Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken is wholesome, filled with bright, good-for-you veggies like butternut squash, green peas, and bell peppers, and the leftovers will keep on living long into the week.
5 Star Review
“I love this recipe! It’s my fiancé’s favorite! He absolutely loves it. It’s been amazing every time!”
— Sara —
While steadfast and reliable—this is an easy dump-and-go crockpot recipe—this crockpot chicken recipe is not to be underestimated.
It is bursting with layers of flavor, lightly creamy, packs in the veg, and is healthy too.
I’m a sucker for Thai food (like Thai Chicken Curry, Healthy Shrimp Pad Thai, and Coconut Curry), because I adore its freshness and complex layers of spice.
Considering Ben married me for the Thai Peanut Chicken Stir Fry in my cookbook, I’d say he’s a fan too!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chicken Breast. The pices of boneless, skinless chicken breast almost seem to absorb the sauce and become ultra tender, moist, and flavorful.
- Coconut Milk. Rich, creamy, and nutty, coconut milk is a staple in many Thai recipes. It’s critical for the sauce’s flavor and texture.
- Peanut Butter. You can use creamy or crunchy peanut butter here. If you enjoy the added crunch of the nuts like in Crock Pot Cashew Chicken, try topping the final dish with additional peanuts.
- Red Curry Paste. Mega flavor in a jar, red curry paste is the driver behind the sauce’s depth of flavor and hint of spice.
- Fish Sauce. This does NOT make the recipe taste like fish. Rather, it gives the dish savoriness, depth, and (for lack of a more eloquent explanation) makes it taste more Thai. Fish sauce is preferred over soy sauce in this recipe.
- Sugar. Helps balance all of the flavors in the sauce.
- Ginger + Garlic. The ultimate flavor building duo.
- Red Pepper Flakes. For a little extra heat.
- Butternut Squash. The nutty, sweet flavor of butternut squash pairs wonderfully with the coconut peanut sauce. Plus, it’s rich in vitamins and potassium.
- Red Bell Pepper. Sweet, colorful, and packed with vitamins.
- Peas. Frozen peas are a quick and easy way to add an extra veggies to the dish.
- Lime Juice. Wakes up and brightens all of the flavors in the dish.
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Whisk the sauce ingredients together in the slow cooker.
- Stir in the chicken and veggies. Cook on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours or on LOW for 5 to 6 hours.
- Thirty minutes before serving, add the peas. Just before serving, pour in the lime.
- Serve with rice and garnish with fresh cilantro. ENJOY!
What to Serve with Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken
Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken
Prep: 35 minutes
Cook: 4 hours
Total: 4 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Healthy slow cooker Thai peanut chicken recipe made with a simple, delicious Thai peanut coconut milk sauce, veggies, and juicy chicken.
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Ingredients
- 2 cans light coconut milk (14 ounce cans)
- ¼ cup peanut butter creamy or crunchy
- 3 tablespoons red curry paste
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 small butternut squash peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 large red bell peppers cored and thinly sliced
- 1 medium yellow onion thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
- 2 cups frozen peas thawed
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (about 1 lime)
- Prepared brown rice for serving
- Chopped fresh cilantro for serving
Instructions
- In a 6-quart or larger slow cooker, whisk together the coconut milk, peanut butter, curry paste, fish sauce, coconut sugar, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes until smooth.
- Add the chicken pieces, squash, red bell pepper, and onion to the slow cooker and stir gently to coat with sauce. The mixture will be very thick. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours or on low for 5 to 6 hours.
- Thirty minutes before you are ready to serve, add the peas. Immediately before serving, stir in lime juice.
- Serve over rice with a generous sprinkle of fresh cilantro.
Notes
- TO STORE: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days.
- TO REHEAT: Gently rewarm chicken in a deep skillet on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave.
- TO FREEZE: Freeze leftovers in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
Serving: 1(of 6), without riceCalories: 509kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 40gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 97mgPotassium: 1383mgFiber: 8gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 14905IUVitamin C: 104mgCalcium: 116mgIron: 3mg
Absolutely beautifull.
Thanks!
Just so so.
I’m sorry to hear the recipe wasn’t to your taste, Jen. I know it’s disappointing to try a new recipe and not enjoy it. I (and many other readers) have enjoyed it, so I really wish they would’ve been a hit for you too!
The dish looked beautiful with so many different colors. Lots of healthy foods. However, I did not find it had a lot of flavor. I am wondering if there might be a mistake in the ingredients or if I am reading it incorrect . It only calls for 1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes. Is that correct?
Hi Linda, yes that is correct. You can definitely adjust it to the amount that you’d prefer.
I did it with coconut cream by accident and same result. Bloody delicious. Mean dish. Do it blindfolded from now on. Thanks
LOVE IT! Thanks for sharing and posting the pic, Gunda!
I used ingredients I had on hand. One can each of coconut milk and cream. I had Red Boat fish sauce, and red curry paste, ginger and garlic. I had to use one red and one green pepper, along with a red onion. I used one zucchini and about a cup of shredded carrots, and also the peas. I almost doubled the peanut butter. It was delicious!
Glad it worked for you, CarolK!
I doubled the sauce because we love extra for drizzling over rice. The chicken was incredibly tender which is awesome. I added chopped peanuts on top for crunch, which I’d definitely recommend. Easy way to switch up our usual chicken routine.
So glad you enjoyed it, Penelope! Thank you!
I made this for my boyfriend and he liked how filling it was without feeling too heavy. The sauce had a good sweet-savory balance, though I prefer mine a little spicier but everything tastes good as is. Definitely going into our dinner rotation. Thanks!
So glad to hear, Celestine! Thank you!
I am rating this 1 star because you cannot look at reviews before making it. I would like to see why others don’t love this and how to make more spicy. This site sux. Why have reviews if one can’t see them. Only allows me to rate, not see other reviews. What a pain
Hi Keily, I’m sorry to hear that you are having trouble viewing the ratings. While the ratings are reserved for those who have made the recipe and not navigating the site, I wanted to take a minute to help you locate them. If you go to the end of the post, you can also click the “jump to recipe” button to help you navigate there quicker, you will then slowly scroll (so it is not overlooked) to the box that says Leave a Comment. Right where you left this comment. You will then scroll to the end of that to the load more comments tab. Click that and it will show you all of the 157 comments left on this particular post. This allows you to see all of the reviews. Hope this helps!