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.
Super delicious, halved the curry paste as our son is not a fan of anything that may look, smell or sound spicy. Enjoyed with basmati
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 😊 Halving the curry paste is a great way to keep it kid-friendly, and basmati rice is such a perfect pairing. Thanks so much for sharing!
This was super delicious with basmati rice! Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 😊 Basmati rice sounds like the perfect pairing. Thanks so much for making it and for leaving a note!
Really enjoyed this dish and will make again.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 💛 Thanks so much for making it and for taking the time to leave a note — I love hearing it’s a repeat for you.
Monday night dinner in the household. My wife and I loved it!! Thank you for the Inspiration
That makes me so happy to hear! 😊 I love knowing it earned a spot as Monday night dinner — and even better that you both loved it. Thanks so much for cooking along and for the kind note!
how many does this recipe serve please?
This recipe served 4 people. 🙂
Easy, flavorful recipe! I used veggies that I had on hand – bokchoy, frozen roasted root veggies, red bell pepper. I had some frozen cod as well. The dish came together nicely!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Your mix of veggies and cod sounds delicious — I love how adaptable this recipe is to whatever’s on hand. Great way to make it your own!
Used vegetables I had on hand. Had to add spinach to add another color. The flavors are excellent! Served over rice. Will definitely make this again!
I love that you made it your own with what you had on hand! Adding spinach for color is a great touch, and I’m so glad the flavors turned out excellent.
Very nice, pretty quick to put together. Used yellow cherry tomatoes, which I added toward the end of cooking the onion, garlic and ginger, red bell pepper and carrots. I had 3/4 lb cod so made the full recipe and saved half the sauce/veggies for another night. Only had low-fat coconut milk but that was fine. Thank you. To serve, I ladled it into a bowl around a mound of brown rice and sprinkled cilantro and lime generously.
That sounds absolutely delicious — I love how you plated it with the rice, cilantro, and lime, such a great finishing touch! Using yellow cherry tomatoes and saving half the sauce for another night is such a smart move, too. So happy you enjoyed it!
This was amazing. We served it to a group of approximately 20 where we had made this curry sauce, seared the fish and added it as a sauce.
I came home and made the recipe according to the instructions and it is in my recipes to repeat! It was delicious— both times.
Make sure you are using fresh fish! Hopefully you all have a brother that is a fisherman!
That sounds absolutely wonderful! I love that you tried it both ways and enjoyed it each time. Fresh fish really does make all the difference—lucky you with a fisherman in the family!
Occasionally my entire family of four all like a recipe. This was one of those times. No complaints, no ‘suggestions’ that would make it better, and even a request I make this again for an upcoming dinner with friends. Wow! All that for a meal of fish and vegetables. Winner, winner!
That’s the ultimate win! When the whole family loves it and even asks for an encore, you know it’s a keeper. I’m so happy it was a hit—and I love that it’s going to make an appearance at dinner with friends, too!
This recipe was so easy to make and it tastes delicious. Have made it a few times now and it has become my husband’s favourite meal.
That’s wonderful to hear, Barb! I love that it’s become a favorite in your home—that’s the best compliment. Thank you for making it again and again!
So good! My husband makes an amazing Thai curry however I do believe this recipe tops his. Very delicious 🤤
Wow, what a compliment! I’m so glad you enjoyed it enough to say that—it means a lot. Thank you for sharing this with me!
Excellent!!
Yay! So happy to hear that—thanks for trying the recipe! 😊
Hi: I am new to your site and have a question. Can I use ground curry powder, in place of curry paste? TYIA
Welcome! Great to have you here. Curry powder and curry paste come from different cuisines—curry powder is typically Indian, while curry paste is Thai—so they have very different flavors and ingredients. Because of that, they’re not interchangeable in most recipes. For the best results, I’d stick with curry paste.
Very tasty great recipe. Thank you
I’m so glad you enjoyed it—thank you for the kind words!
My family loved this!
I’m so happy to hear that—nothing better than a family-approved meal! Thanks for trying the recipe! 😊