Chicken and peanut butter recipes is one of American’s favorite snacks or easy meals. This low-calorie dish uses melted peanut butter as a marinade, which makes it delicious. The tender chicken with its savory and sweet taste goes perfectly well with plain white rice or bread. It doesn’t take much time to cook this dish, so visit your local market today reciting these chicken with peanut butter recipes.
Peanut Butter Chicken – Ready in 20 Mins
My Peanut Butter Chicken is packed full of flavour and ready in 20 minutes! This Thai Peanut Chicken is a great mid-week meal, with no fussy ingredients!
I promise you right now, there is no better use for peanut butter than this recipe!
Something magical happens when you mix the peanut butter, lime and chilli to turn this into a lip smackingly great sauce. I love anything Thai, but for once you don’t need all the fish sauce, shrimp paste, tamarind, garlic etc. to get that amazing taste.
Peanut butter – which is something that I HATE on it’s own bleugh! (sorry peanut butter lovers) is 100% the star of this dish.
Those red chilli add a great hit of heat, but feel free to leave them out if you don’t like it spicy.
It’s all on the table in about 20 minutes, so this is a great mid week meal too.
I’ve been making this for years now, it’s one that my mum passed down to me. I still have the recipe scribbled on a scrap of paper, dotted with oil spots from about 10 years ago! Mum’s version also has beansprouts in, which I include sometimes, along with broccoli or mange tout or whatever bit of veg I have around.
If you’re making this for kids who don’t eat chillies, I’d suggest leaving them out, dishing their portions up, keeping them warm and adding the chopped chillies to the rest of the pan. Then just stir through for a minute or two.
Peanut Butter Chicken
This Peanut Butter Chicken has crispy bites of chicken smothered in a savory peanut sauce with stir fried vegetables! Serve this with rice or noodles for a complete meal that your family will love!
Peanut Butter Chicken
Peanut Butter Chicken is my weakness! The chicken is super crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, and it’s tossed in the most flavorful peanut sauce that has hints of savory and sweet with a hint of spice and umami.
Serve this with any combination of stir-fried vegetables that you have on hand along with rice or noodles! Leftovers even freeze well for future meals! 😁
How to Make It
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Sauté the vegetables in peanut oil until softened and set aside. Season the chicken and toss it in cornstarch.
Heat oil in the same skillet and fry the chicken in batches for 3-4 minutes per side. Set aside once cooked and wipe excess oil from the skillet.
Add the chicken back and whisk the peanut sauce ingredients together. Add it to the skillet and toss to coat. Set the heat to medium. The cornstarch from the chicken will thicken the sauce. Cook until desired thickness is obtained and remove from heat.
Add the stir-fried veggies to the sauce or serve them on the side along with rice or noodles. Garnish with roughly chopped peanuts and green onions and serve!
PRO TIPS
- Optional Additions to this recipe include: Bean Sprouts, Water Chestnuts, Onions, Celery, Kale, Chow Mein Noodles, Sliced Almonds, Sesame Seeds, red pepper flakes.
- The consistency of the sauce will continue to thicken the longer it cooks. If it becomes thicker than you’d like, add a splash of water to thin it back out.
- I use Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Sauce for this recipe.
- A pinch of Red Pepper Flakes can be added to the sauce as well for an additional kick.
- This recipe is great with a side of rice. The notes section of the recipe card includes instructions for how I make perfectly cooked rice every time.
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- To Freeze:
- Store the chicken and the rice separately, these are my preferred storage containers for each.
- To Reheat:
- The chicken can be reheated from a thawed state in the microwave or in a lightly greased, covered casserole dish at 350° for 15 minutes or so, or until heated through.
- The rice can also be microwaved or reheated in a lightly greased foil packet in the oven for 10 minutes or so.
PEANUT BUTTER CHICKEN
This peanut butter chicken recipe comes together in less than 10 minutes and makes for a healthy and low carb dinner. Easy to make and tastes like takeout!
Quick and easy dinners are my jam.
Most of the time, I have a plethora of sauces and seasonings in my pantry and several chicken breast fillets in my refrigerator. My go-to quick and easy dinners using chicken are Hunan chicken, orange chicken, and chicken with peanut sauce.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Ready in 10 minutes. From prep to plate, this chicken with peanut butter sauce cooks takes no time. It’s perfect when you need a fast dinner on a busy weekday!
- Low carb and healthy. Packed with chicken breast and no calorie laden sauces, it’s healthy and low in carbs!
