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This is that hands-off, come-home-to-something-wonderful dinner. Butternut squash simmers down into a silky, coconut-y curry with gentle heat and bright lime.
It’s simple, adaptable, and very fall—use what’s in the crisper, adjust the spice, and let the slow cooker do the heavy lifting.
I’ve decided that all Mondays are made better, and easier, with recipes like this slow cooker curry.
Things have been beyond hectic over here, and while I love it so much, and am so grateful for all the amazing opportunities and fun things we are doing with HBH, it’s definitely left me with much less time! I’m in NYC today for work, heading home late tomorrow, and as soon as I get home I will hit the ground running. Working on organizing the studio, projects I have yet to announce (but hinted about…), and upcoming content for HBH. I’m excited about it all, but again, it just means things are busy.
Pretty sure you all can relate, right?
Thankfully we have slow cooker recipes to help save the day.
Enter this curry that’s all things fall, all things healthy, and all things delicious.
This is one of those great recipes that honestly requires almost no thought to make, practically no time, and conveniently uses many pantry staple ingredients. It can also be made not only in the slow cooker, but in the instant pot as well.
Promise it is not too good to be true.
The details.
Come late September, butternut squash is positively my favorite vegetable to cook with. It’s sweet, savory, and so satisfying. I love pairing it with all kinds of things like, soup, pizza, pasta, Indian dishes, and even pancakes, it’s incredibly versatile.
So, I’m excited to share this curry. You ready to hear how to make it? OK cool, it’s super quick.
Add the cubed butternut squash, Thai red curry paste, coconut milk, and a handful of other ingredients to your slow cooker. Set the cooker, forget about it for six or hours, come home, smell the delicious smells, boil some egg noodles, plate and enjoy!
Yes, it truly is as simple as that.
I served my curry over egg noodles with a handful of fresh pomegranate arils, but you could just as easily serve this with rice noodles or even rice. We decided that this is best with noodles, but make your own choice here, and use your favorite carb. Quinoa would be equally great!
As for the pomegranate, I love the sweet burst of flavor the arils give to the dish. They bring a pop of bright fresh color, and the flavor pairs extremely well with the Thai flavor happening in this curry. Also? I just love pomegranates and am very happy they are coming back into season. Expect to see lots of the pretty little jewels sprinkled throughout my recipes this fall.
Perfection in my eyes, and perfect for any night of the week, but especially a busy Monday night!
OH, and bonus? This is (almost vegan) and totally healthy. Cool. Cool.
Make-Ahead, Storage & Reheat
- Make-ahead: Chop squash/aromatics and refrigerate; measure spices/curry paste so morning assembly is quick.
- Storage: Cool, then refrigerate in airtight containers; flavors improve by the next day.
- Freezing: Freezes well; thaw in the fridge, then rewarm gently and re-brighten with lime.
- Reheat: Warm over low heat; loosen with a splash of water or coconut milk if thick.
FAQ:
Can I use pumpkin instead of butternut squash?
Yes—peeled, cubed pumpkin or kabocha works well. Expect slightly different texture; kabocha holds shape a bit better.
How spicy is this curry, and how can I adjust it?
Heat depends on your curry paste brand and amount. Start modest and add more paste or sliced chilies at the end; temper heat with extra coconut milk or a squeeze of lime.
What protein works best if I don’t want to keep it vegetarian?
Shredded rotisserie chicken, chickpeas, tofu, or a handful of shrimp stirred in at the end are easy wins. Keep proteins tender by warming just until heated through.
How do I thicken the sauce without cream?
Let it bubble uncovered at the end to reduce. For extra body, stir in a spoon of tomato paste or a little nut/cashew butter—both keep it dairy-free.
If you make this slow cooker saucy Thai butternut squash curry, please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love hearing from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Slow Cooker Saucy Thai Butternut Squash Curry with Noodles
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 1098 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup Thai Red curry paste
- 2 cans (14 ounce) coconut milk
- 1-2 cups low sodium veggie broth
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
- 4 cups cubed butternut squash
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- juice from 1 lime
- 2 cups shredded kale
- 1 pound wide egg noodles, such as tagliatelle
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, or basil, roughly chopped
- 1 pomegranate, arils for serving
Instructions
- 1. In the bowl of your slow cooker, combine together the curry paste, coconut milk, 1 cup broth, fish sauce, and peanut butter. Add the butternut squash, cinnamon, ginger, and lime juice. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 2-3 hours.2. Stir the kale into the curry and cook 5 minutes until wilted. Stir in the cilantro (or basil). If the curry is too thick, add broth to thin.3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the noodles according to package directions. 3. To serve, divide the noodles among bowls and spoon the curry overtop. Top with pomegranate arils and cilantro. Enjoy!
Instant Pot
- 1. In the bowl of your instant pot, combine together the curry paste, coconut milk, 1 cup broth, fish sauce, and peanut butter. Add the butternut squash, cinnamon, ginger, and lime juice. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Cover, select the manual setting, and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.2. Once done cooking, use the quick release function and release the steam. Set the instant pot to sauté. Stir in the kale and cook 5 minutes until wilted. Stir in the cilantro (or basil). If the curry is too thick, add broth to thin.3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the noodles according to package directions. 3. To serve, divide the noodles among bowls and spoon the curry overtop. Top with pomegranate arils and cilantro. Enjoy!
