Description
Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken is a flavorful and comforting dish featuring tender chicken pieces simmered with vegetables and spinach in a rich, homemade peanut sauce. It's easy to prepare, perfect for a healthy weeknight dinner, and can be served over rice, noodles, or cauliflower rice.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, cut into bite size pieces
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 (5-ounce) carton or bag fresh baby spinach
- Juice of 1 large or 2 small limes (1/4 cup)
Peanut Sauce
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup light or full-fat canned coconut milk
- 1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey (optional)
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce (optional)
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger or 1 teaspoon dried ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: In a slow cooker, place the bite-size chicken pieces, diced yellow onion, and diced red bell pepper. Season with sea salt and black pepper, then toss everything together to coat evenly.
- Make Peanut Sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together the minced garlic, coconut milk, natural creamy peanut butter, coconut aminos, rice vinegar, honey (if using), toasted sesame oil, fish sauce (if using), grated fresh or dried ground ginger, and crushed red pepper flakes until smooth and fully combined.
- Combine and Cook: Pour the prepared peanut sauce over the chicken and vegetables in the slow cooker, spreading it evenly. Cover and cook on low heat for 4 hours or until the chicken is fully cooked and tender.
- Season to Taste: Carefully taste the dish and adjust seasoning with additional sea salt or black pepper if desired.
- Add Spinach and Lime: Remove the slow cooker lid, stir in the fresh baby spinach leaves and the freshly squeezed lime juice. Stir gently to combine and allow to heat for a few more minutes until the spinach wilts into the sauce.
- Serve: Serve the Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken over your choice of cooked rice, cauliflower rice, pad Thai noodles, or any favorite noodles. Garnish as desired and enjoy.
Notes
- This dish is very versatile and can easily be doubled for meal prep or larger gatherings.
- Use coconut aminos as a soy sauce substitute for a gluten-free option.
- Adjust the crushed red pepper flakes to control the heat level to your preference.
- For a creamier sauce, use full-fat coconut milk instead of light.
- Optional honey adds a subtle sweetness that balances the spiciness but can be omitted for a lower sugar version.
- Serve with fresh cilantro or chopped peanuts as garnishes for extra flavor and texture.
- If you don’t have a slow cooker, this recipe can be adapted for stovetop by simmering gently for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 340 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 572 mg
- Fat: 17 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 31 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg
