This vibrant Thai Beef Curry features tender beef paired with a rich, creamy coconut and red curry sauce. Packed with flavor, it’s a quick and easy main dish that brings the bold, delicious taste of Thailand right to your table!
Thai Beef Curry Recipe
This recipe for Thai Beef Curry creates a mouth-watering dish with bold, rich flavors, just like you get at your favorite Thai restaurant. Tender strips of beef are coated in a luscious sauce made with creamy coconut milk, red curry paste, and the perfect blend of spices. A medley of fresh, tender vegetables is added, making it a hearty and wholesome meal, all made in one pan.
What’s even better? This beef curry is surprisingly easy to whip up, especially with my simple, step-by-step instructions. A quick sear on the beef, a toss of vibrant veggies, and a creamy coconut sauce that ties everything together. Serve it over jasmine rice, brown rice, or noodles, and you’ve got a dinner that looks and tastes incredible.
If you love homemade Asian Cuisine, be sure to check out my easy Beef and Broccoli and homemade Pepper Steak recipes.
Why We Love This Recipe
- Fresh Ingredients – Using fresh ginger, garlic, and fresh veggies gives you beef curry that’s better and healthier than a lot of other recipes or even some Thai restaurant versions.
- Perfectly balanced flavor – The rich, creamy coconut milk complements the bold red curry paste for a sauce that’s not too spicy but full of flavor.
- Consistent results – This beef curry recipe gives easy step-by step instructions, ensuring you get tender beef and perfectly cooked veggies every time. There’s no guesswork involved.
Ingredients
- Thai red curry paste – The heart of the dish, this paste adds a bold, spicy kick of flavor.
- Cornstarch – Used to coat the beef, it helps thicken the sauce and gives the meat a velvety texture when seared.
- Water – Added to the cornstarch mixture to create a slurry.
- Salt and black pepper – Important for seasoning the beef and balancing the flavors of the dish.
- Vegetable oil, peanut oil, or canola oil – Used to sear the beef and sauté the veggies.
- Fresh minced ginger and fresh minced garlic – Adds incredible flavor to the overall beef and veggies.
- Coconut milk – Gives the sauce a creamy, rich base with a hint of subtle sweetness.
- Beef stock – Deepens the overall flavor of the sauce and complements the beef.
- Bell peppers, cut into 1-inch chunks – Adds vibrant color and flavor.
- Veggies – This recipe uses a combination of snap peas, broccoli florets, sliced carrots, celery, and green onions for added crunch, color, and flavor. Each veggie brings something unique to the mix.
- Fresh cilantro, chopped – Used as an optional garnish, it adds a fresh, citrusy note that brightens the dish just before serving.
How to Make Easy Thai Beef Curry
Step One: Make the Curry Marinade
- In a small mixing bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of the red Thai curry paste with the cornstarch, salt, pepper and water. Stir to mix and thicken the mixture.
Step Two: Cook the Beef
- Add the steak and mix so that the mixture completely covers the beef. Let stand for 5 minutes.
- In your large skillet, add the vegetable oil and heat on medium until the oil is sizzling.
- Add the beef to the skillet in an even single layer and cook on medium heat until brown, approximately 4 minutes. Flip the beef and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes or until just cooked through.
- If you cannot fit all the beef in a single layer, do it in batches. Using a slotted spoon, transfer beef to a plate and set aside.
Step Three: Make the Coconut Curry Sauce
- In the same pan, add the remaining red curry paste, the fresh ginger and the fresh garlic. Fry for 2 minutes.
- Add the creamy coconut milk and beef stock and bring to a boil, about 5 minutes.
- Add the sliced bell peppers, carrots, broccoli, and sugar snap peas.
- Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
Step Four: Add the Beef and Simmer
- Return the cooked beef to the pan and cook for a few minutes until the beef is warmed up.
- Remove from heat and stir in the green onions and cilantro.
- You can also garnish the plate with lime wedges.
- Serve your Thai red beef curry immediately over jasmine rice, brown rice or noodles.
How to Store Leftovers
You can store leftover beef curry, in an airtight container, in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezer Instructions
You can freeze this recipe in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat the next day in the microwave or in a skillet over medium-high heat.
Top Tips
- Cook in batches – Sear the beef in small batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. This ensures the beef gets a nice sear instead of steaming.
