This Peanut Butter Chicken combines two Asian classics: Indian curry and Bang Bang Sichuan chicken! It’s creamy and comforting like curry but bold and nutty like Sichuan chicken! It comes together in just 3 steps and it’s going to be your new favorite chicken recipe!
Peanut Butter Chicken
Today I’m sharing with you guys this Peanut Butter Chicken Recipe!
This dish is creamy, nutty, and comforting ⏤ a real showstopper! It comes together in just 3 easy steps and it’s also naturally gluten-free and dairy-free.
I developed this recipe as an alternative to Indian curry and Bang Bang Sichuan chicken so, as a result, it has a bit of both: the creaminess of curry and the bold, nutty flavor of Sichuan chicken!
If you’re craving something comforting and packed with flavor, I highly recommend trying my peanut butter chicken! I know it has quite a few ingredients but trust me on the combo… it’s just *so* flavorful! 🙂
Let me know how you liked it in the comments down below!
Ingredients
- Chicken. I like using diced chicken breasts for this recipe but skinless, boneless thighs or wings will work too. When salting the chicken, make sure to not go overboard as you’ll add soy sauce later on so you don’t want to end up with salty chicken!
- Peanut oil. You can also use coconut oil or a very subtle vegetable oil. Don’t use olive oil because olive oil has a pretty strong flavor that just doesn’t belong to this dish.
- Coconut milk. Use canned coconut milk for this recipe, I used this one! Do not use regular coconut milk as it’s too thin and doesn’t have the same properties of canned coconut milk.
- Peanut butter. Stick to creamy peanut butter, I love the creamy one by Jif!
- Soy sauce. I *always* use this one and love it! If you want this chicken to be gluten-free, please make sure you’re using gluten-free soy sauce as regular soy sauce isn’t gluten-free.
- Vinegar. Your best option here would be rice vinegar (I like this one) but you can also use apple cider vinegar if you don’t have any rice vinegar on hand. I tested this recipe with apple cider vinegar and it was *delicious*!
- Bay. You can use fresh bay leaves or dried bay.
- Cinnamon. You can use ground cinnamon or cinnamon sticks.
- Garlic. I usually stick to garlic flakes when doing this recipe because it’s quicker (powder will work too, maybe add more) but fresh garlic works too and it’s a great option if you don’t mind mincing a clove or two!
- Anise star. Optional but recommended as it adds a lot of flavor to this dish!
- Dried Sichuan peppers. These peppers are out of this world… I mean, spicy as *hell* so feel free to skip them if you don’t want your chicken to be spicy or you can substitute them with another kind of pepper or red pepper flakes.
- Sesame seeds. Another optional ingredient, I like using them for decorating purposes (mostly).
- Spring onions. Add some greens! Optional but recommended as they add some freshness and visual interest to the dish!
How to make peanut butter chicken
- Cook the chicken in hot oil until fully cooked through. Chicken is ready when the center measures 165 F. I recommend using a kitchen thermometer for this step! I like this one.
- Make the sauce. Add in the canned coconut milk, peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, spices, and simmer until thickened and reduced. The sauce should be extra smooth and creamy!
- Serve over rice and top with sesame seeds and spring onions!
Can I store peanut butter chicken?
You can but it’s definitely one of those dishes that is best eaten as it’s made! If you do have leftovers you can store them in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.
I recommend reheating the chicken on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of canned coconut milk to loosen up the sauce. Make sure the chicken is fully heated through (165 F) before serving.
What to serve with this dish?
I recommend serving this chicken over rice so you can use the rice to soak up all that creamy sauce!
As a side, I recommend serving veggies or salads to keep the meal balanced as this dish is very rich! I usually go for these Healthy Oven Roasted Vegetables, a zesty Curtido Salad (diced tomatoes, minced red onions, fresh lemon juice, salt, and pepper… just eyeball the whole thing, it doesn’t require precision), or a regular salad!
HAPPY COOKING!! I hope you’ll love this Creamy Peanut Butter Chicken Recipe as much as I do!
PS: Please leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ⭐️ if you make it! Your comments make my day!! You can also tag me on Instagram @itsdamnspicy 🌈💘
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Peanut Butter Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp peanut oil or coconut oil
- 1 lb (453 g) chicken breast cut into cubes
- Salt to taste
- 1 cup (230 ml) canned coconut milk
- 1/3 cup (80 g) creamy peanut butter
- 1 and 1/2 tbsp soy sauce use gluten-free for GF eaters
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp dried bay or 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/2 tsp garlic flakes or powder, you may want to use more if using powder
- 1 anise star optional
- 1 dried Sichuan pepper chopped, with seeds, optional
- Sesame seeds and chopped spring onions optional, for decorating
Instructions
- Cook the chicken. Heat the peanut oil in a large skillet over medium heat, once the oil is hot add the cubed chicken, season with salt and cook for 6-7 minutes or until fully cooked through. Chicken is ready when the center measures 165 F. I recommend using a kitchen thermometer for this step, I like this one.
- Make the sauce. Add the canned coconut milk, peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, dried bay, cinnamon, garlic flakes, anise, and Sichuan pepper. Mix to combine, and bring the sauce to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low if necessary. Simmer for 6-7 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and reduced slightly.
- Serve over rice and top with sesame seeds and spring onions!
Notes
📷 DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?! Tag @itsdamnspicy on Instagram and hashtag it #itsdamnspicy
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