This Thai red curry with chicken and Kabocha squash recipe is an easy and healthy fall dish using Kabocha squash. The extra creamy texture comes from the coconut milk and the squash cooked together in red curry paste, creating just the perfect combination like that of a curry and stew dish.
For more delicious Thai curries, make these popular recipes, Authentic Thai red curry recipe, Easy red curry green beans with shrimp, Pineapple red curry with chicken. Make your own Authentic homemade Thai red curry paste for even more added flavors. You'll be all set with Thai curries with these!
This recipe is perfect for Fall time when pumpkins and squash are in season. Thai red curry with chicken and Kabocha squash is quite simple and is delicious with a tinge of spiciness from the red curry paste.
Jump to:
- What is Kabocha Squash?
- Where Can you Find Kabocha Squash?
- How to Cut Kabocha Squash?
- Ingredients for Thai Red Curry with Chicken and Kabocha Squash
- How to Make Red Thai Curry with Chicken and Kabocha Squash
- Recipe Notes & Helpful Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Related Recipes
- Thai Red Curry with Chicken and Kabocha Squash
What is Kabocha Squash?
Kabocha squash, the star of this recipe, is a type of winter squash also known as Japanese squash. The flesh of the Kabocha squash is deep, bright yellow with a sweet and creamy flavor.
Once cooked, the meat turns silky soft, much like soft-boiled sweet potatoes. The dark green skin is thin and edible, making it one of the most versatile ingredients to cook with.
Where Can you Find Kabocha Squash?
Kabocha squash can be readily found in Asian and American grocery stores all year round. They have many names and spellings but generally, look for a round Japanese pumpkin with dark green skin.
Check your local farmer's markets in the fall for locally grown options. Trader Joe's and Whole Foods always have a great selection in early Autumn.
When picking out the squash, lift 2 pieces at once to see if one feels heavier than the other. Pick the heavier ones as these are fresher. Kabocha squash is kept at room temperature for weeks at a time and months when kept in the fridge!
How to Cut Kabocha Squash?
Always wash your Kabocha well. We will use the skin in our cooking, which tastes great. Omit it for your first time if you're unsure if you'll like it. Follow the step-by-step photo instructions below for an easier guide on how to cut kabocha squash.
- Place a firm grip on the Kabocha on a sturdy cutting board with one hand.
- Cut to the side of the stem and firmly slice a knife into the squash.
- Cut the squash from top-down from each side.
- The squash should crack open almost in half or thirds at this point.
- In the center of the squash are the bright yellow pulp and seeds.
- Cut the halve pieces into another half for ease of smaller pieces to deal with.
- Use a spoon to scrape out the pulp and seeds from each piece.
- Then, scoop out the softer lining until you get to a firm part of the squash meat. Discard interior parts on steps 7 & 8.
- Carefully slice the squash into long but thick strips about 2 inches thick
- Cut all the remaining squash from step 9.
- Cubed the thick strips into 2-2.5 inch chunks for cooking.
- Put all the squash cubes into a bowl and measure 2 lbs for this recipe.
That's it! If you have extra squash, save it for the next time you make your second round of this recipe using a different protein or boil it for about 10-12 minutes, sprinkle it with a bit of salt & and eat it as a creamy side dish.
I've also boiled, then pureed it to sneak some into my kids' Mac & Cheese! I have to sneak all those nutrients in anywhere I can, right? (;
Ingredients for Thai Red Curry with Chicken and Kabocha Squash
This red Thai curry with chicken and Kabocha squash recipe calls for some ingredients at your local grocery store and some at the Asian Markets. Here’s a list to print out and bring to both places.
American/Western Grocery Store List
- One kobucha squash. One whole squash is usually around 3.5-4 pounds big. Substitute butternut squash if you can't find Kabocha.
- Chicken breast. Any protein will do well in this recipe.
- Garlic. Use large cloves of garlic for extra flavor.
- Shallots. Substitute purple, sweet, or Spanish onion—all great options.
- Brown sugar. Use palm, white, monk, coconut sugar, honey, agave, or maple syrup as sweeteners.
