This Instant Pot Thai Red Curry with Chicken is just delightful! 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.
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 if I ever did attempt to make Thai food, the flavor was not 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. 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.
There are two brands of Thai curry pastes that I really like: Maesri (which I like best) and Mae Ploy. To take this Instant Pot Thai Red Curry to the next level, do try and find either of these curry pastes at an Asian grocery store near where you live and if you can’t, of course, there’s always amazon.com. Maesri is my first choice and please note that Mae Ploy is a bit spicier than Maesri.
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! And pssst, guess what?! This curry is just wonderful cooked in the Instant Pot. I’m not kidding – it’s really tasty.
It 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. I hope you give it a try. 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!
You might also like to try Instant Pot Thai Green Curry with Chicken and Thai Instant Pot Massaman Curry with Beef. They are as delicious as this curry, but with different flavors. And if you like Indian curries, you have to try out my family recipe for Indian Chicken Curry!
If you’re new to the Instant Pot and aren’t familiar with how to use it, please read the Instant Pot DUO Beginner’s Quick Start Guide or the Instant Pot ULTRA Beginner’s Quick Start Guide first and then come back here to learn how to make Instant Pot Thai Red Curry with Chicken.
Instant Pot Thai Red Curry with Chicken – Ingredients
Instant Pot Thai Red Curry with Chicken – Step by Step Instructions
- Press ‘Saute’.
- 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.
- Press ‘Cancel’ to turn off Instant Pot.
- Stir in chicken, remaining coconut milk, and chicken broth.
- Close Instant Pot lid, and make sure steam release handle is in the ‘Sealing’ position.
- Press ‘Manual’ (or ‘Pressure Cook’) and ‘+’ or ‘-‘ until display reads ‘4’ (4 minutes) *
* Note: if your chicken pieces are bigger, then you’ll need to add on a few minutes of cooking time.
- Instant Pot display will change to ‘On’.
- Once the Instant Pot is pressurized, the float valve will go up.
- The display will count down from 4 to 0; it will then switch to ‘Keep Warm’ mode and display ‘L0:00’.
- To open the Instant Pot, first move the steam release handle to ‘Venting’. I like to place a folded towel over the steam release handle and move it to the venting position. Remove the towel after turning the handle.
- When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
- Press ‘Cancel’ and open the Instant Pot.
- Press ‘Saute’.
- 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 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.
Instant Pot Thai Red Curry with Chicken
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 6 servings
This Instant Pot Thai Red Curry with Chicken is delightful (and addicting!) It makes a perfect meal when paired with Jasmine Rice, and comes together so quickly in the Instant Pot. Perfect for a busy weeknight meal.
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp Thai red curry paste (preferably Maesri or Mae Ploy brand)
- 1 14-oz can regular-fat coconut milk
- 1 lb boneless chicken breasts or thighs, sliced into thin bite-size pieces
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 2 Tbsp fish sauce, more to taste
- 2 tsp brown sugar (or to taste)
- 1 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 cup red and/or green bell pepper, cubed
- 1 cup carrots, sliced
- 1/2 cup onion, cubed
- 1/2 cup sliced canned bamboo shoots
- 4 lime leaves, slightly bruised *
- 12 Thai basil leaves
Instructions
- Press ‘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 Instant Pot and make sure steam release handle is in the ‘Sealing’ position.
- Cook on 'Manual' (or 'Pressure Cook') mode for 4 minutes.
- Do a Quick Release of pressure and open the Instant Pot.
- 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.
Notes
- Use a splatter screen, if necessary, to guard against the coconut milk bubbling up.
- 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.
- My chicken was thinly sliced. If your pieces of chicken are larger, you'll 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
Courses Main Dish
Cuisine Thai
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 serving
Amount Per Serving | ||
|---|---|---|
Calories 246 | ||
% Daily Value | ||
Total Fat 14 g | 22% | |
Saturated Fat 10 g | 50% | |
Sodium 705 mg | 29% | |
Total Carbohydrates 10 g | 3% | |
Dietary Fiber 2 g | 8% | |
Sugars 6 g | ||
Protein 18 g | 36% | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
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.
