This Instant Pot Thai Red Curry with Chicken is the most popular recipe on the blog. It makes a perfect meal when paired with Jasmine Rice, and it comes together so quickly in the Instant Pot. To make it a real one-pot meal, cook rice and Thai red curry together using the Pot in Pot method! Perfect for a busy weeknight meal. [Instant Pot and Stovetop instructions included.]
Table of Contents
Introduction
Thai cuisine is one of my all-time favorite cuisines. For the longest time, we just went to restaurants to get our Thai fix. And when I did attempt to make Thai food, the flavor wasn’t even close to what my favorite restaurants served, and so I just didn’t bother.
Finally, I found out that the secret to making great-tasting Thai curries is to use the right kind of curry paste, which is found at Asian grocery stores. The kind I had been using is the one commonly found in most American grocery stores.
Changing brands made a BIG difference to the taste of the curries. See the tips section below to find out details.
There are two more ingredients you should try and get when you visit your Asian grocery store: Lime leaves (also known as k-lime, makrut and sometimes kaffir lime) and Thai basil. They add unsurpassed and unique flavors to this Instant Pot Thai Red Curry.
One other thing I discovered about Thai food is that Thai curries taste best with Jasmine rice. There’s something about Jasmine rice that soaks up the curry and just enhances the flavors.
Regular white rice, basmati rice, and brown rice just don’t taste the same. Here’s my recipe for Instant Pot Jasmine Rice.
For the coconut milk in this Instant Pot Thai Red Curry, I use the regular fat content, and don’t opt for the light variety – again, there’s a taste difference.
This recipe is the Instant Pot version of my Thai Red Curry.
Thai food purists would say that Thai food shouldn’t be pressure-cooked. I’m guessing you’re here because you just want to make a Thai curry in your Instant Pot and don’t care about rules! But guess what? This curry is just wonderful cooked in the Instant Pot. Maybe even better than the stovetop version!
But if you’re one of those purists, you’ll be happy to know that I also provide instructions for making this on the stovetop.
This recipe comes together so quickly, and it’s my go-to dish on really busy days. I always keep coconut milk and curry paste in my pantry and I use whatever meat and veggies I have on hand.
Oh, and to make life really easy, check out my easy-to-understand, step-by-step article on Pot-in-Pot cooking – it shows you how to make this curry and rice together. At the same time!
Here are some Thai Recipes you might enjoy:
– Instant Pot Thai Green Curry
– Instant Pot Thai Massaman Curry
– Instant Pot Thai Panang Curry
– Instant Pot Thai Yellow Curry
– Instant Pot Thai Peanut Noodles
– Instant Pot Thai Fish Curry
– Instant Pot Thai Coconut Soup (Tom Kha Gai)
– Instant Pot Thai Grilled Chicken (Gai Yang)
– Instant Pot Jasmine Rice
Tips and Substitutions
Red Curry Paste
Maesri and Mae Ploy are my two favorite Thai curry paste brands. I can’t emphasize enough how much of a difference the brand makes. You can find them at Southeast Asian grocery stores or on amazon.
In my experience, getting the brand of Thai red curry paste available at regular grocery stores does not produce great flavor.
Please note that Mae Ploy is a bit spicier than Maesri. If the curry is too spicy at the end, add some more coconut milk when you’re cooking the vegetables.
Lime Leaves
Lime leaves (also known as k-lime, makrut or kaffir lime leaves) add unique flavor to Thai curries.
You can find them at Asian grocery stores. I highly recommend using them. They keep very well in the freezer!
I like to either scrunch up the lime leaves and bruise them before adding them to the curry or chiffonade them by cutting them into very thin strips. This releases the oils from the leaves and adds a stronger flavor.
If you can’t find lime leaves, add an extra teaspoon or two of lime juice. Taste as you go.
Coconut Milk
I use full-fat coconut milk. I find some coconut milk brands don’t do well during pressure cooking, including some brands that are widely available at grocery stores. My two favorite brands are Aroy-D and Chaokoh. Some readers recommend Trader Joe’s brand coconut milk.
