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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!
So delicious! I used an immersion blender to break down some of the squash and onion so I used less liquid before putting the chicken back in, and also added cubed paneer for more texture, since I blended some of the squash. New go to recipe for sure!
Hey Teresa,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for making it! 👻
Tried this recipe last night – 10/10! I honestly had no confidence in this because I don’t cook very often, but it tasted like the curry I get at a restaurant! The leftovers this afternoon were even better!
Hey Mary,
Wonderful!🤩 I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! xT
This has potential but didn’t really work out for me. The squash was definitely not done in the stated time and the sauce never really thicken either even with cooking it for longer to get the squash tender. I will try it again though with a few tweaks to make it work for me.
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear you didn’t love it! Let me know if you give it another try! xTieghan
I made this tonight…while it was super flavorful, the heat index on it was waayyyy too much! And I really used a tad less of each of the spices than the recipe called for. Served over rice & also with naan.
Hi Barbara,
Happy Tuesday! Thanks so much for trying this dish and sharing your feedback, so sorry about the spice! Let me know if I can help at all! xT
Freaking delicious!!!!
Your recipes are always easy to follow and the result is perfect.
Thank you for this
Hey Guliana,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I am thrilled to hear that it was enjoyed! xx
Wow. This is SO good!
I used Curry flavored Coconut milk and a red pepper romesco sauce , since I didn’t have all the spices. The spice level was right on and the frozen butternut squash was so tender.
Can’t wait for leftovers tomorrow!
Hey Bob,
Happy Sunday!!🎃 I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it and sharing your feedback! xx
Absolutely delicious but should the squash have been cooked first? Mine was still very hard after the amount of time the recipe called for. I had to cover and allow to simmer for at least 30 minutes.
Hi Laurie,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try! The squash does not need to be cooked first…were your chunks possibly too big? Let me know if I can help at all! xTieghan
I had the same issue with the squash!
I have never made butter chicken before but my gosh I can’t wait to make it again! The flavors in this are delicious and I am impressed .I love how different this was from our normal meals I can’t wait to add it to our regular rotation.
Hey Kelsie,
Happy Monday!! I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try!🍁 xxT
My daughter made this today and I tried it. Instant love affair! It was creamy with just the right touch of spice and tanginess. I will be making this regularly.
Hey Sana,
Happy Monday!! I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try!🍁 xxT
I never have complaints about any of your recipes but I do find this recipe tasted nothing like butter chicken (perhaps one I’m used too!) I think maybe to much garam masala?? Wasn’t overly happy at all with the flavour but the squash was definitely a nice change!
Hi Jaymee,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it wasn’t a fave! xT
Just finished this for dinner and it was fabulous! Had to let it go a little longer for the sauce to thicken, but turned out great. We put ours on top of cauliflower rice and added a dollop of greek yogurt on top. Yum!
Hey Sarah,
Fantastic!! So glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for trying it out! Have a great weekend! xx
Iv got 4 boys aged 19 (he’s the fussiest) 14,13 and a 2 year old, this dish went down a treat with them all! I won’t tell the eldest there’s butternut sqaush in it yet. I roasted the squash because the supermarket only had frozen and didn’t add the whole cup of water just an extra half cut of coconut milk it was a perfect consistency and super creamy
Hey Sarah,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I am thrilled to hear that it was enjoyed! xx
This recipe is great! I have a very fussy 4-year-old and a pretty adventurous 1-year-old, and they both loved this butter chicken. I didn’t use as much garlic (3 cloves instead of 6) and left out the chili flakes, but otherwise I kept it the same. I really didn’t expect my eldest to eat it, but he gobbled it up and commented how much he loved the sauce. So thank you!
Hey Zoe,
Awe, love to hear that your little ones enjoyed this dish, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy Saturday! xx
Absolutely delicious!! Oh my! Only used 1/2 cup water & it was just thick enough. Squeeze of lime before serving. The spices really complement the butternut squash! Thank you Tieghan! A keeper!!
Hi Diane,
Thanks so much for your feedback and giving this recipe a try, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Happy Friday! 👻
Whole fam.loved this
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making the recipe Victoria!!
Made this the other night and it was amaaazing!! I’ve made at least 50 HBH recipes and this is defintely in my top 5! Highly recommend 🙂 The spices in this are incredible.
Hi Haley,
Wow!! Thank you so much for trying so many recipes! I love to hear that this was enjoyed and appreciate you making it! xT
I have tried many butter chicken recipes. This one is delicious, though most of the other recipes suggest you put the liquid and veggies into a blender or Magic Bullet to liquify the sauce. Then strain to remove any small pieces. I think doing the sauce that way is more elegant to the tongue. And I think by liquifying the sauce, you increase the flavor of all the spices and vegetables. But this recipe was absolutely delicious. I just prefer the texture a little smoother.
Hi Judith,
Happy Friday!👻 Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try and sharing your review! I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xT
Hi! Can I marinate the chicken for longer than 10 minutes? Trying to prep during nap time, so I was thinking 2-3 hours? Thanks!
Hey Lacy,
Totally, that would be just fine for you to do! I hope this dish is amazing, please let me know if you give it a try! xT