Dinner Tonight: The BEST Peanut Butter Chicken Recipe!
As a busy mom of 3, there’s nothing better than a quick and easy dinner that:
- Comes together in just 30 minutes.
- Is the perfect balance of healthy protein, carbs, and fats.
- Is full of veggies.
- And has the perfect savory peanut butter flavor, making it great for kids AND adults!
I could not be more obsessed with this Peanut Butter Chicken recipe. I originally made it as a way to get my picky toddler to eat ANYTHING besides chicken nuggets, and he loved it. Which says a lot considering how particular he was about what he ate! Since then, I make this easy dinner for my family all of the time and it’s always so good.
This recipe is included in my 4-Week Healthy Dinner Meal Plan! Need help planning out healthy meals for the week ahead? This guide includes 4 weeks of planned-for-you recipes, grocery lists, and more!
Can You Make Chicken with Peanut Butter?
Of course! It may sound crazy, but peanut butter mixed with honey, minced garlic, soy sauce (or coconut aminos), ginger powder, rice vinegar and broth makes for the best sauce to cook chicken into. Simply cook it until it slightly thickens and reduces for a sauce that can take a chicken recipe to the next level!
RELATED: 100+ Quick Healthy Dinners (30 Minutes Or Less)
Peanut Butter Chicken Ingredients
The ingredients for this Peanut Butter Chicken recipe are simple and easy to find. Here are a few notes about what you’ll need:
- Coconut Oil – Any type of cooking oil works great, but I love the lightly sweet coconut taste that the coconut oil adds to the chicken! It really comes together with the peanut butter sauce.
- Chicken Breast – I used chicken breast cut into cubes for this recipe.
- Onion – Yellow onion works best, but I used red onion since it’s what I had on hand at the time.
- Peanut Butter – Creamy or crunchy peanut butter both work great!
- Coconut Aminos (or Soy Sauce) – Feel free to use regular soy sauce, tamari (gluten-free soy sauce), or coconut aminos in this recipe.
- Honey – The honey adds a sticky, sweet texture and flavor to this Peanut Butter Chicken recipe. Another option is to use agave syrup instead!
- Rice Vinegar – The rice vinegar in this recipe gives it a brightness that brings the entire sauce together.
- Tomato Sauce – The amount of tomato sauce, in my opinion, is the perfect amount. However, you can adjust the tomato sauce in this recipe! If you’re not a fan of it, feel free to use 1 Tablespoon instead of 2 or omit it completely.
- Broth – Chicken broth or vegetable broth add so much flavor!
- Seasoning – A mix of cumin, ground coriander, salt, and pepper add tons of flavor to the chicken. However feel free to use any seasoning mix that sounds good to flavor the chicken! For the peanut butter sauce, I used a mix of freshly minced garlic (can use garlic powder), ginger powder, and onion powder. You can also adjust the amount of ginger to your own taste!
How to Make Peanut Butter Chicken
Here’s how to make this easy Peanut Butter Chicken recipe in no time at all!
- Cook the chicken in a skillet or pan over medium-high heat.
- Mix the peanut butter sauce ingredients together.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken and simmer (stir often).
- Remove from heat and add to your favorite rice and vegetable pairings!
You’ll Also Love: Honey Balsamic Chicken & Veggies
Peanut Butter Chicken Recipe Tips
Want to know how to make the BEST peanut butter sauce for chicken? Here are a few tips:
- Adjust the amount of simmer time to the desired thickness. The longer the sauce simmers, the thicker it will get!
- Keep in mind that the sauce will slightly thicken once it cools.
- Add chili flakes to the sauce if you want a spicy kick!
- Feel free to use more ginger in the sauce if you like that flavor.
What to Serve with Peanut Sauce Chicken
The best way to pair Peanut Butter Chicken is with rice and delicious vegetables. Here are a few ideas for yummy toppings and pairing ideas!
- Brown Rice
- Basmati Rice
- Roasted Broccoli
- Shredded Carrots
- Green Onions
- Celery
- Red Bell Peppers
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Cilantro
- Peanuts
- Sesame Seeds
How to Store Peanut Butter Chicken
Did you know that you can store this recipe in the refrigerator, freeze it for later, or even meal prep it in advance? It’s so good, even reheated! Here’s how to store Peanut Butter Chicken.
