Thai Pumpkin Curry with Chicken
There’s nothing more comforting on a chilly fall night than a bowl of Thai Pumpkin Curry! It’s tender chicken breast, chunky veggies and pumpkin in a flavorful coconut red curry sauce. Serve as-is or over rice or quinoa for the perfect fall dinner!
Fall is my favorite season for so many reasons, and curling up on a cold night with a bowl of comfort food is definitely one of them.
Comfort food comes in many forms for me, such as white bean turkey chili or butternut squash soup, but I make this Thai Pumpkin Curry recipe the most often during the fall and winter months.
The inspiration for this recipe came from a Thai restaurant that I visited in Layton, Utah while I attended a blogging conference with some friends.
My friend and I ordered the pumpkin curry with chicken the first night that we were there, and we loved it so much that we went back and had it again two nights later.
I’d never experienced it before then, so it was a real treat. Typically I make chickpea curry with whatever veggies I have on hand, but now I can’t imagine not adding pumpkin. It adds so much flavor and texture!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- This easy pumpkin curry recipe is packed with tender chunks of chicken, pumpkin and veggies in a flavorful Thai coconut curry broth.
- It’s creamy and hearty, and is perfect served as is or with coconut rice, quinoa or naan.
- This recipe is easily customized with your favorite veggies, and the chicken may be swapped out with chickpeas to make this recipe vegan.
- It’s gluten-free, dairy-free and great for meal prep.
Recipe ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Pumpkin. Kabocha squash is my favorite variety of pumpkin for this recipe — it’s flavor and texture truly makes it the star. You can certainly substitute it with butternut squash or your favorite winter squash, but I don’t recommend using pumpkin puree as the curry will be far too thick.
- Chicken. Chicken is completely optional in this recipe, and it can be omitted to make this recipe vegan. Add a can of rinsed and drained chickpeas for added protein.
- Veggies. Onions and garlic are aromatics that are essential to great flavor. The carrots, bell pepper and green beans add great color and texture, but they can be substituted with your favorite veggies.
- Coconut milk. Use full fat coconut milk for richness. I’ve tried using lite coconut milk and it’s just not the same.
- Water. The water can be substituted with chicken or vegetable broth for added flavor.
- Turmeric. The turmeric adds a golden hue as well as warm flavor.
- Ginger. Freshly grated ginger adds a pop of flavor to this pumpkin curry. I store mine in a zip top bag in the freezer and grate it peel and all with my Microplane zester. It keeps this way for months!
- Red curry paste. This ingredient is made predominantly of red chili peppers and adds spice and depth of flavor. Some brands are spicier than others…I prefer the Thai Kitchen brand.
- Cilantro and lime. A bit of fresh lime juice makes the flavors come alive, and freshly chopped cilantro adds freshness and color.
See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and quantities.
How to make Thai curry with pumpkin
This Thai curry with pumpkin requires about 10 minutes of time to prep the vegetables, but it’s very easy to make.
Pro tip: Prep all of the ingredients for this pumpkin curry recipe before you begin cooking as it goes very quickly. The veggies may be prepped up to a day or two in advance.
See the recipe card for full instructions.
- Cook the chicken in a large pot or Dutch oven until cooked through. Remove from heat and cover loosely with foil.
- In the same pot, cook the onion and carrots for 5 minutes or until softened.
- Add the garlic, ginger and turmeric and cook 30 seconds.
- Add the pumpkin, bell pepper and green beans, and sauté 1 minute.
- Add the chicken back to the pot, along with the red curry paste, coconut milk and water, and stir well to combine.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and cook 10-15 minutes, or until the pumpkin is tender and the sauce has thickened. Remove from heat and add the lime juice, cilantro, and season with additional salt and pepper as needed.
Recipe FAQs
I prefer to use kabocha squash, which is a Japanese pumpkin, for my pumpkin curry. It’s dark green in color, and it’s a bit sweeter and starchier than ordinary pumpkin.
The best part about it is that the peel is edible. That means no peeling is required, and it also adds a nice, slightly chewy texture that I love. You can certainly use your favorite variety of pumpkin or even butternut squash, but they will require peeling.
See my collection of kabocha squash recipes, which includes loads of handy information on this delicious variety including how to prep it, choose and store it, and find inspiring ways to use it!
Pumpkin curry will keep in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or you can freeze it for up to 3 months.
Recipe notes
- Pro tip: Prep all of the ingredients for this pumpkin curry recipe before you begin cooking as it goes very quickly. The veggies may be prepped up to a day or two in advance.
- Store your fresh ginger root in the freezer in a zip top bag, and grate with a Microplane grater right into your curry peel and all!
- Customize this pumpkin curry with your favorite pumpkin or winter squash and vegetables.
- Omit the chicken to make this recipe vegan. Add a can of rinsed and drained chickpeas for added protein.
- Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
More savory pumpkin recipes you’ll love
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Did you try this recipe? If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram
Thai Pumpkin Curry with Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into 1" pieces
- 1 medium onion
- 2 medium carrots
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
- 1 cup cubed kabocha squash
- 1 red bell pepper
- 8 ounces green beans trimmed and cut into 2″ pieces
- 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
- 13.5 ounces full fat coconut milk
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- Cooked rice or quinoa optional
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chicken and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sauté until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and place on a plate, then cover loosely with foil.2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pot. Add the onion and carrots and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and turmeric, and sauté 30 seconds.1 medium onion, 2 medium carrots, 3 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger, 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
- Add the bell pepper, pumpkin and green beans, and sauté 1 minute longer.1 cup cubed kabocha squash, 1 red bell pepper, 8 ounces green beans
- Add the the chicken back to the pan along with the red curry paste, coconut milk and water, and stir well to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the pumpkin is tender and the sauce has thickened, about 10-15 minutes.2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste, 13.5 ounces full fat coconut milk, 1 cup water
- Remove from heat and stir in the lime juice, cilantro and salt and pepper to taste.1 tablespoon lime juice, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, Cooked rice or quinoa
Video
Notes
- Pro tip: Prep all of the ingredients for this pumpkin curry recipe before you begin cooking as it goes very quickly. The veggies may be prepped up to a day or two in advance.
- Store your fresh ginger root in the freezer in a zip top bag, and grate with a Microplane grater right into your curry peel and all!
- Customize this pumpkin curry with your favorite pumpkin or winter squash and vegetables.
- Omit the chicken to make this recipe vegan. Add a can of rinsed and drained chickpeas for added protein.
- Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
**This recipe was originally posted in September 2019. Step by step photos have been added and the text has been modified for better readability and recipe information.
28 Comments on “Thai Pumpkin Curry with Chicken”
Not a very authentic recipe, but I used it because I wanted more vegetables. I should have followed my gut feeling and started cooking the kabocha with the carrots. Following this recipe, as is, you get very mush beans and bell pepper by the time the kabocha is cooked. Disappointing.
I never claimed that this was authentic, but I’m sorry that you encountered mushy vegetables.
I’m confused. The carrots, garlic, onion and red pepper aren’t chopped? Am I missing this step in recipe or in ingredient description? If so, my apologies.
It sounds so good, I wanted to try but I follow initial recipe exactly and review before I customize.
Sorry about the confusion Jean. Yes the carrots , onion, garlic and bell pepper should be chopped. I will revise this in the recipe soon — thank you for bringing this to my attention.
Very good added fresh spinach and I felt it needed more curry paste overall very good.
Glad you enjoyed it Nancie!
This was delicious and tasty! I had to modify the ingredients based off what I had, but it all came together deliciously! Thank you so much for sharing!
Thank you for leaving your feedback and I’m so glad that it worked out for you!
Hi,
this recipe looks great. any tips for doing this in a slow cooker? thanks!
I’m sure it would work, although it wouldn’t have as much flavor without browning the chicken, onions, carrots and garlic first. You could brown those first on the stove top then dump them into the slow cooker with everything else and cook on low for 1.5 -2 hours or until the veggies are tender? I haven’t tried it so I’d keep an eye on it to keep the vegetables from overcooking.
This recipe was DELICIOUS!!! Will be a fall staple in our house from now on!!
If anyone is interested I added mushrooms and upped the squash to 2 cups I found it worked out well!
Thank you so much for sharing!
Thank you for leaving your feedback and I’m happy to hear that you enjoyed the curry!
I think you meant “leave out the chicken” for a vegan curry.
You’re right…I did. 🙂
This is the best curry we have had outside of a Thai restaurant. I’ve tried to cook many curries, but none has been as delicious as this one. When the pandemic is over, I will serve it to company!
I’m so glad you like it as much as we do Mary! The inspiration came from one of the best curries I’ve ever eaten at a restaurant and I tried really hard to do it justice. 🧡
cant wait to try this! love Pumpkin curry at a restaurant and want to try it at home with my oodles of garden squash!
I hope you enjoy it and your garden squash will make it even more delicious!
I was just wondering if I could use canned pumpkin?
Absolutely!
Typo?
Omit the curry for vegan dish doesn’t make sense.
Think you meant to put chicken rather than curry
Yes, that was a typo. Thank you for the heads up…I made the correction.
It’s a cold fall day here so I could totally go for a bowl of this chunky pumpkin curry! And it’s so fun that it was inspired by your trip to Utah!
I’m so glad I ordered that curry in Utah…it was life changing! 🙂
Yes yes yes yes yes. haha I have been waiting for you to recreate this! I added it to my meal plan for the week – so pumped!
I tried to do it justice! haha Thanks Ashley and I hope you love it!
Marcie! I love that this dish is inspired by that dinner out at the Thai restaurant. And I have to say your version looks AMAZING! I ran over here to your blog after seeing this on Insta. You know I”m all about Thai food 😉 Can’t wait to try!
I loved that pumpkin curry there…obviously! haha Thank you Katherine and I hope you get to try it! 🙂