weeknight saucy thai peanut shrimp with chili sesame pineapple
I could lick peanut sauce in heaps straight from a bowl. Thankfully, sauce is plentiful in this dish. As indicated in the title. Snarf it up, folks!
I’ll admit: if I were to rank “dump dinners” from favorite to least, stir fries are somewhere on a bottom rung. Curry has to be primo – lately, a weekly thing, or something like my Sheetpan Curried Salmon and Potatoes – followed by soup or stew, then stir fry. I’m sure other categories exist but my brain isn’t conjuring them at the moment.
HOWEVER. My big exception comes when a dish involves anything peanut butter. Satay, panang, and this Saucy Thai Peanut Shrimp. One of the Thai places a few minutes away sells the best panang curry and Pad Thai, and we always order both when patroning the place. I could finish both by myself if I were an asshole. Well, I am, but I know when to share.
Fear Not Fat
The components which make this supper so enticing are, yes, higher fat, but you needn’t fear the content: both sources are full of nutritious benefits. In fact, everything here is very fresh, quite seasonal, and healthful. This assuming you don’t eat the whole skillet in one go. I wouldn’t vouch for such under typical daily circumstances.
Really, do yourself a favor and get full-fat coconut milk. The lighter compadre doesn’t thicken nor taste as rich as the true version.
Further, and I’ve said this on repeat in every recipe containing peanut butter, buy the no-stir variety. I still purchase a “natural” brand but not one that separates. The texture isn’t correct for a cooked sauce. In my experience, the purely natural versions clump immensely and don’t quite taste the way I want them to as a result.
The Easy How-To
Weeknight Saucy Thai Peanut Shrimp cooks up in about 30 minutes. Swell, huh? Very few brain cells and minutes on the clock required.
If you intend to make rice or any accompanying grain, start that as soon as possible so you don’t have to think about it last minute.
Take your thawed shrimp and pat dry thoroughly. Toss some flour and paprika together in a bag, then add the shrimp, seal, and throw it around until the shrimps are well coated. The flour helps thicken the sauce further, gives the shrimp a nice sear, and the paprika colors the dish even more vibrantly.
Heat some oil in a large skillet until shimmering. Cook the shrimp about 2 minutes per side, then move to a plate.
Saute garlic, ginger, and red pepper for a few minutes until fragrant and the pepper just begins to soften, but still has plenty of crisp. Swirl in some red curry paste and peanut butter, then vigorously stir in soy sauce, fish sauce, lime juice, honey, and coconut milk. Simmer just a few until the sauce thickens.
Because herbs are my niche, fresh basil and cilantro hang out in the finished bowl. Finish with a squeeze of lime juice for some extra citrusy zing. I’m willing to bet your Tuesday needs some extra citrusy zing.
Finally, the easy pineapple garnish. Simply stir pineapple chunks with chili flakes, lime juice, cider vinegar, honey, and sesame oil. Spoon a good amount into each bowl. “A good amount” could mean anything. I’m not here to set unfair boundaries.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Got lots of peanut butter left over? Bake up the Giant Peanut Butter Rocky Road Cookie Pie!
Ingredients
- 1 lb large or jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
- 2-3 tbsp Thai red curry paste
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 cup canned full fat coconut milk
- steamed jasmine rice and fresh basil and cilantro, to serve
chili sesame pineapple
- 1/2 cup pineapple, diced into 1/4 inch chunks
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
Instructions
- Make the pineapple. Whisk together lime juice, cider vinegar, honey, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Toss with diced pineapple. Cover and refrigerate until reach to serve.
- Toss flour, paprika, and about 1/4 tsp salt in a large ziptop bag. Pat shrimp dry thoroughly, then add to bag with the flour blend and shake around until the shrimp are covered.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive or avocado oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp to the pan, with no overlap, and sear 2 minutes on one side. Flip and cook 2 minutes more. Move shrimp to a plate.
- Add 1-2 more teaspoons oil to the same skillet. Stir fry ginger, garlic, and bell pepper for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and the pepper is slightly charred but still crunchy. Swirl in curry paste and peanut butter for one minute. Pour in soy sauce, fish sauce, lime juice, honey, and coconut milk. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Serve over a bed of steamed rice and with plenty of fresh basil and cilantro. Spoon pineapple chunks overtop.
