If you’re a fan of curries, especially the kinds with coconut milk, then you are going to love this one. Spicy, creamy and bursting with bold tropical flavors, this Jamaican Curry Shrimp With Coconut Milk is the perfect recipe to try if you’re looking for a delicious Jamaican style recipe that is not jerk chicken! Tender Gulf brown shrimp are stewed with a creamy blend of coconut milk, Jamaican curry powder, peppers and potatoes to create this delectable one pot meal!
This is perfect for a quick dinner and makes great leftovers. If you are new to Caribbean or Jamaican cuisine, I encourage you to try this easy recipe out as it is full of different flavors and is deliciously unique from any other curry I’ve tried before.
Everything You’ll Need To Make Jamaican Curry Shrimp
Shrimp
For this easy curry shrimp we are using a variety of shrimp called Gulf brown shrimp. In an effort to keep the recipe as authentic as I could, I used shrimp that would be available geographically to the region. You can use Key West Pink Shrimp as a substitute, or any shrimp you can find.
Gulf brown shrimp come from the Gulf of Mexico, and are an appropriate choice for this curry shrimp recipe. They are so delicious! They have a strong shrimp essence, which lends a lovely seafood flavor to this curry. They are also one of the largest shrimp varieties, which means more succulent shrimp in every bite!
The raw shrimp are marinated in a mixture of black pepper, cayenne pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and a squeeze of lime juice. Then they are folded into the curry during the last part of the cooking stage to ensure they stay juicy and tender.
While you can totally use frozen shrimp for this recipe, I would suggest researching where the shrimp comes from and the fishing method (farmed or wild caught).
Also note the size as that will impact the overall cooking time. Smaller varieties of shrimp will cook much faster. You will need to shorten the simmering time if you opt for a smaller variety.
Curry Sauce and Broth
The delectable curry sauce in this recipe is made with variety of tropical ingredients. Scotch bonnet pepper (habanero pepper), creamy coconut milk, tomato paste, fresh thyme, and Jamaican curry powder with a blend of spices like ginger and allspice!
Scotch bonnet peppers are tiny orange and red peppers that pack a huge amount of heat. I love it personally, but if you cannot handle spicy food or want less heat, use half the amount in this recipe or omit it completely! Also be careful when chopping the peppers- make sure to watch your hands with soap and water after handling them.
The broth is a quick but optional step. I take the shrimp shells and simmer them with ginger, coconut water and bay leaf. It gives the curry wonderful flavor and really takes this dish to the next level.
Jamaican Curry Powder
Jamaican curry powder typically contains more allspice and a higher amount of turmeric than Indian curry powder, giving it a warm and slightly sweet flavor.
It also often includes a blend of other spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, which are not typically found in curry powders from other islands like Trinidad and Tobago.
When it comes to choosing the right Jamaican curry powder, I would recommend Blue Mountain Country Jamaican Curry Powder . This seems to be a favorite among home cooks and the flavors are great- you get the complexity of flavors that you’d expect in an island curry, but the balance is just right. I like to use the mild one as opposed to the hot variety, because I add fresh scotch bonnet peppers to the recipe!
Vegetables
For this Jamaican shrimp curry I added bell peppers (red bell pepper, green bell pepper), green onions, yellow onion. I also added potatoes to give it some body (similar to the Trinidad Style Shrimp Curry recipe)!
You can also switch it up by using other vegetables, like sweet potato, baby corn, other varieties of pepper, and okra. You can even add chunks of fresh pineapple! While not entirely authentic, it’s entirely delicious. The spicy, creamy coconut sauce is a classic foil for these ingredients and they would work beautifully with the juicy shrimp and tropical flavors!
