Make your own homemade Thai red curry paste recipe in minutes! This paste is low carb, keto-friendly, gluten-free and vegan-friendly, but best of all it is so damn tasty!
Use super-easy ingredients we all recognize to recreate your favourite Thai dishes.
Jump to Recipe

Red Curry Paste in a black mortar with pestle.

What Is Red Curry Paste

Having the basics like a great Thai Red Curry Paste recipe can save you so much money and the flavour difference…. oh yeah baby!

Making fresh curry paste is easy. Replace your favourite store-bought brands e.g. Pataks or Maesri curry paste with homemade and save money. With just a handful of ingredients Thai curry pastes are quick and easy to make at home.

Related Recipes: Homemade Panang Curry Paste / Homemade Korma Paste/

What You’ll Love About This Recipe:

  • GLUTEN FREE + LOW CARB – no fillers or gluten products are used. This recipe is keto and low carb friendly.
  • HEALTHY – using your better quality ingredients e.g. coconut oil instead of seed oils makes this red Thai curry paste recipe a much healthier option.
  • INEXPENSIVE – All Thai curry paste ingredients are easily sourced from the supermarket. They are relatively cheap to buy and will save you money over store bought.
  • NO WASTAGE – freeze curry paste and use it straight from the freezer. No more products getting old in the back of the fridge.
Thai Red Curry Paste ingredients on a green backrop with labels.

Thai Red Curry Paste Ingredients

  • Coconut oil – use coconut oil or avocado oil instead of canola or other seed oils.
  • Kaffir lime leaves – use kaffir lime leaves and kaffir lime zest (if you can get it) to add that authentic Thai lime flavour to the curry paste. If you cannot get any kaffir lime leaves use regular lime zest in its place.
  • Chilis – use Thai red chilis that have been dried. These are available in most supermarkets or Asian grocers. I don’t recommend using fresh chilis in the curry paste as it greatly alters the flavour. This paste is not spicy hot but does have a little Thai chili kick.
  • Coriander roots – coriander root has so much flavour. Scrape the outer skin off and add to the paste. If you cannot get whole coriander stems still attached to the root make sure to add the stems as well as leaves to enhance the flavour.
  • Shrimp paste – this red Thai curry paste has no shrimp paste in it. If you love the flavour, then add 1-2 teaspoon shrimp paste when mixing.

Jump to recipe card for the full measurements and method

How To Make Thai Red Curry Paste

Thai curry paste inside a Thermomix bowl.
Red Curry Paste in a black mortar with pestle.

Step 1. Pound all ingredients in a large mortar until it forms a thick paste. Alternatively, add all the ingredients to a food processor and pulse until a smooth paste.

To make Thai Red Curry Paste in the Thermomix; mix all paste ingredients 10 sec/speed 5. Scrape down sides of bowl and repeat until smooth. Freeze into 1 tablespoon-sized cubes. Use 1 cube of Thai paste per serving size for any curry dish. Add more as needed.

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Ways to Use Thai Curry Paste

Curry paste can be used in soups, curries, stir-fries or something easy and tasty like corn fritters with red curry paste or Thai Fish Cakes.

Brush kebabs of meat or seafood with the paste and grill them. Try adding a tablespoon or two to our Chicken and Vegetable Soup, Zucchini Slice, Red Thai Curry Chicken or make Thai Salmon Cakes.

FAQs

How much curry paste do I use per serve?

It really does depend on how you are using it. 1-2 tablespoons will marinate 500g / 1 pound of meat. I then add 1/4 cup for a batch of curry for 4 people. Taste and adjust as needed.

Is Thai Red Curry Paste hot and spicy?

It is medium heat to medium-hot. It does depend on your tolerance and the heat of the chillies used.

Next Recipes To Try

Thai Red Curry Paste in ice cubes in a sealed plastic bag.

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Be sure to let us know how much you love our easy homemade curry paste in the comments. 

Thai Red Curry Paste in a black moljacete.

Authentic Thai Red Curry Paste

Make your own homemade Thai red curry paste recipe in minutes! This paste is low carb, keto-friendly, gluten-free and vegan-friendly, but best of all it is so damn tasty!
Use super-easy ingredients we all recognize to recreate your favourite Thai dishes.
5 from 80 votes!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Course: Pastes and Marinades
Cuisine: Indian
Diet: Diabetic, Gluten Free, Halal
Recipe Category: Low Carb
Calories: 76kcal
Author: Megan Ellam
Servings: 8 serves
Tap or hover over number to scale ingredients
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Equipment

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Ingredients 

  • 100 g (3 ½ oz) onion diced (3.5 oz) or shallots
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 60 g (1/4 cup) coconut oil (4 1/2 tbsp)
  • 2 teaspoons ginger or galangal, grated
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 6 dried red chillies soaked in warm water until softened
  • 1 tablespoon minced lemongrass
  • 3 kaffir lime leaves thinly sliced
  • 2 coriander/cilantro stalks and roots, roughly chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

CONVENTIONAL METHOD

  • Pound all ingredients in a large mortar until it forms a thick paste.

THERMAL METHOD

  • Mix all paste ingredients 10 sec/speed 5. Scrape down sides of bowl and repeat until smooth.