- Oil. Use coconut, vegetable, canola, or avocado oil. Never use olive oil in Thai cooking.
Asian Grocery Store List
- Red curry paste MaePloy is what I used for this recipe. But Maesri or making your Red curry paste (LINK )are excellent choices, too! If this is your first time making Thai red curry, I highly recommend a store-bought brand for now.
- Fish Sauce Squid brand is what I used for this recipe.
- Kaffir lime leaves. (Look in the freezer section at the Asian market.) If you can't find kaffir leaves, use 1/ 2 teaspoon of lime zest as a substitute.
- Thai Basil. Substitute Italian basil, but add ½ cup extra for a strong flavor.
- Chilis. If you prefer no heat, Thai green or red chilies, serrano, jalapenos, or bell peppers. (Red bell peppers add an extra crunch of veggies and a pretty color next to the yellowish curry sauce!) (:
- Coconut milk. Use full-fat coconut milk.
- Coconut cream. This extra creaminess elevates this recipe to a whole new level of deliciousness! Don't skip it! (:
How to Make Red Thai Curry with Chicken and Kabocha Squash
(More detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.)
- Fry the garlic and shallot in coconut oil (or any oil of choice) in a Dutch oven or large pot on medium-high heat. Fry until fragrant, 30 seconds or so.
- Add the curry paste, stir and break the big chunks, and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the entire can of coconut milk, stir it all in, and continue breaking up the curry paste chunks.
- Stir until you have a creamy orange sauce and bubbles have formed.
- Bring everything to a boil on medium-high heat, then turn the heat down to medium.
- Add the chicken and the kabocha squash and mix well with the sauce.
- Stir the entire mixture together well.
- Add coconut cream and water. Instead of water, you can use unsalted chicken stock, chicken broth, or vegetable broth for extra flavors.
- If using water, add some to the opened coconut milk can swoosh it around in the can, and then pour it into the Dutch oven. Stir it all in and cook for 6-8 minutes or until the sweet kabocha squash is fork-tender but not too soft.
- Add brown sugar, fish sauce, chili peppers, and kaffir lime leaves, and let it simmer on medium-low heat for 4-5 more minutes. Taste the flavor of the curry. If too salty, add more sugar. If too sweet, add more fish sauce or a dash of salt, depending on how salty your fish sauce brand is.
- Add the basil and mix it well. Turn off the heat. Let the curry sit for about 5 minutes before serving.
- Serve over cooked Jasmine or brown rice! Garnish with thinly sliced kaffir lime leaves, basil leaves, or chopped cilantro. For more heat, add a slice of Thai red pepper for an extra kick! Rice and garnish with more basil and kaffir lime leaves if desired.
- That's it! Enjoy your delicious Red Thai Curry with Chicken and kabocha squash!
- Fry the garlic and shallot in oil in a dutch over medium-high heat. Fry until fragrant.
- Add the curry paste, and break the big chunks into small ones.
- Add coconut milk, stir it all in, and continue breaking up the curry paste chunks.
- Stir until you have a creamy orange sauce
- Bring everything to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium.
- Add the chicken and the kabocha squash and mix well with the sauce.
- Stir everything together for 1 minute or so.
- Add coconut cream and water/stock.
- (If using water, add water to the opened coconut milk can, swish together, then pour into the Dutch oven. Stir it all in and cook for 10 minutes or until the kabocha squash is tender but soft.
- Add brown sugar, fish sauce, chili peppers, and kaffir lime leaves, and let it simmer for 5-7 more minutes. Taste the flavor of the curry; if too salty, add more sugar. If too sweet, add more fish sauce.
- Add the basil and mix it well. Turn off the heat. Let the curry sit for about 5 minutes before serving.
- Serve over cooked Jasmine rice and garnish with more basil and kaffir lime leaves if desired.
- That's it! Enjoy your delicious Red Thai Curry with Chicken and kabocha squash!
