Description
Slow Cooker Peanut Chicken: Tender chicken and creamy peanut sauce simmered to perfection. Delicious, easy, and comforting. Perfect for busy days.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 pounds (900g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 cup (240ml) chicken broth, low sodium
- ½ cup (130g) creamy peanut butter (natural, unsweetened works best)
- ¼ cup (60ml) low-sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) honey
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) sesame oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (about 4 teaspoons)
- 2 tablespoons (12g) fresh ginger, grated
- 1–2 teaspoons red pepper flakes (adjust to your spice preference)
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Step 1: Prepare the Sauce In a medium bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, peanut butter, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, lime juice, and sesame oil until smooth and well combined. This may take a minute or two as the peanut butter incorporates into the liquid. Add the minced garlic, grated ginger, and red pepper flakes, stirring to distribute the aromatics evenly throughout your sauce. The mixture should have a creamy, pourable consistency with tiny bits of garlic and ginger visible throughout.
- Step 2: Layer in the Slow Cooker Place your sliced onions and red bell peppers at the bottom of your 6-quart slow cooker, spreading them in an even layer. This creates a flavorful bed for your chicken and helps the vegetables cook perfectly. Next, arrange the chicken thigh pieces evenly over the vegetables. Pour your freshly prepared peanut sauce over everything, making sure all chicken pieces are well coated. Use a spoon to gently press down any pieces that aren’t submerged to ensure they’ll absorb the maximum flavor.
- Step 3: Cook Low and Slow Cover your slow cooker and set it to low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours. The low setting is preferred for Slow Cooker Peanut Chicken as it allows the flavors to develop more fully and ensures the most tender texture. Resist the urge to lift the lid during cooking as this releases accumulated heat and can add 15-20 minutes to your cooking time each time the lid is removed! The chicken is done when it’s tender enough to shred easily with a fork.
- Step 4: Finish and Serve About 30 minutes before serving, check the consistency of your sauce. If you’d like it thicker, prepare a cornstarch slurry as described in the pro tips section. After adding the slurry, cook uncovered for the final 15-20 minutes to allow the sauce to reduce and thicken. Just before serving, taste and adjust seasonings if needed—a splash more lime juice for brightness or a drizzle of honey for sweetness can make all the difference. Serve your Slow Cooker Peanut Chicken over rice or noodles, garnished with chopped peanuts, sliced green onions, cilantro, and lime wedges for a professional finishing touch.
Notes
Fresh ingredients will always yield the best flavor results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: Approximately 450 calories per serving
- Sugar: Approximately 10 grams of sugar
- Sodium: Approximately 700 mg of sodium
- Fat: Approximately 25 grams of total fat
- Saturated Fat: Approximately 5 grams of saturated fat
- Unsaturated Fat: Estimated based on ingredients
- Trans Fat: 0 grams of trans fat
- Carbohydrates: Approximately 20 grams of total carbs
- Fiber: Approximately 3 grams of fiber
- Protein: Approximately 35 grams of protein
- Cholesterol: Approximately 150 mg of cholesterol