Thai Green Curry in 30 minutes made by freshening up store bought curry paste OR with a homemade green curry paste! Whichever way you go, the one essential step to make a really great green curry is to fry off the curry paste.
Make this with chicken or even entirely meat free. With a sauce this good, you can put anything in it – and it will taste amazing!
Thai Green Curry recipe
The single most requested recipe is finally here!! We love the colour, the spiciness, and how fragrant the creamy sauce is.
Along with Pad Thai, Chicken Satay and Thai Red Curry, green curry is the gold standard by which we rate Thai restaurants.
It’s the curry we sweat and swear our way through, guzzling down water and wiping our brows when we confidently tell the waiter “give it to us the way it should be – extra spicy!!”
Luckily, when we make it at home, we can dial back the spiciness substantially. 😂 Whether made with curry paste in a jar OR homemade green curry paste!
“This can be a quick 30 minute Thai Green Curry made with store bought curry paste – OR go all out with a homemade curry paste!”
The BEST Green Curry Paste
With the fresh aromatic ingredients used in South East Asian curries, I’ll always be an advocate of making the curry pastes from scratch because it’s not possible to capture that flavour in jars. But it’s just not viable to do that every time I have a hankering for curry.
So I’ll reach for curry paste in a jar. I think the best green curry paste is Maesri (which also happens to be the cheapest at around $1.20). It’s sold at Woolies, Coles (I’m in Australia) and Asian grocery stores. (here it is on Amazon US).
Maesri yields the closest result to homemade green curry paste. I find the other brands to be too sweet with less green curry flavour – and strangely, they are spicier!
Pimping up curry in a jar
It’s inevitable using any curry paste out of a jar rather than making it from scratch that the curry will be lacking a certain freshness.
So what I do is freshen it up using fresh garlic, ginger and lemongrass.
Because “quick and easy” is the go here, I usually don’t even use fresh lemongrass, I use lemongrass paste. It works a treat!
What goes in green curry
The most popular version of green curry is Chicken, so that’s the base version I’m sharing today. While there’s no set rules about what goes in a Thai Green Chicken Curry, the most common combination seems to be chicken, eggplant and snow peas which is what I’ve gone with.
But it’s very easy to switch it out for another protein of choice, or to make it meat free so I’ve included directions in the recipe.
In addition to the curry paste (and pimping it up, if using jar paste), there’s actually not that many ingredients in Thai Green Curry.
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Coconut milk – full fat please! Fat is where the flavour is, if you use low fat coconut milk the sauce will lack flavour. You could even use coconut cream, if you want a richer version!
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Chicken or vegetable broth – chicken is better (deeper flavours) but vegetable is fine if making a vegetarian version.
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Chicken – Thigh is best because it stays juicy even after the requiring simmering time to thicken the sauce
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Asian (Japanese) Eggplant – brilliant sponge for soaking up the sauce. The small eggplants are ideal because the eggplant is cooked until soft and the skin holds it together. Sub with small normal eggplants, or if you dislike eggplants, try zucchini!
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Snow peas – for colour and freshness
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Sugar – for extra sweetness
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Fish sauce – may not be needed if using paste from a jar. Yes it’s stinky but it’s essential for Thai curries and once cooked, it doesn’t taste fishy at all
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Kaffir Lime leaves – it provides a earthy citrus fragrance to the sauce that’s inherent to green curry. It’s readily available in Australia nowadays, but if you can’t find it, then a lemongrass stalk will be a decent substitute. Freezes great – I almost always have some in the freezer.
Finishing:
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Thai Basil – essential for a true green curry experience! Tastes like Italian basil with a slightly more aniseedy flavour
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Lime juice – just a squeeze, for freshness!
What makes green curry green?
The colour mostly comes from large green chillies which aren’t that spicy, they are mostly for colour and flavour. The curry paste also has small Thai chillies which provide the fiery heat that green curry is known for.
If you make your own green curry paste, you can skip the spicy chillies without compromising on flavour!
How to make Thai Green Curry
The making part is very straightforward which is why if you use curry paste from a jar, green curry is something you can have any night of the week.
The essential step here is to fry off the curry paste, whether using store bought or homemade. This is the equivalent to sautéing garlic until golden, a step used in virtually all my savoury recipes.
Homemade vs curry in a jar
Here’s a comparison of the two. Flavour wise, it’s inevitable there is a difference but the curry in a jar version is still very, very good. Certainly better than many local Thai restaurants which are often far too sweet, weak, or watery.
The homemade curry paste version is also slightly greener – owing to the fresh chillies and coriander/cilantro blitzed into the paste.
Thai Green Curry is….
