Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
This rich and creamy coconut Thai curry has got a little bit of spice, but not too much. It’s made with thin slices of tender steak, cooked in the rich sauce. Kaffir lime leaves and Thai basil make this a beautifully fragrant beef panang curry. All finished off with lime wedges and crunchy peanuts.
Free printable recipe is available on our site: kitchensanctuary.com/beef-panang-curry
Ingredients:
2 tbsp oil
1 onion sliced
1 red bell pepper sliced
1 yellow bell pepper sliced
2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
1 tbsp ginger paste
2 tbsp panang curry paste
2 tbsp peanut butter
6 kaffir lime leaves roughly torn (you can use fresh or dried)
400 g (14oz) thick beef steak, thinly sliced, against the grain *See notes on types of steak
400 ml (14 oz) tin full-fat coconut milk
2 tbsp lime juice (juice of approx 1 lime)
2 tbsp palm sugar or light brown sugar
1 tbsp fish sauce
10 Thai basil leaves
To Serve:
boiled rice long grain or jasmine
2 tbsp chopped unsalted peanuts
2 spring onions (scallions) chopped
8-12 Thai basil leaves
Instructions
1. Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan over a medium-high heat.
2. Add the onion, peppers, garlic and ginger, and stir fry for two minutes.
3. Add the panang curry paste, peanut butter and kaffir lime leaves. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring often. You should be able to smell the spices and kaffir.
4. Add the steak and fry for 2-3 minutes, constantly moving and separating the steak with your spatula. The steak should be semi-cooked at this point.
5. Add the coconut milk, lime juice, sugar and fish sauce, stir then bring to a gentle simmer. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes, until slightly thickened.
6. Stir through the Thai basil leaves and turn off the heat.
7. Serve the curry with rice. Top with chopped peanuts, spring onions, and a few fresh Thai basil leaves.
Notes
Steak for Beef Panang
For the absolute best flavour and tender meat in a beef panang, use good quality steak. Ribeye and sirloin is best. I know it's on the expensive side, but this is a quick-cook curry and the flavour and texture of the steak is SO important.
Can I use cheaper cut of steak?
Whilst I would recommend the more expensive cut, it is possible to go cheaper, but we need to make a couple of changes. When using ribeye or sirloin - which is a naturally more tender and flavourful cut, the steak is lightly fried and then simmered in the sauce. This results in tender, soft, melt-in-the-mouth beef. For a cheaper cut, it needs seasoning and frying off first to give it more flavour (simmering in the sauce will make it chewy). If you want to use a cheaper cut here are my recommendations:
Use velveted beef (a method of tenderising a cheaper cut). You'll need to season and fry it off first, then add it to the curry in the last couple of minutes of simmering.
Use minute steak or thin frying steak. This is usually made from a cheaper cut of beef. Slice it thinly, season and fry it off first, then slice it up and add it to the curry in the last couple of minutes of simmering.
#CookingShow #Recipe #curryrecipe
This rich and creamy coconut Thai curry has got a little bit of spice, but not too much. It’s made with thin slices of tender steak, cooked in the rich sauce. Kaffir lime leaves and Thai basil make this a beautifully fragrant beef panang curry. All finished off with lime wedges and crunchy peanuts.
Free printable recipe is available on our site: kitchensanctuary.com/beef-panang-curry
Ingredients:
2 tbsp oil
1 onion sliced
1 red bell pepper sliced
1 yellow bell pepper sliced
2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
1 tbsp ginger paste
2 tbsp panang curry paste
2 tbsp peanut butter
6 kaffir lime leaves roughly torn (you can use fresh or dried)
400 g (14oz) thick beef steak, thinly sliced, against the grain *See notes on types of steak
400 ml (14 oz) tin full-fat coconut milk
2 tbsp lime juice (juice of approx 1 lime)
2 tbsp palm sugar or light brown sugar
1 tbsp fish sauce
10 Thai basil leaves
To Serve:
boiled rice long grain or jasmine
2 tbsp chopped unsalted peanuts
2 spring onions (scallions) chopped
8-12 Thai basil leaves
Instructions
1. Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan over a medium-high heat.
2. Add the onion, peppers, garlic and ginger, and stir fry for two minutes.
3. Add the panang curry paste, peanut butter and kaffir lime leaves. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring often. You should be able to smell the spices and kaffir.
4. Add the steak and fry for 2-3 minutes, constantly moving and separating the steak with your spatula. The steak should be semi-cooked at this point.
5. Add the coconut milk, lime juice, sugar and fish sauce, stir then bring to a gentle simmer. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes, until slightly thickened.
6. Stir through the Thai basil leaves and turn off the heat.
7. Serve the curry with rice. Top with chopped peanuts, spring onions, and a few fresh Thai basil leaves.
Notes
Steak for Beef Panang
For the absolute best flavour and tender meat in a beef panang, use good quality steak. Ribeye and sirloin is best. I know it's on the expensive side, but this is a quick-cook curry and the flavour and texture of the steak is SO important.
Can I use cheaper cut of steak?
Whilst I would recommend the more expensive cut, it is possible to go cheaper, but we need to make a couple of changes. When using ribeye or sirloin - which is a naturally more tender and flavourful cut, the steak is lightly fried and then simmered in the sauce. This results in tender, soft, melt-in-the-mouth beef. For a cheaper cut, it needs seasoning and frying off first to give it more flavour (simmering in the sauce will make it chewy). If you want to use a cheaper cut here are my recommendations:
Use velveted beef (a method of tenderising a cheaper cut). You'll need to season and fry it off first, then add it to the curry in the last couple of minutes of simmering.
Use minute steak or thin frying steak. This is usually made from a cheaper cut of beef. Slice it thinly, season and fry it off first, then slice it up and add it to the curry in the last couple of minutes of simmering.
#CookingShow #Recipe #curryrecipe
