
I’ve kind of been boycotting grocery stores. Weekend before last I went to Florida for a wedding, and since getting back I have not set foot in one. I finished up my last week of my last internship for graduate school this past Friday, we’re getting ready to move down to Chattanooga this coming weekend, and I’m exhausted. Ben has been kind enough to pick up essentials like coffee, eggs, fruit, and bacon for us, but the eggs ran out yesterday.
What’s a girl to do without any eggs for breakfast and with a long day of packing ahead of her? The answer is definitely not grocery shopping. The answer is curry butter shrimp! Yes, I ate this at ten in the morning. No, I have no regrets. #dinnerforbreakfast may not be mainstream yet, but just you wait and see!
I didn’t do a 30 Minute Mondays post yesterday because I wanted to announce my cookbook (Paleo Planet is available for pre-order from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and indie bookstores near you!). This is even better, though, because this is like 10 Minute Wednesday–not as alliterative, but much faster. Not counting the rice or cauliflower rice, this meal comes together in just ten minutes. (And, true confession, I didn’t even make this rice. It’s left over from the Indian food we ordered last night.)
Curry butter shrimp is a flavorful pantry recipe that requires almost no chopping (except for the cilantro–but if you’re really anti-chop you could just break that up into little sprigs). Melted butter or ghee is mixed with Thai curry paste to form a fragrant sauce for cooking the shrimp. A tiny bit of maple syrup and fish sauce add just enough sweetness and umami to complement the rich butter and spicy curry.
I love cooking with Thai curry paste because it has so many great flavors condensed into one easy-to-use pantry staple. Instead of chopping chiles, garlic, shallots, and lemongrass and measuring out spices, you just scoop some curry paste out of the can or jar. I used Maesri panang curry paste, which does have a tiny bit of added sugar in it. If you’re looking for a sugar-free curry paste, I recommend Thai Kitchen‘s red curry, which is also delicious. Maesri curry paste is quite spicy, so I don’t use much at a time. I put the rest of the can of curry paste in a ziplock bag and freeze it–it’s super easy to cut off a chunk to use when you’re cooking, and you can add it right to the pan without defrosting it.
If you’re boycotting grocery shopping, too, or just having a busy week, I highly recommend you make yourself some curry butter shrimp. And, of course, you don’t have to make it for breakfast–it’s scrumptious for lunch or dinner, too.


Curry Butter Shrimp
An easy and flavorful meal made from pantry staples, curry butter shrimp takes ten minutes to make and is gluten-free and paleo-friendly.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter or ghee, divided
- 1 tablespoon panang or red curry paste, or more to taste (I used Maesri)
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed if desired
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup, honey, or coconut sugar (optional)
- 3/4 teaspoon fish sauce, or to taste
- Chopped fresh cilantro, for serving
Instructions
- Melt two tablespoons of the butter in a very large skillet over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the curry paste and stir until the curry and butter are thoroughly mixed.
- Raise the heat to medium-high and add the shrimp in a single layer. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until pink on the bottom. Flip the shrimp over and cook for 2 more minutes, or until the shrimp are opaque throughout. Stir in your sweetener of choice, if using, and the fish sauce.
- Turn off the heat, add the remaining tablespoon of butter, and stir until the butter is melted and incorporated. Serve the curry butter shrimp topped with fresh cilantro, alongside white rice or cauliflower rice if desired.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 3 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 320Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 350mgSodium: 1551mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 0gSugar: 9gProtein: 35g
The nutrition label provided is an estimate for informational purposes only and may not be accurate. I am not a nutritionist or medical professional.
I love the colors and textures in these photos … !
Thank you so much!! <3
These look so good. I vary rarely use shrimp in my recipes but you have inspired me. thanks
Thank you, Cristie! I try to always have shrimp in the freezer–they're my go-to for easy, healthy, protein-packed meals.
Yummm!! This recipe is totally calling my name! Looks amazing!
Thank you, Elysia!
OMG. I need this in my belly. I am so hungry right now it's not even funny.
Reading food blogs when you're hungry is torture! At least you're never more than ten minutes away from these shrimp 🙂
These look so yummy!! I can't wait to try this recipe! Love the photos!!
Thank you so much, Evi!
This looks really, REALLY, yummy Rebecca – Cannot wait to give it a try!
Thank you, Erin! Let me know how it goes if you try it 🙂
What a beautiful plate of shrimps! The recipe is so simple and burst with flavor. Can't wait to try it out soon 🙂
Thank you so much, Maggie!
Congratulations on finishing your internship and on having your e-book ready for preorder! Both are awesome, and this quick and easy shrimp recipe look yummy!
Thank you, Rachel! It is actually a print cookbook, but there is a Kindle version, too :). I can never have enough easy shrimp recipes!
This looks so good! I love a good shrimp dish. Pretty photos, too!
Thank you so much, Kelly!
I'm very happy to say I visited Turkey for the first time and bought lots of spices from the bazaar so I could make dishes like these! Can't wait to try this one – it's on my list of meals to make! Pinned 😀
Oooh, awesome! I would love to go to Turkey someday. Thanks for pinning~
These look so amazingly good 🙂 I love both shrimp and curry…I can't wait to try it!!
Thank you so much, Paige!
There are definitely days when I contemplate going the dinner-for-breakfast route. Haven't gone there yet, but let's be honest if curry butter ANYTHING were in my fridge, then it would for sure happen.
Haha, thanks, Joanne!
What a great meal! It looks amazing
Thank you, Michelle!!
Love curry & shrimp…so the perfect combination for me!!
Glad you like it, Gloria!
I'm a firm believer that there shouldn't be strict "dinner/breakfast/lunch foods." When I want to eat pancakes for dinner or spaghetti for breakfast, I should be able to without getting funny looks! This curry shrimp looks great, and congratulations on the cookbook!
Thanks, Amanda!! Glad you're with me 🙂
I am 100% on the dinner-for-breakfast bandwagon and just started eating shrimp so sign me up!
Great, Nora! So glad we are on the dinner-for-breakfast bandwagon together.
Yea! You're coming to Chattanooga! Congrats on the cookbook, by the way. That is so exciting! This looks absolutely delicious, by the way.
Woohoo!! Thank you, Mary! I can't wait to get down to Chattanooga and hope we can get together soon 🙂