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Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken
Dang this was so good! My little 8 year old said this was one of the best chicken dishes that I have made. Do you wanna hear the best part? It has 1 cup of zucchini in it and red pepper in it and he couldn’t even tell! I love being able to trick kids into eating veggies and having them actually love it. This dinner was a success. Well for most of us. The pickiest 4 year old wouldn’t even try a bite. What am I going to do with that boy? And when will he learn that my cooking isn’t horrible!
How Do You Make Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken?
- Add garlic, peanut butter, broth, chicken, zucchini, soy sauce, sugar, and red pepper to slow cooker. Stir to combine. Cook on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 2-3 hours. A half hour before you are going to serve, add in lime juice and 1/2 cup of cilantro.
- Serve over noodles and garnish with remaining cilantro and peanuts.
Can you make Thai Peanut Chicken ahead?
Yes! You can make the sauce one week ahead to start prepping for it the next day. Add the chicken and follow the instructions according to the recipe card. It can be stored in an air tight container for 3 to 4 days in the fridge and up to 1 month in the freezer.
What type of noodles are best for Thai Peanut Chicken?
I prefer a thicker noodle that soaks up the creamy sauce and usually serve it with fettuccine noodles. The sauce is thicker than most and the fettuccine noodles are able to accurate this meal. Linguine is also a great choice with a lighter touch to the sauce since the noodles are a bit slimmer. Either noodle is a great option for the Thai Peanut Chicken.
What type of Peanut Butter is used?
I like to use a creamy peanut butter for this meal. If you prefer a crunchier/chunky, texture sauce chunky peanut butter would be a great option too.
How do you minced garlic?
- Cut off the tip of the clove
- Crush a clove gently
- Skin should fall off the garlic
- Rough chop the garlic
- Chop the garlic by going back and forth until minced
Note: Garlic Powder is not the same as minced garlic even though they come from the same bulb. This can alter the taste and texture of this dish.
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Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2/3 cup peanut butter
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 cup shredded zucchini
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 red pepper cut into thin, long strips
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 cup chopped cilantro divided
- chopped peanuts for garnish
- 12 ounce linguine noodles cooked and drained
Instructions
- Add garlic, peanut butter, broth, chicken, zucchini, soy sauce, sugar, and red pepper to slow cooker. Stir to combine.
- Cook on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 2-3 hours. A half hour before you are going to serve, add in lime juice and 1/2 cup of cilantro.
- Serve over noodles and garnish with remaining cilantro and peanuts.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Zucchini is very watery. Any need to drain off some of the water before adding it to the slow cooker?
I have not made it yet, but it sounds scrumptious. I have one question, though…I don’t like cilantro and was wondering what I can substitute for it in the recipe?
Cilantro is one of the main ingredients in this slow cooker chicken. It will alter the taste for you but a favorite seasoning like basil or thyme may work for you.
So you think this would work with cashews?
That sounds great! Let me know how you like the flavor!
Just out of curiousity to make this WW friends.. can PB2 be used??
Yes, that sounds great! Let me know how it turns out!
Can you use coconut milk instead of chicken broth??
Yes, you can try that. It will alter the taste but will still blend well together with the chicken. Let me know how you like it!
This sounds delish, but my husband is one of those weirdos that hates cilantro. Can this dish stand up without it?? Can I substitute basil?
The cilantro is a main ingredient in this slow cooker chicken. It is a lot of flavor that would be missed. If you try it without the cilantro please let me know how it tastes and if he liked it! Thanks for following along with me!
Hi I’m hoping you find this before I attempt your amazing looking recipe! I’m in NZ and having trouble with cilantro vs coriander vs leaves and stalks and seeds etc!? Is half a cup of cilantro actually the same as half a cup of coriander leaves?
Thank you!
You are correct. They are the same leaves. Hope that helps and you are able to enjoy this recipe soon! Thanks for following along with me!
I know this is an old post, but do you use raw chicken?
Yes. You use raw. 🙂
Use crunchy peanut butter do not add any sugar as the peanut butter already has plenty. Fresh Cilantro and lime and chop up three habanero peppers and add it seeds and all for a real Thai spicy.
This looks amazing! Do you know if it can be frozen? I’m interested in bringing this to my freezer meal group.
Do you think this would work with leftovers from a roasted chicken?
Had this in the crockpot while the fam & I were at church this morning. I served it over chow mein noodles. It is delicious!! The Mr. pigged out. And the kidlets didn’t complain about lunch. Happy tummies all around. Thanks for the recipe!
I made this dish tonight for dinner for a family gathering. I had 2 crock pots going at once since I needed to double it…
I did really like it but here are my suggestions:
1.) I used boneless and skinless chicken thighs — tasted great
2.) You MUST use fresh cilantro — it will not come out as good with dried cilantro
3.) It is VERY peanut buttery…I might cut it down to half a cup of peanut butter next time (+ maybe 1/8c of lightly salted peanuts)
4.) I agree with adding a “kick” to this. I added a good Tablespoon of Ground Red Pepper to each crock pot. Really adds to the flavor
5.) Do NOT add the veggies until the last hour; classic crock pot tip for good tender veggies that don’t come out mushy ;-). I would also consider adding 1/2c. chopped onion to the crock pot next time.
6.) Use half of a fresh lime for the recipe– I used a fork on the lime to get all of the juice and the pulp out.
7.) I cooked on low for about 5 hours (I used extra chicken). I felt like going to low heat helped to really he the flavor in there!
Bon appetite!!
I wish Inhad read this before I made it! It’s in the pot now!
I just made this and I wish I read this review before I started as I feel exactly the same. Needs spice. Too much peanut butter. Zucchini disappeared into sauce. Added more last hour and definitely will add onion next time. Good base. Hope the family enjoys it!
Great recipe!… But no print option?
Sorry! Since switching to WordPress I have to go back to all of my old recipes and add a print option. Haven’t gotten to this one yet. :-/
I love this one too! Thanks for reading my blog 🙂
Karen
This looks sooo yummy! I am definitely going to have to try it! Thanks for sharing! I’m visiting from Hubby Made Me’s Throwback Thursday.
delicious. I love thai peanut but never thought to put it in the crock pot. My hubby will love this recipe
Could you powdered peanut butter to lighten it up?