This peanut butter chicken is a simple and delicious dinner that only takes about 15 minutes to make from start to finish! Not only is it even tastier than takeout, but it is so much healthier!
Serve it with jasmine rice, teriyaki noodles, or veggies for a complete meal that the entire family will love!
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Quick and easy dinners are some of my favorite recipes. They are perfect for those long days when you know you need to make dinner but don't want to spend much effort or time in the kitchen!
This peanut butter chicken is on the table and ready to enjoy in only 15 minutes! Not to mention, it is healthier than takeout and can even be made to be low-carb!
Take a look at some more quick chicken recipes, easy family dinners, and these tips for making easy family meals!
🥘 Ingredients
With just some household ingredients, you'll be ready to make peanut butter chicken in no time! If you are on a low-carb diet, make sure you swap the cornstarch and hoisin sauce for almond flour and keto teriyaki sauce.
- Chicken Breast - 1½ pounds of chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Cornstarch - 3 tablespoons of cornstarch or almond flour. You'll use this to coat the chicken so that the sauce sticks to it. If you are following a low-carb diet, you'll need to use almond flour.
- Peanut Butter - ¼ cup of peanut butter. Choose a natural peanut butter with no added salt or sugar.
- Hoisin Sauce - ¼ cup of hoisin sauce (or teriyaki sauce). If you need a low-carb dish, use a keto teriyaki sauce instead.
- Soy Sauce - 3 tablespoons of soy sauce.
- Sesame Oil - 1 teaspoon of sesame oil.
- Garlic - 1 teaspoon of minced garlic (1 clove).
- Water - ⅔ cup of water.
- Oil - 2 tablespoons of cooking oil for frying the chicken.
- Sesame Seeds (optional) - ½ tablespoon of sesame seeds for garnish.
- Green Onions (optional) - 1 tablespoon of chopped green onions for garnish.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Peanut Butter Chicken
Not only is peanut butter chicken incredibly simple to make, but it is also super quick (so make sure you have everything ready to go!) You'll need some mixing bowls, a large skillet, your measuring utensils, and a knife.
With this recipe, you'll have 6 servings of peanut butter chicken. Add your favorite side dishes for a complete, well-rounded dinner!
- Coat the chicken. Add 1½ pounds (680 grams) of cubed chicken breast and 3 tablespoons (24 grams) of cornstarch in a small mixing bowl and toss until well coated. Set aside.
- Mix the sauce. In a separate bowl, mix together your ¼ cup (65 grams) of peanut butter, ¼ cup (59 milliliters) of Hhoisin sauce, 3 tablespoons (44 milliliters) of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) of sesame oil, 1 teaspoon (3 grams) of minced garlic, and ⅔ cup (158 milliliters) of water.
- Cook. Place a skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) of cooking oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add the cornstarch-coated pieces of chicken. Cook for 5-6 minutes, turning the chicken occasionally, until no longer pink.
- Thicken the sauce. Pour the peanut butter sauce into the skillet and stir until the chicken is fully coated. Cook for another 4-5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
- Garnish and serve. Remove the skillet from the heat and serve immediately, garnished with the optional ½ tablespoon (4 grams) of sesame seeds and 1 tablespoon (6 grams) of chopped green onions.
🥗 What To Serve With
Serve your peanut butter chicken atop a bed of white rice or hibachi noodles! Add a side of zucchini, and you have a full meal! Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Peanut Butter Selection: Choose peanut butter without added sugar or salt for this recipe to maintain the intended flavor profile.
- Cornstarch Coating: Coat the chicken in cornstarch before cooking. This helps the sauce adhere to the chicken, preventing it from sliding off during the cooking process.
- Cooking Chicken in Batches: To prevent overcrowding in the skillet, cook the chicken in batches. This method ensures even cooking and prevents the chicken from becoming soggy from steaming.
- Sauce Taste Test: Before adding the sauce to the chicken in the pan, taste and adjust its seasoning as needed.