Fish Sauce
I really like the quality of Red Boat fish sauce which you can find at Asian grocery stores or on amazon. But it is more expensive than other fish sauce brands. Tiparos is another brand of fish sauce I’ve used – it’s more affordably priced.
There’s no substitute for fish sauce. It adds that depth of flavor, the umami, to dishes. I’ve had vegetarian readers recommend the Fysh brand of sauce. But I haven’t tried it. You may need to add a little extra.
Soy sauce is also a substitute for fish sauce, but there is a flavor difference.
Coconut Milk
I use full-fat coconut milk. I find some coconut milk brands don’t do well during pressure cooking, including some brands that are widely available at grocery stores. My two favorite brands are Aroy-D and Chaokoh. Some readers recommend Trader Joe’s brand coconut milk.
Meats and Tofu
You can easily substitute other meats or tofu for the chicken, but you’ll have to adjust the cooking time – here are some approximate times. Note: the timing for meat is for bite-size strips!
- Pork shoulder: 8 minutes Natural Pressure Release (NPR)
- Beef chuck: 12 minutes NPR
- Extra-firm tofu: cubed: 2 minutes, Quick Release (QR)
Vegetables
I sometimes choose to decrease the quantity of chicken and double the quantity of vegetables, so we eat less meat and more veggies.
Spiciness
This recipe makes a red curry that’s fairly spicy, but not extreme. If you’re unsure, start with just 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of the red curry paste, and next time you can adjust the heat.
Splatter Screen
When you’re sauteing ingredients in the Instant Pot, the bubbling mixture can splatter. I like to use a splatter screen to cover the inner pot during this saute process.
Burn Message
If you regularly encounter the Burn message, feel free to add 1/4 cup of chicken broth when pressure cooking the coconut milk.
[Read more: Instant Pot Burn Message]
FAQS
You can double this recipe if you’re using a 6 quart or 8 quart Instant Pot. Double all ingredients but keep the pressure cooking time. If you want a thicker curry, don’t double the broth quantity.
It depends on your Instant Pot. If you have a 6 quart, you might be able to halve the recipe if you’re not prone to getting the Burn Message. I wouldn’t halve it in an 8 quart.
Reduce the Thai red curry paste quantity to two tablespoons or even 1 1/2 tablespoons. You can also increase the quantity of coconut milk which will dilute the spice level.
Add one more tablespoon of red curry paste or add a sliced Thai red chile pepper or jalapeno pepper.
All Instant Pot models and other brands of pressure cooker such as Ninja Foodi can be used to make this recipe.
Using chicken thighs is a great solution. Chicken thighs are much more flavorful. You can also try and rub the chicken pieces with a couple of teaspoons of curry paste or soy sauce, and refrigerate for a couple of hours.
If you can’t find Thai basil, don’t omit basil. It’s best to substitute it with regular Italian basil.
I freeze the recipe but add the Thai basil after thawing and reheating the curry. Use vegetables that hold up well to freezing.
When you first open the Instant Pot lid, you may see some separation but upon stirring, the curry should become pretty smooth. If it’s still separated, it may be that you’re using inferior quality coconut milk. Try and stick to the brands I recommend in the tips.
If you can’t find lime leaves, substitute one extra teaspoon of lime juice.
If you aren’t eating the curry with rice, which is how it’s traditionally eaten, you might find it to be salty. It is also a matter of taste. Some people are more sensitive to salt. Next time, reduce the quantity of fish sauce by a couple of teaspoons.
I prefer not to use frozen chicken but you can if you have to! If the chicken is separated and not in a big chunk, you can cut it into bite-size pieces and pressure cook.
If it’s in a big block, you may want to pressure cook it for five minutes on a rack with water below the level of the rack. Separate the chicken, drain the water and proceed with this recipe.
If you’re adding one extra cup of vegetables, add an extra 1/4 cup of coconut milk and 1 more teaspoon of curry paste.
