Can you freeze the sauce after cooking?

Yes! It freezes well. To reheat, just microwave in a glass container and re-whisk with a bit of water to smooth it out. Or transfer the frozen sauce to a pan and reheat with a bit of water. In either case, you may need to whisk it a bit to reincorporate everything and get it smooth again.

What brand of red curry paste do you recommend?

I typically use Thai Kitchen for something I can get easily at the store, but Mae-Ploy is another good (spicier!) one as well.

Can you use other types of curry paste? (Yellow, green, etc.)

Yes! The red curry flavor is more traditional here but yellow curry would be delicious as a sub. I would not make this with green curry. Green curry is the most spicy and also the most herbaceous - the flavors are just less compatible with the sweet peanut situation in this sauce.

How could I add chicken to this recipe?

You could cube or thinly slice some chicken, add salt and pepper, and sauté in oil until cooked through and browned. Then just serve the sauce over it just like the vegetables!

Can you omit the peanuts and peanut butter?

It will be less sweet and creamy, but yes, you could!

Red Thai Curry Sauce Recipe

Name: Red Thai Curry Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 1 can light coconut milk; 2 tablespoons peanut butter; 2 tablespoons red curry paste; 1 ½ tablespoons fish sauce (see notes); 2 tablespoons lime juice; 3 tablespoons brown sugar; 1 teaspoon minced garlic; ⅓ cup crushed peanuts; up to ½ cup water or broth; extra crushed peanuts and scallions for topping

Description

This simple Thai Curry Sauce is extremely versatile. Serve it with rice, noodles, meat, veggies, or as a base for soups, marinades, and more.

Ingredients

Scale

1 can light coconut milk
2 tablespoons peanut butter
2 tablespoons red curry paste
1 ½ tablespoons fish sauce (see notes)
2 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
⅓ cup crushed peanuts
up to ½ cup water or broth
extra crushed peanuts and scallions for topping

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Instructions

Pour the coconut milk into a small saucepan over high heat. When the coconut milk reaches a gentle simmer, add the peanut butter, curry paste, fish sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, and garlic. Whisk and keep on high heat for 15 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and thickened.
Add the peanuts and simmer for another 5-10 minutes. When the sauce coats the back of a spoon, add small amounts of broth or water and whisk to adjust consistency depending on how you will use it and how thick you want it. If the sauce separates, just whisk vigorously to smooth it out again.
Serve over rice, noodles, chicken, fish, vegetables, or any other way that sounds good to you! Top with crushed peanuts and scallions.

Notes

More time simmering = thicker, creamier, more flavorful sauce. If you want a thinner sauce, I would simmer for less time and plan to add a bit of additional liquid. I’ve noticed that when I add the crushed peanuts, the consistency really thickens quite a bit, so you could omit the peanut butter and/or peanuts to also adjust to your desired consistency.

Last note: I know the fish sauce might take some convincing, but it is fairly easy to find at any grocery store and REALLY WORTH IT. Don’t worry – it does not make the sauce taste like fish; it just makes it saltier and adds lots of deep flavor. Don’t leave it out!

Except if you are vegetarian or vegan, then you can try swapping in soy sauce, miso, and/or hoison for the fish sauce.

Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Category: Sauce
Cuisine: Thai

Keywords: red thai curry sauce, thai curry sauce, red curry sauce