Slow cooker peanut chicken

4.20 from 5 votes

Slow cooker peanut chicken is quick and easy to prep, just 7 ingredients and comes out coated in a delicious peanut sauce! Great for meal prepping or an easy weeknight dinner!

Prep Time10

Cook Time5

Total Time5 10

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or sub boneless, skinless chicken thighs)
½ cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, or sub tamari for gluten-free
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, from about 1 medium, juicy lime, plus extra for serving
1 small spicy red chili, finely chopped (leave seeds and membranes in for some heat, remove to reduce heat, see notes)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger, from about a 1-inch piece, or substitute 1 teaspoon ground ginger
¼ hot water
Toppings, optional: fresh chopped cilantro, chopped green onions, chopped peanuts, red pepper flakes or sriracha for extra heat

Optional easy peanut dressing (see notes):

⅓ cup creamy peanut butter
¼ cup warm water
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon honey
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions

Add the chicken breasts to the insert of the slow cooker.
Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl or jar and mix until well combined. The sauce will be thick. Pour the sauce over the chicken.
Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 2 ½ to 3 hours.
Remove the chicken breasts and chop into small chunks with a knife or use two forks to shred the chicken. Return the chicken to the slow cooker and stir into the sauce. Add a splash of chicken broth or water if needed to get it to all come together. Let sit for at least 5-10 minutes on warm to allow the chicken to soak up some of the sauce.
Serve peanut chicken over rice with a squeeze of fresh lime juice and desired toppings and enjoy!

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Notes

I usually serve the peanut chicken as is the first night, but use the easy peanut dressing for leftovers or to make rice bowls. It’s great when you want extra peanut sauce to drizzle over everything on your plate.

I use a small red chili pepper, such as habanero, for this recipe. You can substitute a jalapeño if you can’t find one. Remove most of the seeds and the membrane if you don’t want this to be fairly mild.

You can also use ¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes instead of the chili pepper. Or add them extra if you want a spicy peanut chicken. 🌶

Feel free to sub tamari for the soy sauce to make this gluten-free.

Nutrition

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