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You might also like to try:
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| Instant Pot Indian Chicken Curry | How to Cook Rice and Curry Together! | Instant Pot Massaman Curry |
Barbara Schieving
Great photos! Such a beautiful, colorful dish.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thank you Barbara! Working on the photography 🙂
Kit
Will this work with frozen chicken? Have you tried pot in pot rice, cooking both at the same time?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Although I haven’t tried it, I think it would work. You may have more liquid at the end, which you can reduce by using the Saute function and you might have to increase cooking time, depending on size of the chicken pieces – if it’s small pieces like the recipe, maybe just a couple of extra minutes. Let me know if you try it out. And funny you should mention pot in pot. I’m getting ready to do it that way as we speak. I’ll reply to this comment when I finish!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Kit – pot in pot worked out great but I would suggest using chicken thighs because breasts turn out a bit dry. I plan to do a post very soon on pot in pot, with multiple dishes.
romain | glebekitchen
The first picture of the curry is really good Neena!. You are absolutely right on the money – Maesri, kaffir lime leaf, thai basil and full fat coconut milk make all the difference.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks, Romain. I sometimes add chiffonade-cut kaffir lime leaves. It adds a strong kaffir flavor, which I love!
Jan Oden
Delicious, Neena!! Thumbs up all around in our house tonight after serving a Whole 30 version of the Red Thai Curry…served with cauliflower “rice”. Sounds a bit scary to those unfamiliar with Whole 30, but the flavors were wonderful.
Paint the Kitchen Red
I love cauliflower but haven’t got around to trying the cauliflower rice trend. I might have to try it out! Thanks for the feedback, Jan!
Monica
DELICIOUS! Another fantastic meal. I made this in my 8 quart Instant Pot- worked perfectly.
I didn’t have time to get the kaffir lime leaves and it was still amazing.
Many thanks from the family. As you said easy for busy workday and delicious entertaining.
Paint the Kitchen Red
So glad you liked it Monica! More Thai recipes in the coming weeks and months. Green curry, Masaman…
Joyce
Yummy this looks absolutely delicious! 🙂 I love homemade thai curries, I try to stretch out my leftovers by adding a bit of chicken broth to it to water it down and making it a soup the next day for noodles as well! I’m hungry just looking at your pictures! 🙂
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks Joyce, that’s a great tip!
Barb
Excellent Recipe thank you! Your Curry Chicken is amazing, too!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks Barb! Your comment means the world to me!
Shanthie
Where you you get Thai basil leaves and lime kaffier leaves? Sorry might be a silly question 🙂
Paint the Kitchen Red
Shanthie – any East Asian grocery store (Chinese, etc.) should have these items. That’s where I find them. Thai basil is very similar to what we call ‘Tulsi’ in India. Good luck. And there are no silly questions 🙂
Lisa
We do not have East Asian groceries here, are there any worthy substitutes for the basil and the Kaffir lime leaves? I have tried some of your other recipes and I love love love them!!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Lisa – Since you can’t get those ingredients, you can substitute lime zest for the lime leaves. I would put it in at the end and adjust the quantity per your taste. If you are ever near an Asian store, you can buy the kaffir lime leaves and stick them in your freezer when you get home. For the Thai Basil, regular basil won’t be the same but I think it will be fine. Good luck!
Shanthini Jayanthan
Made both your Thai Red curry with chicken and jasmine rice. Turned out perfect and very tasty for 3 adults and had left overs. Used 1.5 pound of boneless skinless thighs. Substituted lime rind and lemon rind and regular basil.
Added some extra chili paste for spiciness.Thank you again.
Paint the Kitchen Red
You’re so welcome. Thanks for mentioning your substitutions. I’m glad you liked the recipe.
