Jamaican Curry Shrimp
Jamaican Curry Shrimp delivers bold, tropical flavors from coconut milk, curry powder, garlic, and bell peppers. And, of course, we can’t forget the delectable, juicy shrimp. This mouthwatering stew is flavor-packed yet surprisingly straightforward to make.
I know this dish looks exotic and complex, which may scare off some folks, but honestly, it’s not any of those. Large, juicy shrimp simmered in a hearty sauce infused with garlic, thyme, ginger, and curry powder are pure yum!!!
Speaking of curry, if you haven’t made my awesome, easy curry powder, then you’re missing out. Storebought curry powder pales in comparison to homemade. So take a little time, try it, and tell me what you think.
The Secret to Jamaican Curry Shrimp
Besides the perfect curry powder, coconut milk gives this dish a unique flavor. Anyone who has tried Thai curry knows what I’m talking about. Plus, you can have this Jamaican curry shrimp on the table in about 30 minutes, including prep. Your family will be a bunch of happy campers.
How to Make Jamaican Curry Shrimp
- Saute onions, garlic, thyme, and curry powder for 2-3 minutes. Add the scotch bonnet pepper if using.
- The Base – Add tomato paste, bell pepper, green onions, coconut milk, and broth, and bring it to a boil. Simmer for 7-10 minutes, toss in the shrimp, and cook for 3-5 more minutes.
- Adjust for salt, pepper, and thickness. Serve with Jamaican peas and rice and vegetables.
Recipe Tips
- If shrimp is not your thing, you can make curry chicken with breast or thighs.
- Use full-fat coconut milk for the best shrimp curry. Or even better, make your own super fast.
- Curries and stews can burn quickly, so stir often and reduce the heat to low for a burn-free stew.
- For even more flavorful shrimp, saute them in butter, then add them to the stew at the end of the cooking time. Stir and serve.
Make-Ahead and Leftovers
Overcooking shrimp is easy, so I follow the recipe until it goes in. Let the stew cool and store it in the fridge until the next day. Add the shrimp while the stew is reheating and simmer until it’s done. Enjoy a fast and easy meal.
You can store leftover Jamaican curry shrimp in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for three months. Gently reheat in a saucepan on low just until it starts simmering.
FAQs
While it has some of the same ingredients, they are different. Turmeric gives this Jamaican all-purpose seasoning its distinctive yellowness. The most significant difference is that Jamaicans toast their spices, releasing more deliciousness and adding a pleasant toasted flavor.
Depending on the size and cooking method, they usually take 4-6 minutes. I’d start checking around 3 minutes if using smaller shrimp.
You absolutely can. Add a minute or two to the cooking time, and you’re good to go.
Perfect Pairings for Jamaican Curry Shrimp
This recipe is excellent with Jamaican pigeon peas and rice or rice and beans. Simple coconut rice turns this into tropical goodness. Vegetables on the side, like broccoli, side salad, or whatever vegetable suits your mood.
More Incredible Shrimp Recipes
By Imma
Watch How to Make It
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This blog post was first published in May 2016 and has been updated with new tips, fresh photos, and a video
Jamaican Curry Shrimp
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons (28ml) olive oil or canola oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon (1g) fresh thyme, minced
- ½-1 tablespoon (3-6g) Jamaican curry powder
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper, optional
- 1 tablespoon (15g) tomato paste
- ½ red or green bell pepper, diced
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 1 cup (240ml) unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 cup (240ml) broth, or more (I used chicken broth, but vegetable and seafood work)
- 1-1½ pounds (450-680g) extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven.
- Add onions, garlic, thyme, and curry powder, and sauté for 2-3 minutes. If using scotch bonnet pepper, add it at this time.
- Add tomato paste, bell pepper, and green onions, followed by coconut milk and broth. Bring it to a boil, then simmer for 7-10 minutes. Toss in the shrimp. Cook for another 3-5 minutes.
- Adjust for salt, pepper, and thickness.
Tips & Notes:
- Use whole-fat coconut milk for the best shrimp curry. Or even better, make your own super fast.
- Curries and stews can burn quickly, so stir often and turn the heat down to low for a burn-free stew.
- For an even more flavorful Jamaican curry shrimp, you can saute your shrimp in butter until cooked through, then add them to the stew at the end of the cooking time. Just stir them into the stew and serve.
- I use chicken broth in this recipe. Or you can easily make your own shrimp broth. Combine shrimp shells with some chopped celery and garlic in a saucepan. Cover with water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30-45 minutes or until the water is reduced by half: strain and use.
- You can use habanero pepper instead of scotch bonnet pepper or add a ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper (adjust to taste) if you want some heat. If not, leave it out completely.
- Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Check step 3 . It’s stated . Thanks!
Made this the other day and my neighbors enjoyed it. The curry sauce over the rice was the best, didn’t need the shrimp (ok it helped). Gonna try the curry chicken recipe next. One more thing I like the step by step directions and pictures of the process. Thanks again
My pleasure! So glad to hear the step by step pictorials are really helpful . Thanks for taking the time to share this with me .
Thank you so much for this amazing recipe!! I made it tonight for my family and everyone loved it! Just the right amount of spice and flavor. I followed the recipe with no variations. Will defiantly be making again.
You are Welcome Melinda! Thanks for the feedback! Glad to hear it’s going on the menu again.
I have tried different Curry Recipes & this recipe Is the best! I added Mussels with the shrimp, My Family loved it.
That’s so fantastic !!! I’m so pleased to hear it turned out well with added Mussels , thanks for letting me know!
Yes it is.
Outstanding! This recipe is a great base for you to customize. I used frozen diced green, red and yellow peppers. I didn’t have fresh thyme so I used dried. I also used store bought curry powder but I certainly intend to make my own, now that I have a recipe. I added a 1/4 tsp of roasted chili powder ( I didn’t have scotch bonnet) and the heat was perfect. Hot enough to give you a sniffle but not enough to distort the flavor or set your mouth on fire . For me tomato paste or canned tomatoes always need a pinch of sugar to cut the acidity and believe me, that little pinch really made a difference. Salt is absolutely necessary, taste and adjust. My only problem was thickening. I added cornstarch (dissolved in water) to help thicken up the broth but it just didn’t thicken to my liking, or hardly for that matter. I was afraid if I added more cornstarch it would alter the taste so I left it as is and enjoyed it over some basmati rice. All and all this is a great easy recipe. Thank you so much xoxo
I forgot to add I also used a tiny pinch of powdered ginger!
Awesome! Glad it all worked out for you. Thanks for taking the time to offer feedback.
This looks great and am going to try it. I will also try preparing your curry powder and use that. I think, though, that you meant to say that the store bought curry powder pales in comparison to yours, not the other way around 🙂
Yes! Thanks for the clarification.
Tofu is good, make sure it’s the extre firm and extract the water first. I cut it into bite sized cubes and added after onions. But Tempeh is even better!
Hey IB, you still have your metaphors mixed up when comparing homemade curry powder to store-bought, better change that!
Thanks for the feedback Kim. I have made the corrections.
. What’s a good brand of curry to use?
I make my own curry powder featured here . Or try Chief if you can find it .
I never make comments on recipes, but I had to stop and praise this one! I used some quick fixes to make my usual curry powder similar to yours, adding Dijon mustard and ginger root. It was so delicious I couldn’t wait to get up the next morning and eat it again. I’m a Georgia girl and ended up with Shrimp and Grits, which was even better than the creamy rice I made the night before! Thank you so much!
Awesome! Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. I appreciate you!!!
Hi Imma,
What rice do you use? I can’t find Jamaican rice in my local grocery stores.
Thanks for the great recipe!
I always use Long grain rice (Basmatic rice) for most of the recipes here.
Oh, this was SO GOOD! Next time I think we’ll use less broth to make it a thicker sauce, but all the flavours were there! Thanks!
Nice recipe but the food came out bland.
Thanks for giving this a try. Sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy it. what kind of curry powder did you use? Homemade makes it really flavorful.
This was delicious and simple. I absolutely love your recipes!
Awesome!!! Thanks for feedback Amber
I usually use chicken broth. However, feel free to use whatever you have on hand.
What a spatular curry dish Imma! You’re totally right. The name of the dish sounds very exotic, but surprisingly I found I have all the ingredients in my kitchen. Can’t wait to try it out!
What kind of vegetable is served with the curry in the picture above? Are those plantains or sweet potatoes? Something else???? Looks amazing! 🙂
Thanks! They are Plantains(Fried) .
I love curry. Love curry shrimp. With rice, roti, bread.. lol. I love seeing the different processes for currying too.
I love curry! Especially with shrimp. And I will definitely be looking up your curry mix recipe. I use curry mix all the time.
Don’t just taste way better than the bottled ones?
I am such a curry fan. I looked through the ingredients and it is amazing how universal the basics are. They transcend so many food cultures. I make a lot of Indian food and it is very similar. The colors you have on this dish are amazing. I need to try this more Caribbean style of curry.
I love how this can be made in about 30 minutes! Some nights you just don’t feel like cooking, so this would be a perfect flavor packed meal for those nights!
Oh, this looks wonderful! So vibrant and fresh! I must make this ASAP! Yummed and pinned!