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Jamaican Curry Shrimp is a flavourful dish, simmered in a rich coconut milk sauce infused with curry powder, thyme, garlic, scotch bonnet, and pimento flavours. Ready in 25 minutes, the juicy shrimp and mouthwatering stew make for a quick and satisfying entree with fresh steamed rice.
Looking for other delicious curry recipes? Try my Curry Shrimp Tacos, Coconut Curry Lentil Stew, Curry Chicken Recipe, Curry Goat, and Jamaican Curry Salmon next!
Table of Contents
- Jamaican Curry Shrimp Recipe
- What is Curry Powder?
- What’s the difference between Jamaican curry and Indian curry?
- What Curry Powder to Use in Jamaican Curry Shrimp
- Ingredients
- Burn/Toast the Curry Powder
- How to Make Curry Shrimp
- Recipe Tips
- What to Serve with Jamaican Curry Shrimp
- Can I Make Coconut Curry Shrimp Ahead of Time?
- Storage
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Shrimp Recipes
- Jamaican Curry Shrimp Recipe
Jamaican Curry Shrimp Recipe
Curry shrimp is one of my go-to meals when I’m craving something quick, easy, and full of flavour. Using authentic Jamaican curry powder, this dish brings a rich, bold taste to juicy shrimp, and it’s ready in under 30 minutes!
The coconut milk gives it a creamy richness, making it one of my favourite curry recipes. But don’t stop at shrimp! This curry tastes amazing with scallops, mussels, crab, and lobster too. If you love seafood and bold flavours, this recipe is for you!
What is Curry Powder?
Curry is a flavourful dish made with a blend of spices, herbs, and ingredients, often cooked with proteins or vegetables in a rich sauce. While its origins are rooted in Indian cuisine, many cultures, including Caribbean and Asian, have adopted and adapted curry in their own cooking styles.
For example, curry powder is a spice blend commonly used in these dishes, typically including turmeric, cumin, coriander, and more. Jamaican curry powder is a unique blend featuring spices like turmeric, cumin, fenugreek, coriander, pimento, and black pepper, giving it a distinct, aromatic flavour perfect for hearty stews and seafood dishes.
What’s the difference between Jamaican curry and Indian curry?
The main difference between Jamaican and Indian curry lies in the spice blends and cooking techniques. My Jamaican curry recipe uses a spice mix that includes turmeric, pimento, and allspice. Caribbean curry is often”burned” or cooked in oil before adding other ingredients to release its flavors.
Indian curry tends to have more complex blends with spices like cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves. And it is usually added to a dish without this pre-cooking step.
What Curry Powder to Use in Jamaican Curry Shrimp
I recommend using Betapac Limited Curry Powder or Montego Jamaican Style Mild or Spicy Curry Powder shrimp curry. Both taste great and work well with shrimp, other seafood, meats like goat and chicken, and even vegetables and legumes like chickpeas. You can find these curry powders at your local West Indian or Caribbean grocery store, or order them online if they’re not available nearby.
Ingredients
- Raw Shrimp: You can use fresh or frozen, peeled and deveined. Fresh of course, provides the most flavour and ensure you are using raw shrimp.
- Garlic Powder: This is a great base seasoning for the shrimp.
- Curry Powder: Betapac Limited Curry Powder or the Montego Jamaican Style Mild or Spicy Curry Powder are my personal favourites and what I always recommended.
- Salt and Black Pepper: The simplest start for added flavour, season as desired.
- Olive Oil and Butter: Use a combination of the olive oil and butter for maximum flavour and to prevent the butter from browning.
- Green and Red Bell Pepper: Use any colour variety you have.
- Yellow Onion: You can use any other variety of onion you have on hand if that’s preferred, finely chopped.
- Escallion: Also known as green or spring onion, finely sliced.
- Garlic: This adds a beautiful aroma and great flavour to this dish. Use fresh garlic, minced or grated for a more pungent taste.
- Fresh Thyme: This adds a fresh, warm, aromatic and subtly piney flavour.
- Scotch Bonnet Pepper: Finely chopped, or keep whole optional, as desired. This packs a good spicy punch, and flavour to the dish. Alternatively, you can use habanero peppers or your favourite variety of pepper. This is also optional so omit or use your favourite hot pepper sauce.
- Coconut Milk: This fragrant milk, adds creaminess and beautiful flavour that ties this dish together.
