If you're in the mood for a quick and easy dinner recipe that's not only delicious but also healthy, then this peanut butter chicken is the perfect choice. With its low carb count and a taste that rivals Chinese takeout, this meal takes less than 10 minutes to prepare and is guaranteed to become a family favourite.
If you love this dish, you might also enjoy our recipes for this sticky chicken or these Asian meatballs. And you will absolutely love our recipe for pork belly slices.
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⭐️ Why You'll Love Peanut Butter Chicken
- Ready in 10 Minutes: Quick preparation time for busy weeknights.
- Low Carb and Healthy: Fits well into health-conscious diets.
- Full of Flavors and Textures: Savory, nutty, and a taste that’s better than takeout.
🧾 Ingredients
- Chicken breast: the star of the dish, provides a lean and healthy protein source.
- Cornstarch or almond flour: for coating and giving that crispy texture.
- Peanut butter: the key ingredient that adds richness and flavour to the sauce.
- Garlic: infuses the sauce with a robust flavour.
- Hoisin sauce and soy sauce: combine to create a perfect balance of sweetness and saltiness.
- Sesame oil: adds an Asian-inspired aroma.
- Water: adjust the sauce consistency.
- High-smoke point oil (e.g., peanut oil or safflower oil): perfect for frying the chicken without burning.
- *The use of almond flour and specific oils can make it keto-friendly, and the richness of the peanut butter can be enhanced or substituted as per your preferences.
See recipe card for quantities.
Peanut butter chicken is a fusion recipe that combines classic Asian flavours with the rich and creamy texture of peanut butter. It's a wonderful alternative to traditional stir-fry dishes and can be adapted to suit various dietary needs.
📖 Substitutions & Variations
- Substitute peanut butter with tahini, sunflower seed butter, or almond butter.
- Serve with different types of rice, noodles, or salad for variety.
👩🏻🍳 Making Peanut Butter Chicken In 4 Steps
1: Season Chicken and Make the Sauce
- Prepare the Chicken: Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces, and season with salt and pepper.
- Add vegetables: I've added peppers to my recipe and cooked them for about 5 minutes until they are al dente. *You can skip the vegetables if required.
- Coat the Chicken: Place cornstarch or almond flour in a bowl, and coat each piece of chicken evenly.
- Prepare the Sauce: In a separate bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, garlic, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil until smooth. Add water to reach your desired consistency.
2: Cook the Chicken
- Heat the Oil: In a pan, heat the high smoke point oil over medium-high heat.
- Fry the Chicken: Add the coated chicken to the hot pan. Cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through.
- Remove and Drain: Once cooked, remove the chicken from the pan and place on a paper towel to drain excess oil.
3: Prepare the Peanut Butter Sauce
- Cook the Sauce: In the same pan, reduce the heat to medium and add the prepared sauce. Cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly until it's heated through and slightly thickened.
- Combine with Chicken: Add the cooked chicken back into the pan and toss it with the sauce to coat evenly.
4: Serve with Rice or Vegetables
- Prepare Sides: While the chicken is cooking, prepare your chosen sides such as rice, noodles, or steamed vegetables.
- Plate the Dish: Serve the peanut butter chicken over the prepared sides.
- Garnish: Top with sesame seeds and sliced green onions for an appealing presentation.
Special Tips:- For extra crispy chicken, you can double-coat the chicken pieces with cornstarch or almond flour.
- Adjust the sauce to taste by adding more or less of the individual ingredients.
- To keep the dish warm until serving, cover it with a lid or aluminum foil.
Hint: You can cook this peanut butter chicken in a slow cooker too!
Peanut Butter Chicken in a Slow Cooker
- Prepare Chicken & Sauce: Place bite-sized chicken pieces in the slow cooker. Mix peanut butter, garlic, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil, and pour over the chicken.
- Cook: Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or high for 2-3 hours, until tender.
- Thicken (Optional): For a thicker sauce, add a mixture of 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 2 tablespoons cold water 30 minutes before done.
- Serve: Serve over rice or noodles, garnishing with sesame seeds and green onions if desired.
