This light and healthy savory Coconut Pumpkin Chicken, made with tender chicken and creamy coconut milk, is a one-pan meal that's a little spicy, Weight Watchers friendly, and naturally dairy-free and gluten-free. If you love pumpkin, you'll love this delicious recipe!
This Chicken Pumpkin recipe is popular in the fall, during pumpkin season, and makes a great autumn weeknight dinner! But it's great for any time of year.
Jump to:
- 🥘Ingredient Notes
- 📖Variations & Substitutions
- 🔪Step-by-Step: How to Make Coconut Chicken and Pumpkin
- Expert Recipe Tips
- 🥗 What to Serve with Coconut Pumpkin Chicken
- 🌡️Storage
- 👪 Serving Size
- 🔢WW Points
- ❔ Recipe FAQs
- Didn't find the answer you're looking for?
- 🍂More Healthy Fall Recipes
- 📋 Coconut Pumpkin Chicken
There are far too few savory pumpkin recipes out there, so when I saw a variation of this recipe in a magazine years ago, I saved it. Then I adapted it to be healthier and tastier!
The only other savory pumpkin recipe I have on the blog is this Healthy Dairy-free Pumpkin Soup. You'll definitely want to try this one too!
🥘Ingredient Notes
You'll need the following ingredients for this Healthy Pumpkin Chicken recipe:
- Small fresh pumpkin. I recommend using a sugar pumpkin (also known as a pie pumpkin) because its flesh is less stringy than regular pumpkins.
- Tamed jalapenos (jarred). Tamed jalapenos are milder than regular jalapenos, so they don't overwhelm the dish, but still give it that little kick.
- Coconut milk. I use light coconut milk so you can still get that rich and velvety flavor and texture, but with less fat.
- Red curry paste (shown below). Red curry paste quickly adds complex layers of sweet, savory, and spicy flavors to this dish, creating a rich, aromatic foundation.
📖Variations & Substitutions
- Chicken - you could use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead, shredded chicken, ground chicken, or chicken pieces
- Pumpkin- you could use butternut squash as a substitute for pumpkin
- Thai red curry paste - you can use any brand of Thai red curry paste
- Coconut milk - you can use full-fat coconut milk if you prefer
- Cilantro -if you don't like cilantro, you can use parsley or Thai basil instead
- Spicier - use fresh jalapenos or add crushed red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, chili powder, or additional Thai red curry paste
🔪Step-by-Step: How to Make Coconut Chicken and Pumpkin
Cut the pumpkin into quarters and scoop out the stringy pulp and seeds from the pumpkin and discard.
Microwave on high for 5 minutes.
Peel and chop the pumpkin into bite-sized pieces.
You can use a paring knife or a steak knife for this.
Pour coconut milk into a large, deep frying pan or saucepan and set over medium-high heat on the stove top. Whisk until warmed up.
Stir pumpkin, chicken, tamed jalapeno, red onion, salt, garlic, and nutmeg into coconut milk (everything except tomatoes, red curry paste, and cilantro.)
Bring to a boil.
Once boiling, reduce to medium-low heat. Add tomatoes.
At this point, your sauce may be thinner than you like, so you'll want to add a little cornstarch mixed with water (this is what I do).
Simmer (covered) and stirring regularly, until chicken is cooked through to 165 degrees F (74 degrees C) and pumpkin is fork tender (about 15- 20 minutes).
Add cilantro and red curry paste (add more or less to your taste) and mix.
Remove from heat.
Serve on a bed of rice (jasmine rice, regular rice, or cauliflower rice).
Expert Recipe Tips
- Choose the right pumpkin. Use a sugar pumpkin (pie pumpkin) for the best texture and flavor. Its flesh is sweeter and less stringy than larger carving pumpkins, making it ideal for cooking.
- Soften pumpkin for easier peeling. Microwaving the pumpkin for a few minutes before peeling makes the skin easier to remove and saves prep time.
- Cut ingredients evenly. Dice the chicken and pumpkin into similar-sized pieces so they cook evenly and the dish has a consistent texture.
- Don't skip the simmer. Allowing the chicken and pumpkin to simmer gently ensures the pumpkin becomes tender without breaking apart, and the chicken stays juicy.
- Balance the flavors. Taste before serving and adjust with extra red curry paste for heat, lime juice for brightness, or a pinch of sugar if the dish feels too acidic.