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Very fragrant – from all the herbs and aromatics in the curry paste. It has a less “in your face” flavour compared to Thai Red Curry but it’s more fragrant with chilli than Thai Yellow Curry.
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Creamy, sweet, and salty. But all too often, Thai takeout places make it far too sweet!
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Spicy – it’s meant to be! Green Curry is spicier than the other three very popular Thai curries on this site – Thai Red Curry, Yellow Curry and Massaman Curry
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Sauce is not as thick as Thai Red Curry, it’s meant to be a thinner sauce. My theory is because if you simmer the sauce too long to make it thicker, the sauce turns dark and loses the fresh green colour. It kind of looks like spinach soup!
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Completely addictive
Serve green curry with jasmine rice for a true Thai restaurant experience. And don’t forget some ice cold beer to temper the heat! – Nagi x
Make a meal out of it – try these on the side
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Crunchy Asian Slaw on the side – great all rounder Asian salad that goes with all Asian foods
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Asian Sesame Dressing for any fresh salad or steamed vegetables
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To start – Chicken Satay Skewers or Thai Fish Cakes
More Thai takeout favourites
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Pad Thai – truly just like takeout!
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Starters – Chicken Satay and Thai Fish Cakes
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Pad See Ew – Thai stir fried noodles
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Browse the Thai recipe collection
Thai Green Curry
Watch how to make it
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Thai Green Curry
Ingredients
Curry - use ONE:
- 4 - 6 tbsp Thai Green Curry Paste (Maesri best) OR (Note 1)
- 1 quantity homemade green curry paste (Note 1)
Extras - for jar curry paste (Note 2):
- 2 large garlic cloves , minced
- 2 tsp fresh ginger , finely grated
- 1 tbsp lemongrass paste (Note 2)
Green Curry:
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 cup (250ml) chicken or vegetable broth, low sodium
- 400 g/14oz coconut milk , full fat (Note 4)
- 1 - 3 tsp fish sauce *
- 1 - 3 tsp white sugar *
- 1/8 tsp salt *
- 6 kaffir lime leaves , torn in half (Note 5)
- 350 g/12 oz chicken thigh , skinless boneless, sliced (Note 6)
- 2 Japanese eggplants, , small, 1cm / 2/5" slices (Note 7)
- 1 1/2 cups snow peas , small, trimmed
- 16 Thai basil leaves (Note 8)
- Juice of 1/2 lime , to taste
Garnishes:
- Crispy fried Asian shallots , high recommended (Note 9)
- Thai basil or cilantro/coriander , recommended
- Green or red chillies slices , optional
- Steamed jasmine rice
Instructions
- Heat oil in a heavy based skillet or pot over medium high heat.
- Add curry paste (and garlic, ginger and lemongrass Extras, if using) and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until it mostly "dries out" - see video. Don't breath in the fumes!!
- Add chicken broth and coconut milk, mix to dissolve paste.
- Curry in a jar seasonings: Add 1 tsp fish sauce, 1 tsp sugar, no salt.
- Homemade curry paste seasonings: Add 3 tsp fish sauce, 3 tsp sugar, 1/8 tsp salt.
- Add kaffir lime leaves. Mix then bring to simmer.
- Add chicken, stir then lower heat to medium so it's bubbling gently. Cook 7 minutes.
- Add eggplants, cook 5 minutes until soft.
- Taste sauce. Add fish sauce or salt for more saltiness, sugar for sweetness.
- Add snow peas, cook 2 minutes until a bit softened, then stir through basil and lime juice. Sauce should have reduced but will still be a be on the thin side, not thick - that's how it's should be. DO NOT keep simmering - sauce will darken.
- Serve curry over jasmine rice with garnishes of choice.
Recipe Notes:
* Vegetarian - Asian eggplant, green beans, zucchini (pictured in post). Other vegetables that go great: broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, carrots, sweet or normal potato, pumpkin, mushrooms (cook to soft, great sponge!)
* Prawns / shrimp or fish pieces instead of chicken - add towards end, 3 to 5 min cook time
* Beef or pork - Use a quick cooking cut, cut into strips or cubes. I sear beef and pork first before adding into curry sauces, the flavour is better. Use any quick cooking cut, sprinkle with salt and pepper, sear to brown outside but leave inside uncooked. Then add into sauce just to finish cooking through. 11. Nutrition excludes rice and toppings.
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
He high tailed it out of the house pretty quickly when I started frying off the curry paste – he can’t handle the heat!! (Neither can I – I always forget not to breath in the chilli fumes!!)
