Super creamy and so easy to make, this Thai Pumpkin Curry with chicken is a simple family dinner recipe. Try serving this dish with freshly steamed rice and a side of Sautéed Garlic Spinach for extra veggies. This curry is naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and extra tasty thanks to the best curry paste.
This pumpkin curry is my favorite pumpkin recipe to make every single year. I always used to bake with pumpkin, but it’s so good in savory dishes too!
Watch How To Make Pumpkin Curry
We make curry a lot! So it was natural to start adding pumpkin purée to our favorite Thai curry. The pumpkin gives this curry an extra helping of veggies right in the sauce. And since it’s already loaded with veggies, it ended up being double-packed with them.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Chicken thighs – I prefer using boneless, skinless chicken thighs in curries because they are more forgiving if slightly overcooked. You can also use chicken breasts, but be careful not to overcook them because they will be dry.
- Onion, garlic, & ginger – these three make up the base flavor of this curry. I like to use a garlic press to speed up the prep and the food processor for the ginger, see my tips below.
- Curry paste – I prefer the Mae Ploy brand of curry paste because it has the best flavor I’ve found. Other brands I’ve tried are spicier, so I end up using less, resulting in less flavor. I like to use red or yellow Thai curry paste for this recipe.
- Coconut milk – full-fat coconut milk is important in curry to give you the best flavor and texture.
- Pumpkin purée – look for pumpkin purée that is made with only one ingredient: pumpkin. You don’t want anything sweetened, such as pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin purée is just pure unsweetened (no spices) pumpkin.
- Veggies – I like to use a mixture of broccoli and carrots, but sometimes I add chopped baby spinach or kale as an alternative to the broccoli.
- Flavor boosters – a hint of coconut sugar and a squeeze of fresh lime really round out the flavors of this curry. Look for a fish sauce that doesn’t contain caramel coloring, etc, for the best flavor. Red Boat is my favorite brand of quality fish sauce.
How to make this recipe step by step
Step 1: Start by sautéing the cubed chicken thighs, then remove them from the pan.
Step 2: Add the garlic, ginger, and curry paste to the pan with additional oil if needed.
Cook, stirring to break up the curry paste until the mixture is fragrant but not browned, about 1 minute.
Step 3: Next, add the onion, carrot, and sliced broccoli stems to the pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often until the onion begins to soften.
Step 4: Add the coconut milk and pumpkin purée and bring the mixture to a simmer.
Simmer until the carrots and broccoli stems are tender.
Step 5: Finally, add the chicken back to the pan along with the broccoli florets and simmer just until done.
Season to taste with fish sauce, coconut sugar, and freshly squeezed lime juice, and adjust the salt to your taste before serving.
Ways to serve this
- Freshly steamed jasmine rice or cauliflower rice. Spaghetti squash and Roasted Sweet Potatoes are also surprisingly good with Thai curries, and a way to add more veggies to your meal.
- Chopped roasted nuts – cashews and peanuts are my favorites. Lime wedges for squeezing over the top. Freshly chopped cilantro.
- For a fresh side dish, try my Asian Cucumber Salad.
FAQ’s
First, make sure the curry paste you use is vegan, then omit the fish sauce and substitute soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos. And finally, in place of the chicken, try chickpeas or tofu.
Yes, all sorts of veggies are tasty here! Try bell pepper, roasted butternut or kabocha squash, cauliflower florets, or chopped spinach.
Storing leftovers
- To store – place any leftover curry in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead – this curry can be prepped ahead up to the point where you add the chicken and broccoli. When you’re ready to serve, sauté the chicken and finish cooking it in the prepared curry with the broccoli florets. You can also prep the veggies 3-4 days ahead.
- Reheating – Place any leftovers in a small skillet or saucepan and heat, stirring often, over medium heat until thoroughly heated. If I have leftover rice, I add it to the pan with the curry.
Tips & Tricks
- Every few months, I buy a large amount of ginger to prep ahead. I chop it into rough pieces (I don’t even peel it anymore, just wash it), then run it through the food processor, pulsing until it’s minced. From there, I transfer it to 1/4 cup glass jars to freeze. If you don’t peel it, the color will be more brown than you’re used to, but it doesn’t change the flavor or color of your finished dish.
- Add more or less curry paste to your personal preference. I’ve kept the amount listed in the recipe modest for medium heat, but feel free to add more if you love spice.
- Don’t discard the broccoli stems, they’re actually sweet(ish) and quite good. But first, use a vegetable peeler to peel away the outer tough layer of skin. You’ll see when the tender interior is revealed. From there, slice it up and cook with the harder veggies in a recipe – like carrots in this case.