- Thicken gradually. If the sauce seems thin, stir in cornstarch slurry a little at a time until it reaches your desired consistency-this prevents over-thickening.
- Add fresh herbs at the end. Stir in cilantro just before serving to keep its flavor vibrant and fresh. Adding it too early can make it lose its brightness.
- Pair with the right side. Jasmine rice highlights the Thai-inspired flavors, while cauliflower rice is a great lighter option if you're watching carbs or WW points.
🥗 What to Serve with Coconut Pumpkin Chicken
I like to serve Pumpkin chicken with vegetables like these Easy Green Bean and Mushroom Recipe, Healthy Glazed Carrots (with Brown Sugar), Quick Cucumber Kimchi (shown), or this Skinny Coleslaw.
🌡️Storage
For this Chicken and Pumpkin recipe, you'll need to store the rice separately from the pumpkin chicken in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
You can freeze this recipe for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
👪 Serving Size
This pumpkin chicken recipe makes 6 servings. However, you can half, double, or triple the recipe by clicking on the serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust.
🔢WW Points
This pumpkin chicken curry recipe is Weight Watchers friendly @ 2 WW points (for about ¾ cup). This does not include the rice, as it will depend on what type of rice you use. Serve it over cauliflower rice to keep the points very low.
If you use chicken thighs instead of chicken breast, you'll have to account for the additional points.
❔ Recipe FAQs
No. While fresh sugar pumpkin gives the best flavor and texture, you can use peeled and cubed frozen pumpkin or butternut squash for convenience. Canned pumpkin puree won't work here since you need chunks of pumpkin
Jasmine rice is a traditional and aromatic choice, but you can serve it with white rice, brown rice, or even cauliflower rice if you want a lower-carb option.
Mix 1-2 teaspoons of cornstarch with cold water and stir it into the simmering sauce until it reaches your desired consistency.
Yes, if you have leftover cooked chicken, add it in during the last 5 minutes of simmering so it heats through without overcooking.
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So if you're looking for a one-pan healthy savory pumpkin recipe, you'll love this easy recipe! It's ideal for busy weeknights.
And if you love healthy rice dishes, give my Chicken Poke Bowls a try!
🍂More Healthy Fall Recipes
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📋 Coconut Pumpkin Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 small sugar pumpkin (pie pumpkin- see ingredient photo in post for sizing)
- ½ cup tamed jalapenos *you can use a regular sliced jalapeno instead
- 400 ml - can of light coconut milk *or you can use full-fat coconut milk
- 4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (chopped/diced)
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 1 large tomato, slices in wedges or diced
- 2 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
- 3 tablespoon red curry paste *use less if you prefer it less spicy
Instructions
- Cut pumpkin into quarters and scoop out the stringy pulp and seeds from pumpkin and discard.1 small sugar pumpkin
- Microwave on high for 5 minutes.
- Peel and chop pumpkin into bite-sized pieces.*You can use a paring knife or steak knife for this.
- Pour coconut milk into a large, deep, frying pan or saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Whisk until warmed up.400 ml - can of light coconut milk
- Stir pumpkin, chicken, tamed jalapeno, red onion, salt, garlic, and nutmeg into coconut milk (everything except tomatoes,red curry paste, and cilantro.) Bring to a boil.½ cup tamed jalapenos, 4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (chopped/diced), 1 red onion, sliced, 2 teaspoon garlic, minced, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Once boiling, reduce to medium-low. Add tomatoes.1 large tomato, slices in wedges or diced
- At this point, your sauce may be thinner than you like, so you'll want to add a little cornstarch mixed with water (this is what I do).
- Simmer (covered) and stirring regularly,until chicken is cooked through and pumpkin is fork tender (about 15- 20 minutes)
- Add cilantro and red curry paste (add more or less to your taste) and mix.Remove from heat.1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, 3 tablespoon red curry paste
- Serve over Jasmine rice, white rice, brown rice or cauliflower rice.
Terri Gilson
I love how this Coconut Pumpkin Chicken combines my favorite fall flavors in a savory dish. The creamy coconut milk and chicken make it taste indulgent, even though it's Weight Watchers friendly! I'm always on the lookout for unique pumpkin recipes, and this one has become a real favorite in our house.