Pumpkin Curry Recipe

This Thai-inspired Pumpkin Curry Recipe is easy to make and tastes just like take-out! Loaded with lots of veggies, chicken, coconut milk, and pumpkin puree, this is the perfect meal to make for chilly and busy nights.

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This Pumpkin Curry Recipe is a Thai-inspired version that has lots of fresh vegetables and chicken covered in a creamy and slightly spicy sauce. The sauce gets its flavor and spice from coconut milk, pumpkin puree, and Thai red curry. This recipe is on repeat for my household since it’s easy to make, healthy, warming, and delicious. What more do you need? This is also a great recipe to make when you have leftover rice!

Ingredients Needed to Make Thai-Inspired Pumpkin Curry

• olive oil
• boneless skinless chicken breasts
• yellow or white onion
• carrot sticks 
• broccoli
• garlic cloves
• fresh ginger
• red Thai curry paste
• kosher salt
• pumpkin puree
• coconut milk (full-fat will give you the best results)
• chicken or vegetable broth
• freshly squeezed lime juice
• soy sauce or fish sauce
• Jasmine rice, prepared sticky

How to Make Pumpkin Curry

1. Prepare all of the ingredients first so they are ready to go before cooking.
2. Heat a large pot or skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken in the oil then remove it from the pan into a bowl and set it aside.
3. Add the onion, carrots, and broccoli stems (if using) to the pan and stir into the remaining oil. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the red curry paste, garlic, ginger, and salt to the pan and stir to combine. Continue stirring and cooking for 2 more minutes.
5. Pour in the pumpkin puree and coconut milk and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 8 minutes. Add 1-2 cups of broth depending on how thick or thin you would like your curry to be.
6. Place the cooked chicken and the broccoli florets in the pan and stir everything to combine. Allow the curry to cook for 3 more minutes and then remove it from the heat. Stir in the lime juice and fish sauce (or soy sauce).

How to serve Pumpkin Curry

Pumpkin curry is delicious when served over sticky rice. I make my Instant Pot Jasmine Rice recipe while the curry is cooking and the timing is perfect. This method takes about 20 minutes in an electric pressure cooker and comes out perfect every time.

This Thai Pumpkin Curry is so good, it doesn’t necessarily have to have a garnish. However, for a nice burst of freshness, you can add a few fresh cilantro leaves and a lime wedge on the side for garnish.

Tips for Making Pumpkin Curry

• Preparing all of your ingredients ahead of time will make the cooking process much easier and smoother. The actual cooking process goes pretty fast so you want everything to be ready to go before you start.
• The stems of the broccoli make a great addition to this dish. Just make sure you peel the stems first and then slice them into thin disks. Less waste and more healthy veggies for you!
• When you add the red Thai curry paste to the pan, the fumes can be spicy so be careful not too get to close (trust me on this one).
• A tip for ginger: I always have frozen ginger root in my freezer. When a recipe calls for ginger, I grate the frozen ginger. It’s so much easier than trying to mince ginger into small pieces and you don’t even need to peel it if you don’t want to!
• If you want a spicier curry, you can add more red Thai curry paste to the mixture while cooking.
• The curry sauce will thicken as it cools. This is where the broth will come in handy. I personally like my pumpkin curry on the thicker side and don’t add as much broth. If you have leftovers, you will want to add broth or water to the cold curry before re-heating because it does thicken up quite a bit in the fridge.
• Store any leftover curry in a covered container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Tools Needed to Make Pumpkin Chicken Curry

I use my dutch oven to make this Pumpkin Curry. The pot gets nice and hot but is deep enough to be able to store in all of the veggies and liquids without feeling like it’s too full.

More Asian-Inspired Recipes to Check Out

• Udon Noodle Stir Fry
• Easy Ramen Noodle Recipe
• Thai Red Curry Noodle Soup
• Sticky Beef, Broccoli, and Rice
• Crispy Baked Asian Chicken Wings

Pumpkin Curry Recipe

This Thai-inspired Pumpkin Curry Recipe is easy to make and tastes just like take-out!

