Jamaican Curry Shrimp delivers big, bold, tropical flavors from coconut milk, curry powder, garlic, and bell peppers. And, of course, we can’t forget delectable, juicy shrimp. This mouthwatering stew is flavor-packed yet surprisingly straightforward to make.
I know this dish looks exotic and hard to make, which may scare off some folks…but, in all actuality, it’s not any of those.
Large and juicy shrimp are simmered in a hearty sauce, infused with garlic, thyme, ginger, and curry spice. Yum!!!
Speaking of curry spice, if you haven’t made my awesome homemade curry powder, then you are missing out – seriously.
Store-bought curry pales in comparison to homemade. So take just a little time, give it a try, and tell me what you think.
Contents…Recipe Ingredients |
The Secret to Jamaican Curry Shrimp
Besides the perfect curry powder, coconut milk gives this dish a unique flavor. Anyone who has tried Thai curry knows what I’m talking about.
This Jamaican curry shrimp is also enticing because you can have it on the table in about 30 minutes, including prep. Your family will be a bunch of happy campers.
Recipe Ingredients
- Shrimp – This succulent seafood at its finest (and probably the most economical) is the tender and juicy main attraction.
- Onion, Garlic, and Thyme – These flavor-enhancers take this curried shrimp over the top. And, of course, you can use dried if you don’t have fresh.
- Curry Powder – Jamaican curry powder is a fantastic fusion of flavors. And if you ask natural healers, they will tell you this blend is super good for you, too. My homemade curry powder is chemical- and salt-free to boot.
- Coconut Milk – The tropical taste of coconut milk makes a bodacious seafood stew.
- Green Bell Pepper – This unripe pantry staple adds a pleasant bitterness to our stew. You can replace it with the sweeter ripe red, yellow, or orange bell peppers if you want.
- Broth – The stew’s base is a flavorful broth. Homemade is always best, but a cube or teaspoon of bouillon to a cup of water will work in a pinch.
How to Make Jamaican Curry Shrimp
- Heat oil over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven.
- Saute the Seasonings – Add onions, garlic, thyme, curry powder, and sauté for about 2-3 minutes. If using Scotch bonnet pepper, add at this time.
- Add the Stew Base – Add tomato paste, bell pepper, and green onions, followed by coconut milk and broth. Bring it to a boil, then simmer for about 7-10 minutes. Toss in the shrimp. Cook for another 3-5 minutes.
- Taste Test – Adjust for salt, pepper, and thickness. Serve with Jamaican rice and corn pigeon rice and vegetables.
Recipe Variations
- And if shrimp is not your thing, you can make this curry with chunks of chicken breast or thighs.
- If the tropical taste of coconut doesn’t float your boat, you can use whole milk instead for shrimp chowder.
Tips and Tricks
- Use whole-fat coconut milk for the best shrimp curry. Or even better, make your own super fast.
- Curries and stews can burn quickly, so stir often and turn the heat down to low for a burn-free stew.
- For an even more flavorful Jamaican curry shrimp, you can saute your shrimp in butter until cooked through, then add them to the stew at the end of the cooking time. Just stir them into the stew and serve.
FAQs
No, it isn’t. It has some of the same ingredients, turmeric giving it its distinctive yellowness. The most significant difference is that Jamaicans toast their spices, releasing more deliciousness and adding a pleasant toasted flavor.
Depending on the size and cooking method, they usually take 4-6 minutes. I’d start checking around 3 minutes if you’re using smaller shrimp.
You absolutely can. Just add a couple of minutes of cooking time, and you’re good to go.
Make-Ahead Instructions
Shrimp overcooks quite quickly. So to make this dish ahead of time, I follow the recipe up to where the shrimp goes in. Then I store it in the fridge till the next day. Simply reheat the stew, add the shrimp, and simmer until the shrimp is done.
Serving and Storage
I love this stew piping hot over a bowl of fluffy white rice.
You can store leftover Jamaican curry shrimp in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for three months.
Gently reheat in a saucepan on low just until it starts to simmer. You don’t want to overcook your shrimp.
What to Serve with Jamaican Curry Shrimp
This recipe is excellent served with Jamaican pigeon peas and rice and even more delicious with rice and beans or this coconut rice to be served quite deliciously without any further embellishment. And of course, you are always welcome to embellish as you wish—vegetables on the side like broccoli, side salad, or whatever vegetable suits your mood.
More Incredible Shrimp Recipes
Conclusion
This pure soul-satisfying Jamaican curry shrimp is easy to throw together at a moment’s notice. The intense tropical curry flavors are welcome any time of year. Try this recipe the next time a seafood craving hits, and let me know how it goes.
Watch How to Make It
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This blog post was first published in May 2016 and has been updated with new write-up, fresh photos.
Jamaican Curry Shrimp
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons (28 ml) virgin olive oil or canola oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon (1 g) fresh thyme, minced
- ½-1 tablespoon (3-6 g) Jamaican curry powder
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper, optional
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) tomato paste
- ½ red bell or green bell pepper, diced
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 1 cup (240 ml) coconut milk (unsweetened)
- 1 cup (240 ml) broth, or more (I use chicken broth, but you can replace it with vegetable or seafood broth)
- 1-1½ pound (453-679 g) extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven.
