Thai red chicken curry with butternut squash is a classic and a great favourite of mine. The colouring effect of the squash results in a curry that is orange rather than red; however it is still very definitely a Thai red curry. And if that sounds confusing, what you have to know is that in Thai when we refer to a red or green curry we are talking about the colour of the chilies we use to make the curry paste, not the colour of the finished curry. You can chop and change the ratio of chicken to squash in the recipe as you wish, or even omit the chicken altogether if you prefer. The kaffir lime leaves are optional and if you scroll to the bottom you will see where to buy them and how to prepare them.
Ingredients
One packet of red curry paste
300 g of butternut squash
1 can of coconut milk
500 g of chicken thighs sliced.
Peppers.
Cut the butternut squash into chunks and place in a saucepan with just enough water to cover the squash. Bring to a boil and simmer until just tender when pierced with a fork. This will normally be around 10 minutes. Drain the butternut squash and set aside.
In a separate pan heat the red curry paste until it starts to bubble.
Add half the can of coconut milk and heat again until it bubbles.
Add the sliced chicken thighs and stir through.
Cover and simmer gently for around 8 minutes.
Add the remainder of the coconut milk and stir.
Add the butternut squash and some of the chopped peppers, reserving some to garnish the dish, and cook for around another 8 minutes, check that the squash is tender.
Serve with the reserved peppers. (Optional) I’m also using some finely cut kaffir lime leaves, if you want to do likewise then check out this page on where to buy them, Kaffir Lime Leaves. Prepare the kaffir lime leaves by rolling several of them together and then chopping them finely into strips with a sharp knife as in the picture below.
I also like to serve this dish with a basic Thai “prik nam pla”. This consists of equal amounts of Thai fish sauce and fresh lime juice into which a couple of chilies are chopped. This is optional depending on how spicy you like your food! A quick read of this article can elevate your Thai cooking to a totally different level. Crafting the Perfect Bowl: The Art of Thai Flavor Balancing
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
If you like this recipe please click the star rating or add a comment below! Kop Khun Kha, Nitsa.x
This is such an easy curry to make, and you can also chop and change ingredients as you wish but the combination of butternut squash and chicken in a luscious Thai red curry sauce is good enough to make me not want to change it too much!
Cut the butternut squash into chunks and place in a saucepan
with just enough water to cover the squash. Bring to a boil and simmer until
just tender when pierced with a fork. This will be about 10 minutes. Drain and
set aside.
Heat the red curry paste in the pan until it bubbles.
Add half the can of coconut milk, preferably the thicker part
from the top of the can and heat again until it bubbles.
Add the sliced chicken and stir through the sauce.
Cover and simmer gently for around 8 minutes. You can add a
little water if needed.
Add the remainder of the coconut milk and stir.
Add the butternut squash and most of the chopped pepper,
reserving some for garnish, and cook for around another 8 minutes.
Check that the squash is tender and serve with the reserved
peppers.
Recipe Note
I also like to serve this dish with a basic Thai “prik nam
pla”. This consists of equal amounts of Thai fish sauce and fresh lime juice
into which a couple of chilies are chopped. This is optional depending on how
spicy you like your food!
As always using
the “right” type of coconut milk is a game-changer. See here.
Made this recipe this evening. Simple to put together (your curry pastes are excellent!) and very flavorful. I didn’t garnish with lime leaves cut chiffonade; I forgot!; but will do so next time. All three of us (my sister and her husband) thought it was very good, another “make again” dinner entree.
John Clark
October 28, 2024
Really tasty and healthy, easy recipe which I like 👍
Rachel Smith
March 24, 2024
Made this tonight however forgot to get peppers!! 👍👍 from us here it was so delicious even my 15yr old ate it. Might try it next time with aubergines
With over 3,500 five-star reviews, our passion is bringing you the exact flavors you would experience on the streets of Thailand.
To achieve true authenticity, we do something other brands don't: we keep our salt content exceptionally low (just 2%, compared to the 8–15% found in other curry pastes).
Here is why we do it—and how it puts you in control of your kitchen.
I love pineapple, but put it on my pizza at your own risk! In a curry, though, it’s a different story. In the method used here the pineapple soaks up the flavour of the curry while keeping a sweet centre. And if pineapple in savoury dishes still isn’t for you, simply leave it out.This is one of the easiest, quickest curries you can make, and it works beautifully with a bag of frozen mixed seafood. Let’s get cooking!
This is an incredibly simple dish to prepare. It can be made in minutes with fresh or frozen fish, the only caveat being to choose fish steaks instead of fish fillets if possible as they hold together better when cooking. Also, if using frozen fish allow it to defrost first. You can also choose the level of spice you desire as our Green curry pastes comes with three different spice levels! I'm using the Bangkok Green curry paste which is a medium heat here but you can also check out the Mild...
So I used this as a marinade for chicken thighs and put them in the air fryer. They came out well, the paste is very good quality and I will be buying again.
So I used this as a marinade for chicken thighs and put them in the air fryer. They came out well, the paste is very good quality and I will be buying again.
Paul Loughman
November 04, 2024
Made this recipe this evening. Simple to put together (your curry pastes are excellent!) and very flavorful. I didn’t garnish with lime leaves cut chiffonade; I forgot!; but will do so next time. All three of us (my sister and her husband) thought it was very good, another “make again” dinner entree.