Chicken in a savory peanut butter sauce, served over rice noodles with peanuts, green onions, and cilantro. This Slow Cooker Peanut Chicken is the perfect meal to come home to after a busy day!
Slow Cooker Dinners
Over the summer I needed to adjust my work schedule to accommodate all of the changes that 2020 has brought. It ended up working out well, because I love my new schedule.
But, it does mean that I work until dinner time on two back to back nights. When the schedule first started, there was a lot of take out. My kids were not sad about it, but I wanted healthier at-home options for them. So, I decided to step up my slow cooker game.
Favorite Slow Cooker
Most of the time, I use my Instant Pot as a slow cooker. I like to do this because; a.) I can saute in it, and b.) my other slow cooker doesn’t have a timer, so I can’t leave it on during long days.
Slow Cooker Peanut Chicken
I played around with this recipe for several days to get it just right, and my family and I were super happy with the result!
What kind of chicken is best?
I prefer chicken breasts because I believe they allow the peanut flavors to shine through the best. However, if you prefer chicken thighs, that works too.
Either way, make sure you use boneless, skinless chicken.
Does the type of peanut butter matter?
Yes. I have not made this with natural peanut butter, but I find that it often does not cook in the same way, and is usually less sweet. So, I recommend using conventional, smooth peanut butter for this recipe.
My personal brand preference is Jif Creamy Peanut Butter, but you can always go with your personal favorite.
Tip for keeping the sauce thick and smooth
This sauce is thickened with cornstarch. I find that when I sprinkle cornstarch over a dish, I get clumps of cornstarch that are not very tasty.
To prevent that in this recipe, I stir the lime juice, a few tablespoons of liquid from the slow cooker (after it has cooked), and the cornstarch together in a very small bowl, until it is smooth. I then stir that into the slow cooker. It makes for a smooth sauce!
As I use my Instant Pot as a slow cooker, after stirring in the cornstarch, I turn the pot to saute mode, and stir for a minute or two as the sauce thickens. If I’m using a “regular” slow cooker, I just let the sauce sit in the slow cooker on high heat for 10 minutes or so.
How do I serve this?
I serve this over rice noodles, topped with chopped cilantro, green onions, and peanuts. The toppings add an extra layer of flavor, so don’t skip them!
This Slow Cooker Peanut Chicken is quick and easy, but tastes as good as takeout!
Slow Cooker Peanut Chicken
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
- 3 cloves fresh minced garlic
- 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger or ginger paste
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 red bell pepper cut into long, thin strips
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 14 ounce box stir-fry rice noodles cooked according to package directions
- chopped peanuts, chopped green onions, chopped cilantro for serving
Instructions
- In a slow cooker, stir together chicken, garlic, peanut butter, chicken broth, ginger, brown sugar, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, carrots, and pepper.
- Cook on high for 3-4 hours, or low for 5-6 hours.
- Before serving, stir together lime juice, a few tablespoons of liquid taken from the cooked mixture in the slow cooker, and the cornstarch, until smooth. Then stir into slow cooker until well combined.
- If using a slow cooker with a saute function, turn to saute and boil/simmer, stirring constantly, until mixture has thickened, about 3 minutes. If slow cooker does not have a saute function, turn to high, and let simmer, stirring frequently, until mixture has thickened, about 7 minutes.
- Serve over rice noodles, topped with peanuts, green onions, and cilantro.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: All nutritional information provided on this website is an estimate only and is not guaranteed.
If you enjoyed this Slow Cooker Peanut Chicken, you may also enjoy these other SugarSpicesLife recipes:
Slow Cooker Mesquite Chicken Chili
Tandoori Chicken with Peanut Sauce
Asian Noodles with Peanut Sauce
Thai Curry Soup with Turkey Meatballs
Lemongrass Curry Chicken
