Thai Fish Curry
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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!
This Thai fish curry is so flavorful and cozy that it’s hard to believe how simple it is to make. The coconut milk curry sauce, infused with garlic, ginger, and curry paste, is rich and creamy, and gently simmering the fish right in the sauce keeps it perfectly tender and delicate.
In the photos, I used green beans, carrots, and red bell peppers, but this is one of those recipes that happily adapts to whatever vegetables you have on hand. Broccoli, snap peas, zucchini, or spinach all work beautifully, so you can make it your own every time you cook it.
Can I use a different curry paste?
Yes! Any Thai curry paste will work in this recipe. While the flavor will vary slightly depending on whether you choose green, yellow, or red curry paste, the fish will be delicious no matter which you choose.
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?
You can use any white fish in this recipe. I like lingcod, which is in the pictures, but many different kinds work well. Here are a few others to choose from:
- Cod
- Tilapia
- Haddock
- Grouper
- Rockfish
- Sole
Store and reheat
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.
Thai Fish Curry Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb white fish
- 3 tablespoons red Thai curry paste (divided)
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- ½ medium onion (finely minced)
- 2 tablespoons finely minced ginger
- 3 cloves garlic (finely minced)
- 15 ounce can coconut milk
- ½ cup water
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar ( 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 ½ lb white fish
- Heat the oil in a large pot (I like to use my braiser) 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, ½ medium onion, 2 tablespoons finely minced ginger, 3 cloves garlic, 15 ounce can coconut milk, ½ cup water, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 tablespoon coconut 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
Last step:
- After you make this recipe, take a picture with your phone and share it in the comments section below. I love seeing it when you make my recipes!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
This recipe 😋 is yummy and works every time! Thank you 😊
Thanks, Yvonne!
This recipe was delicious! I used, cubed zucchini, red onion, cubed, carrots, and red and orange peppers
I love a good fish curry!
Love the veggies you added!
So good. I used trout and a cup each of green beans, carrots, okra, and tomatoes, and added an extra teaspoon of fish sauce and some chicken bouillon. Ended up cooking for around half an hour til the veggies were done. At the end, added Thai basil and lemon juice. Excellent, thank you!!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the recipe!
Amazing recipe. My 9 year old even loves it. The fish I use is sacalait fish or otherwise known as crappy. We Cajuns say a lot of things differently. Lol. I am not a big fan of grean beans or bell peppers so I substituted those with zucchini and radishes. I only use one tablespoon of red curry or I wouldn’t be able to eat it because it would be too hot for me. Always comes out so good and never disappoints.
I’m so happy you and your son love the recipe!!
So easy to make and the result is ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS! A new family favourite.
Yay! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
How spicy is it with 3 tablespoons curry paste?
That really depends on the curry paste you use – some is pretty mild and others are very spicy. If you’re concerned about the heat, start with less (say 1 tablespoon) and stir in more at the end if you think it needs it.
Add a dash of chicken bullion for a more robust flavor.
Great recipe simple to follow and tastes fantastic
Muy buenas las recetas
My husband will only eat fish and chips unless I tell him the fish is red snapper, and tuna salad but for some reason he will eat red snapper.
Hey Ladies, i tricked
him into eating talapia once. It had some red in it so he thought it was really red snapper. 😄 🤣 😂 on him.
Do you think I could get away with sautéing him a piece of chicken breast and put in the sauce while the fish is cooking. Will the sauce taste too fishy that he will know the real recipe? This recipe really sounds good?
I’ll have to keep a lid on it.
I don’t think that the sauce tastes fishy, but if he’s really sensitive to the flavor you might want to omit the fish sauce. If you add chicken, make sure to add it first and let it cook until it’s almost done before adding the fish.
Do you used light or full fat coconut milk in this recipe?
I prefer full fat as it makes the curry creamier, but you can sub light if you’d to cut calories and are ok with a less creamy curry.
This recipe is easy to make and also makes you look like a Pro! I’ve been making this dish with Sockeye Salmon (which has a strong flavor); goes very well with the spices in this recipe. Sharp knife, slice off skin from the Salmon, as part of your prep.
Tasty and quick! I made it even faster by using frozen garlic and frozen ginger cubes. As others said, no water needed for me personally. I also did not bother rubbing down the raw fish with curry as the final sauce is so flavorful. I served this topped with crispy potatoes for a nice textural contrast. Will deff make again.
Great recipe. I used 2 tbsp of curry paste, should have used 3. The curry paste at stop & shop isn’t that strong.
A great recipe! Once all ingredients are prepped, the meal comes together very quickly. Based on other reviews, I omitted the water and the consistency was perfect. I decreased the quantity of curry paste by 1/3 tbsp so as not to overpower the fish (tilapia). Wonderful flavours of both coconut and curry. Will definitely make again.
This is an easy, fast dinner recipe. We really enjoyed the flavors and will make it again! Can’t wait to look around and make some more of your recipes! Thank you!