Curry Coconut Shrimp Tacos are Perfect for a Quick Meal

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Curry Coconut Shrimp Tacos are succulent, rich, and full of curry flavor. They’re a fun twist on an Asian dish and perfect for #TacoTuesday!

 

I love all things taco. And not just your typical Latin or Tex-Mex taco, either. I mean, I make excuses to put things in taco shells. That’s how much I love tacos. Who says that tacos can only be stuffed with carne asada or birria? I sure don’t!

 

There’s such an array of taco recipes on my blog. I have BLT tacos, bruschetta chicken tacos, duck bahn mi tacos, and even hot chicken and pancake tacos! That’s just to name a few recipes. There’s a ton more recipes that are non-traditional tacos. I was serious when I said I made excuses to put things in taco shells.

 

 

I love tacos so much!

 

Sometimes I see the taco shells in the pantry and check the fridge to see what I can put into a taco. I’ve put leftover pot roast in taco shells. Any number of breakfast items like eggs, sausage, bacon, cheese. All kinds of leftover fish and chicken. Heck, I’ve even put hot dogs and bratwurst in tacos. If I can find an excuse to put it in a taco I will.

 

Initially, this recipe was going to be a chicken Thai coconut curry. But life got in the way. I didn’t have chicken thawed. Making a full dinner when it’s just me at home right now didn’t make sense to me at all. So, I changed it up and turned this chicken Thai coconut curry over rice into a curry coconut shrimp tacos. Because tacos are fun and oh so versatile for a quick dinner for one.

 

 

What is Thai red curry?

 

Well, I’ve talked about all the Thai curries in my Thai Coconut Turkey Meatballs. Basically, the red curry has a base of dried chiles as opposed to green made with fresh chiles and yellow made with more turmeric and other spices than red or green chiles.

 

Thai red curry is also a dish that simmers the red curry paste in coconut milk for a creamy and delicious curry dish. And since this post is about celebrating coconuts, I thought no better way to celebrate that versatile drupe than celebrate the creamy and delicious coconut milk used in curry.

 

 

What is a coconut?

 

Technically it’s called a drupe like a peach or a plum. Basically, it’s a hard stone like covering (hence stone fruit for peaches and plums) that covers the seed. All drupes have three layers. The first is an outer layer like a skin or in this case a husk like outer layer. The mesocarp is the fleshy second layer like the flesh of the peach.

 

The final layer is the endocarp which is a hard almost wood like encasing for the seed. If you’ve ever shelled almonds or cut into a peach that was over ripe and the seed split, then you’ll understand the endocarp layer. The pit, as we call it, is that wood like outer covering and the almost is the seed in the center. Sometimes my peach pits split and I see the peach seed which looks like an almost to me. Just saying.

 

 

Some call the coconut the “tree of life” because every part of the coconut has a use. It has coconut milk or water which is great for hydration. It was even used during wars when hospitals ran out of IV solution for patients. The husk is fibrous and can be used to make twine, particle board and even mattresses.

 

The meat of the fruit is delicious to eat. It can be sweet or savory. And you see a lot of people on Survivor basically living off coconut meat and water. And to cook the coconut you can use the dried husk to start a fire. The shell of the coconut can be used to make a bowl to eat the cooked coconut.

 

 

The shell of the coconut can also be used to make drums and ukuleles. There’s also what’s called the thumb piano or the kalimba. We have a thumb harp. The Pacific Islanders have thump pianos. Finally, there’s maracas! The shells of the coconut can be used to make maracas.

 

The coconut palm isn’t a tree. It doesn’t have bark, branches, or secondary growth. The coconut palm is basically a woody perennial and not a tree. But this “tree” is very prolific and can produce up to 180 coconuts a year!

 

 

What’s in Curry Coconut Shrimp Tacos?

 

Shrimp, of course. But I didn’t go with a large shrimp. I went with a medium shrimp. For me, sometimes the shrimp taco is too difficult to eat if the shrimp are too large. Which makes me want to chop the shrimp before putting it on the taco but then you lose the fact that it’s a shrimp. That’s why I chose a smaller size of shrimp. I can keep the shrimp shape and not feel the need to cut them up to make the tacos easy to eat.

 

There’s Thai red curry paste in there. I love that stuff. It’s such a quick and easy way to make a delicious curry sauce. But to kick up the curry flavor, I added more curry powder and dash of cayenne to kick up the heat. Of course, you can’t have the Thai red curry paste without coconut milk to make the sauce creamy and rich.

 

 

What do Curry Coconut Shrimp Tacos taste like?

 

The shrimp are tender and succulent. The Thai red curry sauce is creamy and spicy. The broccoli slaw I used is super crunchy and adds great texture. Then there’s the fresh green onion garnish that brightens up the flavor. Finally, the coconut chips on top add more crunch and elevates the coconut flavor.

 

I think I will make an actual slaw ith the broccoli next time. An Asian inspired slaw with some soy, sesame oil, maybe hoisin, rice vinegar, and brown sugar. Green onions, of course. That sounds really good. And a great platform for the creamy and spicy Curry Coconut Shrimp Tacos.

Crazy for Coconut!

• 7 Layer Cookie Bars from Hezzi-D’s Recipe Box
• Curry Coconut Shrimp Tacos from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Dream Bars from Art of Natural Living
• Fifteens from That Recipe
• Pol Sambol from Magical Ingredients

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