This super easy, slow cooker Thai peanut chicken recipe makes a healthy shredded chicken with peanut sauce that’s perfect for meal prepping.
Pair it with rice, or spaghetti squash, and broccoli for a healthy meal that’s ready to go. Makes 8 servings.
Peanut sauce is my thing. I have been obsessed with peanut sauce since the first time I tried it, and I can’t even remember when that was anymore. I have made so many renditions of peanut sauce recipes, I can’t even count them.
My favorites to date have been my quick peanut noodles and my asian meatballs with peanut satay sauce. They both have different types of peanut sauce, and they’re equally good, but the meatball sauce has creamy coconut milk in it.
So I decided to try it on chicken – and I used it on my beef satay – and it was perfect. That’s why I love this shredded chicken with peanut sauce. There’s just so much flavor. Plus, when you throw chopped peanuts and fresh cilantro on it gets even better.
Here’s what you’ll need to make Thai peanut chicken:
- Slow cooker
- Measuring cups & measuring spoons
- Mixing bowl
- Wire whisk
How to make chicken with peanut sauce
Cook the chicken
Liberally season your chicken breasts with salt & pepper. Place them into the slow cooker and add 1/2 cup water, ginger and garlic. Cook on low for 4 hours, or 2 hours on the high setting.
Make your peanut sauce
In a bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients. If needed, warm your peanut butter in the microwave to make it easier to mix. Place sauce in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Shred the chicken
Remove the chicken from the slow cooker, and shred the meat with two forks. Transfer the cooking liquid from the slow cooker to a measuring cups or bowl and reserve for later.
Add the peanut sauce
Mix in the peanut sauce and transfer it back to the slow cooker. Let the chicken cook for about 30 more minutes to enhance the flavors of the sauce. Add reserved cooking liquid if needed to thin sauce (optional).
Garnish
Before serving, top each portion with a generous helping of chopped fresh cilantro and chopped peanuts. If you have one, fresh lime is also a great addition for garnish.
FAQs and tips for making this recipe:
How to meal prep Thai peanut chicken
I like to make a big batch of this chicken on Sunday for my family to eat throughout the week. I portion some of it into individual meals for my husband to take to work with some oven roasted broccoli and coconut rice.
Can I make this gluten free?
You can easily make this recipe gluten free by swapping the soy sauce for gluten-free Tamari sauce.
How long will this last in the fridge?
This chicken with peanut sauce should last in the first for 4 – 6 days. You can freeze it, but coconut milk doesn’t do well in the freezer, and the texture will be slightly off when it’s thawed.
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Slow Cooker Thai peanut chicken | This easy crockpot recipe makes a healthy shredded chicken with peanut satay sauce that’s perfect for meal prep. Pair it with rice or spaghetti squash and broccoli. #mealprep #chicken
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- Salt & pepper
For the peanut sauce:
- 2/3 cup full-fat canned coconut milk
- 2/3 cup peanut butter
- 1/4 cup tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 – 2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce
For garnish:
- Chopped, fresh cilantro
- Chopped peanuts
Instructions
- Season chicken liberally with salt & pepper. Place chicken into the slow cooker with water, ginger and garlic. Cover and cook on low for 4 – 5 hours.
- Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred. Transfer cooking liquid to a measuring cup or bowl.
- Return chicken to the slow cooker with sauce and stir to coat chicken with sauce. Add cooking liquid as needed to thin sauce. Cook for an additional 30 minutes or keep on warm setting until ready to serve.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro and chopped peanuts before serving.
Keywords: chicken, slow cooker, Thai, peanut sauce
Last Updated on
I started late so I didn’t use the slow cooker. I baked the chicken (covered in foil), and simmered it on the stove in the sauce after shredding it. Served with roasted broccoli and Jasmine rice. My husband liked it and wants it again, which is unusual for him. I liked it fine. Our 16 month old loved it and our 3 year old wouldn’t try it, which is typical 🙂 (I only used 1 teaspoon Sriracha). I didn’t have the garnish ingredients, which likely would have amped this up more! Looking forward to trying more recipes from this site!
★★★★
Could I make this in the instant pot? Do you know how I could do that? Our crock pot broke and I haven’t been able to go and and get a new one yet!
It definitely can! Just look up the time for chicken breast and make sure you have enough liquid to create pressure, which is usually 1 cup.