What to Do with Leftover Curry Paste (15 Recipes)

Being left with more curry paste than you can store is quite a tasty problem. Whipping up some quick leftover curry recipes or some delicious chicken and rice sauces are a few ways to solve this. But I know exactly what to do with leftover curry paste that’ll make the best of every last bit. I’ve got 15 fantastic recipes that’ll use up that leftover curry paste!

You can use curry paste to make curry spiced cauliflower, beef curry, butternut squash curry soup, and coconut curry soup. But this isn’t all you can make with leftover curry paste!

🤷 What is Curry Paste?

Curry paste is a concentrated blend of various ingredients, including spices, herbs, aromatics like garlic and ginger, and sometimes chilies. There are several color variations, each with its own spiciness and ingredients. The most common are yellow curry paste, green curry paste, and red curry paste. You can use green curry paste substitutes and red curry paste substitutes for varying flavors.

💡 15 Recipes for Using Leftover Curry Paste

Savory Dishes

Curry Spiced Cauliflower – Buffalo cauliflower or tandoori cauliflower is perfect for your leftover curry paste. It’s a spicy, aromatic appetizer that you can eat on its own or on top of anything from pasta to biryani. You can also dip it in an aioli. Simply lather the paste on the cauliflower and pop them in the air fryer or oven for 15-20 minutes.

Check out the Thai Curry Cauliflower recipe with coconut lime aioli here.

Beef Curry – This incredible Thai stew is a kid-friendly meal made with Thai yellow paste. The beef is simmered in the curry broth for a few hours until fork tender, with carrots and potatoes added to bring heft. Make sure to follow the recipe and reduce your milk before adding the rest of the ingredients. That extra step really does make it worthwhile when sinking your teeth into the flavorful sauce-drenched beef.

Check out the recipe for Beef Curry here.

Easy Thai Red Curry Pasta – Like many pasta sauces, this recipe is a one-pot wonder. All the ingredients come together in one pan, allowing you to use up any leftover curry paste to amp up the pasta base. Also, the splash of pumpkin in this recipe tastes great with coconut milk. Feel free to swap regular pasta with noodles (if you’re into spiralizing any of your veggies). You can also easily fix separated coconut milk, should it break, by re-blending or mixing it again.

Check out the recipe for Thai Red Curry Pasta here.

Rubs and Marinades

Marinated Skirt Steak Fajitas – Ever thought you’d use curry paste as a marinade? Well, now you can with this delicious marinade recipe courtesy of Bobby Flay! The marinade is made by whisking together curry paste, canola oil, and lime juice, then immersing the steak in the mixture for 4-8 hours. When ready to grill, baste the steak in the marinade with more lime juice and honey, then serve. 

Check out the recipe for Red Curry Marinated Steak Fajitas here.

All-purpose Curry Marinade – You can make dinner prep easier by using leftover curry paste, some chicken stock, coconut milk, and seasoning and turn it into a marinade for your meats. The bright and amazing Thai flavors in the marinade can be used to pep up and tenderize chicken, pork, beef, and even seafood and vegetable dishes. Knowing how to make chicken stock concentrate will make the flavor 10 times more rich and delicious.

Check out the recipe for Thai Curry Marinade here.

Grilled Vegetables with Green Curry Marinade – Grilled Vegetables with Green Curry Marinade is a ridiculously easy yet scrumptious vegetable dish to make. Simply marinate cut-up vegetables in herbs, green curry paste, oil, and lemon in a zip-lock bag, then grill. You can also customize the spice level of the dish by adding chili peppers or powder.

Check out the recipe for Grilled Vegetables with Green Curry Marinade here.

Soup Recipes

Butternut Squash Curry Soup – Why not level up your already perfect butternut squash soup recipe with some leftover green Thai curry paste? The rich yet balanced flavors of the green curry paste are the perfect addition to the sweet squash. A flavorful balance that’ll be just right for your soup rotation.

Check out the recipe for Butternut Squash Curry Soup here.

Coconut Curry Soup – If you’re a Thai cuisine fan, you’ll love this coconut curry chicken and broccoli soup recipe. It’s a creamy, heartwarming bowl of soup with coconut milk, chicken stock, broccoli florets, and seasoning. To make the soup, you’ll need just two leftover ingredients: Thai green curry paste and rotisserie chicken.

Check out the recipe for Quick Coconut Curry Soup here.

Sweet Potato and Lentil Soup with Thai Red Curry Paste – A classic Lentil Soup can get an easy flavor upgrade with curry paste. It’s a fully customizable vegan soup that allows you to change the veggies to your liking and heat level. It also makes a great make-ahead soup for a busy day, as it can be quickly done on a stovetop, a slow cooker, or the instant pot.

Check out the recipe for Thai Red Curry Sweet Potato and Lentil Soup here.

Dipping Sauces

Potato Wedges with Coconut Cream-based Curry Aioli – It’s common practice in England to dip potato wedges in fiery and aromatic curry dipping sauces. This super awesome curry dipping sauce gives these deep-fried potato wedges the very best they deserve. The sauce is a blend of spices (cumin, turmeric, cayenne), Thai red curry paste, lime juice, vegan butter, onion, and garlic cooked in a skillet using EVOO.

Check out the recipe for Curry Paste Wedges here.

Thai Red Curry Paste Dipping Sauce – If you’re a fan of Asian sauces and cuisine, then you’ll want to make this one. This is a no-cook dipping curry sauce that comes together by hand using Thai red curry paste, a sambal oelek swap, lime juice, soy sauce, and mayonnaise. Using the best ways to thicken curry sauce will also give you the perfect dipping consistency for any dish.

Check out the recipe for Thai Curry Mayonnaise here.

Green Curry with Yogurt Dipping Sauce – Another curry paste-based dipping sauce to add to our list is this green curry with Greek yogurt dipping sauce recipe. Greek yogurt’s fresh taste and tang blend well with the rich Thai green curry paste. Toss in some more herbs, and it’s the perfect dip for playing hostess.

Check out the recipe for Green Curry Yogurt Dip here.

Madras Curry Dipping Sauce –  A Madras curry dipping sauce is a breath of fresh air from the usual game day or barbecue night sauces. This simple curry dipping sauce recipe only needs Madras curry paste and mayo. You can use Thai red and yellow curry pastes instead. Just heat the pastes in a saucepan until the oil separates. Once cool, mix the mayo in, and then you’re done! In this creamy dip, you can dip veggie sticks, fries, wings, chips, or fish sticks.

Check out the recipe for Curry Dipping Sauce here.

🥗 Salad and Salad Dressing

Curry Vinaigrette – When it comes to salad dressing, bold and vibrant flavors are always welcome, and this curry vinaigrette is no exception. A tablespoon of mild leftover curry paste makes for a delicious, fiery, sugar-free salad dressing vinaigrette that’s perfect over salad greens. You can also drizzle it on blanched greens or raw vegetable sticks.

Check out the recipe for Curry Vinaigrette here.

Thai Curry Salad – Have you ever wondered what that super delish salad dressing from your favorite Thai restaurant was? The salad dressing in this recipe may just be it! It’s a tangy, nutty, fiery salad dressing made from leftover Thai curry paste, tamari, miso, and much more to make the dressing taste so good. You can use various alternatives to miso paste for a more personalized flavor.

Check out the recipe for Thai Curry Salad here.

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