Sara
Any substitutes for the fish sauce or can we omit? Have you tried with any other vegetables- hubby is not a fan of bell peppers. Thanks.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Sara! There is really no substitute for fish sauce. I’m not sure if you’re concerned about ‘fishy’ taste, but once cooked there is really no fish taste. I would omit and just add some salt since fish sauce provides saltiness. You could try soy sauce but it’s not the same at all. Regarding the vegetables, you could try thawed frozen peas, zucchini, or green beans. I’ve used them before and they all taste great.
Kavita
Which brand of coconut milk do u use,d ones which I buy gives a fake over flavour,which I don’t like,I am from goa n we use coconut in most of our preparation,as a result I buy frozen shredded coconut from Indian store n use it in my cooking,Tia,would like to try your recipes,they look tempting
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Kavita – my husband is from Goa too! There’s nothing like fresh coconut milk right? I use two brands: Aroy-D and Chaokoh. Both are Thai brands I believe. I hope you get to try some recipes – thanks for visiting the site!
Kavita Naik
Thank you dear I tried it with Aroy-D, the terra pack, n it was so good, didn’t smell un natural, thanks for d recommendation,hence forth will b use this one
Paint the Kitchen Red
Great Kavita! I love that brand and Chaokoh works well too.
Donna Hoyne
My Instant Pot arrived Wednesday, I made this chicken curry for dinner last night. Absolutely delicious! It was a little too spicy for my husband, but I’ll cut back the curry paste a bit next time I make it. Your directions were so easy to follow, so it turned out perfect even for an Instant Pot newbie! I am looking forward to trying other recipes, and truly appreciate your excellent “How To” section (since the instruction manual that came with the Instant Pot is not terribly helpful). Thank you!
Paint the Kitchen Red
You’re adventurous to make chicken curry in your new Instant Pot – I made rice, eggs, other boring stuff! Thank you for your kind comment, it really means a lot to me. I’ll be posting Beef Massaman curry next week so watch out for it. If you sign up for the newsletter at the top of the page, you’ll get an email when I post it. Have a great day!
Monica
This dish is on a regular rotation in our house. We all love it. The last time I made this I was able to use the suggested curry paste. WOW! What a difference, so flavorful.. But I think I’ll only add 2 tbs of the curry paste next time since it is much more spicy than the brand I get in my local grocery store (even though some of the family members really enjoyed the 3 tbs of the curry, I am a wimp in the spice department)
Paint the Kitchen Red
I’m glad you agree about the curry paste making all the difference. I think 2 tablespoons would work just fine too. This is such an easy curry to make that I often make it when I’m really strapped for time.
Debbie
Made your curry tonight and the flavor was fantastic! My sauce seemed a little curdled, however. Any suggestions for how to prevent this? Thanks!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Debbie – I’m happy you liked it! When I make it, sometimes the coconut appears to separate right after cooking, but once I stir it and cool it down a bit it looks creamy again. It could be the brand of coconut milk. If your coconut milk ingredients include fillers, you might be getting different results. Have you tried Aroy-D or Chaokoh brands?
Debbie
Thank you for your reply. I used Trader Joe’s organic coconut milk. I will look for the brands you suggested.
Aisla
I am still new to the instant pot. What adjustments to cooking would i need in order to double the recipie?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Aisla, I think you should be fine just doubling the quantities and keeping the cooking time the same. This is not always the case with IP recipes. Some recipes, doubled, can overfill the pot and not come to pressure. This one, because of the chicken being cut into bite size pieces, should be just fine. Let me know how it turns out!
Katie
Great recipe! My first try at Thai curry. I do have a stupid question… do I take out the K-leaves after cooking or leave them in? I was not able to find them but will be ordering some. Thanks!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Not a stupid question at all. The leaves are totally edible but the way the recipe is written, where they’re kept whole, you would just remove them while you’re eating. However, I often cut the leaves into tiny pieces, and so they are just eaten with the curry. The lime flavor is a bit stronger then too. If you’re getting fresh kaffir lime leaves, buy extra and freeze them. That’s what I do.
Priya
Is it possible to use tofu instead of chicken?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Priya – yes, you can substitute tofu. I would make sure it’s pressed and drained well. And cook for about 3 minutes.