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Let your chicken cool completely, and then keep it stored in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
Reheating
Reheat small portions in the microwave or larger portions in a skillet over medium heat.
>>>>See all of my recipes here<<<<
❓ Recipe FAQs
You'll want to use natural peanut butter that has no added salt or sugar. Creamy peanut butter is standard, but you can use crunchy instead for some added texture! You could even use powdered peanut butter, but you'd need to add some additional oil or liquid to get the correct consistency.
For a low-carb keto version, you'll want to make sure you use almond flour instead of cornstarch and opt for a keto teriyaki sauce instead of Hoisin sauce. Of course, make sure you serve it with a low-carb side dish as well!
As written, this chicken dish has no heat and is very mild. However, you can easily add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes if you would like it to be spicier!
🍗🐔 More Chicken Recipes
- Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts - Chicken breasts are stuffed with a filling made up of cheese, spinach, and bacon.
- Chicken Teriyaki Skewers - Tender chunks of chicken are marinated in teriyaki sauce before grilling.
- Pineapple Chicken - Chicken thighs, pineapple, and veggies are tossed in a sweet sauce.
- Million Dollar Chicken Casserole - A creamy chicken mixture is topped off with Ritz crackers and then baked in the oven.
- Baked Panko Chicken - Chicken breasts are coated in Panko breadcrumbs and then baked until crisp.
- Honey Sesame Chicken - Pan-fried chicken is tossed in a sweet honey sesame sauce.
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📖 Recipe Card
Peanut Butter Chicken
Ingredients
- 1½ lb chicken breast (cut into bite-sized pieces)
- 3 tablespoon cornstarch (or almond flour)
- ¼ cup peanut butter
- ¼ cup hoisin sauce (or teriyaki sauce)
- 3 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic (minced)
- ⅔ cup water
- 2 tablespoon cooking oil (for frying)
- ½ tablespoon sesame seeds (optional for topping)
- 1 tablespoon green onions (chopped, optional for topping)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- In a small-sized mixing bowl, add your 1½ lb chicken breast and 3 tablespoon cornstarch and toss until well coated. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, mix together your ¼ cup peanut butter, ¼ cup hoisin sauce, 3 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon garlic, and ⅔ cup water.
- Place a skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoon cooking oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add the cornstarch-coated pieces of chicken. Cook for 5-6 minutes, turning the chicken occasionally, until no longer pink.
- Pour the peanut butter sauce into the skillet and stir until the chicken is fully coated. Cook for another 4-5 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and serve immediately garnished with the optional ½ tablespoon sesame seeds and 1 tablespoon green onions.
Notes
- For this recipe, you'll want to use peanut butter that has no added sugar or salt.
- Coating your chicken in cornstarch helps the sauce stick to it so that it doesn't slide off.
- If needed, you can cook your chicken in batches to avoid overcrowding the skillet. This will ensure that your chicken cooks evenly, rather than steams and becomes soggy.
- You can taste and adjust your sauce before adding it to the pan with the chicken.
- To store: Let your chicken cool completely and then keep it stored in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
- To freeze: Freeze your peanut butter chicken in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
- To reheat: Reheat small portions in the microwave, or larger portions in a skillet over medium heat.
Tami C. says
O.M.G. This recipe makes the best peanut butter chicken my family has ever had. This is definitely a keeper, in fact it's in my "Best of the Best" folder. Making it again tonight. Thanks @bake_it_with_love.
Alex says
So easy and soooo yum!
amanda says
If I do not have sesame oil, is there something else I could use?
Or could it be left out all together?
Another quick question: Would the taste be drastically different
if Jif peanut butter or any storebrand creamy peanut butter is used?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Hi Amanda, see my complete guide for sesame oil substitutes to help out with that. It does add to the flavor, but can potentially be omitted if you don't have any alternatives on hand. If using any other type of peanut butter (with sugar and salt) you may want to opt for a low sodium soy sauce. Hope that helps! Enjoy!