Peanut Butter Chicken

5 from 3 votes

This peanut butter chicken with juicy tender chicken thighs and crunchy vegetables cooked with a homemade peanut butter sauce is a dish the whole family will love. It cooks up quickly and you can prep the vegetables and chicken ahead to make it perfect for weeknight dinners.

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine Asian

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 12

Total Time 32

Servings servings

Calories 598kcal

Author Caitlin Self, MS, CNS, LDN

Ingredients

Chicken and Vegetables

1 cup brown rice
2 ½ -3 cups water
1 red onion
1 large red bell pepper
½ pound fresh green beans
1 medium carrot shredded (or ½ cup shredded carrots)
1 Tablespoon cooking oil of choice olive oil, etc.
1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
½ teaspoon fine salt divided, more to taste
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar divided
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

For the Peanut Butter Sauce:

⅓ cup unsalted creamy peanut butter 1 ingredient, all natural*
3 Tablespoons tamari / soy sauce
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1 Tablespoon grated ginger
2 teaspoons honey
3 Tablespoons of water more or less to preference

Garnish

black sesame seeds fresh cilantro, a few Tablespoons of peanuts

Instructions

Cook the rice in a rice cooker or according to package directions.
Prepare the vegetables: wash all vegetables first! Peel and slice the red onion into wedges. Remove the stem and seeds and slice the bell pepper into strips. Remove the stem ends of the green beans and slice into 2-inch pieces. You can also measure out the onion powder and garlic powder, which we will use to season the vegetables.
Shred the carrot on a box grater. Sprinkle with just a teaspoon of the rice vinegar and toss to combine.
Make the sauce: add all sauce ingredients, except the water, to a large bowl. Stir until smooth, then stir in the water to create a slightly thinner consistency.
Chop the chicken thighs into bite sized chunks. Mince the garlic and measure out the red pepper flakes.
Bring a large skillet to medium-high heat. Once hot, drizzle in some cooking oil and add the sliced red onion along with a small pinch of salt. Stir fry the onions until frizzled. Then add the chopped chicken thighs with another pinch of salt. Stir fry chicken until fully cooked, then add the red pepper flakes and the minced garlic. Stir and cook for 1 more minute, then deglaze the pan with 1 Tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to remove any stuck bits from the bottom of the pan. Remove the chicken and onions to a bowl and set aside.
Add another teaspoon or so of oil to the hot skillet and then add the chopped green beans and sliced bell pepper. Add a pinch of salt, along with the onion powder and garlic powder and stir. Sauté for about 5 minutes. You want the vegetables to be bright in color but still have a nice al dente texture.
Once the vegetables are ready, add the chicken back to the skillet, and pour in the sauce. Stir to combine.
Cook for another 60 seconds or so to infuse the vegetables and chicken with the sauce, then remove from the heat.
Serve with cooked brown rice, and garnish with black sesame seeds, peanuts, and cilantro. Top with your punchy carrots and enjoy!

Notes

If using salted peanut butter, reduce salt elsewhere in the recipe (such as when cooking the chicken and vegetables).

Nutrition