Need a quick weeknight dinner that’s easy, has a few ingredients, is fun and flavor-packed? Beef Panang Curry is here!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- LEARN FROM AN EXPERT THAI COOKING CLASS TEACHER: A Thai cooking class instructor (aka me, Sherri! :)) will be sharing with you step-by-step all my top Thai cooking secrets in this recipe!
- EASY WEEKNIGHT CROWD PLEASER DINNER: One of the easiest, quickest, most flavorful weeknight dinners out there!
- ONE POT MEAL, EASY CLEAN UP: Just need one pan or wok, a few ingredients, and you are good to go!
What is Beef Panang Curry?
Beef Panang Curry is my Thai Hubby’s favorite way to eat Panang curry! It is different from Thai red curry since it has peanuts, coriander and cumin in the curry paste, so a little bit of different flavors going on, but not too much.
Beef Panang Curry comes from the central region of Thailand. The first time it was ever mentioned in a Thai cookbook was in the 1890s.
The word “Panang” is from the ancient Khmer language and refers to sitting cross-legged on the floor since traditionally the chicken cooked in the dish would have the legs crossed and sitting upright when it was cooked.
Sherri’s Story
At a recent Thai cooking class I made Panang curry with chicken and veggies because that’s what my students requested.
When Thai Hubby saw me prepping and heard I was putting in chicken and veggies in Panang curry he gave me a shocked expression, and said,”Panang is the best with just beef or pork! Why are you putting in chicken and veggies??”
“What’s the beef??” I responded, lol!
So for the next Thai cooking class that requested Panang Curry I didn’t just use beef, but to make it even better, I decided to get some beef from a local farm 20 minutes down the road called the Land of Milk and Honey Farms.
I picked up the sirloin steak from their adorable, inviting farm stand the day before my class and couldn’t wait to try it.
Fresh sirloin steak from the farm was the perfect protein to go with Panang! The beef complemented Panang curry paste’s spicy, savory, umami flavors so well.
Everyone pictured below at my Thai cooking class devoured it and were big fans!
Wow! How is Thai Hubby always right??
And yes you heard right! Traditionally Thais don’t add veggies to Panang curry, just a garnish of red Thai chili pepper, and kaffir lime leaves.
So if you want to make traditional Beef Panang Curry, leave out the veggies, or make Thai Stir-Fried Vegetables as a side dish like I did for my Thai cooking class!
Ingredient Notes
2-3 tbsp Thai Panang curry paste: It wont taste like Beef Panang Curry without this! Make your own homemade using my recipe, or get Mae Ploy brand online or at our favorite local Asian market.
1 13.5 ounce can of coconut milk: Makes the sauce creamy without adding any dairy.
2 lb sirloin steak, thinly sliced: You can use any kind of beef that you would eat as a steak.
2-3 tbsp palm sugar: The most commonly used sweetener used in Thai cooking to help balance the flavors.
1-2 tbsp fish sauce: My fav magical Thai ingredient! Even though it’s smelly, you’d never know once you add it to your Thai dish because all you taste is the savory, umami flavor that can’t be replicated with any other sauce!
3 kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced: Adds a spiced-citrus flavor which is lighter and zestier than a bay leaf.
1-2 fresh Thai chili peppers, thinly sliced long ways: Makes it look pretty, and makes it spicy, yes please!?
How to make Beef Panang Curry : Step by Step
- Warm a wok or large frying pan of choice over medium heat and once warm add oil of choice.
- Add the top part of the can of coconut milk, and stir it into the oil until warmed and bubbly.
- Add in the Thai Panang Curry paste, and stir until it starts to smell amazing and is incorporated into the coconut milk.
- Add the beef, stir it up, and once it’s about halfway cooked, add in the rest of the coconut milk.
- Cook for a few minutes until meat is cooked through.
- Add in palm sugar and fish sauce to taste.
- Sprinkle slivered Thai red chili pepper and kaffir lime leaves on top.
- Enjoy!
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Cut the beef against the grain, which means to cut through the muscle fibers and make them shorter, in order to make sure the beef is tender and not chewy. Great, but how do you find the grain?
- Look for the muscle fibers, which are the lines running in one direction, all the way across the beef. If it’s hard to tell, pull each end of the beef in opposite directions. You’ll see the fibers stretch away from each other.
