Thai Butternut Squash Red Curry
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Ultra delicious Thai inspired butternut squash red curry that is creamy, spicy, rich, and comforting! The sweet butternut squash pairs beautifully with all the red curry spices.
And here it is!
Two very different curry recipes delivered to you back to back. You should know that this was seriously poor planning on my part. I didn’t mean to bombard you with curry recipes one after the other. But in my defense, this curry is absolutely worth obsessing over.
Won’t you let me feed you a spoonful of red curry with basmati rice to make it up to you?
Thank the lawwwwd it’s butternut squash season again. The best season there is in my very humble opinion. Because um.. hello! Butternut squash red thai curry is actually a thing. And it’s creamy, spicy, sweet, crunchy, comforting, and just down right addicting. Something i’ve been waiting all summer long to share. But who makes spicy curry in the summertime other than me?
Everything we love about food in general all rolled into one easy curry recipe. What I need you to know is that this is weeknight curry. We’re using store-bought red curry paste and really amping up the flavor with a little yellow curry powder. WHAT. Yes friends. The yellow curry powder adds sooo much spice and flavor to this easy one pot butternut squash curry.
Food like this is my life.
I go a little loopie when I think about all that sweet, tender butternut squash nestled in a slow simmered silky coconut curry sauce. Judging by this and the last recipe i’ve shared, it’s obvious that curries would be on the list of food that I could eat forever and ever. Also, top it with crushed cashews/peanuts and freshly chopped cilantro and i’d think you were after my heart.
And speaking of butternut squash. I’m no longer allowing myself to purchase whole butternut squash anymore. That privilege was immediately revoked last fall when I made a decent sized cut between my thumb and forefinger and then proceeded to almost faint from the ample amount of blood that was gushing from the wound. It’s not that slicing and dicing butternut squash is difficult, it’s that the person behind Little Spice Jar happens to have a ton more accidents than the average human being. ‘Uncoordinated’ can totally be my middle name from now until the end of time. So it’s a rule now. For my own sake, I must only purchase precut butternut squash.
And hey! On the positive side, shortcuts like these are totally welcome. Especially when I want to get butternut squash red curry in my belly in 30 minutes. Found that silver lining. ??
There are two main components to my butternut squash red curry:
1.) the curry base: I’m using store-bought red curry paste and really oomphing up the flavor with a little yellow curry powder. Along with that we need shallots, ginger, a little fish sauce, and some sugar. If you follow a vegan/vegetarian diet, feel free to omit the fish sauce. I know, the stuff smells terrible but what it does for this curry is amazing. It really adds a nice depth that makes the curry taste//smell like it’s been simmering all day. And finally you need a can of coconut milk. I’m not gonna tell you that low-fat coconut milk won’t work, because it will. I’m just going to tell you that full fat coconut milk makes this a more luxurious red curry experience. And to that, i’ll say no more. ?
2.) the veggies: in our case, i’m using butternut squash and baby spinach because I find the combination of the two works really well. We’re big fans of baby spinach and use it for just about everything. Needless to say, we always have some on hand. Kale also works well for this recipe, but keep in mind you’ll have to let it cook with the butternut squash a bit as it takes longer to wilt than spinach. Kabocha squash, acorn, sweet potatoes, and even carrots would work really well in place of the butternut squash. All of these ingredients have that sweet starchy factor that this curry needs.
Grab a bowl, because curries are meant to be eaten in a bowl. Fill it with a nice mound of fluffy basmati rice and top it with that silky coconut sauce loaded with tender squash and top it off with a handful of crushed nuts and fresh cilantro. A squeeze of lime juice wouldn’t hurt either.
This is get snug-on-the-couch-with-netflix food.