- Full of flavors and textures. Slightly sweet, slightly spicy, and with a sticky sauce, you’ll be reaching for seconds!
- Take out copycat. This dish tastes like something you’d get at a Chinese restaurant, but so much better.
How to make peanut butter chicken
The Ingredients.
- Chicken breast– Skinless and boneless filets that have been chopped into bite sized pieces.
- Cornstarch OR almond flour– Use almond flour if you follow a low carb diet.
- Peanut butter– Smooth peanut butter with no added sugar or salt.
- Garlic– Freshly minced.
- Hoisin sauce– A thick and flavorful sauce that works well in Asian-inspired dishes. For a keto option, try keto teriyaki sauce.
- Soy sauce– Tamari or gluten free soy sauce work.
- Sesame oil– A flavorful and rich flavored oil that balances out the peanut flavor.
- Water– To thin out the sauce.
- Oil to fry– Use oil with a high smoke point, like peanut oil or safflower oil.
The Instructions.
Start by adding the chicken and cornstarch (or almond flour) in a small bowl and mixing well. In a mixing bowl, add the peanut butter, garlic, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil and water and whisk together until smooth.
Next, add some oil to a non-stick pan and place it over medium heat. Once hot, add the chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes, until no longer pink. Once cooked, pour the sauce into the pan. Let everything simmer for 4-5 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
Now, remove the pan off the heat and serve the chicken with peanut sauce over rice, cauliflower rice, or steamed vegetables.
Can I substitute the peanut butter?
If you have a peanut allergy or want to use something else, you can use tahini, sunflower seed butter, or almond butter.
Expert tips for success
- Coating the chicken in cornstarch or almond flour gives it a more tender texture and helps the sauce stick to it.
- Although tempting, do not use sesame oil to stir-fry everything together. The dish will be overpowering and detract from the lovely peanut butter flavor.
- Sprinkle the finished dish with sesame seeds and green onions.
Storing, freezing, and reheating instructions
- To store: Leftover chicken peanut butter can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to five days.
- To freeze: Place the cooked and cooled chicken in an airtight container and store it in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- Reheating: Either microwave for 30-40 seconds until warm, or in a non-stick pan until the sauce sizzles.
What to serve with this dish
- Rice or alternative– White, brown, jasmine, or cauliflower fried rice.
- Noodles– Soba, rice, or buckwheat noodles.
- Vegetables– Zucchini, brussels sprouts, or steamed vegetables.
- Bread or alternatives- Rolls, buns, or even biscuits.
- Salad– Coleslaw, mock potato salad, or a cauliflower potato salad.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does peanut butter chicken taste like?
If you are wary of the name, don’t let it deter you from making this dish! It’s tender chicken pieces covered in a sweet, spicy, and umami peanut sauce.
Is peanut butter sauce and satay sauce the same thing?
The major difference between peanut butter sauce and satay sauce is that satay sauce is made with coconut and has less spices in it.
Can I use chicken thighs instead of chicken breast?
You can use skinless chicken thigh pieces instead of chicken breast.
Is this keto friendly?
When made using almond flour and keto teriyaki sauce (instead of cornstarch and hoisin sauce). this dish is suitable for a keto diet.
Peanut Butter Chicken Recipe
This peanut butter chicken recipe comes together in less than 10 minutes and makes for a healthy and low carb dinner. Easy to make and tastes like takeout!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Chinese
Prep Time: 1 minute
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 11 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 205kcal
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb chicken breast chopped into bite sized pieces
- 3 tablespoons corn starch or almond flour
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
- 1/4 cup Hoisin sauce or keto teriyaki sauce
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons oil to fry
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add the chicken and cornstarch and toss until coated.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, minced garlic, and water.
- Add the oil into a non-stick pan and place it over medium heat. Once hot, add the chicken and cook for 5-6 minutes until no longer pink.
- Add the sauce and mix until the chicken is coated. Cook for 4-5 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
- Remove the pan off the heat and sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions.
Notes
TO STORE: Leftover chicken peanut butter can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to five days.
TO FREEZE: Place the cooked and cooled chicken in an airtight container and store it in the freezer for up to 6 months.
TO REHEAT: Either microwave for 30-40 seconds until warm, or in a non-stick pan until the sauce sizzles.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 205kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 9g | Sodium: 685mg | Potassium: 510mg | Fiber: 1g | Vitamin A: 34IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg | NET CARBS: 2g