Thai Peanut Chicken
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This delicious Thai Peanut Chicken recipe is positively PACKED with flavor! It’s quick and easy to make and is thoroughly satisfying. It’s naturally gluten-free, dairy-free and paleo!
Thai Peanut Chicken – Quick and Delicious
This tasty Thai-influenced dish comes together in 30 minutes. The flavors of peanuts, coconut, chili, garlic, and ginger beautifully meld to create a sauce that is rich, comforting, and satisfying!
This is a dish I created several years ago when I got word that family was coming over from out of town at the last minute. I wanted to have a hot meal ready for them but being pressed for time it needed to be quick and fuss-free. One of the family members in particular loved everything Asian/Thai/Indonesian and so I looked in my freezer and in my pantry for inspiration. Some chicken and a big jar of peanut butter stood out to me and so I grabbed them and went to work, gathering other ingredients along the way like coconut milk and chili sauce. Thirty minutes later the meal was ready and our family commented on the delicious smell as they walked into our home. A few bites into the meal the compliments came pouring in.
This dish is a nice blend of sweet and spicy but you can adjust it according to your personal preference: Use either hot or mild chili powder and chili sauce according to your desired heat level.
This Thai Peanut Chicken recipe has remained a favorite in our home and I’m confident you’re going to love it too!
Thai Peanut Chicken Recipe
Let’s get started!
Chop the onions and mince the garlic and ginger. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook the onions until soft and translucent, 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook another 2 minutes. Add the chicken and cook another 3-4 minutes.
Add the sweet chili sauce, tomato sauce or ketchup, chili powder, brown sugar (for paleo Thai peanut chicken omit the sugar), salt and peanut butter and stir to combine. Add the coconut milk and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt to taste.
Serve with steamed rice garnished with cilantro, roasted peanuts and a sprinkling of chili powder.
This dish tastes even better the next day after the flavors have had longer to meld. If the sauce is a little too thick, simply add a little extra coconut milk.
This Thai peanut chicken will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days and can be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Enjoy!
For more favorite chicken dishes from around the world try my:
- Chicken Piccata
- Jerk Chicken
- Butter Chicken
- Chicken Marsala
- Chicken Paprikash
- Chicken Stroganoff
- Coq Au Vin
- Doro Wat
- Mongolian Chicken
- Pollo a la Brasa
- Chicken Teriyaki
- Chicken Goulash
- Chicken Machboos
- Chicken Bolognese
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Thai Peanut Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1 yellow onion , chopped
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 inch piece ginger root , minced
- 1 pound chicken breast , cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce (click link for homemade chili sauce recipe)
- 2 tablespoons tomato sauce or ketchup
- 3 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter
- 1 tablespoons chili powder
- OR homemade chili powder (highly recommended!)
- 1 teaspoon dark brown sugar (optional; paleo: omit)
- 14 ounce unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
- Chopped roasted peanuts for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the oil in skillet over medium-high heat and cook the onions until soft and translucent, 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the sweet chili sauce, tomato sauce or ketchup, chili powder, peanut butter, and sugar and stir to combine. Add the coconut milk and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the sauce is too thin for your liking, dissolve a tablespoon of cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of water, stir it into the sauce, and simmer or another minute until thickened. Add salt to taste.Serve over steamed rice garnished with cilantro and chopped roasted peanuts.
First published on The Daring Gourmet April 13, 2015
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
I’ve made this recipe many times, both as is and with small substitutions such as adding curry paste and lime juice. It is always delicious and definitely one of my husbands favorites. It also tastes better than many dishes you might order at a Thai restaurant!
Thank you so much for this recipe! Ignore the naysayer!
Thank you so much, Mitzi, I’m thrilled that you both enjoyed it and that it’s become a regular! <3
Can you freeze this?
Yes you can, Eileen.
Great I love this recipe!
Thanks so much! :)
I stumbled across this recipe when I was searching for Thai food recipes. So I whipped it up for dinner today and I can honestly say it was even better than I expected. Thanks for the recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Derek, thank you very much for the feedback!
One of my favourite dishes simple to make and well balanced
Thank you so much, E!