- Add onions, garlic, thyme, curry powder, and sauté for about 2-3 minutes. If using scotch bonnet pepper, add at this time.
- Add tomato paste, bell pepper, and green onions, followed by coconut milk and broth. Bring it to a boil, then simmer for about 7-10 minutes. Toss in the shrimp. Cook for another 3-5 minutes.
- Adjust for salt, pepper, and thickness. Serve with Jamaican rice and corn pigeon rice and vegetables.
Tips & Notes:
- Use whole-fat coconut milk for the best shrimp curry. Or even better, make your own super fast.
- Curries and stews can burn quickly, so stir often and turn the heat down to low for a burn-free stew.
- For an even more flavorful Jamaican curry shrimp, you can saute your shrimp in butter until cooked through, then add them to the stew at the end of the cooking time. Just stir them into the stew and serve.
- I use chicken broth in this recipe. Or you can easily make your own shrimp broth. Combine shrimp shells with some chopped celery, and garlic, in a saucepan. Cover with water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 30-45 minutes or until the water is reduced in half. Strain and use.
- You can use habanero pepper instead of scotch bonnet pepper or try adding about 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust to taste) if you want some heat. If not, leave it out completely.
- Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Tweet says
Outstanding! This recipe is a great base for you to customize. I used frozen diced green, red and yellow peppers. I didn’t have fresh thyme so I used dried. I also used store bought curry powder but I certainly intend to make my own, now that I have a recipe. I added a 1/4 tsp of roasted chili powder ( I didn’t have scotch bonnet) and the heat was perfect. Hot enough to give you a sniffle but not enough to distort the flavor or set your mouth on fire . For me tomato paste or canned tomatoes always need a pinch of sugar to cut the acidity and believe me, that little pinch really made a difference. Salt is absolutely necessary, taste and adjust. My only problem was thickening. I added cornstarch (dissolved in water) to help thicken up the broth but it just didn’t thicken to my liking, or hardly for that matter. I was afraid if I added more cornstarch it would alter the taste so I left it as is and enjoyed it over some basmati rice. All and all this is a great easy recipe. Thank you so much xoxo
Tweet says
I forgot to add I also used a tiny pinch of powdered ginger!
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome! Glad it all worked out for you. Thanks for taking the time to offer feedback.
gordon walker says
This looks great and am going to try it. I will also try preparing your curry powder and use that. I think, though, that you meant to say that the store bought curry powder pales in comparison to yours, not the other way around 🙂
ImmaculateBites says
Yes! Thanks for the clarification.
KIm says
Tofu is good, make sure it’s the extre firm and extract the water first. I cut it into bite sized cubes and added after onions. But Tempeh is even better!
Hey IB, you still have your metaphors mixed up when comparing homemade curry powder to store-bought, better change that!
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks for the feedback Kim. I have made the corrections.
Marie says
. What’s a good brand of curry to use?
ImmaculateBites says
I make my own curry powder featured here . Or try Chief if you can find it .
Jewel says
I never make comments on recipes, but I had to stop and praise this one! I used some quick fixes to make my usual curry powder similar to yours, adding Dijon mustard and ginger root. It was so delicious I couldn’t wait to get up the next morning and eat it again. I’m a Georgia girl and ended up with Shrimp and Grits, which was even better than the creamy rice I made the night before! Thank you so much!
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome! Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. I appreciate you!!!
Lylo says
Hi Imma,
What rice do you use? I can’t find Jamaican rice in my local grocery stores.
Thanks for the great recipe!
ImmaculateBites says
I always use Long grain rice (Basmatic rice) for most of the recipes here.
Lylo says
Oh, this was SO GOOD! Next time I think we’ll use less broth to make it a thicker sauce, but all the flavours were there! Thanks!
Tre says
Nice recipe but the food came out bland.
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks for giving this a try. Sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy it. what kind of curry powder did you use? Homemade makes it really flavorful.
Amber says
This was delicious and simple. I absolutely love your recipes!
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome!!! Thanks for feedback Amber
ImmaculateBites says
I usually use chicken broth. However, feel free to use whatever you have on hand.
Maggie says
What a spatular curry dish Imma! You’re totally right. The name of the dish sounds very exotic, but surprisingly I found I have all the ingredients in my kitchen. Can’t wait to try it out!
Jeffrey P says
What kind of vegetable is served with the curry in the picture above? Are those plantains or sweet potatoes? Something else???? Looks amazing! 🙂
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks! They are Plantains(Fried) .
Renz says
I love curry. Love curry shrimp. With rice, roti, bread.. lol. I love seeing the different processes for currying too.
Melissa @ My Wife Can Cook says
I love curry! Especially with shrimp. And I will definitely be looking up your curry mix recipe. I use curry mix all the time.
ImmaculateBites says
Don’t just taste way better than the bottled ones?
Peter Block says
I am such a curry fan. I looked through the ingredients and it is amazing how universal the basics are. They transcend so many food cultures. I make a lot of Indian food and it is very similar. The colors you have on this dish are amazing. I need to try this more Caribbean style of curry.
Shelby @ Go Eat and Repeat says
I love how this can be made in about 30 minutes! Some nights you just don’t feel like cooking, so this would be a perfect flavor packed meal for those nights!
Annie @ Annie's Noms says
Oh, this looks wonderful! So vibrant and fresh! I must make this ASAP! Yummed and pinned!