It’s a question of taste. I find this to be a medium spicy recipe but some readers find it spicy. If you’re worried about it, add one tablespoon less and add more after pressure cooking and tasting.
You’ve most likely used a brand commonly available at grocery store (Thai Kitchen). It’s a very mild curry paste. You may need to use a whole bottle and maybe even add some chopped chile peppers.
Add an extra couple of teaspoons of brown sugar or palm sugar. Some people add pineapple juice and pieces of pineapple with the vegetables.
You can use pot-in-pot cooking and cook the rice and curry at the same time.
If you use a brand of coconut milk that’s different from what I recommend, you might have a runny curry.
If you’ve cut the pieces too small, the chicken might overcook. Reduce the pressure cooking time by a minute. Also, chicken breast overcooks easily when pressure cooking – chicken thighs are best.
If you’re new to the Instant Pot and aren’t familiar with how to use it, you might find it helpful to first read one of the following guides and then come back here to learn how to make this recipe.
- Instant Pot DUO Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot ULTRA Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO EVO PLUS Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO NOVA Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO GOURMET Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO CRISP Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot PRO Beginner’s Manual
Instant Pot Thai Red Curry – Ingredients
- Peppers
- Carrots
- Bamboo
- Chicken
- Coconut milk
- Onion
- Brown sugar
- Curry paste
- Broth
- Fish sauce
- Lime juice
- Thai basil
- Lime leaves
More details in the recipe card at the bottom of this post
How to Make Thai Red Curry in the Instant Pot (Step by Step Instructions)
- Turn on Saute Mode
- Saute spices and coconut milk
- Add remaining chicken and coconut milk
- Pressure cook
- Quick-release pressure
- Add vegetables and seasonings and heat through
How to Turn on Saute Mode
- Instant Pot DUO: Select the Saute function.
- Instant Pot ULTRA: Select the Saute function and press Start.
Saute spices and coconut milk
- Stir together red curry paste and 1/2 can of coconut milk and saute until mixture is bubbly, a minute or two. Use a splatter screen if necessary, to guard against splatters from the coconut milk.
Add chicken and remaining coconut milk
- Press Cancel to turn off Instant Pot.
- Stir in chicken, remaining coconut milk, and chicken broth or water.
Instant Pot Duo Pressure Cook 4 minutes
- Close the lid and make sure steam release handle is in Sealing position
- Press Manual (or Pressure Cook) and + or – until the display reads 4 (4 minutes).
Instant Pot Ultra Pressure Cook 4 minutes
- Close the lid.
- Select Pressure Cook mode and adjust the time to 4 minutes (00:04).
- Press ‘Start’.
Pressure Cooking Process (Duo and Ultra)
- Instant Pot display will change to On.
- Once the Instant Pot is pressurized, the float valve will go up.
- The display will count down to 0; it will then switch to Keep Warm mode and display L0:00 or 00 00 and begin to count up the number of minutes since pressure cooking completed.
How to Naturally Release Pressure (NPR) on the DUO and ULTRA
- Allow the pressure to release naturally (NPR). The float valve will be in the down position. This may take 15 to 30 minutes. [Find out more about the pressure release methods and how and when to use them. ]
- Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.
If you are short on time, you can release pressure after about 10 minutes.
Add vegetables and seasonings and heat through
- Select Saute mode.
- Stir in fish sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, bell pepper, carrot, onion, bamboo shoots, and lime leaves.
- Cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Don’t overcook, as the vegetables will continue to cook in the residual heat.
- Taste and adjust with more fish sauce, brown sugar or lime juice.
- Stir in the Thai basil leaves.
- Serve with Instant Pot Jasmine Rice.
Stovetop Directions for Thai Red Curry
To make this Thai curry recipe on the stovetop:
- Saute curry paste and coconut milk till bubbly.
- Add remaining coconut milk and chicken.
- Cook till the chicken is almost cooked through.
- Stir in flavorings and lime leaves.
- Add vegetables and cook through till crisp tender.
