Description
This Slow Cooker Chicken Pumpkin Curry is a hearty and comforting dish combining tender chicken, sweet pumpkin, and aromatic red curry flavors simmered in creamy coconut milk. Perfect for a cozy meal, it’s easy to prepare in advance and packed with vibrant spices and vegetables, served over rice and garnished with fresh herbs and toasted cashews.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 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
- 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
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)
For Serving
- Cooked rice
- Lime wedges
- Minced fresh cilantro
- Toasted cashews
Instructions
- Combine curry base: In the slow cooker pot, mix together the coconut milk, red curry paste, fish sauce, soy sauce, and light brown sugar until well combined.
- Add pumpkin and chicken: Nestle the pumpkin pieces and boneless skinless chicken breasts into the slow cooker, ensuring they are fully submerged in the liquid.
- Slow cook: Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for about 4 hours or on low for 8 hours, until the pumpkin is tender and the chicken is fully cooked through.
- Shred chicken: Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces using two forks.
- Blend pumpkin: Season the cooking liquid with kosher salt. Using an immersion blender or a regular blender, puree the pumpkin until smooth. Skip this step if you used canned pumpkin puree.
- Return chicken and add peppers: Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and add the sliced red bell pepper. Cover and cook on high for about 30 minutes, until the bell peppers soften.
- Add greens and lime: Stir in the baby spinach and fresh lime juice just before serving so the spinach wilts gently.
- Serve: Serve the curry hot over cooked rice, garnished with lime wedges, minced fresh cilantro, and toasted cashews for crunch.
Notes
- If using canned pumpkin puree, skip the blending step.
- You can substitute butternut squash for the pumpkin if preferred.
- The recipe can also be cooked in an Instant Pot using the pressure cooking instructions for a faster version.
- Adjust the amount of red curry paste according to your spice preference.
- Serve with jasmine or basmati rice for best results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 33 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
