We Found the Best Yellow Curry Sauce

When it’s combined with a protein and some vegetables, the best yellow curry sauce at the grocery store is a dead ringer for what you’ll get in a plastic container from your favorite local Thai restaurant. In case you’re not famils, yellow curry sauce is a creamy or brothy sauce made with yellow curry paste, which is made with a bunch of flavorful and aromatic spices like turmeric, galangal, cardamom, cumin, garlic, lemongrass, and more.

So what are we looking for in a good yellow curry sauce in a jar (or pouch)? In a word, balance. It shouldn’t be too salty (so, so many are too salty) and one spice shouldn’t overpower all the others. We found some good options and one great option. Seriously, the best yellow curry on this list is better than curries I’ve had at a lot of restaurants. The next time you’re in the mood for takeout but don’t feel like spending $60 on a meal for two, check out this list of the best yellow curry sauce at the grocery store.

Best for Dipping

Trader Joe’s Thai Style Yellow Curry Sauce

Trader Joe’s

You know it. You love it. It’s Trader Joe’s Thai Style Yellow Curry Sauce. I’m pretty sure this is intended to be used as a simmer sauce, but, in my opinion, it’s a little too salty for that use case. Instead, use this as a dipping sauce for chicken skewers (maybe chicken satay if you don’t do peanut sauce) or grilled shrimp so you can control how much sauce you get with each bite. It’s creamy, it has a lot of bold curry flavor, and it’s cheap as hell. It may not be the best yellow curry sauce out there, but it’s definitely a sauce that’s worth having on hand in the door of your fridge.

Credit: Merc / Trader Joe’s

Rating:

7.5/10

Sporks

Best of the Best

Blue Elephant Thai Premium Curry Sauce Yellow Curry

Vons

This yellow curry sauce absolutely rules. It’s not just restaurant quality—it’s better than what you’ll get at some restaurants. It’s extremely creamy and has an incredible depth of flavor, thanks to the addition of shrimp paste and fish sauce (not to mention every single spice imaginable). Serve this with shrimp. Trust me. The package shouts out “Master Chef Nooror Somany,” and I agree that she deserves major props! It’s the best yellow curry sauce we tried by a mile.

Credit: Merc / Vons

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Other products we tried: Brooklyn Delhi Golden Coconut Curry Sauce, Yai’s Thai Yellow Thai Curry

What’s your favorite yellow curry sauce? Tell us in the comments!

About the Author

Howdy! I’m Gwynedd, Sporked’s managing editor. I live in Los Angeles and have access to the best tacos the U.S. has to offer—but I’m a sucker for a crunchy Old El Paso taco night every now and then. I’ve been at Sporked since 2022 and I’m still searching frozen mozzarella sticks that can hold a candle to restaurant sticks. Why you should trust me: I’ve been a journalist for 20 years (yikes), a consumer of food for 40-plus years, and I’m truly hard pressed to think of foods I don’t like (or that I can’t tolerate at the very least). Oh and one time I cooked my way through Guy Fieri’s cookbook and wrote about the journey through Flavortown. What I buy every week: Trader Joe’s Original Savory Thins. Fat free plain yogurt (usually Fage or Nancy’s). Honeycrisp apples. Sweet cream coffee creamer for my at-home Americanos. A frozen cauliflower crust pizza and some jarred mushrooms to top it with. Old El Paso Stand ‘N Stuff taco shells and Gardein Ground Be’f, even though I think “be’f” is a nightmarish contraction. Favorite ranking: Stouffer’s frozen dinners. I don’t own a microwave (I get my cancers the old fashioned way!), so I love taste testing things that I don’t really buy to eat at home. Least favorite ranking: Soy sauce. Don’t get me wrong, I love soy sauce—but consuming that much sodium in one sitting is probably illegal in some countries. Our frozen enchilada taste test was a close second; the smell of microwaved corn tortillas still haunts me.