This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Chicken Pumpkin Curry is an easy to make comfort food that you’ll crave all Fall long! Chicken, carrots, and sweet potatoes are slowly cooked to tender perfection in the most mouthwatering pumpkin curry with complex and bold flavor.
Chicken pumpkin curry is a delicious and aromatic dish that combines tender chicken pieces with creamy pumpkin and coconut, along with a variety of root vegetables together with a flavorful blend of spices in a rich, comforting curry. Slow cooked all day long, your house will smell incredible and your mouth will be watering. The real challenge is waiting until dinnertime!
The coconut milk used in this curry doesn’t lend any tropical flavor. Rather, it creates the best silky consistency for this curry and remains just neutral enough for the pumpkin to really shine! The other key curry ingredients at play include curry powder, garam masala, and of course turmeric powder. This easy recipe is protein-packed from the chicken and offers nutrients from the pumpkin puree, sweet potatoes, and carrots. When plated with rice, this slowly cooked dish becomes deliciously filling and comforting while still being freshly flavored. Comforting AND fresh – it’s the best of both worlds!
Why You’ll Love It
- Bold and unique flavors. This curry dish offers a unique flavor profile that blends the savory taste of chicken with the natural sweetness and earthiness of pumpkin along with the creaminess of the coconut milk. The spices used in the curry, such as curry powder, garam masala, turmeric, ginger, and garlic, add depth and complexity to the dish. The combination of these flavors creates a satisfying and aromatic curry that is both comforting and exotic.
- Set and forget. Slow cooker meals are the best because once you add everything into the insert of the slow cooker, you can set it and forget it — until, that is, you start smelling it!
- Nutritious and customizable. Pumpkin is a highly nutritious ingredient that is rich in vitamins A, C, and E, as well as fiber. It is also high in antioxidants so by incorporating pumpkin into the curry, you can enhance the nutritional value of the dish. Additionally, chicken provides lean protein, making this curry a well-rounded and wholesome meal option. Further, this curry is customizable to suit your flavor profile. Check out the section “recipe tips, substitutions, and variations” below for ideas!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Lots of hearty vegetables and flavorful spices in this chicken pumpkin curry! Be sure to get the exact measurements in the recipe card below.
- Coconut Milk – It should be unsweetened and full fat.
- Pumpkin Puree – Do NOT use pie filling!
- Chicken Stock – Low sodium is preferred.
- Seasonings – A medley of curry powder, turmeric, garam masala, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper creates the best flavor.
- Onion – You can use yellow or white.
- Garlic and ginger – Freshly minced garlic and ginger is best for flavor and aroma.
- Carrots – Try to make sure the pieces are about the same size.
- Sweet Potatoes – These should also be cut into similarly sized pieces.
- Chicken – Breasts or thighs work in this.
- Lime Juice – Only use the real deal, not the bottled stuff!
How to Make Chicken Pumpkin Curry in the Slow Cooker
Grab your slow cooker and get ready to make the most delicious chicken pumpkin curry! Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions.
Make the sauce. Stir together the coconut milk, pumpkin puree, chicken stock, curry powder, turmeric, garam masala, salt, and pepper in the slow cooker.
Add the key ingredients. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, sweet potatoes, lime juice, and chicken to the mixture. Stir to coat.
Cook and serve. Cook on low for 6 hours, then serve with rice and enjoy!
Recipe Tips, Substitutions, and Variations
- Make sure you are using pumpkin puree. One of the most common errors that people make when making pumpkin dishes is grabbing pumpkin pie filling instead of pumpkin puree. Pumpkin pie filling is exactly what it is – filling for a pumpkin pie so it’s already sweetened and seasoned with spices. Pumpkin puree is simply just pumpkin in its raw and untouched form.
- Adjust the seasonings to your taste. If you find that you are craving more flavor, feel free to adjust the seasonings to what suit you. Whether that be more curry powder, more garam masala, something with a little bit of spice; this curry is extremely easy to manipulate.
- Use boneless skinless chicken. I’ve made this both with boneless skinless chicken breasts and chicken thighs. It all depends on what you’re looking for. They both yield an incredibly delicious curry, but I will say chicken thighs tend to stay a bit more tender than chicken breasts.
- Speeding up cooking time. Everything can be made in 4 hours instead of 6 if you cook on high instead of low.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
In an airtight container in the fridge, any leftovers you have will stay fresh for about 3-4 days. To reheat, use a microwave or stovetop.
This freezes well too! I add mine to the 1 or 2 cup Souper Cube containers and freeze. When I am ready to eat them, I pop a cube out and heat it on the stovetop. Usually I have to add a little more liquid (chicken broth) to it so it doesn’t burn and so it thins out a bit.
