Jamaican Curry Shrimp
Enjoy bold, tropical flavors with Jamaican curry shrimp thanks to 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 people, 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 easy curry powder, then you’re missing out. Store-bought curry powder pales in comparison to homemade. So take a little time, try it, and tell me what you think.
The Secret to Extraordinary 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 easy shrimp recipe on the table in about 30 minutes, including prep. Your family will be a bunch of happy campers.
How to Make Jamaican Curry Shrimp
- Season and saute the shrimp, and set aside.
- Sauté onions, garlic, thyme, and curry powder for 2-3 minutes. Add the scotch bonnet pepper if using, pour in the coconut milk, and stir in the tomato paste.
- Pour in the broth, add the carrots, and simmer. Add the bell peppers and cook for a minute or two, and add the shrimp back in. Adjust seasonings and enjoy.
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.
- Some people swear that soaking shrimp in beer for 10 minutes helps their texture and flavor. Just don’t go longer than that, or it can ruin the texture instead of helping it.
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. It also makes an ideal addition to soups and stews.
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
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”sX4wuNLI” upload-date=”2018-08-06T20:36:19.000Z” name=”Jamaican Curry Shrimp” description=”Jamaican Curry Shrimp delivers big, bold, tropical flavors from coconut milk, curry powder, garlic, and bell peppers. And, of course, we can’t forget delectable, juicy shrimp. ” player-type=”collapse” override-embed=”false”]
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
- 1-1½ pounds (450-680g) extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- salt and pepper to taste (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon (2g) Jamaican curry powder
- 2 tablespoons (28ml) cooking oil (canola, sunflower, or avocado works fine)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3-4 large cloves garlic, minced (1 tablespoon minced garlic)
- 2 teaspoons (2g) fresh thyme, minced (or ½ teaspoon dried)
- 1-2 tablespoon (6-12g) Jamaican curry powder
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper (optional)
- 1 tablespoon (15g) tomato paste
- ½ cup (70g) sliced carrots, blanched or frozen (optional)
- ½ red or green bell pepper, diced (or both red and green)
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 1-1½ cups (236-350ml) unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 cup (236ml) broth or more (see notes)
Instructions
- Heat oil over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven. Season the shrimp with salt, pepper, and curry powder. Sauté until barely opaque and slightly curled. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add onions, garlic, thyme, and curry powder to the same pan, and sauté for 2-3 minutes. If using scotch bonnet pepper, add it at this time.
- Add tomato paste, optional carrots, 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 and heat through. Adjust for salt, pepper, and thickness. Enjoy!
Tips & Notes:
- Salting shrimp to taste is easy. Start with ¾ teaspoon per pound of cleaned shrimp. You can always add more later.
- I used chicken broth in this recipe, but making your own shrimp broth is easy. Cover the shrimp shells with some chopped celery and garlic in a saucepan and simmer for 30-45 minutes or until the water reduces by half, then 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.
This dish was awesome full of flavor a wee bit on the hot side too, couldn’t find the scotch bonnet so they say habanero is very close to it. What an amazing dish. The actual prep work to longer the actually cooking it. Grateful that it’s gluten free as well.
I’m so glad I found your website. I’m 24 and just learning how to cook. This recipe is simple and easy to follow.
So happy to have you here Musu. Thanks for the feedback.
I haven’t seen my husband so excited about a meal in a few. My family loved it. I was concerned because there was not much seasoning in the recipe but it is so full of flavor. Will definitely come back for more. It was amazing!
I had no thyme… Experimented with 2 cloves. It was immaculate! I can just imagine how it will be on my second attempt. Thanks a million!!!!
Hello Imma,
I came across your site by fluke. I made the curry shrimp last night. It was full of flavor and so easy!!! It was amazing! My husband loved it. He usually polishes off all the food and we never have leftovers, but he left extra in the pot so he can take for lunch today. I will definitely be visiting your site again. Thank you!
Awww. That just made me smile. Thank you for taking the time to let me know, Kathleen. Happy weekend!
This was so goooood that I had to make it two days in a row. The second time I added spicy chorizo sausage and potatoes. I didn’t have tomato paste so I used spicy Chipotle BBQ sauce. My husband went back to the pot 2 additional times and my son cleaned the plate( no need to wash that plate LOL) I definitely will try this again very soon. Thank you so much for this recipe. In the words of my hubby… “God bless the cook” 🙂
Hahaha! God bless you Christiana!!! Thank you so much for taking time out to share your thoughts with us. It really means a lot to me.
Soo Good
This recipe was excellent. This dish brought me back to being on the island. My husband had three servings. Thanks for the recipe.
I have been meaning to review this recipe for some time.
I can honestly say, I think this is the most delicious meal I have ever prepared! The first time I made it, I followed the directions to the letter, including preparing the fresh curry powder (so worth it!) We had some leftovers, and my husband confessed the next day that he kept thinking about the curry, almost obsessively!! I generally double this recipe now because – it’s so, so delicious!
I have since made this numerous times, using a mock chicken, monk fish, and again the shrimp or just vegetable.
The recipe is very tweakable and also very forgiving, if anyone needs to make changes.
I do tend to add some gram flour to thicken the sauce if it comes too thin, and that works like a charm. I also add some fresh lime juice right at the end, just to liven things up (and coconut and lime work so well together.)
That said, this recipe is amazing! Thank you for sharing with us!
You are too sweet Bonnie, thank you SO MUCH!!!. I chuckled at what you said about your husband – It really warms my heart that you would take time out to share this with us. God bless!
Turned out great and my friend loved it too
Glad it turned out for you, Chanel! Happy weekend!
Vegetable, chicken or shrimp broth would do just fine.
Your recipe sounds delicious. Can you cook all the ingredients ahead and add the shrimp later.
Hi, Joyce. I haven’t tried making the sauce ahead of time so I don’t have helpful answer to your question.
I have to say kudos to this recipe! I am a white American female and my boyfriend is Jamaican and so I decided to surprise him with some curry shrimp for dinner… I will say that ,he said that it was the Best curry shrimp he has ever had and that says a lot! I’m glad I picked this one out of all I looked at! I cooked it with love!
That’s so sweet of you, Marie! I appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback. Happy weekend!
It’s listed . Check line 11.
Loved it
Thanks!
Made this tonight. Fantastic! Although I did not make the homemade curry spice, I added in a few of the components of it, to my store bought curry powder. Pinch of clove, nutmeg, allspice and coriander. And, per previous comments, I added (veg) broth slowly, and kept adding as sauce thickened. It was perfect. And I caught myself in time….I almost added the entire can of Coconut Milk, but realized the recipe called only called for a cup. This recipe is a KEEPER. Thank you.
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback, Marnie. I appreciate it. Glad it turned out great for you. 🙂
Imma, this is the third recipe I’ve made from you and all have come out amazing!! My family and especially my husband love them. Thank you..thank you…thank you!
Ps. I followed the recipe but added a little more tomotoe paste, hot curry powder and Chicken broth to get the flavor and consistency I was looking for.
I bet it taste even wonderful, Keysha. Glad you guys love this as much as we do. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
Im making this now carnt wait will let u no how it turns out also im using dunns river carribbean hot curry powder x
Do you have any dishes that utilizes Annatto ?
I have this one here https://www.africanbites.com/alcapurrias/
This sounds amazing, and I can’t wait to make my own curry powder to use in it. We eat chicken and shrimp often, so sometimes I get a bit tired of them – I’m wondering how this recipe would work with cubes of firm tofu? I”m not a huge fan of tofu but I thought this very flavourful sauce might just be the way to make it palatable. Has anyone tried that?
Good as usual.
Thanks Franny!