Notes

Ingredients
This is a low carb keto Thai red curry recipe. Suitable for coeliacs or a gluten free diet. The ingredients should be easy for everyone to source.
  • Kaffir lime leaves – use kaffir lime leaves and kaffir lime zest (if you can get it). If you cannot get any use regular lime zest in its place.
  • Chilis – use Thai red chilis that have been dried. These are available in most supermarkets or Asian grocers. I don’t recommend using fresh chilis in the curry paste as it greatly alters the flavour. 
  • Coriander roots – coriander root has so much flavour. Scrape the outer skin off and add to the paste. If you cannot get whole coriander stems still attached to the root make sure to add the stems and leaves to enhance the flavour.
  • Ginger – use fresh ginger or galangal.
Food Processor Curry Paste
Pop everything into a food processor or Thermomix and pulse until a smooth paste forms. This is an easy way to make it if you prefer.
Storing
Fridge – store in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Freeze – in silicone ice cube trays before placing them into an airtight bag for easy use. 
How to use Thai Red Curry Paste
Looking to add some flavor to your grilled protein? Red curry paste is a great option! This versatile Thai paste can be used as a marinade for your favorite meats or veggies before grilling or barbecuing. Mix 1-2 tablespoons with 1 cup of coconut milk for a simple Thai coconut curry sauce.
Thai Red Curry Paste Substitute
You can use this Thai red curry paste substitute to make all your favourite Thai curries like Thai Red Curry Chicken, or tasty Thai Prawn Curry.

Your Own Notes

Click here to add your own private recipe notes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serve | Calories: 76kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 293mg | Potassium: 58mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 445IU | Vitamin C: 2.7mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 0.4mg | Net Carbs: 1g
Tried this recipe?Mention @meganellam or tag #madcreations!

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Share This Recipe

28 responses to “Thai Red Curry Paste”

  1. Lori

    5 stars
    What an amazing recipe! I love homemade stuff like this! Thank you so much for sharing!

    Reply
    1. Megan Mad Creations Hub

      You are very welcome lori.

      Reply
  2. Isabelle

    5 stars
    I thought this turned out great. It is easy enough to make and I rubbed it on steak before grilling which gave the steak a unique flavor and a great caramelized crust.

    Reply
    1. Megan Mad Creations Hub

      Yay! So happy it turned out well for you Isabelle.

      Reply
  3. Sangeetha

    I can’t believe how simple and flavorful this homemade Thai red curry paste recipe is! I’ve always been a fan of Thai cuisine, but making my own curry paste seemed daunting until I found this recipe. Plus, it’s great to know that it’s low carb, keto-friendly, gluten-free, and vegan-friendly. Now I can enjoy my favorite Thai dishes right at home.

    Reply
    1. Megan Mad Creations Hub

      Yay! I am so happy to help.

      Reply
  4. Veronika

    5 stars
    The flavors of homemade curry paste are just incomparable to store-bought! This paste was so delicious! I love the idea to freeze it and the fact that it uses coconut oil.

    Reply
    1. Megan Mad Creations Hub

      I am so happy you enjoyed it Veronika. Thanks for giving it a whirl.

      Reply
  5. mik

    5 stars
    I whipped this up and used on my vegetable bake, I do believe I will use it every time now!

    Reply
    1. Megan Mad Creations Hub

      Awesome!

      Reply
  6. Lisa

    5 stars
    Such a flavorful sauce. I love making them in advance to have in the fridge.

    Reply
    1. Megan Mad Creations Hub

      Me too! Thanks for making it Lisa.

      Reply
  7. Sean

    5 stars
    I love this red curry paste. I made huge batch and then froze half to use later.

    Reply
    1. Megan Mad Creations Hub

      Enjoy!

      Reply
  8. Sharon

    5 stars
    What a perfect curry paste recipe that is not only keto, but freezable to use whenever a curry craving hits me.

    Reply
    1. Megan Mad Creations Hub

      Absolutely!

      Reply
  9. veenaazmanov

    5 stars
    Would love to make your Thai Red curry paste. Thanks for all your recipe detailing. Homemade options will definitely make life Budget friendly and simple.

    Reply
    1. Megan Mad Creations Hub

      You are very welcome.

      Reply
  10. Marta

    5 stars
    I made a batch of this thai red curry paste back in December and found it in the fridge. I used it to marinate some chicken to grill and it tastes just as good these many months later as it did when I first made it!

    Reply
    1. Megan Mad Creations Hub

      Woohoo! That is so good to hear. I love finding a freezer stash.

      Reply
  11. Amy Liu Dong

    5 stars
    I have learned a new recipe today. This paste looks so easy to make!

    Reply
    1. Megan Mad Creations Hub

      It sure is

      Reply
  12. Lucy D

    5 stars
    This paste is nice and tangy and very tasty. Better to make your own.

    Reply
  13. Lynda

    5 stars
    This is a very easy curry paste to make . I like it better than the supermarket versions as you know exactly what is going into it .
    Curry in a hurry for a quick meal that is packed full of flavour.
    Get onto making this curry paste if you haven’t tried it yet .
    Great recipe Megan

    Reply
  14. Lizz

    What exactly is one serving size? Is there a weight or yielded amount I can expect to use when measuring for recipes?

    Reply
  15. Helen Conway

    Hi Megan – only have 2 dried chillies – to sub with dried chilli flakes – how many teaspoons/tablespoons would that be?

    Reply
    1. Megan Mad Creations Hub

      Hi Helen, just add what you would prefer. Chillies really depend on the heat factor and the tolerance of those about to eat them.

      Reply
  16. Mamydziecko.Com

    The very best low carb keto butter chicken recipe you are going to love it! So easy and a dish big on flavour.

    Reply
5 from 80 votes (68 ratings without comment)

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