Description
This Slow Cooker Chicken Pumpkin Curry is a comforting and flavorful dish that combines tender chicken, creamy pumpkin, and vibrant spices simmered to perfection in a slow cooker. It’s an easy, hearty meal perfect for cozy dinners, featuring rich coconut milk, aromatic red curry paste, and a touch of sweetness from brown sugar, all balanced by fresh lime juice and garnishes.
Ingredients
Curry Base
- 1 (14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk, shaken
- 2 tablespoons red curry paste
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
Main Ingredients
- 1 ½-2 pounds sugar pie pumpkin or butternut squash, cut into ¾-inch pieces (about 4 cups) or 2 (14-ounce) cans pumpkin puree
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 4 cups loosely packed baby spinach
Finishing Touches
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)
- Cooked rice, for serving
- Lime wedges, for garnish
- Minced fresh cilantro, for garnish
- Toasted cashews, for garnish
Instructions
- Combine Curry Ingredients: In the slow cooker pot, combine the coconut milk, curry paste, fish sauce, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Stir well to combine the ingredients thoroughly.
- Add Pumpkin and Chicken: Nestle the pumpkin pieces and chicken breasts into the curry mixture, making sure they are fully submerged. Cover with the lid.
- Cook the Curry: Cook the mixture until the pumpkin is tender and the chicken is fully cooked, which takes about 4 hours on high heat or 8 hours on low heat in the slow cooker.
- Shred the Chicken: Using tongs or a slotted spoon, carefully transfer the cooked chicken to a cutting board. Use two forks to shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Blend the Pumpkin: Season the remaining liquid in the slow cooker with kosher salt. Using an immersion blender or a regular blender, blend the pumpkin and curry mixture until smooth. Skip this step if pumpkin puree was used instead of fresh pumpkin.
- Add Chicken and Bell Peppers: Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and add the sliced red bell peppers. Cover and cook until the peppers start to soften, approximately 30 minutes on high.
- Finish with Greens and Lime: Stir in the baby spinach and fresh lime juice. Allow the spinach to wilt slightly.
- Serve: Serve the curry hot over cooked rice. Garnish with extra lime wedges, minced fresh cilantro, and toasted cashews for added texture and brightness.
Notes
- For a vegetarian version, substitute chicken with tofu or chickpeas and use vegetable broth instead of fish sauce.
- If you prefer a spicier curry, increase the amount of red curry paste to 3 tablespoons.
- Can be prepared a day in advance; flavors deepen when reheated.
- Use gluten-free soy sauce or tamari if gluten sensitivity is a concern.
- To save time, canned pumpkin puree can replace fresh pumpkin, skipping the blending step.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours 0 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Thai