Thai Butternut Squash Red Curry
Ultra creamy and delicious Thai inspired butternut squash red curry that is creamy, spicy, rich, and comforting! The sweet butternut squash pairs beautifully with all the red curry spices.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoons coconut oil (or any oil really)
- 1 large shallots, chopped (or 2 small)
- 2-2 ½ cups diced butternut squash (about 1.5 pounds)
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 2-3 tablespoons red curry paste
- ½ tablespoon yellow curry powder
- 1 (15 ounce) can coconut milk
- ¾ cup vegetables or chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce (omit for vegans/vegetarians)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 3-4 cups fresh baby spinach
- basmati rice, crushed cashews/ peanuts, cilantro, lime wedges for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium high heat. Add the shallots and saute them for 5-6 minutes or until they just begin to get golden. Add the butternut squash and grated ginger, stir to coat with the oil.
- Add the red curry paste, yellow curry powder and stir until all the butternut squash is nicely coated. Continue to cook the curry paste for 2-3 minutes or until it's fragrant. Add the broth, coconut milk, fish sauce, and sugar. Let the sauce come to a simmer before covering. Lower the heat and allow the squash to cook all the way through, about 12-18 minutes. You'll know it's done when you can easily pierce the butternut squash with the tip of a knife. Stir in the baby spinach and allow it to wilt.
- Serve with basmati rice topped with crushed nuts, cilantro, and lime wedges.
Notes
- Kale can be used in place of the spinach in this recipe but keep in mind you'll need to add it in earlier so that it has enough time to wilt.
IS THIS A GOOD CHOICE FOR YOU?
Nutritional facts are for 5 servings. This does not include the nuts, basmati rice, or lime wedges.
If you like this recipe, you might also like:
instant pot cajun butternut squash soup
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97 Comments on “Thai Butternut Squash Red Curry”
This was fast and yummy! I added a can of chickpeas at the end with the spinach and it was worked really well! Served over cauliflower rice and topped with some lime juice and Sriracha ? great recipe!
I‘ve never made anything with butternut squash before and I have to say this one of the tastiest dishes we ever had! Keep up the great work and greetings from Germany. ^^
How long does this stay for in the fridge? I am trying to find meals I pre-make and freeze or refrigerate. Thanks!
Curries are forgiving so I’d say about 4-5 days tops!
I love this when Squash is in season. What else can I use? Yam?
Yams should work!
Just made this tonight with a few changes and it was PERFECT! I’d actually never cooked butternut squash before so this was a first for me. I don’t like very hot items and already had yellow curry paste so I used that. I had about 4 cups of butternut squash total from the two small ones from my garden. I also added garlic with the ginger. After making sure the squash was cooked through I let it simmer for about 10 more minutes UNcovered. This allowed some of the liquid to evaporate and made the curry thicker. It was so so delicious and I will definitely be making again. Hubby licked the plate! Thank you for a great recipe!
Absolutely delicious with a few modifications. The sauce is a bit too watery. I liked one of the comment recommendations to blend a cup of the squash to make the curry a bit creamier. Next time! And I also added a pound of turkey meatballs. Everyone loved this! Baby, hubby and me! We had this with brown rice.
I made this last night and I loved how it turned out. I added a big tablespoon of peanut butter to the curry because I love that nutty flavor. Next time I make it, I will probably add in some extra veggies and tofu! Great recipe!
I just made this recipe and am eating it now. It’s so good that I couldn’t wait to finish eating before posting a comment! Thanks for the recipe!!
This recipe is amazing! Absolutely loved it x
This curry looks amazing. I love the way you have served it. Lovely pictures.
I made this using a instant pot. Saute the vegaatables and curry in the pot just like you would on the stove. I added the rice into the pot. I increased the broth to 2 1/4 cups. I used the manual setting and set it for 7 mins. I did the quick release method. Once the top is ready to come off, I added the spinach. If it turns out a little drier that you like, just add a little more broth at the end.
Have you adapted to instant pot?
Unfortunately, I haven’t tried this recipe in the instant pot yet!
Hi Marzia,
This looks great. Is broth the same as stock?
