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Butternut Squash Coconut Curry

Categories Dairy free, Easy Recipes, Gluten Free, Healthy Recipes, Main Course, Soup

I love this butternut squash coconut curry! It’s hearty with chunks of butternut squash and can be made with chicken or made vegan or vegetarian if wanted.

I always say that Thai coconut curries are my love language! They are one of my very favorite foods and I believe in a curry being full flavor, creamy from the coconut and perfectly balanced between the sweet, spice, saltiness and just the perfect touch of acid from the lime juice to bring everything together.

This butternut squash curry pictured here was made with butternut squash that I grew in my garden last summer. It was the year of the butternut squash at our house and we got so many of them, I think around 16. I found them growing in every area of the garden and they just kept growing all summer long. So fun! Butternut squash has a really long self life too so I just keep them in a chilled room and they last over a year. If you get a chance to garden and love butternut squash I would totally suggest growing some.

I also love to buy them precut from Costco or stores that carry them pre-cut and ready to use. The only downside to those are they don’t last super long, just a few days in the refrigerator is all they can handle so if you buy some be sure to use it quickly. However, that is by far the easiest form to buy and use them.

This curry goes great over rice or cauliflower rice and should feed 4 people or 2 adults and 4 kids with everyone leaving full. My younger kids are undecided on how delicious curry is at this point in life but my oldest just recently discovered it’s delicious and likes to have curry with her rice, meaning it’s just a little bit but she is opening her mind to trying new foods and loving them. As a mom, I love seeing that development.

What you need to make butternut squash coconut curry:

Serves 4

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3/4 cup red onion – finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic – minced
  • 1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger – minced or 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
  • dash cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt – plus more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 2 tablespoons red curry powder
  • 8 ounces vegetable broth or chicken stock
  • 3 cups butternut squash – diced into chunks
  • 1/3 cup chopped cilantro or 1 tablespoon dried cilantro
  • 1 – 13.5 ounce can coconut milk
  • 1/2 lime – juiced
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 small chicken thighs or 1 large chicken thigh – sliced thinly – chicken breast will also work
  • 2 teaspoons water
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Instructions

  1. In a medium to large pot, add olive oil, onions, garlic and fresh ginger and sauté until onions begin to soften.
  2. Add in the cayenne pepper, salt, coriander, and red curry powder to the onions mixture and stir for a minute so the spices get a little toasting on them.
  3. Add the vegetable broth or chicken stock, butternut squash, cilantro, coconut milk, lime juice and sugar and bring mixture to a boil then reduce to a bubbling simmer.
  4. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add in raw sliced chicken thigh or breast and continue cooking for another 8 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the butternut squash is fork tender.
  5. In a small bowl, mix together water and cornstarch and then whisk into curry, it will thicken it just slightly so it coats the rice.
  6. Taste and adjust salt to liking.
  7. Enjoy.

Here are a few other curries you may love:

Red Coconut Curry
Sweet Potato Curry
Instant Pot Thai Chicken Coconut Curry
Pumpkin Coconut Curry Soup
Thai Coconut Curry Soup

Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Butternut Squash Coconut Curry

Thai coconut curry with butternut squash and optional chicken, flavor packed and delicious!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time23 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Curry, Dinner, main course
Keyword: Butternut squash, Chicken, Coconut, Curry
Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3/4 cup red onion – finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic – minced
  • 1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger – minced or 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
  • dash cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt – plus more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 2 tablespoons red curry powder
  • 8 ounces vegetable broth or chicken stock
  • 3 cups butternut squash – diced into chunks
  • 1/3 cup chopped cilantro or 1 tablespoon dried cilantro
  • 1 – 13.5 ounce can coconut milk
  • 1/2 lime – juiced
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 small chicken thighs or 1 large chicken thigh – sliced thinly – chicken breast will also work
  • 2 teaspoons water
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Instructions

  • In a medium to large pot, add olive oil, onions, garlic and fresh ginger and sauté until onions begin to soften.
  • Add in the cayenne pepper, salt, coriander, and red curry powder to the onions mixture and stir for a minute so the spices get a little toasting on them.
  • Add the vegetable broth or chicken stock, butternut squash, cilantro, coconut milk, lime juice and sugar and bring mixture to a boil then reduce to a bubbling simmer.
  • Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add in raw sliced chicken thigh or breast and continue cooking for another 8 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the butternut squash is fork tender.
  • In a small bowl, mix together water and cornstarch and then whisk into curry, it will thicken it just slightly so it coats the rice.
  • Taste and adjust salt to liking.
  • Enjoy.