This Instant Pot Butternut Squash Chicken Curry is an aromatic, perfectly savory, fall-apart chicken curry recipe made with a base of light coconut milk and mashed butternut squash that gives it a velvety, creamy texture.
This weekend we got a glimpse into cooler fall weather and I was all about it! While I’m ready to pull out sweaters and jackets and say goodbye to shorts and tank tops for the year, I am not naive enough to think we’re done with hot weather for the season. Even though Instant Pot recipes become all the more appealing in the colder months when something about pressure cooker recipes seeping with that oh-so-cozy appeal seem all the more inciting, the recipe I am sharing with you guys today is one I actually first fell in love with in the heat of the summer so it’s one to keep on hand right now when temperatures are all kinds of unpredictable.
I know some people associate pressure cooker recipes with colder temperatures, but I am all about Instant Pot recipes in the summer as well for the following reasons: 1. Using a pressure cooker or slow cooker doesn’t heat up the house the way the oven does. When it feels like the the surface of the sun outside, every degree of cool air in the house matters, am I right? 2. Slow cooker and pressure cooker meals are the easiest. One pot! Less mess! Bring it ON.
If it feels like your Instant Pot has a permanent spot on your kitchen counter these days regardless of the season or the weather outside, join me on a little flavor journey that is this Instant Pot Butternut Squash Chicken Curry. It’s an aromatic, perfectly savory, fall-apart chicken curry recipe made with a base of light coconut milk and mashed butternut squash that gives it a velvety, creamy texture.
And did I mention it’s actually kind of pretty? For curry, I mean?
It’s vibrant and colorful (eat the rainbow — it’s good for you!) and the rich, yellow color of the curry can be attributed to curry powder (duh) and mashed butternut squash combined with creamy light coconut milk. The base of this dish is a bit of a departure from traditional curry recipes but in a good way. It’s not just a coconut cream bomb and knowing that each savory slurp of the rich coconut curry broth comes along with powerful antioxidants, (including vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene) makes my mouth and my body do a little happy dance together. Because during these crazy times, I think we can all agree that any way our bodies can ingest more good-for-you ingredients, it’s a very GOOD thing. You’re welcome, immune system!
As for the chicken in this recipe, I opt for boneless skinless chicken thighs. Always, always. To me, they’re more flavorful but if you are a chicken breast fan, do your thang! The recipe will still be delicious!
When it comes to serving this Instant Pot Butternut Squash Chicken Curry, it is great over rice, quinoa, cauliflower rice… you name it. But, honestly, I love it by itself, stew-style, served with some freshly warmed naan for dipping and, you know, making sure not one little slurp of the curry remains at the bottom of my bowl. It’s too good to waste, I’m tellin’ ya!
Instant Pot Butternut Squash Chicken Curry
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Instant Pot Butternut Squash Chicken Curry
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes (not including the time it takes for Instant Pot to come to pressure)
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Indian-Inspired
Description
This Instant Pot Butternut Squash Chicken Curry is an aromatic, perfectly savory, fall-apart chicken curry recipe made with a base of light coconut milk and mashed butternut squash that gives it a velvety, creamy texture.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or chicken breasts)
- 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 14-ounce can light coconut milk
- 2 heaping cups diced butternut squash (I use frozen for convenience!)
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, diced
- 4 teaspoons curry powder
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 3/4 cup frozen peas
- 2 large handfuls fresh spinach
- 1 small bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients from the chicken down through the sea salt into Instant Pot. (The only ingredients you will NOT add at this point are the peas, spinach or cilantro). Close the lid, seal the vent and cook on manual high pressure for 8 minutes. (Increase time to 10 minutes if using thicker chicken breasts.)
- Quick release the pressure and carefully remove the lid. Remove chicken from Instant pot and shred. Return to Instant Pot and stir. Mash up any big chunks of butternut squash with the back of a spoon (this increases the thickness of the base).
- Stir in frozen peas and spinach until spinach is wilted and peas are warm. Spoon into bowls, top with cilantro and enjoy!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6 servings
- Calories: 279
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 644mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 24g
- Cholesterol: 95mg
If you take a moment to give this recipe a try, THANK YOU! I also very much appreciate it when you take a moment to leave a review after trying one of my recipes, as it helps more people find my recipes, trust them and give them a try. Thanks for letting me into your kitchen and I hope you enjoy this Instant Pot Butternut Squash Chicken Curry as much as we do in our house!
