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A warming bowl of wholesome, Creamy Butternut Squash Butter Chicken. Indian-inspired butter chicken made with seasonal butternut squash, warmings spices, and creamy coconut milk. This dish is quick to make, cozy, wonderfully spicy – but not too spicy, and filled with warming Indian flavor. Complete each bowl with steamed rice and serve with fresh naan. And the leftovers the next day? They are even more delicious!
With two new butternut squash recipes this week, I think it’s safe to say I’m really enjoying the fall squash. Promise I have dishes with spaghetti squash, acorn squash, and yes, definitely pumpkin (both savory and sweet) coming soon. But this week it’s butternut squash!
I think most of you that read daily know of my family’s love for Indian-inspired dinners. Creighton, my oldest brother, who I find myself cooking for the most, is consistently requesting butter chicken. It’s one of his favorite dinners to order out and eat in.
The idea for this dish came with my urge to switch up a dinner that I consistently turn to in the fall. How could I add something new? Something yummy for fall?
Immediately I thought about how delicious butternut squash would be in a creamy butter curry sauce. I knew the squash could melt into the sauce making it even creamier, while also adding a sweetness that really pairs nicely with the spices.
It turned out so good. Creighton’s not in town right now, but I’m excited to make this for him as soon as he gets back. I sent photos his way via text, and trust me, he’s wishing he was here.
Here are the details
The beauty of this recipe is how simple it is to throw together. It’s made from start to finish in one skillet on the stove and ready in under an hour.
You’ll want to start with the chicken. Just like a traditional butter chicken recipe, we’re first tossing the chicken with yogurt and spices. But instead of marinating overnight, I found that a quick 5 to 10 minute rest in the spices was really enough to do the trick.
While the chicken is sitting, I like to start in on the prep for everything else. Chop the onion, garlic, and ginger, grab that coconut milk and tomato paste, and get everything for the remainder of the recipe ready to go.
If you need to chop up your butternut squash, now is the time to do that! I will say that for convenience, you can use pre-cut butternut squash or frozen cubes. Both work wonderfully and will save you a lot of hands-on prep time.
When I have all the remaining ingredients prepped and ready for cooking, I sear the chicken with olive oil. The next step is key, add a couple of tablespoons of butter. Then allow the butter to brown around the chicken. This will really help to flavor the sauce.
To that same skillet, add the onion, butternut squash, and all of those remaining spices. Because we are using butternut squash, I didn’t want the tomato paste to overpower the flavor. So I reduced the amount of tomato paste that I’d normally use. Now, instead of the sauce being tomato based, it’s butternut squash based!
Stir in the coconut milk, or if you don’t enjoy coconut milk, use cream. Either is delicious. The coconut milk does add a special touch and keeps the curry dairy-free, minus the butter.
Allow the sauce to simmer and thicken around the squash and chicken. As the curry slowly cooks, the squash melts into the sauce. The sauce becomes creamy and buttery without having to add actual cream.
I like to serve this pretty traditionally, over steamed rice with fresh naan for scooping up the creamy, coconutty sauce. Absolutely DELICIOUS. You can’t skip the naan either. We love it so much that it’s reason enough to make this cozy fall version of butter chicken.
Looking for other Indian-inspired dinners? Here are my favorites:
Coconut Curry Salmon with Garlic Butter
30 Minute Spicy Indian Butter Chicken
30 Minute Butter Chicken Meatballs
Super Simple Coconut Chicken Tikka Masala
Gingery Coconut Sweet Potato and Rice Stew with Chili Oil
Lastly, if you make this Creamy Butternut Squash Butter Chicken, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Creamy Butternut Squash Butter Chicken
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 499 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts/thighs, cut into bite-size chunks
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, use to taste
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cups cubed butternut squash
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
- 1-2 teaspoons chili flakes, use to taste
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 (14 ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
Instructions
- 1. in a bowl, toss together the chicken, yogurt, 2 teaspoons garam masala, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1/2 – 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and 1 teaspoon salt. Let sit 5-10 minutes.2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear on both sides until browned, about 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and toss to coat the chicken. Remove the chicken from the skillet to a plate.3. To the skillet, add the onion and butternut squash, tossing with the butter in the skillet. Cook 5 minutes, until softened. Add 2 tablespoons butter, the garlic, ginger, 1 tablespoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1/2 – 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, paprika, and the chili flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and continue cooking another 3-4 minutes.4. Reduce the heat to low. Add 1 cup water and the coconut milk. Stir to combine, bring the sauce to a simmer, cook 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly. If the sauce seems too thick, thin with 1/2 to 1 cup additional coconut milk. Add the chicken and any juices in the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro. Season with salt and pepper.5. Serve the chicken, squash, and sauce over bowls of rice with fresh naan. Enjoy!