- Sprinkle with basil.
See the recipe card below for detailed instructions.
Instant Pot Thai Red Curry with Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp Thai red curry paste preferably Maesri or Mae Ploy brand
- 14 oz. coconut milk full fat, preferably Aroy-D or Chaokoh brand
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, sliced into thin bite-size pieces
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 2 Tbsp fish sauce more to taste
- 2 tsp brown sugar or palm sugar, to taste
- 1 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 cup bell peppers red and/or green, cubed
- 1 cup carrots sliced
- 1/2 cup onion cubed
- 1/2 cup bamboo shoots canned
- 4 lime leaves slightly bruised *
- 12 Thai Basil leaves
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions
- Select Saute and stir in red curry paste and 1/2 can of coconut milk until mixture is bubbly, about a minute or two.
- Press Cancel.
- Stir in chicken, remaining coconut milk, and chicken broth.
- Close the lid and pressure cook on High Pressure for 4 minutes.
- Do a Quick Release of pressure and open the Instant Pot. [Read More: The Different Pressure Release Methods]
- Stir in fish sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, bell pepper, carrots, onions, bamboo shoots, and lime leaves.
- Press ‘Saute’ and cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. (Be sure not to overcook. Vegetables will continue to cook in the residual heat.)
- Taste and adjust with more fish sauce, brown sugar or lime juice.
- Stir in the Thai basil leaves.
- Serve with Instant Pot Jasmine Rice.
Stovetop Instructions
- Heat red curry paste and 1/2 can of coconut milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the mixture is bubbly and fragrant, about a minute or two.
- Add chicken, remaining coconut milk and chicken broth.
- Cover and cook for 5 minutes, until tender, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in fish sauce, brown sugar, lime leaves and lime juice.
- Add bell peppers, carrots, onions, bamboo shoots, and lime leaves. Cook for another 3 minutes or until crisp tender.
- Taste and adjust with more fish sauce, brown sugar or lime juice.
- Sprinkle with basil, heat through and serve with Jasmine rice.
Notes
- Prep time does not include steps that are already accounted for in the ingredient list, e.g. minced garlic, cut vegetables, etc.
- Use a splatter screen, if necessary, to guard against the coconut milk bubbling up.
- Thai curries are generally eaten with rice. If you’re not planning on eating the curry with rice, you might need to adjust the salt by reducing the quantity of fish sauce.
- You can choose to substitute the vegetables with your choice e.g. green beans, zucchini, sweet potatoes, and you can also increase the quantity of vegetables.
- If your pieces of chicken are larger than bite-size, you may need to add on a few more minutes of cooking or just do a natural release of pressure.
- * lime leaves also referred to as k-lime, makrut or kaffir lime leaves.
Nutrition
Thank you for visiting Paint the Kitchen Red. All photos and content are copyright protected. Please don’t use any content without prior written permission. If you’ve made this recipe and would like to share it with your friends, please link back to this recipe. Thank you!
I am not a certified nutritionist. I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers. If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons, I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.
If you loved this recipe, please give it a five ⭐ rating in the comment section below and please share it on social media using the social media share buttons at the top and bottom of this post. Thank you so much!
More Thai Recipes You Might Like
Instant Pot Thai Coconut Soup (Tom Kha Gai)
Thai Instant Pot Panang Curry with Chicken
Khow Suey – Burmese Noodles
Jason
No idea what anyone who rated this with a low star rating is talking about. The recommendations related to fish sauce, curry paste, and everything else were so helpful. Thanks for posting this recipe, it turned out amazing and will most definitely become one of our rotation dinners. I also took a little fish sauce and chili peppers to make the extra sauce to add after for those who like extra spice.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thank you for your kind words, Jason. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe. Another similar recipe but different enough is panang curry, which I think you might like.
