Easy Thai Peanut Chicken Recipe

What’s the ultimate combination of chicken and peanut butter? Easy answer: Thai Peanut Chicken. There’s some variation of peanut chicken on every Thai menu I’ve ever seen. This Thai peanut chicken recipe isn’t necessarily authentic — but it is easy for anyone to prepare and absolutely delicious.

My chicken peanut butter story

When I was a kid, I was mildly obsessed with chicken and peanut butter. I would demand dinner at the nearby Thai restaurant for my birthday. I would also demand that we order chicken satay as an appetizer and Pad Thai as one of the main dishes. And yes, I was a difficult child 🤣.

I remember those dishes had an addictive flavor and texture. Something about the savory chicken matched with sweet and sticky peanut butter — I couldn’t get enough.

My family moved away from my favorite restaurant ages ago, but I still think of that place as “the best” Thai food I’ve ever had. I found a close replacement when I lived in Missouri (of all places!). Today, I’m in Santa Fe and the Thai food options I’ve tried here are just OK.

When I’m craving a garlicky, gingery peanut butter and chicken combo, this Thai peanut chicken recipe satisfies. It’s less complex than a restaurant version, but still has great flavor.

Ingredients for this Thai peanut chicken recipe

Here’s what you need to make this Asian-inspired dish:

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 3 tablespoons fresh garlic
• 1 ½ tablespoon fresh ginger
• Vegetable oil or avocado oil for cooking
• ¾ cup green onions
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1/3 cup dry roasted peanuts
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
• 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoons cayenne pepper (or more if you want)
• ¼ cup of water
• Fresh basil (optional, for garnish)
• Rice, noodles, or pasta

Substitution options

Meat. You could make this with chicken thigh meat in lieu of chicken breast.

Veggies. Try swapping out the bell pepper and green onion for snow peas or snap peas, julienned carrots, bean sprouts, spinach, or edamame.

Vinegar. You could use lemon juice, rice wine vinegar, or rice wine instead of the white wine vinegar.

Soy sauce. Tamari or coconut aminos work well as soy sauce substitutes.

Spice. Adjust the amount of cayenne pepper to suit your taste, or add a couple teaspoons of hot chili oil to the finished dish.

Garnish. My recipe calls for fresh basil as a garnish, but you could also use cilantro and lime wedges.

Prep steps for this Thai peanut chicken recipe

As with many Asian-inspired dishes, this recipe does require some prep work. Give yourself 15 minutes of lead time to chop and mince your ingredients before you start cooking.

1. Chop and mince

Mince fresh garlic and ginger. Then chop 3 green onions and slice 1 bell pepper. On a separate cutting surface, cut the chicken breast into 1-inch chunks.

2. Make the Thai peanut sauce

The hardest part of making this Thai peanut sauce is measuring out 6 different ingredients as follows:

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
• 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Add the above to a bowl and mix until the ingredients are well-combined. Cover the bowl and set aside.

3. Stir fry chicken

Next, place a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons of oil plus the garlic, ginger, and chicken pieces. Stir fry until the chicken is done, which should take about 5 minutes. The chicken will release juices in the pan as it cooks, so it’ll look watery.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the cooked chicken from the pan and set aside on a plate.

4. Stir fry veggies

Now, add another teaspoon of oil along with the sliced bell pepper and chopped green onions. Stir fry the veggies until they reach the level of doneness you like. If you like them just crisp-tender, this takes 2 minutes or so. I like my veggies a touch softer, so I cooked them for 4 minutes.

Again with a slotted spoon, remove the veggies and place them on top of the chicken.

5. Heat the sauce

Turn the heat down to medium and add the peanut sauce mixture to the same pan. Stirring constantly, bring the sauce to a slight boil. It will get thick. Add 1 tablespoon of water at a time to maintain a saucy texture.

Dab a spoon into the sauce and give it a taste. Add more cayenne if it needs heat or more peanut butter (a tiny bit at a time, stirring constantly) if you want to go bold on the peanut flavor.

6. Combine and serve

Place the chicken and veggies back into the pan with the sauce and stir everything quickly. Turn off the heat.

Serve Thai chicken pasta over white rice or thin noodles or pasta. Top with roasted peanuts and fresh basil.

More Thai-inspired dishes

Want more Thai food at home? Try these:

Chicken Pad Thai Recipe

Thai Chicken Pasta Recipe

Pad Thai