Peanut Butter Chicken is tender pieces of browned chicken breast in a slightly spicy, slightly sweet Asian creamy peanut butter sauce with ginger. Enjoy this tasty dish garnished with thinly sliced green onions and chopped peanuts over long-grain white rice.
How to make Peanut Butter Chicken
In a medium bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, grated ginger, and sambal oelek. Then in a large pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and brown on both sides.
Move the chicken to a plate and reduce the heat to medium-low. Add a little more vegetable oil if needed. Add the onions and cook for several minutes or until the onions are soft. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, cooking for 1 minute while stirring constantly. Add the peanut sauce and cook for several minutes, stirring frequently. Add 2-3 tablespoons of water to thin the sauce to your desired consistency.
Add the chicken back to the skillet with the peanut sauce and warm for several minutes. Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Top with green onions and chopped peanuts. Serve over long-grain white rice or Chinese noodles.
Helpful recipe tips
- Cut the chicken breasts into small thin bite-size uniform pieces, so they cook quickly and evenly.
- Use creamy, crunchy, or all-natural peanut butter.
- Try adding a variety of veggies like broccoli, red bell peppers, carrots, mushrooms, or snap peas.
- Serve over long-grain white or brown rice, Chinese noodles, cauliflower rice, or zoodles.
- Thin the sauce with chicken broth, chicken stock, or water to desired consistency. You may need to thin it several times if reheating.
- Garnish with thinly sliced green onions, red pepper flakes, or cilantro.
- For Thai peanut chicken, skip any additional water and add about a cup of coconut milk and a tablespoon of lime juice.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power.
- To freeze, first fully cool, then place in a sturdy freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power.
What to serve with Peanut Butter Chicken
- Vegetables – stir-fried or steamed broccoli, stir-fried red or orange bell pepper, zucchini, carrots, snow peas, cauliflower rice, zoodles, or water chestnuts.
- Starch – white rice, brown rice, Chinese noodles, udon noodles, or rice noodles.
- Garnishes – green onions, peanuts, cilantro, red pepper flakes, mango, or pineapple.
More Asian Chicken Recipes
Easy Peanut Butter Chicken Recipe
This easy Peanut Butter Chicken is full of flavor with tender browned chicken pieces tossed in a mouthwatering good ginger peanut sauce with thinly sliced green onions and chopped peanuts. This tasty dish is ideal for meal prep along with jasmine rice and fresh vegetables.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: main meal chicken
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian American
Ingredients
Peanut Sauce
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon sambal oelek
Peanut Butter Chicken
- 1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken breast or boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into thin bite-sized pieces.
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic pressed
- 2–3 tablespoons water
-
Kosher salt to taste
-
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- ¼ cup chopped peanuts
- Cooked jasmine rice or any long-grain white rice (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, grated ginger, and sambal oelek. Set the sauce aside.
- In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the chicken and brown on both sides, making sure it is cooked through. Remove the chicken to a plate and reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Add a little more vegetable oil if needed. Add the onions and cook for several minutes or until the onions are softened. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, cooking for 1 minute while stirring constantly.
- Add the peanut sauce and cook for several minutes, stirring frequently. Add 2-3 tablespoons of water to thin the sauce to your desired consistency.
- Add the chicken back to the skillet with the peanut sauce and warm for several minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with green onions and chopped peanuts. Serve over long-grain white rice or Chinese noodles.
Notes
- Cut the chicken into thin bite-sized uniform pieces, so they cook quickly and evenly.
- Use creamy, crunchy, or all-natural peanut butter.
- Try adding a variety of veggies like broccoli, bell peppers, carrots, mushrooms, or snap peas.
- Serve over long-grain white or brown rice, Chinese noodles, cauliflower rice, or zoodles.
- Thin the sauce with water to desired consistency. You may need to thin it several times if reheating.
- Garnish with thinly sliced green onions, red pepper flakes, or cilantro.
- For Thai peanut chicken, skip any additional water and add about a cup of coconut milk and a tablespoon of lime juice.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power.
- To freeze, first fully cool, then place in a sturdy freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power.
Keywords: how to make peanut butter chicken, peanut butter chicken recipe, chicken with peanut butter, Thai peanut chicken
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Natalie
I made this last night just to try something different and I loved it! My husband says it was different but good and so did my son! My daughter gave it a 9/10 because I didn’t crush the peanuts good enough! over all we all really enjoyed it over rice.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Natalie! I am so glad that you and your family liked it. I love it, but I adore peanut butter. Maybe a little too much.
Melissa Cushing
I am looking for one recipes to make for my family and this I one I have to try! It looks so delicious and I love anything served over rice!
Lisa
I tried a similar dish many years ago in Bali. I like the ingredients here and will try making this for the family.
★★★★★
Beth Pierce
Thanks! Enjoy!
Jupiter Hadley
I have never heard of Peanut Butter Chicken – it sounds really interesting! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe.
Luna S
This sounds so good, reminds me of a dish my aunt made when I was younger that I loved. I need to try this out.
Natasha Mairs
I often make a vegetarian version of something similar to this. I call it my nutty peanut chicken and my husband loves it
Monidipa Dutta
This is a great recipe. Full of so much flavor. It is one of our favorites.
★★★★★
Tammy
Mmm I love pb chicken. I love soba noodles with a peanut sauce too. Right up my alley…definitely need to make this 😀
Yaya
Yum! This is definitely a great recipe to have to hand. Peanut butter and chicken are a unusual, but delicious combination.
Beth Pierce
I agree totally!
Becky
This sounds amazing. My husband loves chicken satay so i’d say he’d really enjoy this, thanks for the recipe!
Samantha Donnelly
I cook with chicken a lot and usually end up wih the same meals, this sounds really nice and something my whole family would eat definitely goiing to try this
★★★★★
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Samantha! Enjoy!
katerina
WOW! This was amazing! What a great flavor combination. We loved it.
★★★★★
Allyson Zea
WOW!!! This was absolutely the best dinner! Thank you for the easy recipe!
★★★★★
Beth Pierce
So glad that you liked it, Allyson!
Juliane
Definitely a must try chicken recipe!
★★★★★
Beth Pierce
Yes, it is a must-try. So incredibly flavorful and yummy!
Sandra
I love this Peanut Butter Chicken recipe! It was so flavorful and easy!
★★★★★
Catalina
We love this easy recipe. In fact it is one of my favorite chicken recipes,
★★★★★
Erin
Such a satisfying dish! I just love anything with peanut butter.
Amanda
I am very curious to try this. What an interesting combination of flavors!