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Switching up your everyday chicken with this Weeknight Thai Peanut Chicken with Spicy Lime Mango. Quickly made in your instant pot, slow cooker, or on the stove (in about 30 mins). Using pantry ingredients like high protein chicken, spices, Thai curry paste, peanut butter, and creamy coconut milk. It’s very saucy, creamy, a little spicy, healthy…and so delicious. Finish each bowl off with steamed rice and serve with sweet lime dusted mango. You’ll have the perfect healthy peanut chicken that can be enjoyed any night of the week.
Not sure how your chicken dinners were growing up, but mine did not include peanut chicken. It simply was not in the line up as one of my dad’s chicken and rice dinners. In fact, I don’t remember when exactly I was introduced to peanut chicken. It must have been somewhere around the time I started cooking for my family. So, maybe during my high school days? I’m honestly not sure. My point is that for a long time I didn’t know dishes like this chicken ever existed. I thought that the only proper use for peanut butter was either a really good peanut butter sandwich or in my mom’s Special K-Bar’s (that she’s pretty famous for).
The idea of peanut butter and chicken combined together was completely foreign to me back then. But now it’s one of my favorite flavor combinations to switch things up on an average weeknight. I’m sure this doesn’t surprise most of you. I’ve been loving Thai inspired cuisine for a number of years now. There’s so much color and flavor involved that not only is it delicious, but it’s also fun to create…not to mention pretty healthy too.
My point in all of this is that, I didn’t grow up enjoying foods like today’s recipe, but I sure wish I had. This peanut chicken is the ideal weeknight dinner for when you’re feeling a little bored with typical chicken and rice combinations.
The inspiration…
The inspiration for this recipe came from two sources. First, I now have springtime recipes in my head at all times. I’m craving plenty of fresh herbs, color, and recipes that still feel hearty, but are nice transitional recipes to lead us into spring…in only eight days!
Second, I’ve been receiving a lot of requests for new ways to use the Instant Pot. This concept felt pretty new and exciting to me. Though I will say it took me a while to test and get just right.
Here is exactly how to make this…
As I mentioned, this can be made in the instant pot, slow cooker, or on the stove-top. I prefer using the instant pot, but either method is great. The instant pot always leaves me with perfectly tender chicken that’s never dry, plus it’s so easy.
Start by tossing the chicken with Thai red curry paste and ground ginger, which is key to creating a really flavorful chicken. Sear the chicken to give it even more flavor. Then toss fresh basil, cilantro, and additional Thai red curry paste. Stir this all together, then add coconut milk.
Next, add a touch of soy sauce and a splash of fish sauce. If you don’t enjoy fish sauce you can certainly use low sodium soy sauce instead. But as I always seem to be saying lately, I recommend giving the fish sauce a try. It adds a very savory, salty flavor.
If using the instant pot, lock the lid and let it do its thing.
Next up…peanut butter.
It’s important to stir the peanut butter into the sauce once the chicken has fully cooked. I found when I added the peanut butter earlier, the chicken either burned or the sauce had an odd texture.
Finally, finish with lime juice.
I do want you to know that there will be a good amount of peanut sauce surrounding your chicken. The sauce thickens a bit as it cools, but we love serving the chicken topped with additional sauce. So use the sauce to your liking.
Add some spicy lime mango.
Basically this is salsa, but we’re going to call it spicy lime mango. It’s not necessary, but I find it very delicious when paired with the savory flavor of this peanutty chicken. It also adds a nice tropical flare.
Finish with some steamed rice, add some sliced cucumbers, and a sprinkle of roasted peanuts, plus some fresh herbs. Alternatively, you could serve the chicken and sauce on its own or over brown rice for a whole grain option. Rice noodles would also be delicious.
And just like that, dinner is done. It’s pretty, it’s easy, and it’s even healthy too. You could serve this alongside roasted broccoli or steamed bok choy for added greens.
Simple and easy…yes. But also so DELICIOUS.
Looking for other 30 minute meals…try some of these.
If you make this Weeknight Thai Peanut Chicken with Spicy Lime Mango, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Weeknight Thai Peanut Chicken with Spicy Lime Mango
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 493 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
- 3-4 tablespoons Thai red curry paste using more or less to your taste
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil or extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh Thai basil or regular basil chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, plus more for serving
- 1 (14 ounce) can full fat coconut milk
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce (optional, but recommended)
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- juice of 1 lime
- steamed rice, for serving
- roasted peanuts and Persian cucumbers, for serving
Spicy Lime Mango
- 1 mango, diced
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
- juice and zest from 1 lime
Instructions
Stove Top
- 1. Toss the chicken with the 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste, the ginger, and 1 tablespoon oil. Let sit 5 minutes.2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear on both sides until browned, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining Thai red curry paste, the basil, and the cilantro. 3. Reduce the heat to low. Add the coconut milk, soy sauce, fish sauce (if using), and 1/4 cup water. Partially cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Stir in the peanut butter and lime juice. Simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Note, there is going to be a lot of sauce. 4. To make the spicy lime mango. Combine all ingredients in a bowl.5. Serve the chicken and sauce over rice. Top with roasted peanuts, cucumbers, and spicy lime mango.
Instant Pot
- 1. Toss the chicken with the 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste, the ginger, and 1 tablespoon oil. Let sit 5 minutes.2. Set the Instant Pot to sauté. Add 2 tablespoons oil and the chicken to the instant pot and sear on both sides until browned, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining Thai red curry paste, the basil, and the cilantro. Turn the instant pot off. Add the coconut milk, soy sauce, fish sauce (if using), and 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.3. Once done cooking, use the natural or quick release function. Stir in the peanut butter and lime juice. Set the Instant pot to sauté and bring to a boil, boil 5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Note, there is going to be a lot of sauce. 4. To make the spicy lime mango. Combine all ingredients in a bowl.5. Serve the chicken and sauce over rice. Top with roasted peanuts, cucumbers, and spicy lime mango.
Slow Cooker
- 1. Toss the chicken with the 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste, the ginger, and 1 tablespoon oil. Let sit 5 minutes.2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear on both sides until browned, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining Thai red curry paste, the basil, and the cilantro. Transfer the chicken to the slow cooker. Add the coconut milk, soy sauce, and fish sauce (if using). Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.3. Remove the lid, stir in the peanut butter and lime juice. Cook 20-30 minutes on high to thicken the sauce. Note, there is going to be a lot of sauce. 4. Finish as directed above
Made this tonight as per recipe, it had great flavour, the sauce was rich, but also a bit salty and overpowering. Lots of sauce leftover, I think I will freezer it and use it another time for the same meal or a drizzle over something else. The mango salsa was really good and a nice touch to balance out the dish.
Hey Caitlin,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try and sharing your feedback! xTieghan
Made a double batch of this with chicken thighs in my instant pot for dinner tonight. So delicious and I love how there was little prep/cutting! Excellent weeknight dinner with so many flavours! I also subbed quinoa for the rice to be a bit more on the healthy side ?. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Margo,
Thanks so much for your feedback! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it! xTieghan
Hi
I tried this recipe a few weeks ago and it was wonderful. I wanted to double
the recipe and use my 6 qt instant pot. Can I double the recipe ?
Thanks
Hi Celia,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try and sharing your feedback! I think your pot should hold all of this! xx
I made this, and I’m not sure if I did something wrong or used the wrong kind of red Thai curry paste, but mine turned out VERY salty.
The flavor was very strong, so I think next time I will not add in the soy sauce. Ended up cutting it with plain Greek yogurt to help with the saltiness. Maybe use another can of coconut milk, will experiment more. Thanks for the recipe!
Hey Brennan,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, sorry about the salt. You could always use some coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce next time. I hope this helps! xTieghan
I did order some coconut aminos already, and am planning on making my own curry paste! I also discovered that the fish sauce I used has an insane amount of sodium too, so I’m going to try and find one with less.
Let me know how that turns out!!
Out of this world delicious! I followed this recipe exactly as written (instant pot) and added bean sprouts to the finished dish. This will be on the repeat list for sure!
Hi Diana,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it!! Have the best week:) xTieghan
This is amazing!! I made this in a slow cooker and served over rice. I wasn’t sure how the ingredients were going to work together but they blend together perfectly.
Hey Jodi,
Happy Sunday!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it and sharing your feedback! xx
Loved it! My lime wasn’t very juicy so I zested it. I served it over pearled couscous. I will absolutely make it again.
Hey Beth,
Wonderful!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! ?xTieghan
This dish was fantastic! Easy to make, rich, saucy and flavourful! I made this on the stove top in a deep pan that has a lid. Followed the instructions, no modifications. Another tasty dinner!
Hey Ingrid,
Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Is the chicken cut into strips or left whole?
I used chicken breasts and they were quite large so I cut each breast in 2-3 large stips.
Hey Carla,
You can cut the chicken into strips. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
the sodium level is really high here, well above 900mg per serving. I didn’t even count the red curry paste. While it is probably very flavorful, the sodium makes it unappealing, sorry
Thanks for your feedback!
Long time follower/ first time poster. Made this as directed in the Instantpot and my (critical) husband said that he’d pay to have this meal in a restaurant. Sauce for the chicken is delicious!
Hi Alexis,
Wonderful!! Love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for giving it a go:) xTieghan
I made this dish the other night over rice noodles and it was absolutely AMAZING! My favorite recipe of yours so far. Everything about it was perfect. I didn’t have enough basil so I added extra cilantro! It was very much enjoyed just like all your recipes!
Hey Liv,
Wonderful!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! xT
This dish was so creamy! The roasted peanuts and the mango salsa were just the icing on the cake. Thanks for another great addition to our week night meals!
Hey Kristen,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a go! xxT
I’ve made a lot of your recipes and they have all been delicious! Made this tonight and loved it! My sauce was much runnier than it looks in your photo. Any suggestions?
Hey Tamara,
Happy Friday!! Love hearing that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! Just allow it to reduce a little longer next time. xxT
Made this tonight! Excellent and so easy! Thank you for all your awesome recipes! Keep them coming!
Hey Glenn,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled to hear it was enjoyed. Thanks for sharing your comment! xTieghan