Thai Peanut Chicken

5 from 4 votes
5 Comments

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This Thai Peanut Chicken is a really spicy dish, so be ready for some heat! The peanuts, bamboo shoots, and corn give this dish added texture and flavor.

A bowl of Thai Peanut Chicken.
Featured with this recipe
  1. Ingredients for Spicy Thai Peanut Chicken
  2. Why Thai?
  3. How to Cook Thai Peanut Chicken at Home
  4. How to Store Leftovers
  5. Substitutions and Variations for Easy Thai Chicken Recipe
  6. Frequently Asked Questions
  7. Enjoy Another Helping of Thai
  8. How to Make Thai Peanut Chicken
  9. Thai Peanut Chicken Recipe

This Thai Peanut Chicken is a really spicy dish, so if you can’t take the heat, this is not the dish for you. We usually eat it with a tall glass of milk to cool our mouths between bites. The taste is worth the heat, especially if you like peanut butter sauce combined with a good chicken stir fry.

Ingredients for Spicy Thai Peanut Chicken

Get ready to enjoy a bowl full of peanut butter chicken, Thai style! These pantry staples ingredients are so easy to find and make the best dish. With a little number of ingredients and a special bottled sauce, this Thai recipe will come together quickly and easily. Enjoy the most amazingly delicious Peanut Chicken!

  • Chicken breasts – Cut the boneless skinless chicken breast into small, evenly cut pieces. This will help the cooking process.
  • Baby corn – Mild in flavor and has a crunchy texture. It is small and bite-sized to eat!
  • Bamboo shoots – These are known as a vegetable and you can purchase them fresh, dried, and canned. For this recipe I used fresh bamboo shoots.
  • Peanuts – Added for crunch, texture, and more flavor! I like to chop up the peanuts before I toss them in for a better bite.
  • Cilantro – Finely chopped fresh cilantro will be a garnish on top.
  • “House of Tsang” Peanut Sauce – This is a gluten-free sauce that has all the kick and spice that you need to reach with this Thai peanut chicken recipe. You can find it on amazon or down any Asian aisle at the grocery store.
A bowl of sliced raw chicken, a can of baby corn, peanuts, peanut sauce, a can of bamboo shoots, and cilantro on the counter top.



Why Thai?

In the last several years there seems to have been a surge in the popularity of Thai cuisine outside of those with Thai ancestry. Part of the exciting global world we live in! There are so many amazing foods in different cultures, it’s such a blessing to have them available no matter where you reside. But what it is about Thai food that makes it such a popular cooking style?

For many, it is the blend of strong and distinct flavors that make Thai food stand out from the crowd. Often, In any given dish you have sweet, bitter, sour, and salty all dancing together and making your taste buds come to life.

Another popular aspect of this cuisine is its overall healthy attributes and the fact that these dishes are relatively simple and easy to make. Because Thai foods are often steamed or stir-fried, so many of the healthy properties of the ingredients are retained. Also, there is room for so much variety in this style of cooking.

Thai Peanut Chicken in a skillet.

How to Cook Thai Peanut Chicken at Home

This Thai peanut chicken is known to be a little on the spicy side. Also, you could add a squeeze of fresh lime juice or a bit of honey to sweeten and keep the heat down a bit. You will love the flavor combination and how delicious this dinner is when in all comes together!

  1. Thoroughly cook the chicken in a large skillet over medium-high heat in some of the peanut sauce.
  2. When the chicken starts to brown, add all the baby corn and bamboo shoots and the rest of the sauce from the bottle.
  3. When the vegetables are cooked, add the peanuts and cilantro and simmer a little longer.
  4. Serve over rice or cooked and drained ramen noodles.
A bowl of Thai Peanut Chicken with a fork taking a piece of chicken out.

How to Store Leftovers

Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat in the microwave until heated through.

You can also freeze leftovers as long as it’s tightly covered. Keep in the freezer for up to two months.

Substitutions and Variations for Easy Thai Chicken Recipe

This Thai peanut butter chicken recipe dinner is ready to be enhanced and welcomes variations to accommodate families and friends. Try other vegetables, seasonings, and even bone-in chicken. All these variations or substitutions are just suggestions to help you make the best peanut chicken at home!