Regards,
Damien
Yes, you can use broth or stock for this recipe 🙂
just made this, so yummy!! I added in some chickpeas and a couple scoops of coconut cream ! Sooooo delishhhhh
Is the 1.5 lbs of squash a reference to the weight of the whole squash before it is cut? I had a huge squash and measured 1.5 lbs of diced squash but it was more like 4 cups of diced squash. Should I use 2.5 cups or 1.5 lbs?
That’s correct – 1.5 pounds of squash is referring to a whole squash (including the peel/seeds). You’ll use 2.5 cups of diced squash.
Made this today. Turned out delicious!
Very delicious. I followed the recipe as written (with one minor change, see below), and the sauce was a little watery. i will use less vegetable broth next time. The only minor change I made was I eliminated the sugar completely. Butternut squash is sweet already and there is no need to add more calories. The dish tasted perfect. OMIT the sugar and save the calories!
2 teaspoons of sugar for the whole recipe that yields 5 servings is less than half a teaspoon of sugar per serving, which would come out to like 8 calories…
If you want to keep the sugar, keep the sugar. It does add a nice depth of flavor.
I just made this with about 7 cups of chicken broth as I wanted to convert this into soup that I’ll be taking to work this week for lunch. I also added the entire bag of spinach and kale. It looks and smells wonderful and can’t wait for lunch now!
Thank you for this comment. I was contemplating how to convert to a soup!
I love this, and made it twice in a row, once as directed and again with a bunch of other vegetables I needed to use up. It’s so good anyway you do it, it’s a great curry base! I love this. Next time I’ll add a few Kaffir Lime leaves from my plant.
Fantastic recipe. I added two Kefir lime leaves during the simmering time and the flavor was amazing. I also added a three small eggplants from my garden with the squash and my family is raving about it all.
This is the first recipe I have made from your site and it is so good! Even my meat eater husband loved it. I accidentally used madras curry powder instead of yellow, but it still came out excellent! I topped it with peanuts, cilantro, and a dollop of sour cream! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
Hi there! Do you think green curry paste would work instead of the red?
Ya yes yay! This recipe was easy, delicious, and a crowd pleaser. I made it in a cast iron skillet, and my garnish was crushed peanuts, lime, cilantro and mint. Top with sriracha and yum. I got a small squash and it yielded more than the recipe, so I put it aside to make more fresh later this week. This is easily a go to for quick entertaining meal nights! It was cold and rainy tonight, and it couldn’t be more perfect with a red wine. Thank you!
Have made this a couple of times and it is incredibly delicious. Was thinking of lightly roasting the butternut squash before adding next time. Also do you know if it is ok to freeze it?
Just made this for dinner / lunch for the week! YUUUMM!! Tweaks: didn’t have fish oil, subbed soy sauce. Also added a lil bit of turmeric. Added red lentils for protein, which I cooked separately. I also took out 1/2 of the cooked butternut squash/coconut milk mixture and pureed it, so the curry is extra creamy 😛 also added a lil sriracha.
Will def be making this again soon!! Thank you for the delicious recipe!!
….so good…I am hooked and it will be a weekly “thing” ?
Made this for dinner and it was delicious! Swapped sweet potatoes for the squash and added carrots and red bell peppers. Will make again and the husband loved it.
So amazing. My mom just said “this is one of my favorite things ever.” Thank you so much, so much goodness for this curry loving family.
Hey Marzia, I find this recipe quite interesting as adding coconut milk adds so much flavor. A perfect wholesome meal for a monsoon night.
I made this tonight with sweet potato and carrot instead of butternut squash and it was amazing. I can’t wait to make it again.
Are you using regular sugar or brown sugar?
Either will work for this recipe so I didn’t specify but I think I slightly prefer it with brown sugar.
when you say ‘yellow curry powder’ do you mean indian curry powder or thai yellow curry? thanks!
