Peanut Butter Chicken

Peanut Butter Chicken is curry-marinated chicken grilled on skewers, served with a simple peanut sauce. It’s flavorful, easy, and made with pantry staples.

author’s note

Peanut Butter Chicken That Beats Takeout!

Peanut Butter Chicken is one of those easy meals that comes together with mostly pantry staples and just a few extras. All you really need is chicken. Fresh works great, but thawed frozen chicken does too.

I came up with this recipe after making my Peanut Chicken Lettuce Wraps for the hundredth time. That peanut dressing has been a surprise hit with my kids. It’s the first peanut sauce they ever liked. Even though the dressing is technically more of a dressing than a sauce, it turned out to be the perfect match for a simple chicken marinade.

Ingredients

• Chicken: Both breast and thighs work well here!
• Coconut Milk: Use full-fat coconut milk for the best flavor and texture.
• Curry Powder: Add more or less depending on how spicy you like it.
• Soy Sauce: Choose low-sodium soy sauce to control the salt.
• Brown Sugar: Swap for honey if you prefer a more natural option.
• Garlic and Ginger: Grate the ginger to release the most flavor.
• Peanut Sauce: Use less honey for less sweetness, or add cayenne, red pepper flakes, or chili sauce for more heat. Use leftovers to dip spring rolls in.

How To Make Peanut Butter Chicken

1. Marinate the chicken: Longer marinating time gives more flavor!
2. Prepare the peanut sauce: Adjust water for your desired sauce thickness.
3. Skewer and grill: Soak wooden skewers in water to prevent burning.
4. Serve and enjoy: Top with fresh cilantro or chopped peanuts for extra flavor.

Peanut Sauce Chicken Tips

• Oil the grates: Use oiled paper towels and tongs to prevent sticking and get a good sear.
• Use coconut milk: Even a little adds the fat and creaminess the marinade needs. Use leftovers for coconut rice.
• Watch cook time: Small chicken pieces cook fast, about 4 to 8 minutes, turning once.
• Check temp: Cook to 160°F. The heat will bring it up to 165°F as it rests.

More Chicken Recipes:

Dinner

Grilled Curry Chicken

Dinner

One-Pan Lemon Chicken and Potatoes

Dinner

Chimichurri Chicken

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5 from 2 votes

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Peanut Butter Chicken

By Chelsea Lords

Peanut butter chicken skewers marinated in coconut curry and grilled to perfection. Served with a sweet and simple peanut sauce. Packed with flavor, easy to make, and made mostly from pantry staples.

Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes minutes

Marinating Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 3 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Equipment

• Grill or a large, nonstick pan for stovetop cooking
• Aluminum foil
• Small blender I use a mini Blendtec/Twister Jar

Ingredients

1x2x3x

USMetric

Chicken

• ▢ 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
• ▢ 1/4 cup coconut milk full-fat
• ▢ 1 tablespoon yellow curry powder
• ▢ 2 teaspoons red curry paste I use Thai Kitchen
• ▢ 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• ▢ 1-1/2 teaspoons oil if cooking on stovetop
• ▢ Toppings as desired see note 1

Peanut sauce/dressing

• ▢ 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• ▢ 3 tablespoons honey start with less if you want a less sweet sauce
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons water
• ▢ 1-1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• ▢ 1-1/2 tablespoons soy sauce can be reduced-sodium
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional, depending on heat preference
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt

Optional: serve over cooked coconut or plain basmati rice (see note 2)

Instructions 

• Cut chicken into 1-inch cubes and place in a large resealable plastic bag or resealable container. In a medium bowl, whisk together coconut milk, curry powder, red curry paste, sugar, salt, and pepper. Whisk until smooth, then pour over the chicken. Knead the plastic bag to coat the chicken. Seal the bag and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours.
• Grill: Preheat grill to medium-high (400°F). Thread chicken onto soaked wooden skewers (see note 3). Grill for 2–4 minutes per side (usually a total of 6 minutes) or until chicken is grilled to 160°F when tested with a cooking thermometer. Remove to a plate. Cover with foil and allow to rest 5 minutes.
• Stovetop: Alternatively, add the oil in a very large, nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add the skewers (in batches; don’t overcrowd the pan) and cook for 2–3 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cooked through. Test with a cooking thermometer; chicken should be 160°F. Remove to a plate. Cover with foil and allow to rest 5 minutes.
• Sauce: In a small, powerful blender, add creamy peanut butter, honey (see note 4), olive oil, the water, rice vinegar, soy sauce, pepper, cayenne pepper, and salt. Blend until smooth and refrigerate while finishing everything else.
• Optional Coconut Rice: Combine 1 cup basmati rice, 1 and 1/2 cups coconut milk, 1/2 cup water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir and place over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and cover the rice. Allow to simmer 13–18 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, keep covered, and let stand 10–15 minutes. Fluff the rice and serve.
• If you prepared the rice, divide it evenly among plates. Top with cooked chicken skewers. Add a side of peanut sauce. If desired, garnish chicken and rice with fresh cilantro, fresh lime wedges, and crushed peanuts. Enjoy immediately.

Final step! Please let us know how it was by leaving a review.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Optional but recommended toppings: fresh lime juice, fresh cilantro, finely chopped peanuts.

Note 2: I love this dish with plain or coconut basmati rice. The recipe instructions share how to make coconut basmati rice. Here’s how to make plain basmati rice:

• Measure 1 cup rice and rinse in a fine-mesh sieve until the water runs clear.
• Place the rice in a bowl and cover it with water to soak about 5–10 minutes.
• While rice is soaking, fill a large pot with water and set to boil.
• Once water is at a rolling boil, drain the rice and add it to the pot.
• Cook without reducing the heat, 5 minutes, then drain and fluff with a fork.

Note 3: Soak wooden skewers in water for 10–30 minutes before adding chicken onto the skewers. This keeps the skewers from burning on the grill.

Note 4: I love this sauce exactly how it’s written, but it is quite sweet. If you prefer less sweetness, add honey slowly or add some red pepper flakes to make it a bit spicier.

Nutrition

Serving: 4servings | Calories: 316kcal | Carbohydrates: 18.6g | Protein: 29.6g | Fat: 21.3g | Cholesterol: 82.7mg | Sodium: 180.5mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15.9g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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