This Instant Pot Panang Curry recipe tastes like it’s from a Thai restaurant! Creamy coconut milk, Panang curry paste, chicken, vegetables, and spices come together to make an amazingly tasty curry that is delicious served with jasmine rice. It’s a quick and easy recipe that you can make on a weeknight but it’s impressive enough to serve guests!
Table of Contents
Introduction
It was a bit of a challenge to make this Panang curry in the Instant Pot and have it taste like the Thai Panang curries I order at restaurants.
Don’t get me wrong: it tasted great but tasted more like Thai Red Curry, which is quite delicious in its own right. I had to make the Panang curry numerous times, trying out different ingredients and quantities, until I finally perfected the recipe.
The key to getting the Panang curry recipe right was to add an extra quantity of the ingredients that make it different from the red curry: coriander, cumin, and peanuts. I feel these flavors were lacking because pressure cooking toned down those flavors and made it seem like they weren’t even present.
A good Thai curry requires good-quality ingredients. You can read more about my quest to find the right ingredients for Thai curries on my Instant Pot Thai Red Curry recipe blog post.
This pressure cooker Panang Curry recipe can be made quickly and easily, even on a busy weeknight. I always keep coconut milk and curry paste in my pantry and I use whatever meat and vegetables I have on hand.
I find that Thai curries taste best with Jasmine rice rather than long grain, basmati, or even brown rice. Jasmine rice soaks up the curry and makes it taste so good!!
Here are some other super easy Thai recipes you’re going to love!
– Instant Pot Thai Red Curry
– Instant Pot Thai Green Curry
– Instant Pot Thai Massaman Curry
– Instant Pot Thai Yellow Curry
– Instant Pot Thai Grilled Chicken (Gai Yang)
– Instant Pot Thai Coconut Soup (Tom Kha Gai)
– Instant Pot Thai Peanut Noodles
– Instant Pot Jasmine Rice
[Read: Instant Pot Pot-in-Pot Cooking Method to learn how to cook rice and curry together!]
TIPS AND SUBSTITUTIONS
Panang Curry Paste
To make this curry taste like a restaurant-quality curry, you’ve got to get the right curry paste. There are two brands of Thai curry pastes that I really like: Maesri (which I like best) and Mae Ploy.
When I use Maesri, I use 3 tablespoons of paste, but with Mae Ploy, I use 2 tablespoons because I find it to be spicier. Adjust to your tastes. If the curry is too spicy at the end, add some more coconut milk when 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.
Thai Basil
Thai basil is another ingredient you can find at an Asian grocery store. It, too, adds a unique flavor to Thai recipes and I recommend trying to find it. But if you can’t locate Thai basil, substitute with regular Italian basil.
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.
Also note that 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.
Peanut Butter
Although you can grind up roasted peanuts into a paste, I choose to use store-bought peanut butter.
Palm Sugar
Palm sugar is more authentic to a Thai curry than brown sugar is. However, I frequently use brown sugar without sacrificing taste.
Vegetables
You don’t need to stick to the vegetables that I used. You can use any vegetables of your choice including zucchini, carrots, peas, bamboo shoots.
Meats
You can easily substitute other meats or tofu instead of chicken, but you’ll have to adjust the cooking time – here are some approximate times. 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)
Doubling the Recipe
You can double all the ingredients in the recipe and pressure cook for the same amount of time. Just make sure your ingredients don’t go past the 2/3-full mark.
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]
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 Panang Curry- Ingredients
- Onion
- Chicken
- Coconut milk
- Green beans (or any vegetable)
- Bell peppers
- Thai basil
- Lime leaves
- Cumin
- Coriander
- Fish sauce
- Peanut butter
- Brown sugar
- Lime juice
- Panang curry paste (missing from photo)
How to Make Thai Panang Curry in the Instant Pot (Step by Step Instructions)
- Turn on Saute Mode
- Saute coconut milk and spices
- Saute chicken
- Pressure cook
- Quick-release pressure
- Stir in vegetables and seasonings
How to Turn on Saute Mode
- Instant Pot DUO: Select the Saute function.
- Instant Pot ULTRA: Select the Saute function and press Start.
Saute Coconut Milk and Spices
- Stir together 1/2 can of coconut milk, Panang curry paste, cumin and coriander in the Instant Pot inner pot.
Saute Chicken
- Saute until mixture is bubbly and oil begins to separate, about two to three minutes. Use a splatter screen to prevent splatter, if necessary.
- Select ‘Cancel’ and stir in chicken and remaining coconut milk.
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 Quick Release Pressure (QR) on the DUO
- Move the steam release handle to Venting. Steam will come out of the steam release handle.
- When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
- Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.
How to Quick Release Pressure (QR) on the ULTRA
- Press down on the Steam Release Button until it locks into place, and steam begins to come out of the Steam Release Valve.