Recipe Notes & Helpful Tips
- Kabocha squash curry keeps well as leftovers for 2-3 days. The next day, curries are even more decadent and creamy, great as breakfast with a sunny-side-up egg over the curry and rice. I'm serious. Try it! You'll thank me later. ;
- You can also freeze some in small containers if this serving size is too large. Just warm the frozen curry in a warm pot over medium heat or microwave on high for 2-3 minutes before serving.
- Serve your red Thai curry with chicken with rice or nan, or eat it as a one-plate meal. So hearty and fulfilling!
- The smaller you slice your kabocha and chicken, the less time you need to cook your curry. Cutting the sliced kabocha into 1-inch cubes will help speed up your cooking time. Removing the thin layer on the skin of the kabocha squash will also help speed up your cooking and save more time.
- You can reduce the amount of curry paste for less spiciness. You can also add more towards the end of the cooking time if you need more flavors.
- I used all Thai brands for my ingredients. Please beware that the red curry paste bought at an American grocery store will not yield the same result. It’s a bit too runny and watered down for me. Please find a Thai brand if possible. A curry paste, not powder.
- Curry gets thicker overnight, so it’ll be extra creamy and rich the next day. We eat it for breakfast the next day. It’s delicious and super fulfilling!
Frequently Asked Questions
Thai curries are typically served with Jasmine rice. But you can also eat it with sticky rice and white rice. Any noodles are perfectly fine with curry. There are no rules. Use what you have. If it tastes good, run with it! (: I've it all, and they are great!
Both are equally spicy! It comes down to how spicy your paste is. Red curry paste uses dried chilis, while green curry paste uses fresh green chilis. Both are hot, but the amount used in a paste will determine the spiciness of your curry. Making your curry paste gives you complete control of your spiciness level.
Yes, mostly. The curry paste is typically made with healthy spices and herbs, so they are very healthy. What you add to your curry recipe will determine how healthy your curry is. Many Thai curries use sugar and coconut milk but balance them with added vegetables. It's a balance of healthy and delicious.
Thai red curry is a spicy, sweet, salty, and sometimes sour dish throughout Thailand and worldwide. Depending on the curry, each recipe is different, but most Thai red curry pastes are made with chilis, garlic, shallot, lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime rind, and spices. The combined ingredients used made up for the many different curries in Thai cuisine.
Related Recipes
- What is kabocha sqush
- Authentic Thai red curry recipe
- Authentic homemade Thai red curry paste
- Easy red curry green beans with shrimp
- Pad Phrik King recipe with pork belly
- Red curry with chicken and pineapple curry
- Thai pork belly with yellow curry
- Easy red curry green beans with shrimp
- Easy Thai yellow curry chicken
** Love a recipe you've tried? Please leave a 5-star rating in the recipe card below and a review in the comments section further down the page. Or follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram! **
PrintThai Red Curry with Chicken and Kabocha Squash
- Total Time: 40
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This Thai red curry with chicken and Kabocha squash recipe is an easy and healthy fall dish using Kabocha squash. The extra creamy texture comes from the coconut milk and the squash cooked together in red curry paste, creating just the perfect combination like that of a curry and stew dish.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped small
- 2-3 small shallots or sub ½ medium purple onions, sliced into small pieces
- Up to ½ cup red curry paste, store-bought (Mae Ploy brand preferably). Add 2 tablespoon if using a homemade curry paste. Start with 1-2 tablespoons and add more at the end to suit your spice level.
- 1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk (Chaokoh brand preferably)
- 2 lbs Kabocha, cut and scrapped and chopped into med chunks about 2 inches thick
- 1 lb chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces about 3x2 inch long
- 1 small carton (8.5 oz) coconut cream, about 1 cup. I used the Chaokoh brand.
- 1 ¼ cup water or light stock
- ½ - 2 tablespoon fish sauce (depending on the brand and taste, adjust accordingly). I used the squid brand.
- ¼ cup + 1 tsp brown sugar
- 3-4 kaffir lime leaves sliced thin
- 3 Thai long red chilis, fresh or sub-Serrano peppers. Deseed and rinse.
- 1 cup Thai basil
Instructions
- Fry the garlic and shallot in oil in a dutch over medium-high heat. Fry until fragrant.
