amazing. Local grocer in tiny town in the middle of nowhere had no lemongrass anything and fish sauce was too pricey at $10 a bottle so tried a bit of anchovy and a little Lemon zest. Definitely making this again
Does this have lemongrass, I canāt see it in the recipe?Ā
Rapide et succulent! Ā Parfait !
I have made this recipe many times and it is a real winner! Ā I wondered if you think it could be made with Salmon instead of a white fish? Ā If so would you modify anything? Ā I’m trying to incorporate more Salmon into my diet but not in love with the taste of it. Ā I thought this sauce would be a great way to disguise it!
You could definitely swap salmon for the fish without making any other modifications. We also have a salmon curry recipe that has a different flavor. Is steelhead salmon available where you live? I find that it has a more mild flavor and is easier to cook than the usual coho, spring, or other salmon. Might be worth giving it a try!
Soooo easy, mmmm easier than other recipes I looked at. And v v delicious. Ā Great tip poaching the chicken thighs in the sauce. Ā Thank you, hubbie said to,ask you , the expert, if you think prawns cld work too ā¦lightly cooked in the sauce ā¦ cos he had once, he tells me, a M and S prawn mango curry ā¦but not available any more! Ā Thank you. Ā Ps ā¦ I know chicken thighs are tastier and cheaper but I struggle preparing them ā¦ I seem to waste a lot ā¦ do yiu just cut off the stringy fatty bits?? Thank yiu. Ahhh, this comment seems to have shifted to the fish curry ā¦ odd ā¦. I am referring to the mango chicken curry ā¦. Sorry! Please cld you relate answer to that curry. Xx
So happy to hear you love the mango curry! As far as chicken thighs go, I usually trim the stringy fatty bits – it totally ok to leave some of them – then cube the meat.
Hands down one of the better Thai Fish Curry recipes out there! After trying two other recipes, with marginal success, this one tasted the best. Full disclosure: I used regular sugar as I didn’t have coconut or brown sugar at home and I used Thai Home Red Curry Paste which has lime, lemon grass and other herbs in it so having a good quality red curry paste will make a difference! We also like it a little spicy so like others, I added an extra thai chili and some thai basil. Lots of flexibility with veggies. We used carrots, red pepper, yellow squash, and fresh green beans. So delicious! Thank you for sharing.
Hi Kristen! This looks delicious. Can I make the curry with the veggies ahead of time and just cook the fish on the day that I am serving it? Would steaming sea bass filet separately and serving it with the sauce also work, you think? Thank you!
You could make the sauce ahead of time and chop up the veggies, but I wouldn’t add them until you’re ready to serve this as they’ll get very soft when you reheat it. It’s tasty as leftovers, but I wouldn’t serve it that way to guests.
This was fantastic! Easy to make. We like spice/heat, so I added Thai Red Chili’s. Absolutely one of my faves!
Hi Kristen. Your recipe looks delicious, will be using it as a starting point for tonight’s dinner. BUT wanted to let you know that your “Print Recipe” link doesn’t work – perhaps because of all the videos embedded in the Instructions? No matter, I have enough committed to memory to pull this together without the crutch of a printed copy.
Hi Ken! It may be that you have popups blocked on your computer. The recipe opens in a new tab and if you have them blocked, it may be preventing it from opening. Here’s the direct link to the recipe print page: https://www.theendlessmeal.com/wprm_print/58702
Very tasty. I added a red thai chili and would cut the water down. Otherwise, quick and delicious. I used Ā carrots, asparagus and Ā baby bok choy.
Love, love, love this recipe!
We don’t like coconut, so I was a little leery of the recipe, but we wanted to make an easy fish recipe. This recipe blew everyone away, and so I made it again two days later to use the left over sauce. I used asparagus as the green vegetable….it worked well!!
I tried this recipe for my wifeās birthday dinner and she absolutely loved it! It is delicious, flavorful and light leaving ample room for dessert! I sautĆ©ed shrimp in Thai seasoning and stirred it into the finished pot. Lovely meal and I have so much confidence with it, I will be repeating when we have people over! THANK YOU
I made this but slightly different and it was really yummy.
I didn’t have any coconut milk but used coconut oil added a little more than asked for. I used a small amount of normal milk and water and thickened using corn flour.Ā
Veg was mangetout, peppers (red and green) and carrot. I did cook these a little longer to soften slightly but still had a crunch
The fish was frozen so baked in oven with the paste and added at the end with the juices and coriander
Was amazing!Ā
Very tasty!!
My Singaporean husband really enjoyed this recipe. We added green beans to the dish. It was fast and delicious!
This is a great recipe! Super quick and so tasty! Ā
This was my very first time cooking Thai food and boy was it delicious!
this recipe was so sleigh!!
Delicious, thank you!!!
This was delicous have made it three times this past summer.
This a cracker of a curry and so easy to make. Totally recommended
Amazing. Wow
All time fav recipe to make for dinner, we make it at least twice a month! Iāve made it for dinner parties, family reunions, and itās always a hit!
Absolutely dee-lish! I added two small hot red chiles, as I like heat but it was perfect had I not had them.Ā
Donāt hesitate. This is amazing. I just made it and am currently rubbing my belly in complete satisfaction. Also, I was nervous because I only had Blue Fish (freshly caught BTW). It was perfect. Blue Fish can be fishy and oily. But, it works perfectly with this recipe. Do it.Ā
Hi! What would you recommend using instead of green beans? Thank you š
Honestly almost all veggies work in this recipe. Asparagus and broccoli are two greens that I often sub for green beans. š
I have also made this recipe with shrimp which is excellent as well
Giving it five stars based on the recipe posted. We like hot/spicy Thai curry. I followed the recipe as posted but then added dried hot pepper flakes and a dash of sriracha at the end. Itās a healthy recipe for sure! Also, Iām sure it depends on the red curry paste we used. Ours seemed bland. So, that affected the taste Iām sure. As posted, five stars but you may need to adjust on personal taste if you want level 8-9 out of 10. Any recommendations as to curry paste brands to buy is appreciated!Ā
Just wondered if it would be better to batter and deep fry the fish first.
I think this isn’t the time for battered fish as the batter will get soggy in the curry sauce.
Tasty. Ā Very easy and quick. Next time I would follow the directions and cut the fish smaller. Ā We used halibut.
When do you add vegetables and how long do you cook them?
At the end of step #2. They’ll cook in the same amount of time as the fish, which you add after the veggies. š
Hi! Love the concept of this dish and would love to perfect it. I used the exact measurements, except adding water to the sauce, and the dish came out very watery and not thick/creamy. Do you have any recommendations here? What type of coconut milk did you use? I used a regular organic can from whole foods – it had no guar gum.
Thank you!
For a thicker curry, you can cook it uncovered. This will reduce the sauce and make it thicker. š
Recipe was delicious. I think next time I’ll eliminate the water.
Can I use salmon?
Sure!
When do you add the other two tbs of curry paste?
In step 2. Thank you for the heads up that we were missing that step. š