- Then cut across those at a perpendicular angle.
- Make sure you fry the Panang curry paste well to help release all the flavor-packed curry paste flavors.
Storage & Reheating
Fridge:
- According to the USDA, leftovers like Beef Panang Curry are still good after 3-4 days of being in the fridge.
Freezer:
- According to the USDA, leftovers like Beef Panang Curry are still good after 3-4 months of being frozen.
Reheat:
- To defrost, place it in the fridge overnight and use within one day of thawing. Or heat small portions in the microwave.
Additions and Substitutions
Thai Panang curry paste substitute: If you don’t have Thai Panang Curry Paste, and don’t feel like making your own, you can substitute it with Thai Red Curry Paste.
Coconut milk substitute: the same amount of heavy cream, or milk of choice.
Sirloin steak substitute: any kind of beef that you would eat as a steak, or any other thinly sliced protein you’d like, chicken, pork, etc.
Palm sugar substitute: the same amount of brown sugar.
Fish sauce substitute: The same amount of your favorite soy sauce or coconut aminos.
Kaffir lime leaves substitute: just leave them out or ½ tsp lime zest for 1 leaf
Your Questions Answered
What makes Panang Curry different from red curry?
The difference between Thai Panang curry paste and Thai Red Curry paste is that Thai Panang curry paste has peanuts, and more cumin and coriander in it the paste and Thai Red Curry doesn’t.
What gives Panang Curry its flavor?
So many things! Panang Curry Paste has 14 ingredients just in the paste!
Some of the flavors you notice most are probably Thai spur chilies, Thai dried red chilies, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, galangal and shrimp paste.
Is Beef Panang Curry hot and spicy?
It depends! If you make your own Thai Panang Curry Paste, you can make it as spicy as you want, depending how many Thai dried chilies you put in, or not spicy if you don’t want it spicy.
Also, if you do use a store-bought brand, if you use less curry paste, it won’t be as spicy, but it also won’t have as much flavor.
Is Panang Curry better with chicken or beef? What meat goes best with Panang Curry?
It depends what you prefer! Thai Hubby is a big fan of beef sirloin steak, many Thais love it with pork (that’s my fav too!), but a lot of my American Thai cooking class students prefer chicken breast. Do what you love!
Is Panang Curry good?
Yes! Panang Curry is so good! It’s packed with spicy, umami, savory flavors that make your heart sing!
What kind of curry is Panang? Is Panang Curry Indian?
Panang is a Thai curry, not an Indian curry.
A big difference between Thai curries and Indian curries is that Thai curries use a curry paste made with herbs like lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and Thai curries use coconut milk, and never have dairy in their curries.
Indian curries use more spice blends, and often have dairy in their curries.
Other Recipes You’ll Love
I hope you love this Beef Panang Curry! If you make it, be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it.
And if you make it, I want to see! Take a pic and tag us on Instagram @thaifoodie! Happy Thai Cooking!
Print
Beef Panang Curry
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Need a quick weeknight dinner that’s easy, has a few ingredients, is fun and flavor-packed? Beef Panang Curry is here!
Ingredients
2–3 tbsp Thai Panang curry paste, homemade using my recipe, or Mae Ploy brand
1 13.5 ounce can of coconut milk:
2 lb sirloin steak, thinly sliced, but really you can use, any kind of beef that you would eat as a steak
2–3 tbsp palm sugar
1–2 tbsp fish sauce
3 kaffir lime leaves, thinly slivered
1–2 Thai fresh chilies, thinly slivered
Instructions
- Warm a wok or large frying pan of choice over medium heat and once warm add oil of choice.
- Add the top part of the can of coconut milk, and stir it into the oil until warmed and bubbly.
- Add in the Thai Panang Curry paste, and stir until it starts to smell amazing and is incorporated into the coconut milk.
- Add the beef, stir it up, and once it’s about halfway cooked, add in the rest of the coconut milk.
- Cook for a few minutes until meat is cooked through.
- Add in palm sugar and fish sauce to taste.
- Sprinkle slivered or flash fried kaffir lime leaves on top.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Looking for ingredient substitutions or recipe tips? Look up in the post!
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Curry
- Method: Stir-Fry
- Cuisine: Thai
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So good!!!