The ultimate healthy comfort food, this Crockpot Moroccan Pumpkin Chicken goes together in 15 minutes, and slowly cooks, leaving the chicken tender and coated in a delicious spicy sauce. This easy crockpot chicken recipe is a great low carb and Whole30 option.
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An Easy Recipe to Throw in the Crockpot that You’ll LOVE!
This is a dish I’ve made for years. Crockpot recipes are just so cozy, and in the fall, I love how the warming smells fill the house reminding me that a delicious and comforting dinner will be ready soon.
The chicken in this dish slowly cooks to be perfectly tender, the kind of chicken that just falls apart when pressed with a fork.
Because of my undying love of pumpkin, I decided to try a curry-like pumpkin sauce – cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, and a touch of cayenne. Simmered together, this dish is magic!
Ingredients in Crockpot Moroccan Pumpkin Chicken
- Chicken breasts (or thighs!), cut into pieces
- Pumpkin puree (fresh is best, but canned works!)
- Vegetable Broth
- Onion
- Spices – Cinnamon, Cumin, Ginger, Turmeric and Cayenne
- Salt & Pepper
How to Make Crockpot Pumpkin Chicken
Step 1: First, saute the onion in a skillet until it’s translucent.
Step 2: Add the chicken, and brown over high heat. It’s only important to get a little color on the chicken, it doesn’t need to cook all the way through.
Step 3: Add the salt and spices, and stir to coat chicken and onions.
Step 4: Add the browned chicken and onions into the crockpot, along with the pumpkin puree and vegetable broth.
Note: I have made this recipe with both fresh pumpkin and pumpkin puree. It is best with fresh pumpkin. You can learn how to roast sugar pumpkins here. After the pumpkin is roasted, I scoop the flesh into a food processor and process it until it’s smooth.
A Low Carb Chicken Dinner Recipe
How to Garnish Pumpkin Chicken: This is delicious topped with chopped cilantro and toasted almonds.
How to Serve Pumpkin Chicken: This saucy chicken dish is delicious served over rice, couscous, or quinoa. Add some vibrant green veggies for a beautiful dish.
Keep it Low Carb: Serve it with cauliflower rice, or “couscous” to keep the Moroccan theme.
To turn cauliflower rice into a “couscous” type dish, I just add some fresh lemon juice and chopped parsley.
We have also served this over mashed cauliflower, which is a really comforting cold weather meal.
Tips for Slow Cooker Moroccan Pumpkin Chicken
- Make it Ahead: I love starting crockpot meals on Sunday nights! If you want to make Slow Cooker Moroccan Pumpkin Chicken to come home to on Monday evening, just sauté the chicken (I make sure to cook the chicken through if I am not planning on slow cooking until the next day- just don’t overcook it), the onion and the spices, and add to your slow cooker with the pumpkin and broth. Put the crockpot container in the fridge, and on your lunch break on Monday, pop it on, and then come home to your house smelling heavenly! You can just cook a pot of rice, or you can prep the cauliflower rice the night before, and just sauté and add seasonings when ready to eat.
- For the Family: Xander loves this chicken just the way it is! It’s spicy, but he seems to prefer foods with lots of flavor and spice, so I just gave it to him as is. If you or your family don’t like spicy foods, cut the cayenne in half, or sub paprika.
Other Amazing (and Easy!) Crockpot Chicken Recipes:
- Crockpot Moroccan Chicken, by Sunkissed Kitchen
- Crockpot Chicken Gumbo, by Sunkissed Kitchen
- Crockpot Enchilada Chicken, by Sunkissed Kitchen
- Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili, by Sunkissed Kitchen
- Crock Pot Chicken Sausage Spaghetti Sauce, by Sunkissed Kitchen
- Crockpot Chicken Mole, by Sunkissed Kitchen
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Crockpot Moroccan Pumpkin Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breasts cut into chunks
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 teaspoons ginger powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 cup pumpkin puree fresh is best, canned works
- 1 cup vegetable broth or chicken broth
- cilantro chopped, to garnish
- almonds toasted, to garnish, optional
Instructions
- In a frying pan, add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Over high heat, add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Add the onion, and saute until translucent.
- Add the chunks of chicken, and allow to brown, but not cook all the way through.
- One the chicken has started to brown, add salt and spices, and stir to evenly coat chicken and onions.
- Add the chicken and onions to a crockpot, and then add pumpkin puree and vegetable broth. Stir to help spread the pumpkin puree throughout the chicken mixture.
- Slow cook on low for 4 hours. This will also cook on high for 2 hours, but the texture isn't as good.
This looks good! Thanks for sharing my red beans and rice recipe! 🙂
It looks delicious– I will be trying it soon. Love those dishes when the temperature drops 🙂
All about the comforting warm meals right now and this would hit the spot!
It’s a great recipe Rebecca. I was so happy with how it turned out.
Perfect timing on this post, Michelle. I just received a slow cooker for my B-day and we are always looking for a low carb super easy meal that is delicious and this one ticks all of the boxes. Sharing Everywhere!
Thanks Bobbi! Enjoy your slow cooker. I love those slow meals for these chilly days.
What a gorgeous meal- I never would have thought to add pumpkin with Moroccan spices but it sounds SO delicious! What a great, healthy dinner option!
Thanks Jessy– it’s a really good combination. The spices really overtake the pumpkin and it just creates a spicy warming, curry-like sauce.
This is such a gorgeous meal! I love the combo of the Moroccan spices and pumpkin…can’t wait to try this!
Thanks Michelle! We have been loving this recipe for months now.
This is so my type of meal! I like anything with exotic flavors and like using cumin in everything! Thanks for the lovely recipe!
This Moroccan Pumpkin Chicken Crockpot is a perfect blend of comfort food. Sounds easy to make and delicious to eat.
what an incredible recipe! this is just perfect for fall/winter as the weather gets cooler. loving all the flavor, and of course the pumpkin!
Yum! Loved this hearty meal! It was so easy and flavorful. And the pumpkin flavor was spot on!
You can make this in a slow cooker? I’m in! Loving the combo of pumpkin and all those spices!
So tasty and full of flavor!
The spices really make this recipe special
Amazing and easy!