I used a regular ‘yellow curry’ spice mix from the grocery store, but if you have the choice, I’d say go with the Thai yellow curry powder! 🙂
A friend brought this to a girls night this winter and I asked her to send me the recipe! It was great then, and I hope it will be when I make it as well. Any thoughts on converting this to a crock pot recipe?
Glad to hear you enjoyed it Liz! I’ve never tried making this in a crock pot so it’s a little difficult to say without recipe testing. If you decide to give it a go, i’d love to hear how it went! 🙂
This was fabulous!! I added turmeric and a lil salt and pepper.. also used garlic instead of shallots and forgot the fish sauce. Still came out delicious though!!
I kinda want to thicken it with flour or something and just eat it alone as a soup! ?
I made this with frozen butternut squash, which turns out a bit squishier and falls apart more easily, so I simmered it for about 10 minutes and left the lid off because I like the sauce a little thicker. I also cooked up some red lentils in salted water separately and added at the end for a complete protein with the lentils and rice. I didn’t have any spinach, but this dish was so satisfying and hearty. My hubby and I loved it and will make it again! It was also quite spicy from the red curry paste we used, and we liked that as well. Great recipe!
This looks totally delicious! Love the balance of creamy butternut squash and basmati rice. Definitely going to add to my “to try” list!
I can’t believe how amazingly yummy this recipe was! Spicy and savory and so, so good. Everyone in my family loved it and it made it to the repeat list! I made it with sweet potatoes and doubled the recipe but the directions were fool proof. This recipe is a winner!
How could i change this recipe into a soup? It sound delicious.
Hi Lynn, Here’s a similar recipe i’ve done in the past for butternut squash soup. You can probably replace the curry powder with red curry paste and use coconut milk instead of cream at the end if you want it to be more similar to this red curry. Hope you enjoy it!
So delicious! I’ve made this multiple times and have shared it with so many people. I even turned my butternut squash hating, carnivorous husband into a fan. This recipe is so easy and filling. Perfection!
Haha! Love hearing that! Thanks for commenting Jessica!
Even my picky kid liked it! Delicious taste , I didn’t have the fish sauce and added some Sriracha for some heat and we loved it!
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I made it a while ago, and absolutely loved it. I plan to make it again this week, but am wondering if leftovers will freeze well? Thanks!
They do freeze well!
Made this tonight an it was delicious! Both my husband and I loved it. We had a lot of butternut squash in our gardens and so I’m always looking for new recipes… Thank you for this one!
SO good!! The fish sauce and sugar really do add a great touch to the curry. So glad I made this. I’m not a vegetarian and I was afraid this wouldn’t be filling enough but I am super full right now. I also added carrots and red bell peppers to it. Thanks for the recipe! Definitely a keeper.
Finally a red curry recipe that tastes just like it came from my favorite Thai takeout joint! Thank you!
I made this last night and it was FANTASTIC!!! Thank you for posting. I will definitely make again!
This is so delicious. I’ve made it twice, my kids love it. Perfection!
Can’t wait to make this! I’m curious, has anyone tried freezing it?
One of our favorite curry dishes! So much amazing flavor 🙂
**Note I did use a homemade curry powder, instead of the standard store bought spice. I think homemade always tastes better 🙂
3 tsp turmeric
2 tsp coriander
1½ tsp cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
¾ tsp yellow mustard
½ tsp white pepper
½ tsp fenugreek (hard to find. Omit if necessary.)
½ tsp cardamom
½ tsp cloves
½ tsp nutmeg
⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp black pepper
I just saved this recipe to make REALLY SOON! But, have to ask, why are you adding sugar? Does it really need it?
Sugar provides a nice balance to the flavors. You can simply omit it if you wish.
Literally one of the best curry recipes ! And a simpler one. Definitely on my list to make again and again, and with different veggies. Thanks Marzia !
Happy to hear you enjoyed it Lauren 🙂
I made this for dinner tonight and it was amazing! Great recipe!