- Add the curry paste, and break the big chunks into small ones.
- Add coconut milk, stir it all in, and continue breaking up the curry paste chunks.
- Stir until you have a creamy orange sauce
- Bring everything to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium.
- Add the chicken and the kabocha squash and mix well with the sauce.
- Stir everything together for 1 minute or so.
- Add coconut cream and water/stock.
- (If using water, add water to the opened coconut milk can, swoosh together, then pour into the Dutch oven. Stir it all in and cook for 10 minutes or until the kabocha squash is tender but soft.
- Add brown sugar, fish sauce, chili peppers, and kaffir lime leaves, and let it simmer for 5-7 more minutes. Taste the flavor of the curry; if too salty, add more sugar. If too sweet, add more fish sauce.
- Add the basil and mix it well. Turn off the heat. Let the curry sit for about 5 minutes before serving.
- Serve over cooked Jasmine rice and garnish with more basil and kaffir lime leaves if desired.
- That's it! Enjoy your delicious Red Thai Curry with Chicken and kabocha squash!
Notes
- Kabocha squash curry keeps well as leftovers for 2-3 days. The next day, curries are even more decadent and creamy, great as breakfast with a sunny-side-up egg over the curry and rice. I'm serious. Try it! You'll thank me later. ;
- You can also freeze some in small containers if this serving size is too large. Just warm the frozen curry in a warm pot over medium heat or microwave on high for 2-3 minutes before serving.
- Serve your red Thai curry with chicken with rice or nan, or eat it as a one-plate meal. So hearty and fulfilling!
- The smaller you slice your kabocha and chicken, the less time you need to cook your curry. Cutting the sliced kabocha into 1-inch cubes will help speed up your cooking time. Removing the thin layer on the skin of the kabocha squash will also help speed up your cooking and save more time.
- You can reduce the amount of curry paste for less spiciness. You can also add more towards the end of the cooking time if you need more flavors.
- I used all Thai brands for my ingredients. Please beware that the red curry paste bought at an American grocery store will not yield the same result. It’s a bit too runny and watered down for me. Please find a Thai brand if possible. A curry paste, not powder.
- Curry gets thicker overnight, so it’ll be extra creamy and rich the next day. We eat it for breakfast the next day. It’s delicious and super fulfilling!
** Thank you so much for visiting my blog! This is truly a passion for me. If you have enjoyed these recipes and appreciate the hard work I put into them, I would love it if you would share them with your friends! Your recommendation is the highest review I could hope for, and I’d appreciate it! **
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: curries
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Thai
I would love to hear from you! Please leave a comment and a 5-star ?rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. Or follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram!
Suwanee says
Thank you, Thuy! I'm so glad it was a success for you!
Thuy Vo says
It so good. Thank you Suwanee .
Suwanee says
You are the kindest, thank you so much, Alice!
Alice Koh-Sorey says
The first taste of this curry brings back so many good memories of home for me in Malaysia. I love your beautifully presented curry dish and take inspiration in your food photography skills and cooking talent. You are AMAZING, Suwanee.
Suzy says
This recipe is a family staple for our household! I keep forgetting to review it because we always devoured and fight over it. lol!
Thank you for such a fantastic recipe, Suwanee!
Suwanee says
Thank you so much, David. So glad you loved it!
David Resnick says
Just made it a second time. Fantastic spicy rich red curry.
Suwanee says
I'm so happy to hear this! Thank you, Emy.
Emy says
Great recipe! I made no modifications to it and it's absolutely delicious! I'll make it again and again. Thank you for sharing!
Suwanee says
I'm so happy to hear this Brian! Yes, feel free to adjust the spice level. The curry is creamier and thicker the next, taking a way some of the heat. This curry recipe does well with minimal vegetables, but bamboo shoots are highly recommended. Enjoy!