- Ketchup: This is completely optional, some prefer to leave this out but you can add if you please.
Burn/Toast the Curry Powder
In Caribbean cooking, “burning” the curry powder is a common technique similar to toasting spices, which helps release the deep flavours of the curry. This step isn’t required, but I highly recommend it to enhance the taste.
To burn or cook the curry powder, simply heat butter and oil over medium-high heat, add the curry powder, and stir quickly for about a minute to prevent it from burning too fast. This step brings out the rich, aromatic flavors in the dish.
How to Make Curry Shrimp
I start by seasoning the shrimp with garlic powder, curry powder, black pepper, and salt, then set them aside. Next, I heat olive oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and “burn” the curry powder to bring out its flavor.
I add the bell peppers, onions, and minced garlic to the pan, followed by fresh thyme and a Scotch bonnet pepper or hot pepper sauce for a little heat.
Once the veggies have softened, I stir in coconut milk and ketchup, along with paprika, salt, and black pepper to create a rich sauce. Then, I add the shrimp and cook them until they start to turn pink.
If the sauce needs thickening, I mix cornstarch and cold water, then stir it in to reach the perfect consistency. Finally, I remove it from the heat and it’s ready to enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Taste as you cook. I find with making this dish, you may feel like it needs more salt here, a little more seasoning there etc. adjust as needed.
- Don’t overcook the shrimp. You don’t want your shrimp to become “tough and chewy”. Once they’re done, remove from the heat!
- When it comes to thickening the curry sauce, you may not need all the cornstarch mixture or you may need more. Gradually add the mixture to the saucepan while stirring, until your desired level of thickness is reached.
What to Serve with Jamaican Curry Shrimp
Serve this coconut curry shrimp dish with the following side dishes for the ultimate feast:
- Fresh Steamed White Rice
- Jamaican Pigeon “Gungo” Peas and Rice
- Jamaican Rice and Peas
- Mashed Potatoes
- Roti or Paratha
- Quinoa or Couscous
- Steamed Cabbage
Can I Make Coconut Curry Shrimp Ahead of Time?
I do not recommend making this ahead of time, as shrimp can easily become overcooked. However, you can prep your veggies and aromatics ahead of time and bring it all together when ready.
Storage
Store leftover shrimp curry in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat leftovers, warm them gently on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
Frequently Asked Questions
To thicken curry shrimp, mix cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl until fully dissolved, then stir it into the simmering sauce. Let it cook for a few more minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. This step gives you a smooth and thick curry without lumps.
To avoid overcooking shrimp in a curry, cook them for 2-3 minutes per side, until they turn pink and opaque with no gray remaining. Keep an eye on their shape—shrimp should form a “C” shape when perfectly cooked, while an “O” shape indicates they’re overcooked. Once they curl and are fully opaque, remove them from the heat to prevent overcooking.
Absolutely! If you prefer less heat, you can reduce the amount of Scotch bonnet pepper or substitute it with a milder hot pepper sauce. For more spice, you can keep the seeds in the pepper or add extra hot sauce to the dish.
More Shrimp Recipes
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Jamaican Curry Shrimp
Equipment
- Large Skillet
- Cooking Spoon
Ingredients
- 1 lb Raw Shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 tsp Curry Powder, betapac or montego brand curry recommended
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt, more or less to taste
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
Jamaican Curry Shrimp
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Butter
- 1 tbsp Curry Powder, betapac or montego brand curry recommended
- 1/2 med Green Bell Pepper, finely diced or julienned
- 1/2 med Red Bell Pepper, finely diced or julienned
- 1 sm Onion, finely diced or julienned
- 1 stalk Green Onion, finely sliced
- 3-4 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1-2 sprigs Fresh Thyme
- 1 Scotch Bonnet Pepper , or 1 tsp of Hot Pepper Sauce
- 1 400ml Can Coconut Milk
- 1/2 tsp Salt, or more or less to taste
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tbsp Ketchup, optional
To Thicken Sauce
- 3 tsp Cornstarch
- 3 tsp Cold Water
Instructions
- Season shrimp with garlic powder, curry powder, black pepper, salt and set aside.
- In a large saucepan, heat olive oil and butter over medium high heat and “burn”, or cook the curry (1 tbsp) for about 2 minutes – see notes section. Add the julienned bell peppers and onion, and the minced garlic to the saucepan. Saute until the veggies have softened slightly; then add sprig(s) of fresh thyme and scotch bonnet pepper or hot pepper sauce.