Priya
Thanks!
Natalie
This is awesome! We loved it!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thank you for letting us know, Natalie. I’m so glad.
Wongs
Hi,
If i want to turn this into vegetarian dish adding tofu instead of chicken, what I can substitute fish sauce with? Thanks.
Paint the Kitchen Red
You can use well-drained and pressed tofu and cook for about 3 minutes. Fish sauce doesn’t have a good sub – I would omit and add more salt. Or you can try and use a bit of soy sauce – not the same but will be okay.
Marie
We made this for dinner last night and it turned out super delicious! Love how easy it was to follow along to your instructions!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Marie – I’m so glad you liked it; one of my favorites. I think you’ll like the other Thai curries too! Thanks for your comment.
Sarah
This was phenomenal. I wanted to add butternut squash to the curry, so I added it with the chicken and cooked them together for 7 minutes. Then added the rest of the veggies on saute and it was divine. Thank you for a delicious recipe!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hey Sarah – thank you so much for your lovely comment; you made my evening! What a great idea to add some seasonal veggies to the curry. The color must have been beautiful. The squash must have added a hint of sweetness – nice!
Diane
Thank you for the recipe; it’s really good (and easy, too)! I used chicken thighs (it’s what I had on hand) and since I try to limit fat in our diet, I used half a can of full-fat coconut milk, and made up the difference with fat-free evaporated milk. I thickened the sauce with just a bit of cornstarch. Those modifications may sound like sacrilege, but it was still very tasty.
Paint the Kitchen Red
You know what, Diane? I’m all about the taste, so however you modify it, if it tastes good to YOU, then that’s all that matters 🙂 Yes, I too have had to resort to cornstarch in the unlikeliest of dishes, when I cook in the Instant Pot! So glad you liked it and thanks for sharing your substitutions.
April
How much cooking time would we need to add if we only have bone-in chicken on hand?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi April, thanks for your question. I’ve cooked bone-in chicken anywhere from 8 to 15 minutes depending on the size, with natural release. 15 minutes will make it fall-off-the-bone. Hope you like it!
Trycia
This was ahhhhhmazing. I tripled the recipe thank goodness! I omitted the peppers and instead added shiitakes and snap peas. Also added a little Sambal Olek and sweet thai chili sauce just cuz. Can’t wait for leftovers tomorrow.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Trycia – so glad you enjoyed it and I love it when people make a recipe their own 🙂 You’ll love the green and massaman curries too. Thanks for commenting.
Sarah Jane
This was my first time using my Instant Pot and it turned out awesome! My husband and kids loved it! I followed the recipe exactly as written and used chicken thighs. Thank you for making it easy to
learn functions on my Instant Pot as well. It was less intimidating than I originally thought.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks for commenting, Sarah Jane! I’m happy that you enjoyed it – a great first recipe for the Instant Pot, now that I think about it! Enjoy your new IP.
Sara
My coconut milk “curdled” or separated in the IP 🙁 It’s just chunks of gellatenous material floating in clear water. I followed the instructions exactly and used full-fat coconut milk. It looked so unappetizing I’m going to toss the whole thing. At least I have some rice going on the stove to have for dinner 🙁
Paint the Kitchen Red
Oh no! That doesn’t sound appetizing at all! I have a feeling it was your brand of coconut milk or that you had a old or spoiled can of coconut milk. Did you try stirring it up well? I’m sorry your dinner was ruined 🙁
Elle
Hi, if I was to use frozen chicken breast (skinless, boneless)…how much time do I use to pressure cook? looking to make it tonight. thanks. this sounds so delish.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Elle – if the chicken is frozen but cut into the same size as suggested in the recipe, you can cook for the same amount of time. This is because the Instant Pot will compensate for the temperature by just taking longer to come to pressure. Also do keep in mind that frozen chicken might make your curry more liquidy, so you might be able to reduce the quantity of broth. Enjoy!
Kristen
Never made curry before and tried this on my second use of my IP. Stellar!
