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10 Best Curry Pastes of 2025 (Chef-Reviewed)

Q: Top 5 Curry Pastes

Q: How to Choose a Curry Paste - Buying Guide

・Consider the Origins of the Curry ・Consider Storage and Packaging ・Check What Other Ingredients You Need >> Click here for details >> View Full Ranking

Instead of cooking curry from scratch, curry paste is a good option to help you make a delicious homemade dish in a short time. Since there are many types of curry, you may wonder how are they different and what needs to be considered when it comes to choosing the right curry paste.

Don't worry! You'll find the answer in this article from our buying guide, reviewed by a professional chef. We've also provided you 10 recommended products you can buy online. Check and see if you're interested in any of them.

Last updated 02/28/2025

Quick List - Top Curry Pastes

Thai Kitchen

Thai Kitchen® ｜ Gluten Free Red Curry Paste

Authentic Blend of Aromatic Spices for Thai-Inspired Culinary Creations

S&B

Golden Curry Mix Medium Hot 92g

Aromatic Spice Blend for Easy, Flavorful Curries and More

Mae Ploy

Green Curry Paste

Authentic Thai Flavor in Every Spoonful

Mae Ploy

Mae Ploy Red Curry Paste

Easy-to-make Auromatic Curry

Thai Kitchen

Gluten Free Green Curry Paste

Authentic Flavor Made Easy

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Table of Contents

How to Choose a Curry Paste - Buying Guide
1
Consider the Origins of the Curry
2
Consider Storage and Packaging
3
Check What Other Ingredients You Need
10 Best Curry Pastes
No. 1
Thai Kitchen | Thai Kitchen® ｜Gluten Free Red Curry Paste
No. 2
S&B | Golden Curry Mix Medium Hot 92g
No. 3
Mae Ploy | Green Curry Paste
No. 4
Mae Ploy | Mae Ploy Red Curry Paste
No. 5
Thai Kitchen | Gluten Free Green Curry Paste
5 more products
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How to Choose a Curry Paste - Buying Guide

Beside choosing your favorite flavor, there are other important things that we suggest you to check such as type of curry flavor, storage, and cooking instructions.

Consider the Origins of the Curry

You may find various types of curry paste from different countries; however, the most popular curry pastes seem to be from these three countries: Japan, Thailand, and India.

Japanese Curry is Thick, Hearty, and Usually Mild

Japanese curry has a sweet taste, mild heat compared to other types of curry, and thick texture. The sweet taste usually comes from honey, sugar, or fruit like apples, and the brown color is from roux.

You can add any type of meat, seafood, and vegetable, but the usual ingredients are meats and vegetables like onions, potatoes, and carrots. Japanese curries normally come in cube or sauce form instead of paste, but we think they’re still worth a shoutout in this article!

10 Best Japanese Curry Roux in 2025 (Top Picks & Brands)

Thai Curry is for Coconut Lovers

There are three main types of Thai curry: green, red, and yellow. What makes them different in colors are the types of chili, spices, and herbs. Although these curry pastes are different in ingredients, they use the same ingredient of the soup base, coconut milk.

The most popular type of Thai curry, green curry paste, uses green chilis, cilantro root, kaffir, sweet basil, and lemongrass. If you want a typical Thai taste, add Thai eggplant, bamboo, sweet basil, and turkey berry when you cook. Green curry goes better with meat than seafood.

Red curry uses dried red chilis as one of the main ingredients. There are many types of curry that use red curry like Gang Dang and Panang. Each type of curry uses different ingredients.

For example, typical Panang usually contains simple ingredients like meat and garnishes of shredded kaffir and red peppers. Besides curry, red curry paste can also be used in many other Thai dishes, too!

The most popular yellow curry is called massaman. Yellow curry is the mildest and often made with coriander, cumin, lemongrass ginger, garlic, and yellow or red chili. It goes well with beef or chicken and vegetables like potatoes, onions, and peanuts.

However, this doesn’t mean people who dislike spicy food can’t eat green and red curry. If you want mild spice, you can reduce the amount of curry paste but it might not taste as good as spicy ones.

Indian Curry Pastes Use a Variety of Spices

Indian curry has the strongest smell and taste among all types of curry. Each type of curry uses a combination of herbs and spices like coriander, turmeric, cumin, nutmeg, cardamom, clove, and more.

Some of the most popular types of Indian curry are butter chicken and tikka masala. Butter chicken is mild, sweet, and creamy. The main added ingredients are butter, cream, yogurt, onion, tomato, and vegetable oil.

But if you like spicy and earthy tastes, you will like Tikka Masala. The added ingredients are quite similar to butter chicken and include yogurt, fresh or canned tomatoes, onions, chopped cilantro, and vegetable oil. Both types of curry go well with chicken.

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Consider Storage and Packaging

A curry paste for one-dish use usually comes in packets or cans. These types of packaging are small and light, don’t take up much space and are convenient to bring places. If you want to cook a bigger portion or plan to use it for many meals, you might want to consider glass jars or plastic containers since they usually come in bigger sizes.

Once opened, make sure you store the leftover paste in the fridge. It usually lasts for two four to 4 weeks before it goes bad.

In general, unopened curry pastes have a long shelf life for approximately three years, but each product is different, so we recommend you to always check the expiry date before buying.

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Check What Other Ingredients You Need

To make a complete curry dish, you need other ingredients besides curry paste like vegetables, meat, and a soup base. Some just need water! Each type of curry is different, so make sure to check what other ingredients you need.

Some require more ingredients than others. For example, you can use meat, vegetables, and water as a soup base for Japanese curry, but you will need meat, vegetables, herbs, and coconut milk to make a good Thai curry.

However, some brands offer an easier alternative that can shorten cooking steps and save time, such as using a microwave instead of the stovetop. You can also find a 2-in-1 curry paste and soup base, too!

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