I made it tonight. And it was a HIT! I substituted cauliflower rice but it was still so good!! We will be eating this again for sure!
Hey Regina,
Happy Monday!🎃 I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was tasty for you, thanks a bunch for making it! xx
I’ve made this three times since you posted because my family loves it! Never any leftovers and the naan, forget about it! 😋 I’m not sure why so many say it’s too spicy, I thought it was perfect and cut back the cayenne and chili flakes if you don’t like spicy! I use heavy cream (coconut allergy) and roasted the squash first, sooo good! Thanks for another family favorite Tieghan! 🧡
Hey Nicole,
Awe thanks so much for your kind message! I love to hear that this was enjoyed by your family, thanks for making it! xx
The butternut squash is an awesome fall addition to one of my favorite recipes of yours. 10/10 will make again
Hey Meg,
Happy Saturday!! So glad to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for making it! xT
This was amazing! I used the lower spice level and it was spicy but not “blow your face off” hot. I like a lot of veg. in my curry type dishes, so next time (and there will definitely be a next time!), I will probably add more squash and also peas (close to the end) and then stir in some spinach at the very end. . . . but this was delicious especially served with the naan and the yogurt. To stretch the food budget, I discovered that frozen butternut squash speeds everything up, works PERFECTLY, and is super cheap compared to the pre-cut stuff in the produce section. This is a great recipe! Make it!
Hey Rebecca,
Wonderful! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you giving it a try! Have a great weekend!🍁
This was awesome! Delicious, authentic Indian curry flavours (we live in the UK so appreciate a good curry!!); the house smelled incredible whilst this was cooking. Yes, it’s spicy, but my husband and I love a spicy curry. Next time we make this I think I’ll use chicken thigh instead of breast, but that’s just our preference as we prefer more tender cuts of meat! Thanks for another dinner winner!
Hey Maggie,
Thanks so much for your kind message! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and thanks for making it! Happy Friday! xT
OMG! This recipe was soooooooo good! I only gave this a 2 because this was ridiculously spicy. When eating leftovers, I had to drink 2 cups of milk and 2 slices of bread to just get through it. It would be helpful if there was a disclaimer about how spicy this is or which spice could I have used to make this mild. This is by far from being mild. Not everyone can handle the same spicy level but this was beyond spicy. If it weren’t about the spiciness, I would have given it a 5.
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was so spicy for you. I think everyone has a different spice tolerance so it’s important to use your best judgement when adding spice to a recipe:) xT
Amateur question here… Do you shake the coconut milk in the can before using it or do you let the fat rest and open it from the other end? I’m always confused by that.
Hey Christine,
You can shake up the can or just use a small whisk to mix it all. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Made this last night. I left the red pepper flakes off & let everyone add their own when served. Very tasty & will definitely make again.
Hey Donna,
Perfect! So glad to hear your family enjoyed this dish, thanks a lot for making it! xTieghan
I made several mistakes and this still turned out beautifully. I used only about 1/8 tsp of cayenne when called for since I’m cooking for a toddler- it was still nicely spiced. My toddler ate a large amount, we all did actually! Absolutely delicious.
Hey Kaitlin,
Happy Thursday! So glad to hear that this recipe was a winner for you, thank you so much for trying it out! xTieghan
I made this tonight together with your naan. The comments were “insanity delicious”. Thank you so much for all your efforts and sharing amazing recipes!
Hey Sladjana,
I truly appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xx
The flavors are awesome. It does have a lot of heat, so skip the full dose if you don’t want the spicy taste.
also, my squash was too big, either microwave it first or chop finely. And lastly, I added Orzo to the pan and it was delicious as I didn’t have rice. 🙂
Hey Michele,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was tasty for you, thanks for making it! xTieghan
Just wondering if the butternut squash is cooked before adding to the onions? Or does is it go in raw?
Hey Dawn,
The squash will be added raw. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
LOVE – leftovers are even better because the chicken loosens up a bit more in the sauce. Will make again 🙂
Hey Kayla,
Happy Wednesday! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for making it! xT
While the flavor is there, the recipe is so incredibly spicy. Too spicy to eat. It’s unfortunate, I rely on many of Half baked’s recipes so this one is definitely off base.
I often make these meals for people with wildly different spice tolerances. I usually leave out the spice until the end so individuals can season to their liking. You may loose some complexity, but at least it’s edible for those sensitive to the heat!
Thanks so much for sharing Miranda!!
Hi Amanda,
Thanks for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was too spicy for you! xTieghan
We went with 1/4 tsp of the cayenne and thought it was sufficiently spicy. Otherwise a wonderful recipe we’ll make again!
Thanks so much Vanessa!!
Was wondering if you think I can freeze the leftovers? Made it for dinner tonight- it’s fantastic !
Hey Peggy,
Happy Wednesday! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for making it! Yes, you can totally freeze the leftovers! xT