  • Protein – Replace the chicken with a bone-in the chicken thigh, boneless skinless chicken thighs, or chicken wings. You can cut them up into bite-sized pieces or cook them whole with the sauce over top.
  • Thai Sauce – Whisk together your own homemade peanut sauce! The base is peanut butter with low sodium soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, and garlic cloves.
  • Vegetables – Add in more veggies! Chopped green onions, broccoli, red bell pepper, or green onion will bring on more deliciousness.
  • Seasonings – If you like it spicier, add in red pepper flakes, sriracha, chili powder, or red curry paste. Not all at once though!
  • Serve with rice noodles, soba noodles, regular rice, brown rice or quinoa.
Chicken, peanut sauce, baby corn, and bamboo shoots in a skillet.

“Made this last night and it was so good! Even better with adding extra fresh chopped cilantro as a garnish to our plates. Will be making this regularly. Such an easy recipe!”

-Stephanie

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Thai peanut sauce made of?

Thai peanut sauce is a sweet and salty blend of bold and rich flavors with a kick of spicy as well as a savory mixture that will be loved. Most peanut sauces are bottled with ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and a peanut butter thickener.

What is Thai peanut sauce supposed to taste like?

A salt and sweet flavor.

Can you cook Thai peanut chicken in the slow cooker?

Yes! Slow cooker Thai peanut chicken is another great method of cooking peanut chicken. Simply place the ingredients into the slow cooker. Then, set the crockpot on low for 4 to 5 hours or high for 3 hours. Stirring occasionally.

What is peanut chicken made of?

You’ll want your favorite type of chicken, then a sauce consisting of peanut butter, coconut milk, and chicken broth. Everything is simmered in a saucepan with the chicken. SO yummy!

READ MORE: 35+ Best Chicken Breast Recipes

Enjoy Another Helping of Thai

With so many benefits moving Thai food up the popularity chain, here are a few more recipes you may want to try.

How to Make Thai Peanut Chicken

A bowl of Thai Peanut Chicken over rice

Thai Peanut Chicken

5 from 4 votes
This Thai Peanut Chicken is a really spicy dish, so be ready for some heat! The peanuts, bamboo shoots, and corn give this dish added texture and flavor.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine Thai
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 2 chicken breasts cut into small pieces
  • 1 can baby corn
  • 1 can bamboo shoots
  • 1/3 cup peanuts
  • 2/3 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 bottle “House of Tsang” Peanut Sauce

Instructions

  • Thoroughly cook the chicken in a large fry pan in some of the peanut sauce.
    chicken cooking in peanut sauce in a skillet
  • When the chicken starts to brown, add all the baby corn and bamboo shoots and the rest of the sauce from the bottle.
    Chicken, peanut sauce, baby corn, and bamboo shoots in a skillet
  • When the vegetables are cooked, add the peanuts and cilantro and then simmer a little longer until fully cooked.
    Thai Peanut Chicken in a skillet
  • Serve over rice or cooked and drained ramen noodles.
    A bowl of Thai Peanut Chicken over rice

Notes

  • Slow cooker Thai peanut chicken is another great method of cooking peanut chicken. Simply place the ingredients into the slow cooker. Set the crockpot on low for 4 to 5 hours or high for 3 hours. Stirring occasionally.
  • Thai Sauce – Whisk together your own homemade peanut sauce! The base is peanut butter with low sodium soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, and garlic cloves.
  • Vegetables – Add in more veggies! Chopped green onions, broccoli, red bell pepper, or green onion will bring on more deliciousness.
  • Seasonings – If you like it spicier, add in red pepper flakes, sriracha, chili powder, or red curry paste. Not all at once though!
  • Serve with rice noodles, soba noodles, regular rice, brown rice or quinoa.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 314kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 32gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 144mgPotassium: 805mgFiber: 5gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 480IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 27mgIron: 2mg

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About the author

Emily Walker

Emily lives in Meridian, Idaho, with her husband, Beau, a physician assistant, and her three incredible children: a son and two daughters. Travel is one of her favorite ways to experience new cultures and cuisines, and she has a love for all things Disney.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Made this last night and it was so good! Even better with adding extra fresh chopped cilantro as a garnish to our plates. Will be making this regularly. Such an easy recipe!

  2. 5 stars
    I’m a huge fan of Thai food. Having eaten Thai food while traveling in Asia I thought how fresh and tasty all their dishes were. And yep, they come with some heat. This recipe reminds me of how simple a lot of their dishes are to prepare and how delicious they turn out. I couldn’t find the particular peanut sauce you used but the one I used made this dish outstanding.