Summer Fox
I have been looking for a restaurant quality Thai red curry for forever. I am so thrilled that I landed on the YouTube page with this recipe. I am completely obsessed. It is even better than most restaurants serve. I loaded it up with veggies and had to force myself to stop eating it. Seriously the greatest Thai red curry recipe I have encountered. It will be a staple at my house and I plan to try lots more ‘paint the kitchen red’ recipes. A++++
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thank you so much, Summer. I’m so glad you like the recipe. I don’t ever order this curry at restaurants anymore!
Chloe
!!Giving this five stars but with caution!!
This recipe turned out great but I made adjustments.
Sautéed onions first, then added green Mae Ploy curry paste, dried lime leaves, 2 dry hot chilies and coconut milk and simmered till bubbling
Added chicken, broth, rest of coconut milk (stirred)
Put sliced carrot on top and did not stir (to ensure the carrot cooked but kept a nice texture). Pressure cooked for 4min
Quick released as instructed and simmered. Added bell pepper, fish sauce, sugar and lime juice and dry basil leaves (didn’t have fresh Thai basil)
Turned out delicious. Husband ate enough to feed an army and ‘mmm mmm’d’ through the whole experience.
I will 100% make this again. It may end up in high rotation
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks Chloe! I do have a green curry recipe as well 🙂 Glad you like the recipe.
Whitney
Sedum recipe! Thanks for sharing! Made this recipe twice I was able to find the line leaves and Thai basil fresh so I had to try again! The second time I made some changes to how I cooked the recipe thought I’d share:
Cooked the 1st half of coconut milk down longer till it was thicker then added red curry paste and cooked down some more.
Presure Cooked for 4 minutes.
Added vegetables cooked like 3 minutes remembered I forgot chicken broth added it then cooked 2-3 more minutes
Lime juice, brown sugar, fish sauce mix
4 heaping scoops of brown sugar
+ A bit more to taste fish sauce
+ A bit more to taste lime juice
Soaked bamboo shoots in lime juice, brown sugar, fish sauce mix
Added siracha til my heart said stop.
Added 3 more teaspoons brown sugar not quite heaping or packed.
Bruised lime leaves then ripped the edges before adding (good tip) the first time I could only find dried like leaves fresh makes the difference.
Ripped the Thai basil before adding to pot. First time could only find regular basil.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks for your detailed comment – glad that you were able to make the recipe your own!
Cecilee
This did not come together for me at all. A couple of red flags I should have paid more attention to: 1) the onions are not cooked down or caramelized at all. 2) the veggies are supposed to be cooked for 3 minutes? that leaves the carrots still very hard 3) the sauce was very runny. I had not used the particular type of coconut milk before, but it turned into an odd coconut chicken and hard vegetables soup.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Cecilee, I’m sorry to hear the recipe didn’t work for you. The recipe does mention cooking the vegetables for 3 to 5 minutes or until tender. Saute mode temperatures can vary based on how you’ve programmed it. And regarding onions, you can omit them – use any vegetables of your choice. Thai recipes don’t generally call for caramelizing onions unless you’re making the curry paste from scratch.
Anne morley
Can I make this in a 3 quart pot? Do I need to halve ingredients or keep to the recipe? Thank you
Paint the Kitchen Red
Anne, you should be able to make this recipe in the 3 quart. Try to stay as close to the 2/3 full mark on the inner pot.
Anne morley
Thank you so much , I’ve made this in my six quart over and over again and it’s always been a hit . I’ve invested in a 3 quart as We are going to be taking it away in our camper van so I am just finding my way with it . I shall definitely be making your wonderful curry on our journey .
Anne x
Anne
Just made it in 3 quart , turned out beautifully 😄thank you
Paint the Kitchen Red
Great to hear this!
Mary Beth
Tally needs garlic and ginger. Not flavorful enough.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Mary Beth, sorry to hear that. Did you use my recommended brand of curry paste? If not, you need to add a LOT more than the recipe calls for.
Emily R
Yum! Adding to my recipe bank!
I used Thai Kitchen brand curry paste and it wasn’t very spicy so I added a couple spoonfuls of chili garlic sauce after plating and it delicious.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Emily – thank you for sharing!