Dietary Options & Substitutions
- Gluten-free – Ensure your curry paste and fish sauce are both gluten-free, as some brands may not be.
- Vegan or Vegetarian – omit the chicken and fish sauce, and make sure your curry paste is vegan. Add chickpeas or your choice of protein instead.
Coconut Curry Recipe Inspiration
I really hope you enjoy this Thai Pumpkin Curry recipe! If you do get a chance to make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you in the comments.
Pumpkin Curry
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs - cut into 1/2″ pieces
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 2 tbsp yellow curry paste - or Thai red curry paste, Mae Ploy brand
- 1 yellow onion - 12 ounces, peeled and diced into 1/2″ pieces
- 2 cups carrots - peeled and sliced 1/4" thick, 3-4
- 12 ounces broccoli - 1-2 heads
- 1 tbsp lime zest - grated with a microplane, or 2 lime leaves
- 1/2 tsp sea salt - more or less to taste
- 15 ounce can pumpkin purée
- 13.5 ounce can coconut milk - full fat
- 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 tbsp fish sauce - optional
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar
To Serve:
- Freshly steamed jasmine rice - or cauliflower rice
- Toasted chopped cashews or peanuts
- Lime wedges & cilantro
INSTRUCTIONS
- Start by prepping all the ingredients for the curry. For the broccoli, peel away the tough outer layer from the stems. Then slice the broccoli stems 1/4" thick, and set them aside with the carrots.
- Cut the broccoli crown into bite-sized florets, and set them aside separately to add in at the end of the cooking time.
- Preheat a Dutch oven or large 15" skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot but not smoking, add the avocado oil and sauté the chicken until browned and barely cooked. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside.
- Add the garlic, ginger, and curry paste to the pan and cook, stirring constantly to break up the curry paste over medium heat. Add more oil if necessary.
- Next, add the diced onion, carrots, and broccoli stems to the pan and sauté over medium heat until the veggies are just starting to soften, 3-4 minutes.
- Add lime zest, pumpkin purée, and coconut milk. Bring the curry to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Cook just until the veggies are tender and the sauce is slightly thickened, 8-10 minutes. If the sauce is too thick, add a touch of water or chicken stock to thin it out.
- Add the broccoli florets and simmer for 3-4 additional minutes until the broccoli is tender. Finally, add the chicken back to the pan and simmer until cooked through.
- Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the lime juice, fish sauce, and coconut sugar to your taste. Taste to adjust the seasonings, and serve immediately with your choice of sides.
NOTES
nutrition facts
This recipe was originally published in 2019 and updated in 2025 with more prep photos, tips, and information.
Made for some friends and we all LOVED IT! So easy too. I hate making complicated recipes and this is the farthest thing from it. I did leave out the brocolli stems because I’ve never used brocolli stems and wasn’t entirely sure how to utilize them. Can’t imagine made a big difference.. but maybe! Either way, phenomenal recipe !
So glad you all loved it and it wouldn’t matter at all if you didn’t use the broccoli stems! But if you do want to use them in the future, just make sure to peel the stems with a vegetable peeler until the tough outer layer is gone before slicing them up.
The only reason I gave this recipe 5 stars, is because I want able to give it 10 stars! It was delicious, even though I forgot to lay out the frozen chicken and used canned chicken! Definitely a keeper!
So glad you enjoyed it so much!
We loved this recipe! I substituted 1-15 oz. can organic garbanzo beans, drained for the chicken and added them at the same time I added the curry paste. Sprinkled toasted coconut, fresh cilantro and basil, and golden raisins atop at serving. It was divine.
So glad you enjoyed it and that sounds like a great way to make this vegetarian!
We made this to use some things in our fridge/freezer. We subbed tofu instead of chicken and green beans instead of broccoli, because that’s what we had on hand. We also had a curry spice blend rather than curry paste. The curry turned out so good!! We weren’t sure if we used enough spice (we googled a conversion from paste to spice) but it was lovely and creamy and had nice flavor. Leftovers were if anything even better!
So glad you enjoyed it and good to know the curry powder you used worked out great too!
I made this tonight – my family LOVED it! Thank you for the recipe 🙂
The pumpkin flavor is not really discernable, and I used almost the whole small jar of curry (I used red curry). #delicious
So glad you enjoyed it, and pumpkin is a subtle flavor that doesn’t come through the curry much, but it adds great creaminess and a hint of pumpkin!