Now I have a vegetarian in the family so will try with tofu, but wondering if seitan would work? I’ve never cooked with it before, so totally clueless.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Kristen, glad you liked it! I’ve not used seitan in my Instant Pot before, but tofu works great – about 2 to 3 minutes should do the trick.
Deborah
I bought a 3 qt instant pot, just to make this rexipe, and I was not disappointed. I got the red curry and Thai basil off of Amazon, and used dried kaffir leaves I had previously ordered. This was SO GOOD! I did add some extra chicken broth due to the heat ( I have a 12 yr old in the house who is just learning to appreciate spicy food, but only able to tolerate it in small amounts). This will definitely become a regular on our menu! Thank you for sharing. More instant pot recipes, please!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Deborah – wow, that’s great to hear – thank you so much for sharing! I started my blog doing all kinds of recipes but over the past year it’s all Instant Pot 🙂 I think you’ll really like the Massaman curry. It’s delicious but really mild. I just made by request for my daughter’s birthday!
Natalie
tried this recipe before and i loved it! amazing flavours!
thank you for sharing
question for you … if I use beef instead (i’m going to cube a chuck roast I have in the freezer after i defrost it)
will the cooking time be the same?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Natalie – I’m glad you enjoyed it; one of my favorites 🙂 For beef, look at the Beef Massaman curry recipe and follow the time on that.
Susan
Easy and fantastic! I definitely want to make it hotter next time so will buy the hotter curry paste. Thanks for this recipe; the while family loved it, including my 10-year-old!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks Susan! You need to try the green curry if you like spicy! For this (red curry) recipe, you could increase the quantity of curry paste to get it more spicy also.
Sheila
How big is the pot you used for the Curry?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Sheila, thanks for your question. All my recipes are tested with a 6 quart, but will work as written for the 8 quart. However, with a 3 quart you might need to reduce the quantity based on fit, but cooking time should be approximately the same.
Carmen
Flavor was delicious and the instructions where easy to follow, but this is more like a soup, I prefer my stovetop curries, which have the same ingredients, but have a thicker consistency.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Carmen, thank you for your comment. I love having gravy to soak into the rice! If you wanted to have a thicker curry, you might be able to omit the broth.
Deb Prokop
Love the basic recipe. Tweaked it a bit. I did’t have Kaffir leaves or Thai basil. Used lemon and lime zest. Used regular basil. Added about 1 tbls of lime juice and 1 1/2 tbls of lemon juice. Added 1 tbls of chinese samba oelek to it for heat as well as a sliced jalapeño unseeded. DELICIOUS! Right amount of heat but not too much.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Deb – Sounds like you like spice-ay! I think you’ll really like the Instant Pot Green Curry too. Thanks for sharing your modifications.
Kendra
I couldn’t find fresh Thai basil but I did find dried. How much would you recommend to use?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Kendra, the general guideline I go by when subbing dried for fresh herbs is 1/3 the quantity. I would say maybe 2 tsp. I’m not sure how much flavor the dried Thai Basil has. You can even use regular fresh basil.
Hilary Graves
WAY too much fish sauce. Maybe brands vary. Also, I used green curry paste. I love spice but it was too spicy with the 3 tbs. I think with adjustments it would be good. I have coconut milk with the cream on top. Was I suppose to mix the cream into the liquid at the bottom of the can? I left out most of the fat but it ended up being a little runny.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hilary – I have a green curry recipe also on the site. Green curry paste is generally much more spicy than red curry. At restaurants, I order mild and find it spicy enough! Massaman is the mildest. re: fish sauce, yes maybe it was the brand. And yes, when I make it I just stir up the can and use it all up. You can also saute on low with just the thick cream part, and add the remaining quantity before pressure cooking. Hope you get to try it out again.
Jasleen
Made this tonight, and it was delicious! Thank you for posting.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks for your comment, Jasleen! I’m really happy you enjoyed it.
Linda
I would like to use a yam instead of the carrots for this recipe. Do you suggest some extra time for this?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Linda – you might be able to cook the yams with the chicken, with a quick release (QR). I would try that and then add any remaining veggies when you open the IP. Let me know how it works out.