- When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
- Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.
[Find out more about the pressure release methods and how and when to use them. ]
Stir in Vegetables and Seasonings
- Select ‘Saute’ function.
- Stir in fish sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, peanut butter, bell pepper, green beans, onion, 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.
Thai Instant Pot Panang Curry with Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 Tbsp Thai Panang curry paste preferably Maesri or Mae Ploy brand *
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 14 oz. coconut milk preferably Aroy-D or Chaokoh brand
- 1 1/2 lb boneless chicken breasts or thighs cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 Tbsp fish sauce more to taste
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar (or palm sugar), to taste
- 2 tsp lime juice
- 2 Tbsp peanut butter or to taste
- 1 cup red and/or green bell pepper sliced
- 1 cup green beans cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup onion sliced
- 4 lime leaves slightly bruised **
- 12 to 15 Thai Basil leaves
VIDEO
Instructions
- Select Saute and stir together Panang curry paste, coriander, cumin and 1/2 can of coconut milk in the inner pot. until mixture is bubbly, about a minute or two.
- Press Cancel.
- Stir in chicken and remaining coconut milk.
- 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, peanut butter, bell pepper, beans, onion, and lime leaves.
- Select 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, lime juice or peanut butter.
- Stir in the Thai basil leaves.
- Serve with Instant Pot 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.
- * I use 2 Tbsp of Mae Ploy brand or 3 Tbsp of Maesri brand.
- ** lime leaves also referred to as k-lime, makrut or kaffir lime leaves
- See the blog post for more detailed recipe tips
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!
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Denise Feldman
I don’t know if I commented on this before. If I have it deserves another 5 stars. This is my all-time favorite thing to make. It is so delicious. It’s as good as any Panang curry I ate in Thailand. I don’t even order it in Thai restaurant anymore because I am always disappointed. I can make it better at home thanks to this recipe. I probably make a variation of this once a week. Right now I’m adding a lot of zucchini, green beans, eggplant and anything else that needs to be used up in my garden. In the winter I add cauliflower, carrots, asparagus, kale, spinach, even cabbage. I keep lime leaves in my freezer and grow my own Thai basil just for this recipe. I’ve made most of Neena’s recipes at least once. There is not a bummer in the bunch. This one is outstanding.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Denise, I’m not sure if you’ve commented before but I will gladly accept a duplicate comment like this! Thank you for lovely comment – you’ve made my day 🙂
Heidi
This recipe,as written, is better than any Panang Curry I have ever been served in a restaurant. It was rich, creamy, and deeply flavored. I am so thankful for your easy step-by-step instructions and ingredient suggestions. I can now make a favorite comfort food at home!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Wow, wonderful to hear that you loved the recipe! In these times, it’s great to be able to make good food at home, no?
Nicole
I adjusted the panang curry paste to half, so I could make it mild enough for my sensitive stomach. It was the perfect mild curry. I also added half a can of coconut cream to make it a little more creamy. This was a great recipe. This is better than my normal Thai place! Love this.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Nicole, that’s wonderful to hear! Thank you for letting me know.
Randi
We have a peanut allergy in my house… what would you recommend I use to replace it? TIA!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Randi, does that include all nuts? I think another nut butter such as cashew or almond would work great. If all tree nuts are out then just omit the peanut butter. It’ll taste great but a bit different. Hope you enjoy the curry.
Jackie
Really excited to try this, my husband LOVES curry. How would I make this in a crock pot if I don’t have a pressure cooker??
Paint the Kitchen Red
Jackie, I haven’t made it in a slow cooker, but I would say on low for about 3 hours? It is quite easy on the stovetop too. Just cook till the meat is done.
Helen
This was super easy and all ingredients are readily available. Followed recipe as is. My husband really enjoyed it. Will be trying more of your recipes
Paint the Kitchen Red
Helen, thank you very much. I’m so happy to hear your husband enjoyed the recipe. I’m making Thai green curry as I type this!
Sarah Empey
This is DELICIOUS. I followed the recipe exactly, adding a little more peanut butter and sugar. Question: is palm sugar the same as coconut palm sugar?
My husband was very enthusiastic about eating this. I’m trying your Thai peanut noodles tonight. Thank you for your wonderful recipes! I especially like the suggestion of your favorite brands. And the explanations of unique ingredients.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thank you Sarah, for your lovely comment! Palm sugar and coconut palm sugar can be from different types of palm tree but not always. For our cooking purposes, they are interchangeable.
Kate Maheras
Hi! Can I freeze this curry in portions after I make it?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Kate, I do freeze this curry except for the Thai basil which I add when reheating. Hope you like it 🙂
Kate Maheras
Thank you! Definitely going to freeze per your direction. I’ve been making this for a couple of years now and it’s a staple in my kitchen. I use red curry paste (thai kitchen) instead of panang (I cant find anywhere!) and it’s simply delicious.