- Simmer, don’t boil – Keep the heat low while simmering the curry. A gentle simmer allows the flavors to meld together and keeps the coconut milk from separating.
- Prep veggies ahead – For a shortcut, you can cut up all your vegetables the day before. This makes the cooking process go even faster.
- Let it rest – After cooking, let the curry sit for a few minutes before serving. It gives the flavors time to fully develop.
- Stir gently – Be gentle when stirring in the vegetables and beef to avoid breaking them up and to keep the texture just right.
Variations
- Deeper Asian flavors – Add more Asian flavor with a splash of fish sauce or soy sauce. Shrimp paste is another great way to add flavor to Thai curries.
- Peanut Butter – Stir in a spoonful of peanut butter to give Thai curry recipes a creamy, nutty twist.
- Coconut cream – For a richer sauce, swap out part of the coconut milk for coconut cream.
- Sweetness – Add a little sweetness to the savory flavors with a little brown sugar or palm sugar.
- Makrut lime leaves – You can find this at most Asian grocery stores. It adds a fragrant, citrusy kick to Thai food. A squeeze of fresh lime juice works great as well.
- Thai basil – Garnish with Thai basil for a fresh, slightly peppery flavor.
- Sweet potatoes – Add chunks of sweet potatoes to the curry for a sweet contrast to the savory sauce.
- Peppers: We used green peppers, but you can use yellow, orange, or red peppers. For a little heat, you can add a pinch of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper.
Asian Beef Curry FAQs
If you can’t find a flank steak, you can substitute it with a skirt steak, a London broil steak, or a sirloin tip. While chuck roast may be a popular choice, I prefer a leaner cut of beef for this recipe.
You can easily make this Thai red beef curry in the slow cooker. Coat the beef with the cornstarch and curry paste mixture, then place it in the slow cooker along with the coconut milk, beef stock, ginger, garlic, and vegetables. Cook on low for 6-8 hours (or high for 3-4 hours) until the beef is tender and the veggies are cooked.
You can prep this meal in advance by marinating the steak in the curry paste mixture up to a day in advance. Chop the vegetables and keep in the fridge until you are ready to use
More Asian-Inspired Recipes
- Egg Roll in Bowl
- Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Pork
- Slow Cooker Firecracker Chicken
- Egg Fried Rice
- Chicken Teriyaki
- Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta
Thai Beef Curry
Ingredients
- 1 pound beef flank steak, cut into strips
- 2 tablespoons red curry paste divided
- 1 teaspoon corn starch
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon fresh minced garlic
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 cup beef stock
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 3/4 cup bell pepper cut into 1 inch chunks
- 3/4 cup carrots sliced
- 1/2 cup celery sliced
- 1 cup sugar snap peas
- 3/4 cup sliced green onions
- 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of the red curry paste with the cornstarch, salt, pepper and water. Stir to mix and thicken the mixture.2 tablespoons red curry paste, 1 teaspoon corn starch, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1 tablespoon water
- Add the steak and mix so that the mixture completely covers the beef. Let stand for 5 minutes.1 pound beef flank steak, cut into strips
- In your skillet, add the vegetable oil and heat on medium until the oil is sizzling.1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
- Add the beef to the skillet in an even layer and cook on medium heat until brown, approximately 4 minutes. Flip the beef and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes or until just cooked through. If you cannot fit all the beef in a single layer, do it in batches. Once cooked, transfer to a plate for now.
- In the same pan, add the remaining red curry paste, the fresh ginger and the fresh garlic. Fry for 2 minutes.1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger, 1 teaspoon fresh minced garlic
- Add the coconut milk and beef stock and bring to a boil, about 5 minutes.1 cup coconut milk, 1 cup beef stock
- Add the bell pepper, celery, carrots, broccoli and sugar snap peas. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the vegetables are tender crisp, about 10 minutes.1 cup broccoli florets, 3/4 cup bell pepper, 3/4 cup carrots, 1 cup sugar snap peas, 1/2 cup celery
- Return the beef to the pan and cook for a few minutes until the beef is warmed up.
- Remove from heat and stir in the green onions and cilantro.3/4 cup sliced green onions, 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro
- Serve immediately over rice or noodles.
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