What To Serve With Chicken Curry
If you’re looking for ideas for what to serve with chicken curry, we love warm naan bread most. I just buy it already made at the grocery store and reheat it but I’m sure homemade naan would be even more incredible. I also sometimes like to serve this butternut squash chicken curry with a simple green salad on the side to bring a little crisp brightness to the table. My arugula and beet salad is a personal favorite.
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This sounds fantastic! I love curry so I can’t wait to try it.
Hope you love it!! The butternut squash really gives it so much flavor and a thick, creamy texture.
Made this in the slow cooker and it was amazing!! So good 😊
Is there a way this recipe could be made in a crock pot?
Hi Jen! For a slow cooker, it should work if you combine everything but the spinach, peas and cilantro and let it cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6(ish) hours. Then, shred the chicken, return to the slow cooker and mash up any big chunks of butternut squash with the back of a spoon. Stir in spinach and peas until spinach is wilted and peas are warm. Top with cilantro!
That looks delicious! Curry is always a favorite of ours, too! No Instant Pot, but I’m planning to throw this in the Crock Pot instead
Hi Julie — I’m looking forward to trying out this recipe! The garam masala and tumeric are listed after cumin in the ingredient list. Should they be thrown in at the same time as all of the other spices? Thanks!
yes!! so sorry for any confusion! just updated the recipe to clarify. 🙂
Crock pot alternative?
For a slow cooker, it should work if you combine everything but the spinach, peas and cilantro and let it cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6(ish) hours. Then, shred the chicken, return to the slow cooker and mash up any big chunks of butternut squash with the back of a spoon. Stir in spinach and peas until spinach is wilted and peas are warm. Top with cilantro!
Omg!! I was just searching for this exact recipe! One of my lunch spots from the city where I work comes out with a curried chicken butternut squash soup each fall and I always stalk their website just waiting for it! Since working remote I remembered that I was going to miss out on it this year and was almost in tears!
Q- how do I make this NOT in an insta pot? I have a miniature sized kitchen and can not afford extra space!!
No way! Love coincidences like this!! As for making the recipe NOT in an Instant Pot — do you happen to have a slow cooker? If so, it should work if you combine everything but the spinach, peas and cilantro and let it cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6(ish) hours. Then, shred the chicken, return to the slow cooker and mash up any big chunks of butternut squash with the back of a spoon. Stir in spinach and peas until spinach is wilted and peas are warm. Top with cilantro!
I haven’t tried a stove-top version yet but can report back when I do!
This looks delicious but I don’t have an Instant Pot. Do you have any suggestions of how to convert it to stove top or slow cooker?
For a slow cooker, it should work if you combine everything but the spinach, peas and cilantro and let it cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6(ish) hours. Then, shred the chicken, return to the slow cooker and mash up any big chunks of butternut squash with the back of a spoon. Stir in spinach and peas until spinach is wilted and peas are warm. Top with cilantro!
Thank you so much!!
Do you drain the diced tomatoes? The instructions don’t call for it but the picture looks like the liquid is mostly the coconut milk. I’m making this tomorrow- super excited to try it!
I made this for lunches for the week and OMG it is a new go to – the butternut squash thickens the sauce perfectly while leaving that hint of flavor that makes you ask “what is that…?” Everything about this recipe is fantastic!
SO GOOD!
Hooray! So happy to hear this! And thank you for coming back and leaving a comment + review. I appreciate it so much!
The instructions seem to be a little incomplete. Step one just says add the chicken to the pot and cook it. It doesn’t say anything about the squash, onions or spices. Just to not add the spinach, cilantro or peas yet.
Hi! In step one it says “Place chicken through sea salt into Instant Pot” so you’ll add ALL of the ingredients listed (from chicken through sea salt) except for the spinach, cilantro or peas to the Instant Pot in that step. I hope this make sense!
I was totally confused too! I think a few more descriptive words would help. I think it’s meant to say something like “place all the ingredients from the chicken down through the sea salt in the Instant pot, Except…”
Thank you for the feedback! I updated the post to hopefully make this a little clearer. 🙂
This dish was absolutely delicious! I loved the addition of the butternut squash and all 3 of my kids gave it a thumbs up. Thanks for sharing!!