Refrigerator – Place the chicken in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
Freezer – Place the chicken in an airtight container and let cool in the fridge for 1 hour. Then move to the freezer and store for up to 3 months!
Meal Prep – Feel free to make Peanut Butter Chicken bowls in advance and place in airtight meal prep containers. Store in the refrigerator for 3-5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months! To reheat, simply heat up in the microwave, stirring often, until evenly warm.
More Wholesome Chicken Recipes
- Dairy-Free Tuscan Chicken
- Hot Honey Chicken Bowls
- Baked Spinach Chicken Meatballs
- Chicken Pesto Pasta Bake
- Paleo Chicken Mushroom Casserole
- Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice
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Peanut Butter Sauce for Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 Tablespoon coconut oil
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast (about 2-3 breasts)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Peanut Butter Sauce
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos (or gluten-free tamari soy sauce)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 – 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper (optional, adjust to taste)
Toppings/Pairings (optional)
- brown or basmati rice
- shredded carrots
- roasted broccoli
- peanuts
- crushed red pepper
- fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into small cubes.
- Heat up the coconut oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
- Add in the chopped onions and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the cubed chicken, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper.
- Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is fully cooked.
- While the chicken is cooking, mix the peanut butter, coconut aminos (or soy sauce), honey, rice vinegar, tomato sauce, broth, garlic, ginger, and onion powder together. Add crushed red pepper to taste!
- Pour the sauce into the pan with the chicken and stir until the chicken is coated evenly.
- Allow the sauce to come to a light simmer.
- Simmer for about 6-8 minutes (or until the sauce slightly thickens and reduces), stirring often.
- Remove from heat and serve the peanut butter chicken over rice and with vegetables of your choice!
Andrea says:
I couldn’t believe how delicious this was! The flavors were so much more complex than any other peanut sauce I’ve had. Thank you for the recipe!
violet laber says:
This dish was good, but there was something slightly off about it. To be fair, a family member can’t eat onion or garlic, unless they are infused in oil, and we had only garlic infused olive oil on hand. We do not use coconut oil at all, so substituted sunflower oil (we don’t like olive oil in Asian-type dishes). Also substituted fresh ginger for powdered ginger. On the whole, we liked the dish a lot, and will probably make it again with a different peanut butter sauce. Thank you, Christine, for this recipe. With adaptations for a low-FODMAP diet, I will add this to our collection,
Hannah Roberts says:
I never comment on recipes I use and I’m sorry for that. But this one I just had to leave a comment. It was so so delicious!!! The sauce is so good! And easy! I couldn’t believe I made it! I cooked some spaghetti noodles to go with instead of rice. And blanches some carrot slices and steamed broccoli. Made the sauce and chicken exactly to the recipe and the sprinkled with everything bagel seasoning and red pepper flakes. IT WAS DELIGHTFUL! Go ahead, make this one, it’s soooo yummy!
Heidy says:
This peanut butter chicken recipe was highly exceptional! I loved all the flavors and textures. I can’t wait to make it again. It was so good!
I am looking forward to checking out some of your other recipes on your blog! Have a great day, and thanks for sharing this fantastic recipe!
Amita says:
I loved this recipe. It was really easy to make and delicious! Every single person in the family loved it.
Jacqueline Debono says:
The flavours in this peanut butter chicken make me think of satay which I love. So, definitely want to try this!
Tammy says:
I love peanut sauce and this looks absolutely delicious! Cannot wait to make this and have it leftover for the week ^_^
Hailee says:
I made this last night, it was fantastic!!! 10/10. My hubby loved how it was so out of our usual routine! Will be making again for sure!!!
Amanda Mason says:
This was absolutely delicious! My husband loved it and asked me to add it into our dinner menu rotation. Definitely a win in our house! Thanks for a great recipe!
Kathryn says:
The peanut butter adds so much delicious to the chicken! This was so good and perfect for dinner!!
Kayla DiMaggio says:
This peanut butter chicken was so creamy! It was a total hit!
Natalie says:
That chicken sounds fantastic. Perfect easy weekday dinner for my boys. Going to make this tomorrow.
Mikayla says:
Just had to make this for my little guy, though he is not picky, it just sounded good. Peanut butter in chicken produced a few giggles, but he loved it as much as I did!
Liz says:
I love peanut butter chicken! I have this on the list to make tonight for dinner! Excited to give it a try!
Freya says:
Yum! I used vegan chicken pieces instead but this was such a delicious and wholesome meal!