Nancy Lewis
This recipe is easy and extremely delicious. Normally, we get our Thai curry dishes at a restaurant. Those days are over, because the homemade curry is yummy! I purchased the recommended Maesri red curry and Aroy-D coconut milk at an Asian grocery store and was surprised at how inexpensive they were. The curry and coconut milk made a huge difference in flavor/texture. I couldn’t find the lime leaves, but I’m ordering some on Amazon for next time. Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Nancy – I feel exactly the same way! Just made a Panang curry last night, still trying to perfect it and hope to get it out soon 🙂 re: lime leaves – I’ve mentioned this on other comments, but if you’re ever in another town or city that has a big Asian store, buy some and they keep in the freezer really well. Lime zest works as a great alternative – just add a little bit to taste after cooking.
Jeff
Three tablespoons of red curry paste sounds like this will be pretty hot! How many stars of heat would you give it on a scale of 1 to 5?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Jeff – I guess it would depend on your tolerance, but eating it with Jasmine rice, the Maesri brand is a 2.5 to 3 for me. The Mae Ploy brand is spicier. If you choose to make it as written, just get some extra coconut milk and dilute at the end, to suit your tastes. The green curry, on the other hand, is more like a 3.5 to 4. And the Massaman is 1.5 to 2 🙂 Thanks for your question, and hope you like the recipe!
Jeff
Thank you! Have you used Thai Kitchen brand? It’s the only kind our local store carries. I wonder how it rates on the spiciness scale?
Paint the Kitchen Red
I used to use Thai Kitchen before I discovered Maesri. It’s fine, but will not give you the best taste you can get. I feel it’s milder.
Nick J
Wow, great recipe. I’ve loved Red Curry since my first taste and the coconut milk enveloped my senses and changed my world. I’m still missing the rich, lingering Coconut flavor I desire, any suggestions? I’m using the Mae Ploy paste and Aroy-D coconut milk. My second batch I dropped the 1/4 cup broth and used Aroy-D coconut milk which made a huge difference, but, the rich reddish soup still isn’t up to the standard I taste a my Thai Restaurant. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Nick – you’re on the right track getting the right ingredients. Regarding the 1/4 cup broth, it’s mainly added in case people have trouble with the IP coming to pressure – now that you know you have no problem with that, you can easily leave it out. You could try and make your own paste, but it is time consuming and requires quite a few specialty ingredients. You could also try out Maesri the next time you need to buy the paste – I actually prefer it.
Here are a couple of other things you could do: a) try and add some coconut oil when frying your coconut milk b) when frying the paste, do it with just the cream – so don’t shake up your can but use the thick cream at the top first c) make sure your coconut and curry paste cook really well, till it’s bubbly and even looks separated (watch out for burning!). Then add the thinner coconut milk and proceed with the recipe. d) Finally, add a tiny bit more of any of the ingredients to your taste (except the curry paste) after cooking.
I hope that helps you out and thank you for commenting!
Karen
Made this tonight and it was very good. I used chicken thighs, regular basil and used lime zest in place of the lime leaves which I couldn’t find. Will definitely keep in my regular dinner rotation!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks, Karen, for your lovely comment!
Sajida Pettitt
I just made it for dinner. It is so delicious. Hats off to you for the detail instructions👏👍. I am not a cook but by following your instructions meticulously I made an amazing Thai meal. I love the pics. Thank you so much.
Paint the Kitchen Red
You’re so welcome, Sajida! Thanks for your comment.
Christine Johnson
This was wonderful! Thank you for the recipe as well as the tutorial, this was the first recipe I’ve tried with the Instant Pot. The flavor was perfect and I took your advice and purchased the curry paste, coconut milk, basil and lime leaves from a specialty Asian grocer. Again, thank you for helping me have a successful first try!
Christine
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Christine – glad you liked it, especially since it was your first Instant Pot recipe!
