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This Thai crab curry with rice is an easy Asian crab recipe: crab meat and green beans simmered in yellow curry paste and coconut milk, served over jasmine rice.
Build Your Own Thai Crab Curry Kit
Authentic Thai yellow curry starts with real curry paste and full-fat coconut milk - the canned stuff at your regular grocery store is usually too thin. These are the imported pantry staples that make the difference.
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🍛 Yellow Curry Paste (Imported Thai)
Why imported: Real Thai curry paste has that aromatic depth from fresh lemongrass, galangal, and turmeric that powder blends can’t replicate. One tub makes 6+ batches of curry. -
🥥 Aroy-D Coconut Milk - Full Fat (6-pack)
Why full-fat: Thin coconut milk makes thin curry. Full-fat Thai coconut milk gives you that rich, creamy sauce that clings to every piece of crab. Aroy-D is what Thai restaurants use. -
🍚 Jasmine Rice (Three Ladies Brand)
Why Thai jasmine: Fragrant Thai jasmine rice has a floral aroma and slightly sticky texture that soaks up curry sauce perfectly. Three Ladies is the gold standard brand. -
🌶️ Dried Thai Chili Peppers
For heat control: Crush a few into the curry for authentic Thai-level spice, or leave them whole for milder heat. Dried Thai chilies keep for months in the pantry. - 🪨 Granite Mortar and Pestle, 8 inch
For the paste: pounding bruises the aromatics and releases oils a blender only chops. This is the single tool that moves a curry from good to restaurant.
What Is Thai Crab Curry?
Thai crab curry is crab simmered in a creamy coconut milk curry. It’s related to pu pad pong garee, the stir-fried crab in curry powder that Thai seafood restaurants are known for, but this version is a saucy yellow curry made with crab meat, so there’s no shell to deal with.
A southern Thai curry
Krabi, in southern Thailand, is known for its crabs, especially blue crab, which has sweet, tender meat. (The city got its name from the Thai word for sword, after an ancient sword was discovered there.) If you want to go further with Asian crab recipes, blue crab is the one to look for.
What goes into the curry
The base is yellow curry paste, which gets its warmth from turmeric, cumin, fenugreek, and fennel, simmered in coconut milk. The crab adds sweetness. Blue crab is the classic, but Dungeness works too and tastes a little different. Jasmine rice underneath is fragrant and slightly sticky, so it soaks up the sauce.
What Are the Essential Ingredients for Thai Crab Curry?
You’ll need:
1 lb crab meat (fresh or canned)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
2 cups coconut milk
1 cup fish sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon palm sugar
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
2 cups mixed vegetables (such as bell peppers, carrots, and green beans)
2 cups cooked jasmine rice
Fresh green onions and cilantro for garnish
How Do You Prepare the Crab for Thai Curry?
If you’re using fresh crab, rinse it under cold water and pat it dry with paper towels. If it’s canned, drain it and give it a quick rinse under cold water.
Serving it
The curry is ready in just 25 minutes, so it works on a weeknight. Serve it with steamed vegetables or a simple Thai salad.
We hope this Thai crab curry inspires you to bring the exotic flavors of Thailand into your kitchen. Whether you follow a traditional recipe or add your own twist, this dish celebrates the rich culinary traditions of southern Thailand. For more delicious Thai recipes, check out our collection of Thai Recipes. If you need quality ingredients, visit our Amazon store.
Variations and substitutions
While traditional Thai Crab Curry is made with crab meat, you can substitute it with other protein sources such as shrimp, chicken, or tofu. Additionally, you can adjust the level of spiciness to your liking by adding more or less curry paste.
A few other ideas:
Adding other vegetables such as potatoes, zucchini, or mushrooms
Using different types of curry paste, such as green or yellow curry paste
Adding a splash of fish sauce or soy sauce for added umami flavor
Serving the curry with steamed jasmine rice or noodles
More Thai recipes: For a cozy vegan Thai curry, try my Thai pumpkin curry. For another coconut curry, my Thai Green Curry has tender chicken and Thai eggplant and is ready in 30 minutes. For Northern Thai, there’s my khao soi curry noodle soup. And to round out a Thai night, don’t miss my authentic pad thai.
Thai crab curry has a rich, aromatic coconut base with the sweetness of fresh crab meat. The curry paste provides warmth and depth - not overwhelming heat - while the coconut cream makes it silky. It’s a delicate balance of sweet (crab and coconut), savory (fish sauce), and spicy (curry paste). It’s one of the more refined Thai curries.
Yes, canned lump crab meat works as a convenient substitute. Drain it well and gently fold it into the curry at the very end - just long enough to heat through. Fresh crab gives better flavor and texture, but quality canned crab (look for “jumbo lump” or “lump”) is a solid alternative. Avoid imitation crab, which has a completely different taste and texture.
Yellow curry paste is the traditional choice for Thai crab curry - it’s milder and more aromatic than red or green, with turmeric, cumin, and coriander that complement the delicate sweetness of crab without overpowering it. Maesri or Mae Ploy yellow curry paste both work well. Red curry paste can also work but will give a spicier, more assertive flavor.
Thai Crab Curry & Jasmine Rice Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups Jasmine rice
- ½-1 lb Premium crab meat
- ½ lb Green beans trimmed and cut in half
- 13.5 fl oz Coconut milk
- 2.5 oz Yellow Curry paste
- ¼ cup Onion chopped
- ¼ cup Green onions chopped
- 1 teaspoon Thai chili optional
Instructions
Cook Rice
- Place jasmine rice in rice cooker or medium pot with lid.
- Rinse rice by adding cold water to pot, swirling, and carefully draining 2-3 times until water runs clear.
- Add 2 cups of water to the rice. For rice cooker, press start/cook. For stovetop, bring rice to a boil on medium-high heat, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 20 minutes.
- Continue with recipe while rice cooks…
Prep Ingredients
- Wash and trim the ends of the green beans. Cut in half.
- Open crab meat and drain.
- Open coconut milk and curry paste.
- Dice half of an onion (about ¼ cup).
Create Curry
- Preheat a large pan on medium heat, saute the onions in a little cooking oil until translucent.
- Add the coconut milk and stir occasionally until warm.
- Add the curry paste and stir until the coconut milk has completely absorbed the curry.
Add Vegetables
- Add green beans to curry, stir, and cover for 5 minutes until softened.
Add Crab Meat
- Add crab meat & green onions.
- Reduce heat to low and cook the curry for another 5-10 minutes, stirring occassionally until the (optional) onions have softened. Remove from heat and keep covered. Tip: to thin consistency, add more water; to thicken, simmer without a lid.
Plate & Enjoy!
- When jasmine rice has finished cooking, fluff with a fork to de-clump and release excess moisture.
- Divide cooked jasmine rice and crab curry between plates.
- Optional: top with Thai chili for added spice.
- Bon appétit! Or "gin hâi a-ròi" in Thai.
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