5 from 18 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 606kcal

Author: EmilyFabulous

Equipment

• large pot or skillet (I used my dutch oven)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 8-10 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces (about 2 breasts)
• 1 medium yellow or white onion, sliced into crescents
• ½ cup carrot sticks (about 2-3 carrots)
• 1 head broccoli, cut into florets (can peel and slice broccoli stems as well)
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced or grated ginger
• 2 tablespoons red Thai curry paste (for spicier sauce add 2 additional tablespoons)
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
• 1 13.5 ounce can coconut milk (full-fat will give you the best results)
• 1-2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• ½ lime, juiced (about 2 tablespoons)
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce or soy sauce
• 4 cups cooked jasmine rice, prepared sticky
• fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)
• lime wedges for garnish (optional)

Instructions

• Prepare all of the ingredients first so they are ready to go. Cut up the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Slice the onion into crescents. Peel and cut up the carrots into sticks about 2" long. Cut up the head of broccoli into florets. If you want to use the stems, peel the outside first and then slice them into thin disks. Mince the garlic and mince or grate the ginger (see notes). Lastly, juice half of a lime and use the other half for garnish.
  8-10 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces, 1 medium yellow or white onion, sliced into crescents, ½ cup carrot sticks, 1 head broccoli, cut into florets, 3-4 cloves garlic, minced, ½ lime, juiced
• Heat a large pot or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and chicken pieces and cook the chicken all the way through until there is no pink left. Remove the chicken from the pan into a bowl and set it aside.
  8-10 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• Add the prepared onion, carrots, and broccoli stems (if using) to the pan and stir into the remaining oil. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
  1 medium yellow or white onion, sliced into crescents, ½ cup carrot sticks, 1 head broccoli, cut into florets
• Add the red curry paste, garlic, ginger, and salt to the pan and stir to combine. The fumes can be spicy from the curry so don't get too close. Continue stirring and cooking for 2 more minutes.
  3-4 cloves garlic, minced, 1 tablespoon minced or grated ginger, 2 tablespoons red Thai curry paste, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• Pour in the pumpkin puree and coconut milk and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 8 minutes. Add 1-2 cups of broth depending on how thick or thin you would like your curry to be.
  1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree, 1 13.5 ounce can coconut milk
• Place the cooked chicken and the broccoli florets in the pan and stir everything to combine. Allow the curry to cook for 3 more minutes and then remove it from the heat. Stir in the lime juice and fish sauce (or soy sauce).
  8-10 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces, 1 head broccoli, cut into florets
• Serve over sticky rice. Garnish with fresh cilantro and lime wedges if desired and enjoy!
  4 cups cooked jasmine rice, prepared sticky, fresh cilantro for garnish, lime wedges for garnish

Notes

• Preparing all of your ingredients ahead of time will make the cooking process much easier and smoother. The actual cooking process goes pretty fast so you want everything to be ready to go before you start.
• The stems of the broccoli make a great addition to this dish. Just make sure you peel the stems first and then slice them into thin disks. Less waste and more healthy veggies for you!
• When you add the red Thai curry paste to the pan, the fumes can be spicy so be careful not to get too close (trust me on this one).
• A tip for ginger: I always have frozen ginger root in my freezer. When a recipe calls for ginger, I grate the frozen ginger. It’s so much easier than trying to mince ginger into small pieces and you don’t even need to peel it if you don’t want to!
• If you want a spicier curry, you can add more red Thai curry paste to the mixture while cooking.
• The curry sauce will thicken as it cools. This is where the broth will come in handy. I personally like my pumpkin curry on the thicker side and don’t add as much broth. If you have leftovers, you will want to add broth or water to the cold curry before re-heating because it does thicken up quite a bit in the fridge.
• Store any leftover curry in a covered container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving w/ rice | Calories: 606kcal | Carbohydrates: 36.1g | Protein: 53.2g | Fat: 29.8g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Cholesterol: 114mg | Sodium: 1191mg | Potassium: 797mg | Fiber: 7.5g | Sugar: 10.2g | Calcium: 131mg | Iron: 5mg

Any nutrition calculations are only estimates using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.

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