If you love curries, you’ll love these dishes:
- Katsu Chicken Curry
- Japanese curry
- Madras Curry
- Coconut Curry Ramen
- Curry Meatballs and Kale Stew
- Curry Lemongrass Chicken Noodle Bowl
Chicken Pumpkin Curry
Equipment
Ingredients
- 15 ounce (425 ml) unsweetened full fat coconut milk
- 2 cups (490 g) pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling
- 1 cup (237 ml) chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon (½ tablespoon) curry powder
- ½ tablespoon (2 teaspoon) garam masala
- 1 teaspoon tumeric powder
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
- ½ large onion, diced
- 3 cloves (1 clove) garlic, minced
- ½ tablespoon (4 g) finely minced ginger
- 3 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 cups (399 g) sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 pound (454 g) boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
- Juice of 1 lime
Instructions
- In the insert of a 6 quart slow cooker, add the coconut milk, pumpkin puree, chicken stock, curry powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, salt, and pepper. Whisk together to make sure it is all combined and spices are evenly distributed.
- Add the onion, garlic, ginger, carrots, sweet potatoes, chicken, and lime juice to the mixture. Stir to coat and incorporate.
- Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours.
- Serve over rice!
I love barre and this recipe looks delicious!
I agree with everyone else that this needed a LOT more spices and SALT. But I loved the pumpkin, coconut, everything. Once it’s doctored up right, it’s very good and SUPER filling with that pumpkin base. I put mine over some quinoa. Thanks for the idea!
Are there any spices that you would recommend replacing these with if your guests do not eat these? Thanks!
Unfortunately, no. All the spices in this curry are needed for flavor!
Based on previous comments I ended up about tripling the spices. I’m a vegetarian so I used vegetable broth and added russet potatoes instead of the chicken. I also added peas. It turned out great. Thanks for the inspiration.
Love this recipe so much and have made it a few times already ! I added in 2 cups of homemade pumpkin puree because it tastes better than canned pumpkin, and 1 extra clove of garlic! I didn’t have any issues with it being too watery like commenters have said and the flavors were all there and tasted great! It’s now my boyfriend’s new favorite dish that i’ve ever made, so I will definitely continue making the pumpkin coconut curry! Can’t go wrong with two of my favorite flavors in one dish!
This is really quite good with a couple of modifications: Leave out the chicken stock. The coconut milk/pumpkin/spice mix is thick to begin with, but as chicken cooks there is more liquid. Double the spices as others mention, and add a lump of palm sugar/jaggery. Add chicken a few hours in so it’s not overcooked and tough. Finally, this curry is even better after a night in the fridge.
Just wanted to chime in for future readers and say give this recipe a chance! Despite the mixed bag of comments I made this yesterday and was extremely happy with the result. I followed the recipe exactly except that I doubled the spices. It yielded a thick, deeply flavorful (but not at all spicy) curry that was wonderful over rice on a windy fall night. My advice would be to taste the pumpkin/coconut milk/spice mixture *before* you add the raw chicken (obviously!) to get an idea of how much spice you want in there. This is a really delicious recipe that I’ll be making again! Thank you!
I live in Hawaii and pumpkin is always available. Can I substitute the sweet potato with that?
If you can make the sweet potato into a puree-like consistency, then I don’t see why it wouldn’t work!
I found this on Pinterest and made it exactly as written. After putting the lid on the crockpot I saw the comments and wondered if I should change the recipe, but decided I would give it a try as-is.
I have to say, this is FANTASTIC. Seriously, this is just like the pumpkin curry I have ordered at many Indian and Thai restaurants! THANK YOU! I cannot tell you how many years I have been searching for this!!!
I want to take a moment to possibly trouble shoot- before anyone tosses a perfect recipe away. I used full-fat coconut milk, in a container that was so think I couldn’t even hear liquid when shaking the can. I also used canned pumpkin puree. I used a good quality curry and other spices as well- there IS a vast difference in the quality of curries, so maybe that is why some found it weak? Not sure.
This was not hot and spicy, if you went out and ordered curry I would say it is a 1 on the heat scale- but the flavor was absolutely perfect. I can see adding more spice if you wanted it more spicy- but to say it “needed” spices is quite incorrect. I would suggest making it as is, it is really fantastic! And for those who like it to be a 2, 3, 4, or 5- go ahead and add more next time! (or simmer some curry in some oil, add a bit more onion and garlic, and stir it in at the end- so you can be sure it will be exactly the heat you want!)
Thank you, again. Seriously been hunting for the perfect pumpkin and sweet potato curry for YEARS!!!!
So glad you loved this!! And thank so for sharing tips for others!
i prepared it last night it was so yummy and tasty too
thank u dear