Thai Beef Panang Curry
Thai beef panang curry is flavorful and classic Thai dish. It’s creamy, sweet, spicy, and infused with rich herbs and spices that make the flavor unique. Our recipe has thinly sliced steak and vegetables, all in a coconut curry sauce served with rice.
Ingredients
- 4-5 tablespoons panang curry paste
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 3 13.5 ounce cans of unsweetened coconut milk (4.5 cups of coconut milk)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce (divided)
- 6 Kaffir lime lives thinly sliced
- 1.5 pounds steak thinly sliced against the grain
- 1 red bell pepper sliced thinly
Optional Vegetables to add in
- 1 zucchini cut into half moons
- 1-2 cups snow peas
- 2 tomatoes diced into large chunks
- ½ medium yellow onion sliced thinly
- 1-2 cups mushrooms sliced
Garnish (optional, you don’t have to use all of these, use what you have/want)
- Kaffir lime leaves thinly sliced
- Wedge of lime
- Chopped peanuts
- Thai basil
- Thai chilies
- Cilantro
Instructions
- Note: Vegetables are not traditional in panang curry in Thailand, however they are often added into panang curry in the United States. Add them if you like, or leave them out. You don’t have to add in all of the vegetables listed, feel free to pick and choose which ones you like.
- Thinly slice the steak against the grain.Massage the steak with 2 teaspoons of fish sauce, then set aside.
- In a large saucepan, over medium heat, fry the curry paste in the oil. The curry paste should become very fragrant.
- Add in a little coconut milk, dissolving the curry paste in coconut milk until there are no lumps of curry paste left, Add the rest of the coconut milk and bring to a boil.
- Stir in brown sugar, fish sauce, and lime leaves, bring to a simmer. Add in beef, red bell pepper, and any vegetables you desire(optional). Simmer for 10 minutes, the steak should be cooked and tender.
- Serve with rice and garnish, if desired
Notes
Kaffir Lime Leaves. These leaves freeze very well! Throw them in a freezer bag and save them for the next time you need them. If you are unable to find them, the best substitutions are fresh lime zest, dried lemon grass, and/or some chopped cilantro.
Red curry paste. If you are unable to find panang curry paste, you can try substituting red curry paste. The flavor profile is similar, but not the same.
Using light coconut milk. Light coconut milk tends to be watery and lacks the creaminess needed for this recipe. If You’d like to use light coconut milk, I recommend only using 1 can of light coconut milk and 2 cans of full fat coconut milk.
Can I use a different kind of meat in this recipe?
Yes, you can absolutely swap out the beef for chicken, pork, or even shrimp.
If using chicken, make sure it is deboned, and thinly sliced. I usually use chicken tenderloins or chicken breasts. However, thigh meat will also work just fine.
For pork, I recommend using pork tenderloin. Slice it thinly against the grain. For the pork, you have to be careful not to overcook it, overcooking it can result in tough, chewy pork.
Cook the pork until it is about halfway done, then turn off the heat—the residual heat of the will finish cooking the pork.
For shrimp, make sure they are deveined and tails removed. Add it in with the vegetables, they will be fully cooked in about 5 minutes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 268kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 797mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 14g