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!
Serve this panang curry over Instant Pot jasmine rice, Instant Pot brown jasmine rice, or Instant Pot brown basmati rice.
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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.
Learn more about your Instant Pot…
- Natural or Quick Release: What is Instant Pot natural release vs quick release and when should you use them?
- Instant Pot Tips and FAQs: What are Instant Pot frequently asked questions?
- Instant Pot Not Sealing: Why is your Instant Pot not sealing and what can you do to fix it?
- Common Instant Pot Problems: This Instant Pot troubleshooting guide explains common problems and errors and how to solve them.
- Sous Vide Button: How to use sous vide Instant Pot function for perfectly cooked foods.
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.
Find out the difference between panang curry vs massaman curry.
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 ⅔-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 ¼ cup of chicken broth when pressure cooking the coconut milk.
[Read more: Instant Pot Burn Message]
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 ½ 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.
Instant Pot Tips and Tricks
Delay Start
Learn about how to use the Instant Pot Delay Start feature, which allows you to begin pressure cooking at a future time.
Pot in Pot
Find out how to use the Instant Pot pot in pot cooking method, which allows you to cook multiple foods together.
Cooking Times
Find out Instant Pot Cooking Times and what method of pressure release to use.
More Chicken Favorites
Love cooking chicken in the Instant Pot but looking for new recipes? Here are a few of my favorite Instant Pot chicken recipes that are easy, delicious, and fast to make.
- Instant Pot sous vide chicken breast
- Instant Pot chicken curry
- Instant Pot chicken shawarma
- Instant Pot Jamaican jerk chicken
For more chicken recipes, be sure to head over to my list of amazing Instant Pot chicken recipes you need to try!
Thai Instant Pot Panang Curry with Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 tablespoon Thai Panang curry paste preferably Maesri or Mae Ploy brand *
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- ½ tsp cumin powder
- 13.5 oz. coconut milk (400 ml) preferably Aroy D or Chaokoh brand
- 1 ½ lb boneless chicken breasts or thighs (⅔ kg) cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 Tbsp fish sauce more to taste
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar (or palm sugar), to taste
- 2 teaspoon lime juice
- 2 tablespoon peanut butter or to taste
- 1 cup red and/or green bell pepper sliced
- 1 cup green beans cut into 2-inch pieces
- ½ cup onion sliced
- 4 lime leaves slightly bruised **
- 12 to 15 Thai Basil leaves
Instructions
- Select Saute and stir together Panang curry paste, coriander, cumin and ½ 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 tablespoon of Mae Ploy brand or 3 tablespoon 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
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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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✅ Why Trust Neena at Paint the Kitchen Red?
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➡ New to the Instant Pot? Get my Instant Pot instructions for beginners.
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E says
This recipe is definitely a favorite in my house! I want to send it to a friend, but he doesn’t have a pressure cooker, just a slow cooker. Do you have any suggestions for adapting to a slow cooker? We both work pretty long hours so its nice to have food ready when we walk in the door.
Neena Panicker says
Hi there, great question! To make crockpot Thai chicken curry, follow the instructions and cook the curry paste with some of the coconut milk on the stovetop, add all ingredients to the slow cooker and slow cook for 4 to 6 hours on low heat. Add basil at the end. If you have the time, and you want crispier vegetables, add them about an hour before it’s done cooking. I hope your friend enjoys it!
Claire says
Great recipe! We admitted the onion and used frozen chicken tenders (increased pressure cooking to 18mins) and it still tasted like the resultant down the street. The perfect recipe for a monthly meal plan.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Claire, I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the Instant Pot panang curry recipe!
Al says
This recipe was awesome. My family and I normally order this every time we go to our favorite Thai restaurant. Looks like I will be try something different next time we go there. It was as good as the restaurant if not better. I could not find Panang curry so I used Thai red curry instead. Can’t wait to make it again.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Al, this is exactly what happened to me too! I don’t order curries, but still love some noodle dishes which I’m trying to perfect at home, hoping to share at some time in the future! I’m so happy you enjoyed it.
AFC says
This is one of our FAVORITE recipes, and I make it about once per month. Even our super-picky middle child is coming around to liking it. I am so sad to hear about the PETA allegations regarding the forced monkey labor at coconut-picking farms in Thailand, and the resulting unavailability of the Chaokoh brand coconut milk, which I’d previously been buying from Costco. I haven’t been able to find the Aroy D brand coconut out here (Oahu) lately, as well, and we sadly don’t have Trader Joe’s on the island. Have you found a good substitute yet for Chaokoh/Aroy D?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thank you so much for your comment, makes me happy! I have yet to see an issue with Chaokoh coconut milk – I just bought a 24 pack at the Asian store. Shoot, I hope it get resolved! I’ve seen Costco carries the Thai Kitchen organic cans – maybe buy a can or two from the regular store and if it works for you, you could get the Costco deal. Good luck!
AH says
Can you use beef stew meat in lieu of chicken?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Yes, you can use beef stew meat. You might need to skim off some of the fat from the top after it’s done pressure cooking. Pressure cook for 15 minutes on high pressure and do a full natural release or a 15-minute natural release if you have the time. The rest of the recipe will be the same.
AH says
Thank you! I was worried that the meat would be tough but it was so tender. I think using the whole can of Maeseri would’ve been the right amount of heat. I used 4 tbsp & I would’ve liked it to be spicier. Great recipe & so easy. Thank you!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
I’m so glad you like the recipe – it’s one of our favorites! Seems like you have a tolerance for heat, so go for it!
Linda says
Excellent! Thanks for the wonderful recipe!So so good!
