This creamy Butternut Squash Curry is a Thai-inspired red curry recipe made with tender squash, wilted spinach, and chickpeas for protein. It’s fragrant and flavorful, fantastic for warming you up and a total breeze to make!

Thai curry with some Well Plated tweaks.

While I can’t claim that this butternut squash curry (or my Green Curry or Massaman Curry) is 100% authentic, Ben and I did travel extensively in Thailand so I do know what the real deal tastes like—and I try to get as close as I can to that flavor with ingredients that are accessible to home cooks in the U.S.!

This squash curry follows in the footsteps of my Chickpea Curry and Pumpkin Curry. It replaces the usual meat or tofu with chickpeas and takes advantage of how beautifully the sweetness of winter squash works with warm curry flavors.

The sauce gets its aroma and flavor from an entire jar of red curry paste. We’re not playing around here! Don’t fret—red curry isn’t overly spicy. If you’re still nervous, start with Panang Curry, which is sweeter.

While this butternut squash curry recipe tastes amazing right away, curries are one of those magical recipes where a day or two in the refrigerator really brings all the flavors together. Don’t hesitate to meal prep this one for later in the week!

Key Ingredients

You’ll find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below, but here are some notes to keep in mind.

• Butternut Squash. If you want to save a little prep time, a lot of grocery stores sell pre-cut butternut squash in the produce section. You could use frozen, but it tends to be a bit mushy, so it’s not my favorite.
• Shallot. Can’t find shallots? Yellow onion is the best substitute.
• Ginger and Garlic. Although the curry paste is full of aromatics, fresh ginger and garlic add some extra oomph.
• Thai Red Curry Paste. Be sure to use curry paste, not sauce! Paste is a concentrate that helps you build your own sauce.
• Cayenne Pepper. Feel free to adjust the amount to your liking.
• Light Coconut Milk. For a thicker and richer butternut squash curry, you can use full-fat coconut milk, or split the difference and use one can of light and one can of full-fat. 
• Chickpeas. Rinse these well to remove that canned bean flavor.
• Lime. Fresh lime juice perks up the flavor of this curry, punctuating it with a pop of acidity. It’s a must!
• Fish Sauce. Another essential! Fish sauce isn’t something you notice is there, but you do notice when it’s not there because it adds a lot of depth and umami. If you want to make a vegetarian butternut squash curry, you can swap in vegan fish sauce or soy sauce.
• Baby Spinach. This wilts into the curry. It’s optional, but it’s an easy way to up the veggies in this dish.
• Cilantro. Haters can skip it!

How to Make Butternut Squash Curry

Start the Squash. Heat the oil in a large pot set over medium heat and add the  squash, shallot, ginger, garlic, curry paste, and cayenne. Stir and cook, and keep cooking until the squash softens just a bit. 

Add the Chickpeas. Stir them in until they’re coated in all that red curry deliciousness.

Simmer. Pour in the coconut milk. Increase the heat, then once the liquid comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for about 15 minutes, returning to stir the pot every so often. Keep simmering until the squash reaches your desired tenderness and the sauce thickens a bit.

Finish. Stir in the lime juice and fish sauce, then toss in the spinach a handful at a time and stir until it wilts. Add the cilantro, then give the curry a taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. Serve your butternut squash curry over rice with cilantro and lime wedges. ENJOY!