I just made Crock Pot Thai Peanut Chicken that turns plain chicken into a ridiculously rich, nutty dinner that fools everyone into thinking I slaved over the stove.
I’m obsessed with this Crock Pot Thai Peanut Chicken because it tastes like the best takeout but zero drama. I love how creamy peanut butter and coconut milk make the sauce stupidly rich and nutty, and the chicken just soaks it up.
It’s my Easy Go To Recipes pick when I’m wiped out and don’t want to fuss. But it’s not bland comfort stuff.
Bright, salty, a little spicy. Messy fork food that still feels grown-up.
I crave it on repeat, serve it over rice, and smile like an idiot every single time. No lie, total weekday joy.
Hands down.
Ingredients
- Chicken: the meaty base, hearty and comforting in the slow cooker.
- Peanut butter: creamy, nutty richness that makes it feel indulgent.
- Coconut milk: lush creaminess, makes the sauce silky and cozy.
- Soy sauce: salty backbone, adds that savory umami note.
- Fish sauce: funky salty depth, tiny splash goes a long way.
- Brown sugar or honey: sweet counterpoint, balances the salty stuff.
- Plus lime juice: bright citrus kick that cuts through richness.
- Rice vinegar: mild tang, keeps the sauce from feeling flat.
- Garlic: punchy aromatics, honest home-cooking flavor you’ll recognize.
- Ginger: warm zing, wakes up the whole dish without fuss.
- Sriracha: spicy lift, add more if you like things fiery.
- Red pepper flakes: optional heat specks for little pepper surprises.
- Chicken broth: thins sauce gently and adds savory background notes.
- Sesame oil: toasty finish, a little goes a long way.
- Bell pepper and carrots: crunchy color and veggie sweetness, keeps it fresh.
- Plus green onions, cilantro, peanuts: fresh crunch and herb brightness.
Ingredient Quantities
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 14-ounce can coconut milk (full fat for richness)
- 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1/4 cup brown sugar or honey (adjust to taste)
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (about 1 lime)
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced or grated
- 1 to 2 teaspoons sriracha or chili garlic sauce, more if you like heat
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 2 medium carrots, sliced on the diagonal
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water for thickening (optional)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 3 green onions, sliced, for garnish
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped, for garnish
- 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, chopped, for garnish
- Cooked rice or rice noodles for serving (about 4 cups cooked)
How to Make this
1. Pat the chicken dry and season lightly with salt and pepper. Place the breasts or thighs in the bottom of your crockpot in an even layer.
2. In a medium bowl whisk together the peanut butter, coconut milk, soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar or honey, lime juice, rice vinegar, minced garlic, minced ginger, sriracha, red pepper flakes if using, chicken broth and toasted sesame oil until mostly smooth. It might look a little thick and lumpy at first, but keep stirring.
3. Pour the sauce over the chicken in the crockpot, making sure pieces are mostly covered. Add the sliced red bell pepper and carrots, pushing them into the sauce around the chicken.
4. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours or on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours, until the chicken is very tender and shreds easily. Cooking times vary by crockpot, so check earlier if your cooker runs hot.
5. Once cooked, remove the chicken to a cutting board and shred with two forks, or chop if you prefer chunks. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper, lime juice, or a splash of soy if needed.
6. If you want a thicker sauce, stir the cornstarch slurry (2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water) into the sauce in the crockpot, then return the shredded chicken to the sauce and cook on HIGH for 15 to 30 minutes until thickened. If not thickening, just return the chicken to the sauce to warm through.
7. Finish with a quick stir of extra sesame oil or a squeeze more lime if you like brighter flavor. Taste again for heat and sweetness and add more sriracha or brown sugar if needed.
8. Serve the peanut chicken over cooked rice or rice noodles (about 4 cups cooked), spooning plenty of sauce and veggies over the top.
9. Garnish with sliced green onions, chopped cilantro and roasted peanuts for crunch. Enjoy hot, and save leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Equipment Needed
1. Crockpot or slow cooker
2. Cutting board
3. Chef’s knife (or a sharp knife)
4. Medium mixing bowl and a small bowl for the cornstarch slurry
5. Whisk and measuring spoons/cups
6. Wooden spoon or silicone spatula for stirring
7. Two forks or tongs for shredding the chicken
8. Serving spoon and rice cooker or pot for the rice
FAQ
Crockpot Thai Peanut Chicken Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Chicken (2 pounds)
- Firm tofu, pressed and cubed — for a vegetarian version, use extra sauce so it soaks in
- Tempeh, sliced thin and lightly fried — more texture and protein
- Boneless skinless turkey thighs or breasts, same cook time
- Peanut butter (1 cup)
- Almond butter — similar creaminess, slightly sweeter flavor
- Tahini — more savory and sesame forward, cut back salt a bit
- Sunflower seed butter — good if nut allergies are an issue
- Coconut milk (14 oz can)
- Light coconut milk or a mix of 3/4 cup canned coconut milk plus 1/4 cup regular milk — lowers fat
- Full fat evaporated milk diluted with water, for richness without coconut flavor
- Unsweetened almond milk plus a tablespoon of coconut oil, if you want coconut notes but lighter
- Soy sauce (1/3 cup) and fish sauce (2 tbsp)
- Tamari in place of soy sauce — gluten free and almost identical taste
- Coconut aminos for soy free and lower sodium, slightly sweeter
- Fish sauce swap: 1 tbsp soy/tamari plus 1 tsp Worcestershire or a splash of anchovy paste for umami
Pro Tips
1) Toast the peanuts and sesame oil gently before adding them or using as a finish. It amps the nutty flavor so much more than using them straight from the jar. Watch closely though, they burn fast.