So happy you loved it! The butternut squash is my fav part of this one for sure!
I’m going to make this recipe tomorrow and I can’t wait! We are also using frozen butternut squash…did you thaw it first?
Nope! I just dump it in completely frozen and it works great!
Made this recipe and loved it!
Oh my gosh. I am so embarrassed to admit this, but I was reading the “chicken through sea salt” to mean, drag the chicken through sea salt, then add to Instant Pot. I was thinking – where are the other ingredients, when do I add those? Where is the liquid? Man, tired mom brain is real. 🙂 Can’t wait to try this tonight.
Haha!! No judgement from this sleepy mama!!
My husband made this yesterday just on the stove , it is absolutely delicious! Served over rice. Definitely a keeper. Thanks, Julie👌
This was so good ! Tested tonight, and totally approved :).
Oh my goodness. This was delicious! I literally licked my plate – in front of my 3 little kids. When I took a taste of the sauce the next day, my first thought was wow this tastes like Indian takeout… So good.
Hey! Do you mix it all together before closing the lid and cooking? Or do you just place it all in the order listed and hit go?
Thanks!
What size instant pot did you use for this recipe? I am planning on buying one and can’t wait to try this recipe!
Made this tonight and we loved it! I’d frozen all ingredients ahead of time. Let it thaw and it was great! Since you don’t post many recipes I know that the ones you do post will likely be excellent (like your chickpea burgers!). Thank you! And way to go being a new mama and taking care of your sweet boys! Us Mamas need to hear that more often!
What a kind comment!!! Thank you, Haley!! <3
The recipe is great in the level of time and effort required to prepare it, however I feel the flavor of the butternut squash clashes with the other ingredients. Perhaps a more neutral squash like spaghetti would be better, or even potatoes. I also think the chicken would have been better with a quick browning in the pot or a skillet before pressure cooking, as it is a bit dry even shredded and sauced. Other than those comments, it’s a solid meal that can be whipped up pretty quickly.
Hi! I want to make this for my 11 month old. Plan to omit the salt and dice the chicken but otherwise keep everything the same. So I wanted to know, is it spicy? If so do you have any suggestions on whether I can omit or decrease the curry powder? Thanks a lot!!
You are not alone. 😉 Might cause less confusion to say “Place the first ## ingredients (chicken through sea-salt) in the Instant Pot.” That makes it clear but avoids having to count the ingredients. Or “Place all but the last three ingredients in the pot.”
I find recipes that group ingredients easiest to follow. The visual jumps out at me.
Only two minutes to go. Can’t wait to see and taste the result!
Turned out absolutely delicious. Mine was much soupier and brown rather than the lovely orange pictured. I used frozen chicken breasts, so I should have reduced the liquid. Anyway, it tastes wonderful so I’m happy!
chicken was a bit stringy, if I cooked much longer the squash would have been too soft. Maybe cut squash in bigger chunks. Very tasty. I would zap pea’s in micro before adding- a bit starchy when added at the end. Tasty!
Prep time is minimal, and it’s so easy and delicious! I used a hand mixer to both shred the chicken and mash the squash while in the instant pot. I doubled the amount of squash so it was thick and so delicious! Love this delicious and easy dinner that is also kid friendly! Great way to sneak in veggies to your kiddos that are picky. 🙂
Hi! I am looking forward to making this for dinner. I saw in a more recent post that you doubled this recipe and froze half. Do you adjust the cooking times if you double it?
Thanks!
My family loves this recipe! Thank you! I’m thinking about doubling the whole thing in my new 10 qt IP and freezing a batch for later. But I’ve never frozen coconut milk already incorporated into a dish. Thoughts?
I didn’t follow this recipe to the T and it was still amazing! I bet it’s even better when I fully follow the instructions! LOL
…also, I’m on the SCD diet, and this is one of the few super tasty recipes I can have on this phase. So thank you!
Should the chicken be added last or first to the instant pot.?
My family loved this!! So easy and so good! This will definitely be added to our rotation.
This was a great recipe! Also didn’t take any time at all to make!