Susan Erne
Thank you, thank you, thank you, this was AMAZING! I recently became hooked on Thai Red Curry from a local Thai place and was really jonesing to make it at home. I took your suggestion and got the curry sauce from the Asian market and it was PERFECT!!! My local place uses ground chicken breast, which would be lovely in the IP. I’m planning on trying your other curries as well! I’m also a BIG fan of Jasmine rice in the IP, which went perfect with this too, obviously lol Thanks again, you’ve got a new fan!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Susan – wow, what a nice comment. I’m really glad you were able to make a restaurant favorite at home! If you like spicy, the green curry is quite tasty too – different flavors but really good.
Lea himes
This recipe looks delicious, I can’t wait to try! One question from a new IP user; do you know if this would work cooking the rice as well in the IP using the stackable pots?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Lea – perfect question. Short answer is yes, but take a look at this Pot in Pot Cooking article I wrote. It addresses your exact question.
Stacey
This was awesome!! Easy and so flavorful. Thank you! I used regular basil and my lime leaves were very small and in a jar so I wasn’t sure how much to use but it was wonderful. I was going to make cauliflower rice but ran out of time. I had some pad Thai noodles left over from another dish I made and a little in the soup was perfect,,
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hey there Stacey – thank you for your comment, I’m so glad you liked it. You’re the second person who’s mentioned cauli rice with Thai food this week – I’m going to try it soon!
Sheila
Amazing.
Jane Meyer
This was the first recipe I tried several months ago when I purchased an Instant Pot. Wow! My family loved it! Since then I have made it several times, always with rave reviews. Happily, I am able to purchase the Maesri Curry Paste from a local Asian supermarket, along with the lime leaves and Thai basil — they are irreplaceable in my opinion. I double the recipe ingredients, keeping the pressure cooking time the same but allowing a little longer sautéing time due to the doubled vegetables. My “newbie jitters” when first using the Instant Pot have dissipated because of your excellent step-by-step instructions and photos. Thank you so much, Neena!
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Hi Jane, Thank you so much for sharing! I’m so glad you agree that the ingredients make all the difference! You’ve now graduated from newbie – congrats!
Andrea
Love, Love, Love this recipe! It’s easy and absolutely delicious. It rivals even some of the best Thai restaurants curries I’ve had.
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Oh Andrea! Thank you – your comment made my day, very kind of you!
Rebecca Thompson
Omg…making this now and it smells amazing already and the pot just only came to pressure. Using panang curry paste this time. Added some green beans. Can’t wait to try it.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thank you for commenting, Rebecca – and what a coincidence, because I’m posting my Panang curry recipe today. With green beans too!
Lauren
This was really great, but the smell of the bamboo shoots almost ruined it for me! Is there anyway to decrease the smell as I do like the taste…
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Lauren, I would omit the bamboo shoots because they’re not essential. You could add any other vegetable, like green beans, zucchini, etc.
Ellen
YUM! This was dinner tonight and of my goodness! Thank you!
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Thank you for commenting, Ellen! I’m so happy you enjoyed it.
Kate McCracken
If I wanted to make this without the chicken would the
timing be the same?
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Hi Kate, if you don’t want to use a meat, then you probably don’t need to pressure cook. You can either do it on the stovetop or just use Saute mode on the Instant Pot.
RM
This was delicious and super easy to make. I omitted the bamboo shoots and used vegetables I had on hand, and it turned out great! Next time I’m trying the green curry.
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Thank you for your comment! Give the panang a try too – it’s yummy as well!
Lisa Johnson
We absolutely loved it and may try to add some pineapple and pineapple juice to mimic a curry recipe from a Thai restaurant near our house next time. I unfortunately could not find the Red curry paste you recommended, so ours wasn’t very spicy, and we like spicy. Any suggestions on how to make it a little spicier?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Lisa, I’ve had a few people tell me their favorite restaurant uses pineapple. I’ve never tried it that way – I’m glad you were able to make the recipe your own! The heat comes from dried red chillies (probably Thai). I think you could add with the curry paste some extra cayenne pepper or a small piece of finely chopped red Thai chili (which is very very spicy!)