2) If the sauce looks too thick at the start, thin it with a little extra chicken broth or coconut milk rather than water. That keeps the flavor balanced and prevents the peanut butter from clumping. Stir well so the peanut butter fully emulsifies.
3) For better texture and faster shredding, use thighs if you like juicier meat, breasts if you want leaner. Either way, remove the chicken about 15 minutes before serving to shred; returning it to the hot sauce for just 10 to 15 minutes helps it soak up flavor without turning mushy.
4) Balance heat and brightness at the end, not the start. Add sriracha and lime juice in small increments at tasting. Heat and salt concentrate as the sauce reduces, but acidity can get lost if cooked too long, so finish with a squeeze of lime.
Crockpot Thai Peanut Chicken Recipe
I just made Crock Pot Thai Peanut Chicken that turns plain chicken into a ridiculously rich, nutty dinner that fools everyone into thinking I slaved over the stove.
6
servings
1027
kcal
Equipment: 1. Crockpot or slow cooker
2. Cutting board
3. Chef’s knife (or a sharp knife)
4. Medium mixing bowl and a small bowl for the cornstarch slurry
5. Whisk and measuring spoons/cups
6. Wooden spoon or silicone spatula for stirring
7. Two forks or tongs for shredding the chicken
8. Serving spoon and rice cooker or pot for the rice
Ingredients
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 14-ounce can coconut milk (full fat for richness)
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar or honey (adjust to taste)
2 tablespoons lime juice (about 1 lime)
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced or grated
1 to 2 teaspoons sriracha or chili garlic sauce, more if you like heat
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 medium carrots, sliced on the diagonal
2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water for thickening (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 green onions, sliced, for garnish
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped, for garnish
1/4 cup roasted peanuts, chopped, for garnish
Cooked rice or rice noodles for serving (about 4 cups cooked)
Directions
- Pat the chicken dry and season lightly with salt and pepper. Place the breasts or thighs in the bottom of your crockpot in an even layer.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the peanut butter, coconut milk, soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar or honey, lime juice, rice vinegar, minced garlic, minced ginger, sriracha, red pepper flakes if using, chicken broth and toasted sesame oil until mostly smooth. It might look a little thick and lumpy at first, but keep stirring.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken in the crockpot, making sure pieces are mostly covered. Add the sliced red bell pepper and carrots, pushing them into the sauce around the chicken.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours or on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours, until the chicken is very tender and shreds easily. Cooking times vary by crockpot, so check earlier if your cooker runs hot.
- Once cooked, remove the chicken to a cutting board and shred with two forks, or chop if you prefer chunks. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper, lime juice, or a splash of soy if needed.
- If you want a thicker sauce, stir the cornstarch slurry (2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water) into the sauce in the crockpot, then return the shredded chicken to the sauce and cook on HIGH for 15 to 30 minutes until thickened. If not thickening, just return the chicken to the sauce to warm through.
- Finish with a quick stir of extra sesame oil or a squeeze more lime if you like brighter flavor. Taste again for heat and sweetness and add more sriracha or brown sugar if needed.
- Serve the peanut chicken over cooked rice or rice noodles (about 4 cups cooked), spooning plenty of sauce and veggies over the top.
- Garnish with sliced green onions, chopped cilantro and roasted peanuts for crunch. Enjoy hot, and save leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 465g
- Total number of serves: 6
- Calories: 1027kcal
- Fat: 48.3g
- Saturated Fat: 20.6g
- Trans Fat: 0.2g
- Polyunsaturated: 9.2g
- Monounsaturated: 16.3g
- Cholesterol: 129mg
- Sodium: 848mg
- Potassium: 913mg
- Carbohydrates: 54.3g
- Fiber: 6.3g
- Sugar: 15.5g
- Protein: 62.8g
- Vitamin A: 3350IU
- Vitamin C: 31mg
- Calcium: 79mg
- Iron: 3.9mg