🍯 Storage
- Fridge
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freezer
- Freeze in portion-sized containers for up to 3 months.
- Reheat
- Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat on the stove or microwave.
💡 Top tip
Share something here that you think is key to making this recipe well, such as: Don't overcook the burgers! Sear the outside and cook to a minimum internal temperature, but they should still be juicy for best results.
❓FAQ
Satay sauce typically includes more spices, while peanut butter sauce focuses on the creamy texture and rich peanut flavour.
Yes, by using almond flour and a keto-friendly soy sauce alternative, you can easily make this recipe suitable for a low-carb diet.
Absolutely! You can follow the same steps, but cook the chicken in a slow cooker on low for 4-6 hours.
More Asian Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
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You can also find more comfort food recipes using everyday ingredients over on our sister site Salted Mint.
Peanut Butter Chicken (Stovetop & Slow Cooker Method)
Ingredients
- 500 g (1 lb) chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 125 g (½ cups) natural peanut butter
- 3 cloves (3 cloves) garlic, minced
- 60 ml (¼ cups) hoisin sauce
- 60 ml (¼ cups) soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon (2 tablespoon) sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoon cold water, for thickening
- Sesame seeds and green onions for garnish
Instructions
Stovetop Instructions:
Step 1: Season the Chicken and Make the Sauce
- Prepare the Chicken: Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces, and season with salt and pepper.
- Coat the Chicken: Place cornstarch or almond flour in a bowl, and coat each piece of chicken evenly.
- Prepare the Sauce: In a separate bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, garlic, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil until smooth. Add water to reach your desired consistency.
Step 2: Cook the Chicken
- Heat the Oil: In a pan, heat the high smoke point oil over medium-high heat.
- Fry the Chicken: Add the coated chicken to the hot pan. Cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through.
- Remove and Drain: Once cooked, remove the chicken from the pan and place on a paper towel to drain excess oil.
Step 3: Prepare the Peanut Butter Sauce
- Cook the Sauce: In the same pan, reduce the heat to medium and add the prepared sauce. Cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly until it's heated through and slightly thickened.
- Combine with Chicken: Add the cooked chicken back into the pan and toss it with the sauce to coat evenly.
Step 4: Serve with Rice or Vegetables
- Prepare Sides: While the chicken is cooking, prepare your chosen sides such as rice, noodles, or steamed vegetables.
- Plate the Dish: Serve the peanut butter chicken over the prepared sides.
Slow Cooker Instructions:
Prepare Chicken & Sauce:
- Place chicken pieces in the slow cooker.
- Mix peanut butter, garlic, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil and pour over the chicken.
Cook:
- Cook on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 2-3 hours, or until chicken is tender.
- Thicken (Optional):Stir in cornstarch mixture and cook on high for an additional 30 minutes if a thicker sauce is desired.
Serve:
- Serve as above.
Notes
- Spice lovers can add red pepper flakes or hot sauce for an extra kick.
- Try serving with steamed vegetables for a balanced meal.
- Nut-free alternatives like tahini or sunflower seed butter can be used.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Jayne
My husband loved it, I can't have coconut milk and don't eat meat. Any substitute for the coconut milk other than tinned tomatoes
Deborah Rainford
Hi Jayne. Some options to use instead of coconut milk could be Greek yogurt, sour cream, heavy cream or soy milk. And you can always substitute tofu in this recipe instead of meat, or even some grilled halloumi or grilled portobello mushrooms would be great.
Winnie
This recipe is sooo good! I absolutely loved this and so did my family!
Deborah Rainford
Thanks so much, Winnie! So happy that you loved it! 🙂
TobyC
Absolutely loved this recipe! Like a peanut satay but better!
Deborah Rainford
So happy you loved it.
Olya
The photo of Aldi products has coconut milk, limes, bell peppers and other items which are not on the recipe. Then there is another photo, showing fried peppers but that's not on the recipe either
Deborah Rainford
Thanks for catching that! I've just updated the recipe and forgot to change the ingredients photo. The recipe card at the bottom is correct.