BH says
Great recipe! We did encounter the “burn” message on the instant pot which I’ve never had before, but added a little chicken stock as suggested then it came out just fine. The Mae Ploy curry is amazing. Kaffir lime, thai basil and fish sauce are essential to making this taste so authentic and cannot be substituted in my opinion!
I would add a little less peanut butter next time. I had to add more kaffir lime leaf because the quick saute with the veggies at the end just didn’t bring out the flavor enough. Thanks for the great recipe!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
I’m sorry to hear you got the burn message! I’ve never had any issues. What size IP did you use? Anyway, I’m happy you liked the end result!
Kim Fox says
Outstanding recipe! This is going in our rotation for sure
Paint the Kitchen Red says
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you for your comment, Kim!
arya says
really amazing! i made it stovetop and still delicious
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thank you Arya! I’m glad you liked the recipe!
Ger says
Hello. So excited to try this recipe, as hubby loves Panang curry. But if I’m using beef/skirt steak, how long would I need to adjust time for?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Ger, skirt steak is best if you cook it at high heat for a short time so I wonder if it might get tough if you pressure cook it. I would sear the steak and make the curry in saute mode or on the stovetop. This recipe can be made the same way on the stove. If you had high-fat meat you could cut it into strips and pressure cook for about 8 to 10 minutes.
Adam says
I tried your instant pot massaman curry recipe and it was incredible, would love to try this one as well but I had a question. This recipe calls for 2-3 tablespoons of paste, but the massaman called for 4 oz (Which is the size of a can of maesri). 3 oz is a good bit less than a normal 4 oz can of maesri, isn’t it? Do you have a suggestion for scaling the recipe up to use a 4 oz can instead, purely because I would like to avoid wasting the rest of the can.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Adam, I use half a can (3 Tbsp) because it can become too spicy for my family if I use the whole can (6 Tbsp). I store the leftover paste in a small bottle in the fridge for months! If you want to use up the whole can, you would be doubling the recipe, which I’ve done before, no change to cooking time. The curry does freeze well.
Heather says
Can you omit the fish sauce?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Heather, fish sauce adds saltiness and umami. You can omit and add some salt or maybe try some soy sauce instead.
Ginny says
Has anyone tried the pot-in-pot method with this recipe? I’m wondering if the pressure cook time of 4 minutes is enough to cook the rice.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Ginny, if you’re making jasmine rice, 4 minutes works for PIP. If you’re making long-grain rice, you could probably increase the pressure cook time to 6 minutes.
Katherine says
How would I substitute shrimp in this recipe? How would that adjust the cooking time?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Katherine, you don’t really need to pressure cook if you’re using shrimp. You can just do it all in Saute mode and add the shrimp at the very end until it’s cooked through.
Wendy Hollandsworth says
Hi, a couple of questions. I have a bottle of fish sauce but it says it is out of date. Does fish sauce go bad or is it ok to use. Can’t tell by smelling!
Thai Basil Leaves and Lime Leaves…where do you buy these?
Thanks.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Wendy, I think it depends on how long ago it expired – if it’s just a few months, you’re probably okay. You can purchase good quality fish sauce, and the other ingredients at an Asian store. Hopefully there’s one in your community. Lime leaves can be frozen – that’s what I do. Good luck.
Joumanah says
Can you omit the sugar or will it come out too bitter?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
You can omit the sugar and it’ll still taste great. Hope you like it!
Shelle Martin says
Family favorite the recipe is so destroyed with stains can’t x we cook it so much.
Best recipe.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Shelle, awww thank you so much for sharing that – I’m so glad you like the recipe!
Lorraine says
Delicious! Easy to make😉 This is restaurant quality!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Aaah, thank you so much!
Kevin D says
I cut out the spices, the paste has plenty in it, and let the paste and half a can of coconut milk saute for much longer than the 2 minutes recommended to reduce and let the oils separate which really brought out the flavors, add the other half the can after as instructed. Only used 1 tbsp of fish sauce. Other than that follow those directions, it really did come out like my local Thai restaurant.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Kevin, thank you for your comment and I’m thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe.
Hege says
Thank you 🙂 this recipie is soooo good, a favorite for sure. Love from Norway 🙂
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hege – thank you for commenting! I’m glad you enjoy the recipe.
Laura says
This curry was amazing! Thank you so much for this recipe. I couldn’t get a hold of Thai basil and omitted it but the outcome was still better than at most Thai restaurants. Will be making this regularly and it’ll be great to serve to guests too as it’s not too spicy and looks beautiful with the red and green vegetables.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Laura, thank you so much for taking the time to comment! I’m thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe.
Bekah says
Wow this was so good! I love panang curry at my local Thai restaurant, and now I can make it at home! Surprisingly the Thai basil, curry paste and lime leaves were at my local Asian market too so that is good to know. I did add an extra can of coconut milk and an extra tablespoon of curry paste but I think it’s because I also added extra veggies. It was so yummy.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thanks, Bekah. I’m thrilled that you like the recipe. Good idea – I frequently add more paste and coconut milk when I want leftovers.
Alix says
Hi! Not sure if you have any input but I could use some input/direction. I was only able to find dried Thai Basil as well as dried kaffir lime leaves after searching local stores. I was going to use the same amount of dried lime leaves required for the recipe, but the dried Thai basil is “chopped up” not whole leaves. Do you think both of these will work? And how much Thai basil should I use since it’s chopped and dried – 2 tablespoons?
Thank you!!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Alix, I would recommend just using fresh Italian basil rather than dried Thai basil. For the lime leaves, you can try the dried but add some fresh lime zest too. Let me know how it goes.