Quick & Easy Peanut Butter Chicken Recipe
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Chicken and peanut butter? That’s right! Today, we will make the tasty Thai-inspired dish Peanut Butter Chicken, including perfectly cooked and seasoned chicken breast pieces covered in a sweet, spicy, and savory peanut butter sauce — it’s DELISH!
Have dinner ready to serve in less than 20 minutes using simple ingredients. It’s a great option for chaotic weekends and busy school nights. Plus, you’ll have leftover peanut butter sauce in the fridge for later use!
This tasty sauce with complex flavors is perfect for salads, noodles, vegetables, and other versatile uses. It surely won’t go to waste. So, if you’re a fan of Thai food and its divine flavors, this Peanut Butter Chicken recipe is for you!
Not only is this dish addictive and delicious, but it comes with many health benefits. Several studies have shown that adding peanuts to your daily diet will promote healthy outcomes.
For instance, a plant compound in peanuts and peanut butter increases the blood flow to your brain, reducing the risk of strokes and boosting cognitive processes. Not to mention, the healthy fats it contains provide energy and allow you to stay awake and alert.
Key ingredients & substitutions for Chicken with Easy Peanut Sauce
- Peanut butter | Give your recipe peanut butter flavor with your favorite brand of creamy peanut butter. If necessary, substitute this ingredient with cashew butter, crunchy peanut butter for added texture, almond butter, or natural peanut butter.
- Chicken | I use boneless skinless chicken breasts for this peanut butter chicken recipe. Still, you can also use skinless chicken thighs or a combination of the two.
- Sweet chili sauce | Sweet chili sauce gives the Thai peanut sauce a bit of heat and a more sweet flavor.
- Soy sauce | This complex peanut sauce also needs some salty flavors, and soy sauce does the trick! Substitute with coconut aminos if desired.
- Sesame oil | You only need a tiny bit of this strong-tasting oil.
- Chicken broth | To bring a savory taste and a thinner consistency to the sauce, add some chicken broth. If preferred, swap this ingredient with vegetable broth or chicken stock.
- Cornstarch | Cornstarch helps the sauce to stick and creates tender chicken bites. Almond flour will also do the trick.
- Garlic | Bring a garlicky taste to the chicken by including a couple of freshly minced garlic cloves. Use garlic powder if you’re in a pinch.
- Ginger | Along with the garlic, fresh chopped ginger adds more complex notes.
- Canola oil | Use canola oil to sauté the ginger and garlic cloves. If preferred, you may use another high-heat oil, like peanut oil, vegetable oil, olive oil, or coconut oil.
- Garnish | If desired, garnish the chicken with chopped peanuts, sesame seeds, green onions, or chopped fresh cilantro.
Explore more of my easy recipes to use up that jar of peanut butter sitting in the pantry. Try my Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Pie, Chicken Kale Salad with Thai Peanut Vinaigrette, or this Peanut Butter Banana Granola.
How to make Thai Chicken with Rich Peanut Butter Sauce
It’s easy to get that Thai restaurant-quality peanut butter chicken! Just closely follow the cooking instructions, and you’ll have a delicious meal on the table in no time!
STEP 1 | Combine sauce ingredients
Start by setting out a small bowl to mix the peanut sauce ingredients. Add the peanut butter, chicken broth, sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil and stir until you have a silky smooth texture. Then, set the bowl aside for later.
tip
- Remember to add only a small bit of sesame oil to the sauce mixture and do not use it for cooking the ginger, garlic, and chicken. For this, you’ll want to use canola oil. Sesame oil has a robust taste that can quickly overwhelm the entire dish if not used correctly.
STEP 2 | Coat the chicken pieces
Now, grab some paper towels and pat the chicken dry. Slice the chicken into cubes and add them to a large bowl.
Next, season the cubes with salt and pepper and sprinkle the cornstarch on top. Gently toss with tongs until the chicken is completely coated with the seasonings and cornstarch.
tip
- Don’t skip the cornstarch for this chicken recipe. It helps the sauce stick to the chicken. Otherwise, the peanut butter sauce may not adhere to the meat.
STEP 3 | Cook the garlic and ginger
Then, set out a large skillet over medium-high heat on the stovetop. Add the canola oil and heat it until the oil glistens.
Next, add the garlic and ginger and cook for about 30 seconds until the ingredients are fragrant, continuously stirring.
STEP 2 | Fry the chicken with the sauce
It’s time to add the chicken and mix it with the delicious peanut sauce! So, carefully drop the chicken into the hot oil and cook for around 7 minutes until all the pieces are lightly golden and cooked through.
Then, stir in the peanut sauce you had set aside and cook for another few minutes until the sauce is nice and thick.