- Stir in coconut milk until combined, then add salt and black pepper, stirring occasionally for approx. 5 minutes. Add shrimp to the saucepan and cook until they begin to turn pink.
- Combine the cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl until dissolved and stir it into the sauce if needed to thicken. Continue to let simmer while stirring occasionally, until the sauce begins to thicken. Add more salt/pepper as desired and remove the scotch bonnet pepper. Once the sauce has thickened to your liking, remove from the stove, serve while hot and enjoy!
There isn’t a single recipe from Taneisha I did that didn’t turn out as a good idea. Yes I’m serious, no I’m not exaggerating a little bit. This jamaican curry shrimp became a fave in my household, everytime I do it my husband is like “hmm yummy”. It’s so flavorful and everything goes so well together.
Thank you Taneisha for all your work.
This was delicious! I may have messed up the star rating, meant to leave a five/five but I think my clumsy fingers hit four stars. This meal was perfection, so easy and hearty. Perfect during winter. Please let me know if there is a way to redo my rating!
We love curries from all cuisines and your shrimp curry was incredible. So many flavors I missed. We’ll be having it again soon.
Added the potatoes like you suggested. Perfect meal! The coconut milk also helped to mellow out the spicy-ness withiut eliminating it completely, which I loved!
You recipes never disappoint Taneisha! This curry shrimp was bursting with flavor and the recipe was so easy to follow. This is a for sure way to “step up” any weeknight meal when you want a change in flavor. Will definitely make this again!
Where I currently live I do not get a lot of variety of cuisine so I was missing out on some of my favorite flavors so this hit the spot. I feel happy to add this to my meal plan!
This was joy on a plate! I especially appreciate the insider tips to “burn the curry” and add potatoes. Everyone left the table satisfied!
Cooking the curry powder gave this such depth of flavor. Thanks for the great tip. Delicious!
You’ve outdone yourself again with this recipe! We LOVED this recipe and this with some rice and naan! We’ll definitely be making this again!!
This is one of my favorite curry recipes! It is full of flavor, but I love that I am able to control the spices for my kiddos. I will be making this again very soon!
All your dishes are always so flavorful! When I saw you share this on Instagram I just knew I had to make it and I am happy I did! It’s so delicious and comes together so easily! Thanks for the recipe
Finally got my hands on some Montego curry powder and couldn’t wait to make this curry shrimp! I was not disappointed — definitely one of our new faves!
I looove Jamaican food so I jumped at the chance of making this recipe. The shrimp was cooked to perfection and the flavours were absolutely delicious! I can’t wait to make this again.
Cooking the curry powder really makes the difference. This is my first go at curry shrimp and it came out perfect thanks to you!
I always love a good shrimp dish during the week because it cooks so quickly! Great tip on cooking the shrimp just until it turns pink! I could tell right away from your photos that the shrimp would be cooked perfectly! Thanks for sharing this dish, it came out just like the photos!
Excellent flavours and really easy/quick to make.
Amazing!! I’m so glad you enjoyed Jeff! Thanks so much for trying and letting me know how it went!!
I made this tonight, soooo delicious ? perfection.
Love this for you Heidi! Thanks so much for giving it a try and leaving such great feedback!!!
I made this recipe with shrimp lobster with a side of Hawaiian rolls. So, so favorable and quick to make. Thanks for sharing your recipe; I plan to make this dish soon and serving it at the next family and friends gathering.
Loveeee to hear it! I love that you paired it with Hawaiian rolls – so yumm!!
Made this for dinner tonight, it was a complete hit. I followed the recipe exactly how it’s written, I wouldn’t change a single thing. Thank you for sharing, definitely a keeper.
Great recipe!! Way better than other one I’ve been using!! Love the idea to add a bit of ketchup it balanced out the spice. Only thing I’d change is a use bit more curry powder but I didn’t have the types mentioned so perhaps why. My son loved it!! Definitely make it again.
Hi Tina! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe and found the ketchup idea helpful for balancing the spice! Adding a bit more curry powder won’t hurt and depending on the brand you may need more/less. I’m thrilled your son loved it, too! Thanks for the feedback and happy cooking!
I made this exactly how the recipe instructed and it turned out absolutely delicious, my son devoured it. This will be in my dinner rotation quite often. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Karen! I’m so happy to hear this! Yayy! It’s in rotation in my household as well – just so good! Thanks for sharing!