Brian says
My wife grew a bunch of kobucha squash. Recall seeing Thai curry recipes with squash so started searching & found this one among others. Swapped tofu for chicken. Turned out fantastic! I will DEFINITELY be making this again. My Thai basil was in pretty bad shape by the time I was ready to make this so only a couple tablespoons, but the thinly sliced kafir lime leaves at the end was great. Didn't have coconut cream on hand so used more coconut milk. I did the full 1/2C of curry paste. Definitely has heat! but I like it. My wife also liked it, but could only have smaller portions at a time due to the spice level. It mellowed a bit the next day/today. I may put in less curry paste next time...maybe. I think I'll press the tofu next time or freeze then thaw it to give it more chew. Wondering about other complimentary veggies. Green beans might be nice? Was thinking to add bamboo shoots, but forgot. Love those in curries. I'll be printing this off and putting it in my recipe binder. Thank you!
Suwanee says
Thank you for the note, Emily, appreciate your suggestions.
I'm so glad you love it. Thank you for the review as well. Enjoy the curry! (:
Emily says
This recipe is awesome. There's one typo to fix! On step 9 it's missing a closed parentheses, and that makes it a bit hard to read. Regardless, I've made this many times and adjusted it to different ingredients, and will probably make it again 🙂
Suwanee says
That's fantastic, Jennifer! I love that you used the braised pork shoulder! Sounds amazing! (:
Jennifer says
This was easy and wonderful. I wanted to recreate a pork dish at my fav Thai restaurant. I used pork shoulder and braised in sauce for several hours. Then added the squash at the end. Fabulous.
Suwanee says
Oh, how fun! Curry party! I (: So happy this turned out so well for you. THank you for making it, and have a beautiful weekend!
Laurie Reilly says
My girlfriend and I made this together for our hubbies. We all loved it! I used 1/4 c. (4T.) of curry paste. We are spice whimps and this was good for us. I will definitely make this over and over. Thanks so much for the great recipe! I can't wait to try more!
Suwanee says
Hi Dale,
I'm so sorry that the curry was too spicy for you. I adjusted the amount of curry paste used in the recipe card. You can use as little as 1 tablespoon and add more towards the end if need to. I hope you give it another try.
Dale says
1/2 cup of red curry is way too much. We couldn’t eat this and had to throw it out.
Suwanee says
Thank you so much, Janice! So happy you love this recipe!
Janice LaFountaine says
So delicious!!!!! Will make again and again.
Heidi says
Very tasty! This takes me back to travelling through northern Thailand and Laos. I was unable to find kaffir lime leaves but it still turned out very delicious. Thank you!
Suwanee says
Hi Kathy,
It's definitely a change to eat the skin of the squash. Some love it, some don't. I'm glad you now know what works for you and your family. I'm so thrilled it turned out so well for you. Thanks for making it!
Kathy says
I made this tonight and it was very good. The only thing I would change is I didn't peel the kabocha and my husband didn't like the skin texture in it. Delicious taste and not very hard. Thank you.
Suwanee says
This is so wonderful to hear! I'm happy you like the spicier flavors too as I feel like Thai food in restaurants are watered-down quite a bit for me. (:
Ariane says
Great recipe! Sooooo yummy, vert simple to Makers and right amount of spiciness for me! The whole housse smelled like a thai restaurant ?
I cooked the whole kabocha in the oven after having scratched most of the flesh then I used it as container for my curry and I served it with sticky rice my favourite!
I thought the amount of red curry paste was too much but now I know why my previous curries had not as much flavour as expected!!!
Suwanee says
I'm so delighted to hear this Charis! Thank you for sharing my recipe and your cooking with your family! I do like robust flavors, as influenced by the region of Thailand I grew up in and it is so easily adaptable too! (: Saving seeds for next summer is amazing, I can't wait to see/hear more about it! xo! Suwanee
Charis says
I first tried this Kabocha Red Curry recipe a few weeks after I read it on your blog. I absolutely loved it - it's my new favorite Thai dish!
I even made it for my family for our Thanksgiving reunion.
I've used red curry paste for several years, but your recipe has more in it than I'd ever tried before - I'm glad I followed the recipe as it does not disappoint with full flavor.
I also saved the seeds from the second kabocha and hope to plant it next spring. Fingers crossed it grows in my garden.
Either way, I'll definitely be making this curry again.