I’m so glad I found your recipe! I fell in love with thai green curry when I tried it for the first time at a thai restaurant in my home town of Houston. Since moving out of state, I have yet to find a decent restaurant in my area or a recipe that even comes close to my first experience. This recipe hit the bullseye! I used the Maesri green curry paste as you suggested (had to order it from Amazon) and used a lemongrass stalk in place of the kaffir lime leaves. I also made this vegetarian with eggplant and snow peas. Next time I’ll add fresh green beans. Wonderful recipe and very easy to follow! Thank you!!
Excellent recipe and your instructions are perfect. I made the curry paste, Marsha, and totally pumped it up. I’m a vegetarian so I added extra veggies. The flavor impressed the whole family. Thank you.
Can you freeze this?
Hi Ashley, sure you can freeze, it will keep nicely for up to one month, least this has been my experience. You’ll find really deep flavours upon defrosting and re-heating, just re-heat gently, hope you enjoy!
this is the second recipe I have tried of your and I love it. thank you 🙂
Love this recipe, been using this one on repeat with the fam~ Very versatile, so I add whatever veggies I have in the fridge like spinach, sweet potatoes or baby corn. Thank you~
Absolutely delicious and easy to make! Will definitely make again and looking forward to trying some of your other recipes:-)
I just realised I bought dried lime leaves, will this still work and would I still use the same amount?
Nagi, this was rather delicious but I’m sorry to tell you that I have the best authentic Thai green curry recipe. The difference is that instead of heating vegetable oil, it starts with heating coconut cream. Otherwise pretty much the same. Please don’t be cross with me but I grew up as a small child in Malaysia (can eat raw whole green chilies), spent 10 years in Japan as an adult (your Teriyaki yellow fin tuna recipe looks amazing) and a couple more in Thailand. Thing is I have cooked your recipes for 7 nights consecutively this week and even as a foodie they always offer me something amazing. My Thai green curry recipe has now become comforting i.e., my recipes are not all suddenly redundant:). Thanks xx
This recipe is EXCELLENT! Especially if you like spicy. I’ve cooked it three times in the past couple of months because I love eggplant. The second time I put in carrots and celery which made the curry mild and a bit sweet, so I recommend sticking with eggplant, peppers, mushrooms, and the snow peas. I pimped-up the can of Maesri curry as directed. Yum!
OMG Nagi….made your red and green Thai curries. Served with jasmine rice for dinner, and the whole family raves about it. Just now though I pan fried a roti and had the leftover green curry for lunch (love my curry with roti) and the taste after sitting overnight in the fridge blew me away. Can’t wait to make your meat pie!!! As an Aussie living overseas I have never found a meat pie that compares to Australia. Thank you, Alan
Can you make this curry a few hours ahead and reheat
Yes 100% Kanta! N x
Hi Nagi, I make this recipe regularly. It’s my wife’s favourite dish. Some of our sons and almost daughter in law lapped up this curry in no time. I made the recipe to accommodate eight people and there were only five of us. They couldn’t get enough. Just another delicious recipe formulated by the great Nagi. Thanks so much
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Wow, thank you for all the pictures with the instructions!!! Thai food is our favorite, so we’re excited to have found your blog… Do you ever serve this over coconut jasmine rice, or do you have any thoughts on this? Thank you again. 🙂
This is the best Thai Green Curry ever. It’s just like my favorite Thai restaurant makes it. My friends and family are impressed with my skillz! I use Mae Ploy curry paste. What do you think about that brand. I like it better than Maesri. The Asian market sells every curry paste I want.
Delicious. Pimped the Maesri paste & with an added green chilli. Added extra veg. Beautiful recipe, thank you!
The only green curry recipe I’ve used for years! Soooo good all my friends love the authenticity of all the flavor.
<3
Can I put this in a slow cooker?
No, this is not a slow cooker recipe. It’s very fast. It takes less time to make it than it does to cook the rice.
Hi Lizzie, you could easily do this in a slow cooker, remember though, your going to need to pan fry your curry paste first though to ensure you release the flavours of the paste. Once you have done this, add your paste to your slow cooker, coconut milk and broth along with your chicken, reduce the amount of stock you add by 1/2 and then add your eggplant with 90 minutes to go, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Enjoy.
Love this recipe! I used green curry jar and pimped it as described! Absolutely gorgeous! Going to try seafood in this sauce tonight! Mussels, scallops, prawns and squid! Forgot fish but I’m sure will be fine!
Made this tonight using the Maesri paste. It was wonderful! Added mushrooms during the last 1-2 minutes. There were no leftovers. It was a fantastic dish, thank you!
AMAZING. I used to live in Thailand so I am pretty hard to impress when it comes to Thai food. I absolutely loved this. The key is to use good quality coconut milk. I’m Canadian so I’m not sure what is and isn’t available here vs. other counties, but my personal favourite is Aroy-D 🙂
EXCELLENT!