Jamaican Curry Shrimp with Coconut Milk Recipe
INGREDIENTS
Marinated Shrimp
- 2 lbs brown shrimp or jumbo shrimp, shell on
- 1 tbsp baking soda (optional but highly recommended)
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- ½ tsp each of onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper
Curry Sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- ½ red bell pepper, diced
- ½ green bell pepper, diced
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp Jamaican curry powder
- 1 small scotch bonnet pepper, finely chopped
- 1 can coconut milk
- 1 large potato, peeled and diced
- 2 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
- Hot cooked rice, to serve
- Chopped cilantro, to serve
Coconut Shrimp Stock
- Shells from the peeled shrimp
- 1 cup coconut water
- 1 small knob of ginger, peeled and sliced
- 1 bay leaf
INSTRUCTIONS
Marinate The Shrimp
- In a large bowl, rinse the shrimp under cold water and drain. Fill the bowl with a fresh round of cold water and add the baking soda.
- Gently scrub the shrimp in the baking soda water and then drain. This will clean the shrimp really well. Rinse the shrimp 2-3 times with fresh water and then peel, setting aside the shells.
- Season shrimp with the lime juice, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper and black pepper. Mix to combine then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to cook.
Making The Shrimp Stock
- In a small pot, heat the reserved shrimp shells, coconut water, bay leaf and ginger over a medium heat until simmering.
- Simmer for 5 minutes then turn off the heat and let the stock steep for 20 minutes to deepen the flavor. Strain into a container.
Making The Shrimp Curry
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion, bell peppers, salt and thyme. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add in the tomato paste and cook until it turns a deep brick red, then add the curry powder and scotch bonnet pepper.
- Add the coconut milk, shrimp stock and potatoes. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the potato chunks are cooked through.
- Fold in the seasoned shrimp and chopped tomatoes and simmer for another 5 minutes or until the shrimp turn pink. Be careful not to overcook the shrimp as they will become tough.
- Serve over hot white rice and garnish with chopped cilantro.
If you love the bold flavor of curry and seafood then you will also love these other recipes!
- Trinidad Style Shrimp Curry
- Thai Green Curry With Chicken, Eggplant and Oyster Mushrooms
- Steamed New Zealand Green Shelled Mussels
Jamaican Curry Shrimp With Coconut Milk
Ingredients
Marinated Shrimp
- 2 lbs brown shrimp or jumbo shrimp, shell on
- 1 tbsp baking soda (optional but highly recommended)
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- ½ tsp each of onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper
Curry Sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- ½ red bell pepper, diced
- ½ green bell pepper, diced
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp Jamaican curry powder
- 1 small scotch bonnet pepper, finely chopped
- 1 can coconut milk
- 1 large potato, peeled and diced
- 2 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
- Hot cooked rice, to serve
- Chopped cilantro, to serve
Coconut Shrimp Stock
- Shells from the peeled shrimp
- 1 cup coconut water
- 1 small knob of ginger, peeled and sliced
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
Marinate The Shrimp
- In a large bowl, rinse the shrimp under cold water and drain. Fill the bowl with a fresh round of cold water and add the baking soda.
- Gently scrub the shrimp in the baking soda water and then drain. This will clean the shrimp really well. Rinse the shrimp 2-3 times with fresh water and then peel, setting aside the shells.
- Season shrimp with the lime juice, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper and black pepper. Mix to combine then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to cook.
Making The Shrimp Stock
- In a small pot, heat the reserved shrimp shells, coconut water, bay leaf and ginger over a medium heat until simmering.
- Simmer for 5 minutes then turn off the heat and let the stock steep for 20 minutes to deepen the flavor. Strain into a container.
Making The Shrimp Curry
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion, bell peppers, salt and thyme. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add in the tomato paste and cook until it turns a deep brick red, then add the curry powder and scotch bonnet pepper.
- Add the coconut milk, shrimp stock and potatoes. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the potato chunks are cooked through.
- Fold in the seasoned shrimp and chopped tomatoes and simmer for another 5 minutes or until the shrimp turn pink. Be careful not to overcook the shrimp as they will become tough.
- Serve over hot white rice and garnish with chopped cilantro.