Quick and Easy Thai Fish Curry

This Quick and Easy Thai Fish Curry is a dream of a weeknight dinner. Tender, flaky poached cod in a coconut milk red curry sauce is ladled over noodles or rice and topped with all of the delicious fresh toppings you can handle! This one-pot meal is ready in under 30 minutes and packed with flavor and texture that the whole family will enjoy.

Thai curry paste packs a flavor punch in creating a quick and easy prep for this meal. The only chopping is in the prep of the baby spinach, and even that’s optional.  While the creamy coconut curry sauce simmers and poaches the fish, plate up a variety of toppings to really boost the texture and flavor variety of each spoonful of curry.  

Coconut milk makes a rich and flavorful curry sauce for this dish.  If you’re a fan, try this Mild Coconut Curry with turkey and potatoes next.

Ingredients for Thai Fish Curry

I include ingredient notes here when I think they’ll be helpful, including ways to source, any preparation tips, or why I've chosen a particular ingredient. Be sure to check out the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and their quantities!

• Cod Filets - Use fresh filets or thaw frozen filets according to package directions.  Most often I purchase frozen filets from Costco so that I can have them on hand for quick dinners any time.
• Red Curry Paste - Mae Ploy is the brand I would reach for most often if I didn’t need to avoid a spicy red curry sauce.  For a family-friendly (and almost no spice) option, reach for Thai Kitchen brand.  You’ll likely find Thai Kitchen brand at your larger supermarket.  Mae Ploy curry paste is available at my Asian market.
• Coconut Milk - Since the coconut milk is diluted with chicken stock in this recipe, don’t use a light coconut milk.  Choose canned or boxed coconut milk where coconut is the first ingredient and not water.
• Brown Sugar - Just a tablespoon of brown sugar adds a sweetness that enhances the flavors in the red curry paste and coconut milk and balances the fish sauce well.
• Chicken Stock - Chicken stock adds volume to the curry sauce so that you can poach the cod evenly.  Feel free to use fish or vegetable stock in place of chicken stock.
• Baby Spinach - A 6 ounce bag of baby spinach is the quickest vegetable to add to the curry sauce for a speedy dinner.  You can follow the preparation directions below and remove any long stems, but the recipe also works if you want to skip that step and use the spinach as it comes from the package.
• Fish Sauce - Fish sauce really amps up the flavor at the end of cooking for a curry sauce that sings.  For most recipes I use the Three Crabs brand, which I buy at my local Asian market.  You can also use a fancier Red Boat brand which I often see in the International section of the supermarket.

Prepare Curry Toppings

Thai fish curry has a very simple combination of curry sauce, fish, and spinach, but the toppings and garnishes are my favorite part. They add extra flavor, crunch, and spice to each bowl of poached cod individually.  The toppings suggested here borrow heavily from Vietnamese ingredients used in Pho or noodle dishes.  Prep a plate with any or all of the ingredients below.

• Herbs - Add any combination of basil, Thai basil, fresh mint, or cilantro can be served with the curry.  Tear large leaves or roughly chop them..
• Vegetables - Mung bean sprouts, thinly sliced cucumber, and shaved red onion are all great additions to the curry.
• Lime - A hefty squeeze of lime juice adds the perfect balance to sweet, salty, spicy, and umami flavors in the curry.
• Jalapeño - Use jalapeño to add verdant crunch and a spice level that everyone can customize to their liking.
• Peanuts - Crush salted peanuts on your cutting board under the broad side of your chef’s knife for a finely textured crunch in the curry.

Instructions

Prepare any rice or noodles according to package directions.  You can even use microwaveable steam packets of almost-instant rice!

Slice the cod filets into even pieces about 4 inches square for even cooking.

Remove any long stems from the spinach and roughly chop the leaves into smaller pieces.

Preheat a Dutch oven or any large, 3.5-quart capacity pot.

Add the curry paste, coconut milk, brown sugar, and stock to the pot. Stir while bringing the mixture to a low boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer.

Add the spinach and stir, allowing it to wilt into the curry sauce.

Bring the mixture back to a simmer and lay the cod filets into the curry sauce, tucking them under the surface of the liquid.  Bring the pot back to a simmer and adjust the heat so that it gently bubbles away.  Cover the pot and cook for 4-6 minutes.

Check that the poached cod flakes with a fork in the center of the filets. Remove the curry from the heat and stir in the fish sauce.

Taste the curry for seasoning, adjusting salt and sugar as desired.

Bring the fish curry, bowls of noodles or rice, and your desired toppings to the table for everyone to build their bowl.

Ladle a serving of fish and curry over the noodles or rice in a bowl.  Top with garnishes and serve immediately.

Substitutions and Variations

The substitutions listed below have been tested in this recipe and work well. If you successfully make any other ingredient substitutions, let us know in the comments!

• Swap the Cod  - We most often make this dish with cod, but snapper, tilapia, or halibut are all good options as substitutions.  You want a fish that will hold up to the poaching but also is light and flaky when cooked.
• Add More Vegetables - You can add additional vegetables to the curry along with the spinach.  It’s important to consider how much time any additional vegetables will need to cook. This ensures your vegetables are tender but your poached cod isn't over cooked.  Bell peppers and snap peas are great choices.
• More Topping Suggestions - You can add even more to your plate of toppings and garnishes!  Consider French fried onions, fried shallots, green onions, chili oil, thinly shredded cabbage, or finely sliced pea pods.

Equipment

This recipe doesn’t require any special equipment, but here are notes on some standard kitchen tools that are great for this Thai fish curry:

• Dutch Oven - An enameled cast iron Dutch oven is a great pot to have in your kitchen for all sorts of recipes.  They can go from stove top to oven, are good for deep frying, and are perfect for stews, braises, and soups. For this recipe, a 3.5-quart capacity allows for enough depth to allow the cod to be under the surface for the curry sauce for evenly poached cod.
• Chef’s Knife - An 8- or 10-inch chef’s knife is an essential tool in any kitchen.  I use it for chopping, of course, but also for crushing the peanuts on the broad side of the blade, slicing the filets, finely chopping herbs, and more.  I have some pretty expensive knives in my collection, but the one I’m reaching for most often right now is a plastic handled one from Gordon Food Service that is lightweight and fits comfortably in my hand.  It sharpens easily, too, which keeps it in constant use.

Serving Suggestions

This curry is saucy and perfect over noodles for a slurp-worthy dinner.  You can serve it over brown or Jasmine rice, for a classic pairing.  Consider serving your curry poached cod with quinoa or flatbread, too!

Make This Recipe Kid Friendly

This Thai fish curry is mild and cod is generally a good choice for picky eaters.  Allow kids the freedom to build their own bowl as they choose! Make sure to have a few safe foods on the table if this is the first time serving this meal to your family.  We have one that absolutely will not eat the spinach, but happily piles on sprouts, cucumbers, peanuts, and herbs.

Safe foods and DIY dinners are two strategies you'll find in this Keeping Peace with Picky Eaters post. Check it out for more strategies to make dinner time fun again!

Storage

This dish is best right on the day of preparation! Leftovers can, however, be stored for two days in airtight containers in the refrigerator.  It’s best to keep the rice or noodles, fish curry, and any toppings separate so that the textures are best once reheated.