Maria
I was heartbroken because I accidentally lost this recipe from the saved files on my computer. I am so very happy to have found it again!!!
This is THE BEST PANANG CURRY I have ever had! I made it for a dinner party and everyone absolutely loved it!!!!!!!
Looking forward to trying other recipes in your website now that I found you again. 🙂
Paint the Kitchen Red
Yay!! Maria, I’m so glad you found the recipe too. If you liked this recipe, I think you’ll like all my Thai recipes. Keep in touch 🙂
Crystal
All I can say is OH MY GOSH! This is probably now my favorite meal I have made in my Instant Pot and it tastes exactly like our favorite Thai restaurant’s Panang curry. I doubled everything (because that’s just how much I love it) and kept the time the same, as you stated. Incredible! I have already passed the recipe on to a friend who is ordering some of the ingredients to make it for her family. Thank you so much!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Crystal, what a wonderful comment! Thank you for taking the time. I’m very happy to hear you loved the recipe and are also spreading the word – much appreciated 🙂
Barb Mauldin
I have played around with multiple Penang recipes over the last year or two and always ended up disappointed… Was so excited to take my first bite of this and feel like I’d gone to heaven❣️ I did play around a bit, as you suggest, with the lime/sugar/fish sauce balance…and was so happy with the results as was my hubs. I used red pepper and broccoli. Left overs were polished off the next day – next time I will double ❣️❣️❣️
Thanks for a perfect recipe, looking forward to trying more of them👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Paint the Kitchen Red
Oh, thanks Barb! Yes, that’s what takes this recipe to the next level – adjusting the seasonings to your tastes!
Heather McQuillin
Great recipe! Made exactly as directed!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Awesome and thank you, Heather!
T
Hi! Made this with tofu, and the whole family really liked the taste.
I’m curious about the instructions to add many of the sauce ingredients after pressure cooking. Since tofu only takes 2 minutes, I’m thinking everything, including the veggies, could go into the pot at one time? My tofu crumbled a bit from having to stir the sauce and the extra cook time for the veggies.
Paint the Kitchen Red
I would agree with you. I add the sauces afterwards because I don’t want to dilute the flavor with pressure cooking but in your case, I think you can add them with the tofu. Enjoy!
T
Thanks for the response! We all agreed that this was a “repeat” recipe, I really think that cooking everything at once will perfect this recipe when using tofu!
Sarita
THE BEST EVER, I’m so happy I came across this, these items are a staple in my kitchen and it is so easy to make. I always take this for a pot luck and the recipe is a hit ALWAYS. I will not eat Thai food out anymore thanks to this. I’ve shared this with so many people and everyone loves it!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Sarita, thank you so much for the lovely comment – that makes my day!
Meg Dalton
This is an amazing, restaurant-quality recipe! Thank you so much for sharing. I can now make at home and stop ordering take out from Thai restaurants to satisfy my Panang curry cravings!
I don’t like my curry too spicy, so I added an extra third of a can of coconut milk and cut back on the paste a bit. It was perfect.! Can’t wait to try your other recipes.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Meg, I’m glad to hear you like the recipe. Adding extra coconut milk is a great way to tone down the recipe. You can even take out a few portions and add extra coconut milk to the remaining curry and heat on ‘Saute’ mode. You’ll love the other Thai recipes for sure!
Shelly C
Wow, this was amazing and so simple to make. When my husband says, “I officially love this dish and you’ll need to make it more often”, I know it’s a keeper…thanks very much!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Shelly, thank you for taking the time to comment. I’m really happy to hear you liked the recipe 🙂
Kristin
Fabulous! Followed the recipe exactly (except I used veggies on hand: zucchini, red bell pepper, carrots.) 100% will make again!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Kristin – awesome! The vegetables sound perfect and I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Carly
My husband used to be the panang maker at our house. I tried this one day a few months ago after we received our instant pot and now we use this recipe every time!
Thanks so much for this! Super tasty! Adding baby corn tonight.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Love this! I’m really glad you both like the recipe!
Leslie
I just noticed that you’ve already answered my question for someone else. So sorry I missed the earlier query and wasted your time.
Paint the Kitchen Red
No need to apologize – it’s my pleasure!
Leslie
I am new to InstaPot and can’t wait to try your recipe. I would like to double it for a dinner party. I have a 6 Qt. Insta Pot. Can I just double all the ingredients? What about the cooking times? Thank you so much!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Leslie, yes you should be able to do that. As long as the food and liquid don’t go above the 2/3 full mark, you’re good. You would double every ingredient and use the same cooking time, no change. Hope you enjoy it. I think your guests will be impressed 🙂