Peanut butter chicken is a rich and super flavorful meal that can be on the table in 30 minutes. Get ready to be amazed by the chicken and peanut combo that transform this budget-friendly meal into a real treat.
If fakeaway chicken is your thing, you'll want my sweet chilli chicken or this teriyaki chicken stir fry recipe in the rotation too!
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If you love peanut butter and chicken, you're bound to fall in love with this peanut butter chicken. Yes, that's really a thing, and it's truly delicious!
Expect tender bits of chicken breast cooked in a spicy peanut sauce that pair perfectly with rice for a quick and easy weeknight meal that definitely tastes better than takeaway.
This chicken with peanut sauce has Asian vibes, and it's a budget-friendly dish that's also just perfect for those who are looking for a protein-rich meal.
Why you'll love this peanut butter chicken
- It's a protein-rich meal. You get 44 grams of protein from a single serving of this peanut butter chicken.
- It's budget-friendly. You can make this recipe with just some chicken breast and staple ingredients.
- It's ready in 30 minutes. This peanut butter chicken surely delivers if you're looking forward to a treat for dinner.
What goes into this peanut butter curry
Oil - Any neutral vegetable oil works in this recipe. I used sunflower oil, but canola oil is another great option.
Chicken breast - Lean chicken breast fillets are perfect for this peanut chicken, but you can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead.
Onion - Dice the onion finely, so it cooks quickly.
Garlic, ginger and red chilli pepper - Use fresh garlic, ginger and red chilli pepper if possible for the best flavour.
Spices - A mix of ground cumin and ground coriander infuses this peanut butter sauce for chicken with warming flavours.
Soy sauce - I use light, low-sodium soy sauce in this recipe but you can use your favourite.
Peanut butter - Natural peanut butter is best in this recipe because it doesn't have any added salt or oil.
Honey - You can use a teaspoon of brown sugar instead of honey. This will cut the acidity of the tomatoes.
Coconut cream - If you don't have coconut cream, you can use the creamy top part of a can of full-fat coconut milk.
Peanuts - You can use raw peanuts that you toast yourself or shop-bought toasted peanuts.
How to make peanut butter chicken curry
Heat the oil in a large, deep pan and cook the chicken breast for 4-5 minutes on medium-high heat until no longer pink (or a couple more minutes to make it slightly golden if you wish).
Stir in the onion, garlic, ginger and red chilli pepper and cook for another minute.
Add the ground cumin, ground coriander and soy sauce and continue to cook for another minute, stirring often.
Stir in the chopped tomatoes and cook for another minute.
Add the peanut butter and chicken stock and stir to combine. When the peanut butter has melted completely, add the honey and coconut cream.
Lower the heat to low-medium and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Stir in the toasted peanuts and fresh coriander.
Season to taste and serve over your favourite rice or with naan bread.
Recipe notes and tips
- You can freeze this peanut butter chicken for up to 3 months in a freezer-friendly container. Defrost it overnight in the fridge before reheating in the microwave or on the stovetop until piping hot.
- Skip the red chilli pepper if you don't want your peanut butter curry to have a bit of a kick.
- Since this is a protein-rich recipe, it's a great option for meal prep. Add the leftovers to meal preps containers to have a delicious lunch on hand after those training sessions.
For the noodle version of this peanut and chicken combination, try my spicy peanut noodles with chicken next.
If you liked this peanut butter chicken recipe, you might also like some of my other easy chicken recipes:
- Chinese Chicken and Mushrooms (Panda Express Mushroom Chicken)
- Creamy Chicken Piccata Pasta
- Creamy Chicken Boursin Pasta
- Sundried Tomatoes Chicken Pasta
- Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta
Looking for more delicious inspiration? Follow Skinny Spatula on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
Easy Peanut Butter Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 450 g chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
- ½ red chilli pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 x 400 g can chopped tomatoes
- 50 g natural peanut butter
- 200 ml chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 100 ml coconut cream
- 30 g toasted peanuts, plus more for serving
- Fresh coriander, a handful
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large, deep pan and cook the chicken breast for 4-5 minutes on medium-high heat until no longer pink (or a couple more minutes to make it slightly golden if you wish).
- Stir in the onion, garlic, ginger and red chilli pepper and cook for another minute.
- Add the ground cumin, ground coriander and soy sauce and continue to cook for another minute, stirring often.
- Stir in the chopped tomatoes and cook for another minute.
- Add the peanut butter and chicken stock and stir to combine. When the peanut butter has melted completely, add the honey and coconut cream.
- Lower the heat to low-medium and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Stir in the toasted peanuts and fresh coriander.
- Season to taste and serve over your favourite rice or with naan bread.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 555Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 97mgSodium: 549mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 4gSugar: 27gProtein: 44g
Nutritional information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator.
Paul R DeLancey says
Peanut butter chicken is always good. I wish restaurants around here would serve it.