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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
I will try this – but making it VEGAN by using vegan fish sauce and not egg noodles. Then it will be GREAT, vegan and GF!!!
I love that! I hope it turned out amazing for you, Sue!
Hi Tieghan. Yes I did use the slow cooker and I did not add any water to the recipe-other than that I followed all of your directions. I wonder if maybe the broth does not need to be added and this may have made it soupy? Thanks- Merry Christmas!
hi! Sounds like your slow cooker just trapped in all the moisture. Try leaving the lid off the curry for 30 minutes to and hour before serving to thicken it up! Hope this helps!
Hi there, I added 2 cans of coconut milk, seems like alot in proportion to the curry paste. Am I reading that right?
Thanks! Love all your recipes!
Hey Maggie! 2 cans is correct! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much and happy Holidays!! xTieghan ?
Made this today and was disappointed with the extremely soupy outcome. Followed directions to a T. Only the squash retained any of the flavor 🙁
Hey Kate! Did you use the slow cooker? Was there any kind of change in the recipe? Any details would be helpful in problem solving. Sorry for the trouble!
I’m going to make this tomorrow because it looks amazing. I was wondering if I could sub beet green for the kale as that is what I have on hand. I guess we’ll find out.
Hi! I am sure beet greens will be delicious! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much and happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan
My husband and I LOVE curries and I made this one last night for dinner. Delicious curry, thank you for sharing! We’ll be trying more of your recipes in the future, HBH! The only thing we’d do differently next time is to serve over rice or rice noodles instead of egg noodles.
I also added crushed chili peppers to mine because I like a bit of heat.
I am so glad this turned out so well for you Lesley! Thank you and I hope you love it with rice noodles.. YUM!
Finally made this today;, with about 1 lb. diced chicken breast. Somehow I missed the instruction to add cinnamon and lime juice, so I used powdered cinnamon and juice after cooking. I also left out the kale and haven’t cut into the pomegranate yet. Served it over some leftover pasta and I think it soaked up some of the juice, which was nice. Beautiful, mild flavor, I think it got better as I ate!
I am so glad you loved this and it turned out great, Charis! Thank you so much!
Made this tonight and my husband said “this is restaurant quality good.” I added some crispy prosciutto on top and subbed Soy sauce for the fish sauce. Thanks for a fab recipe!
Thank you so much! I am so glad you and your husband loved this recipe!
This was delicious! Even better the next day.
Happy to hear that! Thank you Gina!
I made this for dinner last night and it was incredible!! I didn’t use my crockpot because I would have been away from the house for 10 hours (too long to cook this), so I made it in my cast iron pot. It was quick and easy to make and extremely delicious!! I will for sure be making this again!
I am so glad you loved this! Thank you so much!!
Followed the instructions and the coconut milk curdled and separated, I ended up having to throw it out 🙁
Hi Kaleigh, what kind of coconut milk are you using and what brand? I have not had this curdle one me before, so I am not sure what’s happening. Any details you can give me would be very help. So sorry for anything trouble!
I saw this on Instagram and had to make it as soon as possible! It was simple, completely delicious, and a great choice for my dairy-free family. I used a slow cooker and it was definitely very thin, as others commented, even with only 1c broth and no added water. The following night I reheated on the stovetop to reduce a little, added more kale, and finished cooking the egg noodles in the simmering curry. It was soooooo good!
Thank you so much Meghan!
This was my first attempt at using the instant pot, and this recipe is drool worthy! Thanks for sharing such wonderful, wholesome recipes.
I am so happy to hear that! Thank you Whitney!
I do not have an instant pot or slow cooker. How do I cook the ingredients? Thank you!
HI! You can simmer all ingredients on the stove-top over medium heat for about 25-30 minutes. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan
I have three quick questions for you: if I were to want to use quinoa, could I put it in the instant pot or slow cooker right in the beginning uncooked or do I do that sperately?
I’m assuming chicken could go in in the beginning, although I bet beef would be delicious too.
What’s a stick of cinnamon if I were to use powdered cinnamon?
Thanks so much! This looks incredible!
Hmm, I think adding it to the instant pot or slow cooker could work, but I have not tired it, so I do not know for sure. Chicken will be great! Use 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan