Instant Pot Thai Red Curry Seafood

Name: Instant Pot Thai Red Curry Seafood
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 27 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 3 tbsp (45 g) Thai red curry paste; 13½ oz (400 ml) Full-fat coconut milk (1 can); 2 tbsp (30 ml) Fish sauce; 2 (200 g) Lime, juiced; 4 (20 g) Garlic cloves, minced; 1 tbsp (12 g) Fresh ginger, minced or grated; 12 oz (340 g) Large shrimp, peeled and deveined; 8 oz (225 g) Mussels (littleneck or farmed), cleaned, debearded; 8 oz (225 g) Squid (cleaned tubes), cleaned, sliced into rings; 1 medium (150 g) Red bell pepper, cored, seeded, cut into 1-inch pieces; 1 medium (60 g) Shallot, thinly sliced; ¼ cup (10 g) Fresh cilantro, roughly chopped; 2 tbsp (5 g) Thai basil (or regular basil), torn (optional); Salt; White pepper; ½ cup (120 ml) Water

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A vibrant, aromatic pressure-cooked medley of shrimp, mussels, and squid in a creamy Thai red curry sauce infused with coconut milk, fish sauce, and fresh lime juice. The Instant Pot brings everything together in under 35 minutes, with intense flavors and tender seafood.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 12 min
Wait: 5 min
Total: 32 min
Makes: 4 servings (about 1.5 cups per serving)

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Steps

Before you start

Peel and devein shrimp, clean and debeard mussels, and clean and slice squid into rings before starting.
Mince garlic and ginger, and chop cilantro; have all ingredients within arm's reach of the Instant Pot.
Squeeze lime juice into a small bowl before cooking (faster and easier than at the stove).
Remove the trivet from inside the Instant Pot; you'll use sauté mode directly on the pot bottom.

1
Toast curry paste with aromatics
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode.
- Wait for the display to show "hot" (about 30 seconds).
- Add 1 tablespoon of coconut milk from the can to prevent sticking.
- Add minced garlic, ginger, and red curry paste.
- Stir constantly for 1–2 minutes until very fragrant and the paste darkens slightly.
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Ready when: Curry paste is fragrant and deepened in color
Tip: Blooming the paste in fat releases its essential oils and deepens the sauce; don't let it burn or the flavor will turn bitter.
2
Add coconut milk and fish sauce
- Pour the remaining coconut milk from the can into the pot, scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon to lift any browned bits (fond).
- Add fish sauce and 1/2 cup water.
- Stir constantly until smooth and no lumps of curry paste remain.
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Ready when: Sauce is uniform, smooth, and evenly colored
3
Add bell pepper and shallot
- Add sliced shallot and bell pepper pieces to the simmering sauce.
- Stir gently to coat them with the curry liquid.
- These will soften slightly during pressure cooking.
4
Layer seafood carefully
- Arrange shrimp in a single layer on top of the sauce.
- Place mussels hinge-side down, pressing gently into the liquid.
- Top with squid rings.
- Do not stir; this layering ensures even cooking and keeps the shrimp from breaking apart.
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Tip: Avoid stirring raw seafood into the hot sauce—you're protecting tender shrimp and squid from premature damage.
5
Pressure cook seafood
- Close the Instant Pot lid, making sure the pressure release valve is in the "sealing" position.
- Press Pressure Cook (or Manual) and set to high pressure for 3 minutes.
- The pot will take 1–2 minutes to reach pressure before the 3-minute timer begins.
6
Quick-release pressure
- Once the timer beeps, move the pressure release valve to "venting" to release pressure immediately (this takes about 1 minute).
- Carefully remove the lid, tilting it away from you to avoid steam burns.
- Check that all mussels have opened; discard any that remain closed, as they were likely dead before cooking.
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Ready when: All mussels are open; shrimp are opaque and firm; squid is opaque
Tip: Quick-release immediately—prolonged heat will toughen shrimp and turn squid rubbery.
7
Season with lime and herbs
- Squeeze lime juice over the curry.
- Taste the broth and add salt and white pepper to taste.
- The balance should be rich and creamy (coconut), savory (fish sauce), bright (lime), and tingling (curry heat).
- Stir in chopped cilantro.
- If using Thai basil, tear it and add just before serving for maximum aroma.
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Tip: Taste and adjust: too salty? Add lime; too bland? A touch more fish sauce; too spicy? Stir in a splash of coconut milk.
8
Serve in bowls
- Ladle the curry into bowls, ensuring each serving includes shrimp, an open mussel or two, and squid.
- Pour generous amounts of the fragrant broth over each bowl.

Good to know

Tips

Use full-fat coconut milk and high-quality fish sauce—these provide the richness and deep savory notes that define authentic Thai curry.
Buy seafood from a reliable fishmonger and cook the same day or next day. Fresh mussels, in particular, deteriorate quickly.
Quick-release the pressure immediately after cooking—mussels, shrimp, and squid are delicate and will toughen if left in residual heat.
To devein shrimp without peeling, lay the shrimp flat on a cutting board and carefully cut a shallow line down the back with a paring knife; rinse under running water to remove the vein. This prevents shrimp from splitting during cooking.

Make ahead

Peel and devein shrimp, clean and debeard mussels, and clean and slice squid up to 6 hours ahead; refrigerate in separate airtight containers. The curry sauce base (through step 2) can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated; reheat on sauté mode before adding seafood.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Seafood does not freeze well—texture becomes tough and chewy. Reheat gently on sauté mode (medium heat, 2–3 minutes, stirring gently) until warmed through. Do not reboil or overheat.

Substitutions

Large shrimp → 1.5 lbs firm white fish (cod, halibut, or sea bass) cut into 1-inch chunks. Fish will become very tender; reduce pressure time to 2 minutes to prevent it from falling apart.
Full-fat coconut milk (1 can) → Coconut cream (use same amount). Richer and slightly thicker sauce; adjust fish sauce to taste as coconut cream is less savory than milk.
Thai red curry paste → 3–4 fresh red Thai chilies, minced, plus 1 tbsp minced garlic. Won't have the exact complexity of paste, but delivers good heat; add at step 1 with garlic and ginger.
Fresh cilantro → Flat-leaf parsley or fresh mint. Loses some aromatic Thai character, but still adds brightness and freshness.