This creamy, 20-minute pumpkin chicken curry will be your new weeknight fave!

Curry is one of my definite go-to’s in the kitchen and it’s the bomb on a busy weeknight; just mix some stock and coconut milk with curry powder or curry paste, add in some veggies and protein, and serve over rice.

It’s also fabulous AS leftovers, too!  A huge pot of curry made at the beginning of the week makes for a few days of quickie, easy-pack lunches.

As a leftover lunch, this curry saves my life some days.

Since I work from home, I get a lot of work done in the quiet moments of naptime, early mornings, post-bedtime, and the three half-days a week that my kids go to the babysitter. This means that I have to capitalize on every moment they’re not with me and to be honest, there are a lot of days that i skip lunch or eat it super late.

Thankfully, those rushed lunches are best when there’s a leftover curry in the fridge. It reheats easily and tastes even better the next day or so after it’s made.

Picture this: it’s been a long ass day. You’re tired. You come home and you’ve got ingredients in the fridge… for a different recipe that you do not feel like dealing with right now. What happens next?

Ok, possibly takeout. But what if you don’t want to deal with that, either?

What if you could make something that takes roughly the same amount of time?

Something that uses those languishing ingredients in your fridge, and is stupidly easy to throw together?

The answer, my wonderfully busy friends, is a simple curry sauce.

Curry in a hurry is always the answer on a busy night. And this pumpkin chicken curry is quick and delicious!

If you’ve never made it before, don’t worry! You’ll be shocked at how simple it can be. The building blocks of curry store really well, so they’re an easy backup top keep around for busy nights. it takes as long as you need to cook rice in a pot, and dinner is served.

The best part? It’s even tastier the next day. Double duty bonus time.

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Ingredients

Instructions

Warming, easy, flavorful, great leftovers, kid-friendly, and easy to make in the Instant Pot, slow cooker, or stovetop- this curry is a go-to recipe for me throughout most of the year. It uses canned pumpkin although you can of course use fresh, cooked pumpkin- just make sure if you’re using canned, that you’re starting with unseasoned, unsweetened pumpkin. I like to top this curry with crunchy pepita seeds, but this is fine without.

Stovetop Instructions: 

1. Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear, then transfer to a pot with 1 1/2 cups water over high heat.
2. Bring to a boil, then cover and turn the heat to low.
3. Cook, stirring occasionally, 12-15 minutes or until the rice is cooked through. Remove from heat and set aside until serving.
4. Dice the onions, mince the garlic, and chop the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces.
5. While the rice is cooking, heat the oil in a large saucepan until it shimmers.
6. Add the chicken to the pan and cook until the chicken has browned on both sides.
7. Add the onions and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened and the garlic has become fragrant, about 3-5 minutes.
8. Stir in the curry powder or paste and ginger and toss to combine, then slowly whisk in the coconut milk, pumpkin puree, chicken broth, and lime juice.
9. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10-12 minutes. Stir occasionally and let the sauce thicken slightly.
10. Remove the sauce from the heat, cutting up the chicken into bite-sized pieces if desired.
11. Serve the chicken sauce over the rice and garnish with pepitas.

Instant Pot Instructions: 

1. Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear, then transfer to a pot with 1 1/2 cups water over high heat.
2. Bring to a boil, then cover and turn the heat to low.
3. Cook, stirring occasionally, 12-15 minutes or until the rice is cooked through. Remove from heat and set aside until serving.
4. Dice the onions, mince the garlic, and chop the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces.
5. Place the ingredients, except for the rice and pepitas, in the Instant Pot and secure the lid.
6. Cook on High Pressure for 10 minutes with a natural pressure release. 
7. Remove and stir to combine, then spoon over the rice to serve., garnished with pepitas. 

Slow Cooker Instructions: 

1. Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear, then transfer to a pot with 1 1/2 cups water over high heat.
2. Bring to a boil, then cover and turn the heat to low.
3. Cook, stirring occasionally, 12-15 minutes or until the rice is cooked through. Remove from heat and set aside until serving.
4. Dice the onions, mince the garlic, and chop the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces.
5. Place the ingredients, except for the rice and pepitas, in the slow cooker and secure the lid. 
6. Cook for 4 hours on low, 2 hours on high. 
7. Remove the lid and stir to combine. 
8. Serve the curry sauce spooned over the rice, garnished with pepitas.