I made it as written, and it’s okay. The dish tasted good enough. The ketchup and the chili powder are strange inclusions. Many of the aromatics found in Thai curry paste like galangal, coriander root, and lime leaf are sorely missed, as are soy and fish sauce. The substitutions, especially the ginger, make for a very round, mellow dish. Most of the rich umami, bright acidity, sharp aromatics, and heat of Thai food has been dialed back. This version of the dish has its edges sanded off into a generally palatable experience.
This recipe reads as if an American Midwesterner recalled having eaten chicken satay at a restaurant and tried to recreate it from memory from their current pantry without doing any research into Thai ingredients or techniques. There is nothing wrong with that, but it is a problem when that recipe is later published and titled “THAI peanut chicken.”
my, my what a criticism. A rather crabby one, Riley.
Read the fine print she doesn’t claim this is a regional dish just something she put together on the fly and it’s excellent.ive traveled Thailand and everyone makes the same dish differently.
My family loves this recipe. I’m not sure when I started doing it but I always use red curry paste instead of the ketchup and we really like it. The peanut flavor is so comforting and hearty. Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks so much for the feedback, Erin, I’m so glad it was a family hit!
Made this for a dinner party for 12. I used 3 1/2 pounds chicken breast and added a little more ketchup and chili sauce while adjusting the seasonings. This is like a stew with lots of liquid so I served it in bowls over rice. The guests loved it and wanted the recipe. It’s very delicious, easy to make, and a winner. Thanks for sharing this great dish.
Thank you, Melisende, I’m so glad it was a hit!
Love this recipe! I’ve made it 3 times now and my bf says it’s his favorite thing I’ve ever made for him. I like to add frozen veggies into the pot. Any ideas on how to thicken this up a bit? Tom paste?
Fantastic, Nicole, I’m so glad it’s become a favorite, thank you! The simplest way to thicken it is to dissolve some cornstarch in a little water and stir it in at the end and let it simmer for a minute until thickened.
Searching for something today and came across this, a quick trip to my small supermarket in the UK and away we went.. 45 minutes later I had one of the best chicken dishes I’ve tasted! My other half commented she would have complimented the chef if it were served in a restaurant! Thank you!
I’m absolutely thrilled to hear that, Ross, thank you so much for the feedback and compliment!
This was an easy yet delicious dinner recipe. I substituted the chicken with tofu, added 1 tbsp tamari, and the juice from one lime at the end of cooking. Thank you for the recipe. 😀
Fantastic, DSL, thanks so much for the feedback!
Where can I find the old version of this recipe? The old one used Heinz chili sauce
Hi Brian, it’s the same version I simply linked to my homemade chili sauce instead for those wanting to make it from scratch. You’re more than welcome to use Heinz instead – same amount, 2 tablespoons.
My husband and I like this. My kids don’t like peanuts. So I’m going to try using almond butter instead. Wish us luck
I’m glad you both enjoyed it, thank you Clara! Let us know how it goes with the almond butter!
Hi, I tried this today, and while the sauce came out great, the chicken was slightly dry. Any idea how to prevent that?
Thanks again for the great recipe!
I’m glad you enjoyed it, thank you! Chicken becomes dry when it’s overcooked. The smaller the pieces the more quickly it will cook. Alternatively you can use boneless chicken thighs; dark meat is more moist.
My 13, 11 and 8 year old kids devoured this. Next time I’ll double the recipe!
Thank you, K Decker, I’m so happy it was a family hit!
This recipe is delicious! I’ve made this multiple times and it’s always a winner. My husband said it should regularly be on our meal rotation! I’m wondering if you think the recipe would translate well to a slow cooker? I’m thinking mix all of the sauce components and add the chicken and cook on low?
Fantastic, Sarah, I’m so glad it’s become a regular, thank you! Yes, you could do that in the slow cooker but the texture likely won’t be quite the same, things have a tendency to be more watery in the slow cooker.
You are amazing !thank you for sharing your creations with the world. I just made this and will do it again
This is a great recipe. I was looking for a simple to prepare chicken recipe that was flavorful. I will be making this over and over.
I’m so happy to hear that, Karen, thank you!