STEP 5 | Garnish and serve!
Finally, garnish the dish with sesame seeds, chopped peanuts, or cilantro leaves if you’d like. Then, serve over freshly steamed white rice with crisp veggies.
Some other great ideas include topping this dish with spicy red peppers, a variety of bell peppers, a squeeze of fresh lime juice, red pepper flakes, and chopped green onions.
Frequently asked questions
Rather than serving this dish with veggies on the side, you can add them right on top for a complete meal. Add red bell pepper, cabbage, shredded carrots, and other vegetables.
Really, just about any mildly seasoned veggie will work well with the flavor-packed peanut sauce in this great recipe.
It’s certainly possible to be left with extra peanut butter chicken you need to store for later. It is a heavy dish, but with enough mouths to feed, it quickly disappears. However, if you have leftovers, you’re in luck because this Thai dish is delicious after sitting for a few days and is excellent for meal prep. Just toss it on some noodles, cauliflower rice, or brown rice to enjoy as a filling lunch in the middle of your work day.
Keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. It can also be stored in the freezer for around six months! When you’re ready to serve it again, toss it in the microwave, air fryer, or skillet over just a little heat. Allow frozen leftovers to thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
For some, the combination of sweet and nutty peanut butter and tender chicken doesn’t sound like the best mix. But you’d be surprised at how tasty this entre is! With your first bite, you’ll realize peanut butter chicken has a unique and complex flavor of sweetness, spice, and umami notes!
You certainly notice the peanut butter flavor. However, it doesn’t present like smearing a spoon of peanut butter on a piece of chicken. The sweet chili and soy sauce balance out the strong peanut butter taste in the best way.
Serving suggestions
More traditionally, peanut butter chicken is served over Jasmine Rice, rice noodles, brown rice, or something similar. In that case, if you’re not adding veggies to the top of the dish, you should complete the dinner with a nutritious veggie side.
Any side dish with a more neutral taste will work, so the intense flavors of the chicken can shine. Try my easy Instant Pot Green Beans or Lemon Mustard Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower.
Or, I bet these Sweet Potato Biscuits would be delicious with the peanut butter chicken!
Behind the recipe: Peanut Butter Chicken
Today’s peanut butter chicken recipe is just one of many takes on the Asian-inspired meal. It is a dish you’ll find in all parts of the world. This particular recipe is more American than it is Asian because of the alterations that set it apart from the more authentic recipe.
That said, Asia is a massive region. Therefore, peanut butter chicken recipes vary among all the different countries and communities.
You’ll see peanut butter and chicken combinations in Thailand, China, India, the Americas, and even parts of Africa.
Peanut Butter Chicken
Ingredients
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ¾ cups chicken broth
- ¼ cup sweet chili sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger chopped
- chopped peanuts, sesame seeds, green onions, cilantro optional for garnish
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together the peanut sauce, chicken broth, sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil until smooth.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, cut it into cubes, and add to a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper, then sprinkle the cornstarch on top. Toss gently with tongs until the chicken is completely coated.
- Add the canola oil to a large skillet or wok and warm over medium-high heat. Once the oil glistens, add the garlic and ginger. Cook and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the chicken to the hot oil and cook for 6 – 7 minutes until lightly golden and cooked through. Stir in the peanut sauce and cook another few minutes until the sauce thickens.
- Garnish with sesame seeds, chopped peanuts, or cilantro leaves, if desired, and serve over rice.
Notes
- Remember to add only a small bit of sesame oil to the sauce mixture and do not use it for cooking the ginger, garlic, and chicken. For this, you’ll want to use canola oil. Sesame oil has a robust taste that can quickly overwhelm the entire dish if not used correctly.
- Don’t skip the cornstarch for this chicken recipe. It helps the sauce stick to the chicken. Otherwise, the peanut butter sauce may not adhere to the meat.
Nutrition
Life Love and Good Food does not claim to be a registered dietician or nutritionist. Nutritional information shared on this site is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
About Sheila Thigpen
Recipe Developer, Food Photographer, Food Writer
Sheila Thigpen is the publisher of Life, Love, and Good Food — a Southern food blog — and the author of Easy Chicken Cookbook and The 5-Ingredient Fresh and Easy Cookbook. After 20+ years in the publishing industry, she retired in 2018 to focus on her own creative endeavors full time. She and her husband live near the beautiful Smoky Mountains and have a precious little granddaughter who has stolen their hearts. As an influencer, Sheila has collaborated with brands like Creamette, Kroger, HERSHEY’S, Hamilton Beach, Garafalo Pasta, OXO, Smithfield, Valley Fig Growers, and more.