This post was originally published on September 17, 2018
Loved the curry! Recommend using Thai Basil *yum* and while we tried it with the noodles, we found we preferred it with jasmine rice to soak up the flavors.
i’m making this for my boyfriend. we’re having sex in the broth. bye
I don’t mean any disrespect, but I’m sorry to say, this recipe for Slow cooker saucy thai butternut squash curry with egg noodles was horrendously awful. It stunk and had absolutely zero flavour. I’m from the UK… we have all kinds of food in Britain. I’ve eaten West Indies curries, Moroccan tagines, Indian curries, Caribbean jerk, Hong Kong, Szechwan, Cantonese, Polish, Irish, Ethiopian, French foods. The point I’m trying to make is, there are a lot of foods and spices and flavours . My family and I didn’t really care for it.
Hey Raine, so sorry you didn’t enjoy this recipe. Is there any questions you have that could maybe help you enjoy it? I really hope you can try some other recipes from my blog and enjoy them!
Thank you for the feedback, it means the world for my blog!
Made this tonight via stove top. Simmered for almost an hour. Turned out perfect. Even added vegan chickn cutlets. Huge hit! Thank you!!
Sounds like an amazing addition. Thanks for making it Ashlee, so happy it was yummy!
We made this last night and loved it! The flavours were amazing – particularly liked the inclusion of the peanut butter which added a little more depth. However, the sauce was much too thin. Perhaps either the coconut milk or broth/stock could be reduced, particularly as more could always be added at the end. Thai sticky rice was a fab accompaniment!
Thank you so much! I am so glad you enjoyed this!
I made this tonight. Easy. Mild flavor…. next time I’ll add more curry paste. It was very liquidy, hoped it would be more creamy saucy, and I didnt even add the 1 cup water. I can see it with double the squash if its this liquidy. Or maybe add chicken or shrimp.
Thank you! I hope you love this more the next time you make it.
We were so disappointed in this recipe – no one in my family enjoyed and as the chef, I eat everything I make but also couldn’t eat more than a few bites so our beloved Meatless Monday became peanut butter and banana sandwich nigh. I believe there is a typo in the recipe…..the ingredients do not list water yet the instruction say to add a cup of water along with the coconut milk and broth (which I did), making this a very watery, tastesless soup, rather that a curry. The water from the butternut squash is too much here. I ended up pureeing in a blender to create something that might stick to the noodles but it was still a watery mess. I’ve made at least 30 recipes from HBH and enjoy most of them but this one needs some reworking in a big way.
Hey Anne, I am so sorry this did not turn out for you. After reading your comment I went back to look at the recipe to make sure everything was correct and you are right, the water is a typo and should not be included in the recipe directions. I am so sorry and feel so bad that the curry didn’t turn out properly because of this error. I have adjusted the recipe to read correctly. In any case, thank you for bringing the typo to my attention. Again, so sorry for the trouble! Hope you continue to enjoy all the HBH recipes you try!
Best,
Tieghan
It’s officially fall here in Anchorage so this seemed like a perfect thing to make on this wet & windy day! I cooked it in my pressure cooker (I have the power pressure cooker, not the instant pot) and cooked it for the recommended 8 min…..the butternut squash was over cooked and turned into mush so I didn’t serve it over pasta but served it as a soup! My friends are devouring it upstairs as I write this and asking for more 🙂 I’ll try cooking it for half the time when I make this again!
YES! I hope you love this Rebekah! Thank you!
We made this for dinner tonight..it was awesome. Put it over noodles…will try it with rice next time to change it up. Definitely a keeper!
I am so happy to hear that! Thank you Michele!
I made this tonight in my slow cooker and as one other reader commented, it was very watery! Also, it seems as though the coconut milk separated some, leaving tiny chunks of coconut milk solids in the curry. The flavor is great, but it’s not pretty and smooth like yours at all!
Thank you so much Kathryn!
Made this for dinner this week and have been enjoying leftovers for lunch! Delicious!
Thank you so much Melissa!
Would it be possible to make this in the instant pot?
Yes, directions are included in the recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan
Made this tonight – it is so good – I used a thickener since there was a lot of liquid. I also think next time I will cut my butternut squash into larger pieces – ladled it over rice – excellent – thanks for such a great recipe
Thank you so much! I am so glad you liked this!
Love the idea of this and plan on making it tonight! Should the butternut squash be cooked beforehand?
No need to precook the butternut squash, use raw squash! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan
I love all of your recipes – when I say this one I knew I was making it right away. I will say, i crock potted the recipe for 4 hours and it was really watery, and looked nothing like the creamy goodness you made. Was that extra cup of water needed? I’m wondering if it would’ve been the right consistency without it. Just wonding what I did wrong ?. Thank you for continuing to share these lovely ideas!
Hey Brittany! Hmm, not sure why this was liquidy for you. My guess is that your crockpot just held in more moisture than mine did. Try using only 1/2 cup water the next time. And then if you need to thicken, just leave the lid off the crockpot during the last 30 minutes of cooking. That will thicken it! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan