Peanut Butter Chicken

We made Instant Pot peanut butter chicken the other night and it was a hit!! Using breasts or thighs and a homemade sauce made with your favorite creamy peanut spread, your kids will surely get a kick out of this meal.

Looking for a killer peanut butter recipe, or maybe wondering what this is? Either way we’re glad you’re here to try it! We made it as an Instant Pot recipe but surely you could make it on the stovetop instead in a skillet with a lid until tender.

Who. Doesn’t. Love. Peanut butter??!!! Ok, unless you have an allergy you probably have a jar right now in your cupboard. I know we ALWAYS do! You can do so much more than baking peanut butter cookies or sandwiches with it though.

Pressure Cooker Peanut Butter Chicken

You can make it in any brand of machine you have too. As long as it has the high pressure function you are good to go. I have used Crockpot Express, Mealthy and as a Ninja Foodi recipe as well with the lid that is not attached to make this for dinner.

Peanut Butter Chicken Ingredients

I typically make this with boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces, but you could opt for chicken thighs if you preferred dark meat. You are going to saute just to cook the outsides to lock in the juices with a bit of olive oil.

You will then add some chicken broth and scrape the bottom to deglaze the pot or else the burn notice may appear. If you are cooking on the stove I would still do this to loosen the stuck on bits as this will add to the flavor when it cooks in the sauce.

To add a creamy and bit of a sweet element you are going to add coconut milk. I would use the full fat version (we aren’t counting calories on this one friends).

Soy sauce gives it a pop of flavor to the sauce it will cook in with some minced ginger, brown sugar to sweeten it a bit and chili garlic sauce will add a medium amount of heat. If you want spicy you would want to add a pinch of red pepper flakes too.

Before you close the lid you will plop smooth peanut butter into the pot (do not stir or it may trigger the burn notice too. After done you can whisk in some arrowroot flour (gluten free option) or cornstarch to thicken the sauce.

This is one of our favorite pressure cooker chicken recipes served with Ninja Foodi rice when it’s chilly outside. I have a few sizes and brands so I can make this in one and my side dish in another depending on what I am craving that night, a grain is typical though.

Tips for Success

The first step like many others is to turn your pot to saute and add some olive oil. Once it is hot, add your diced chicken and brown the outsides (barely). You just want to cook 5 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink on the outsides.

Then it’s time to start adding your other ingredients with the cooked chicken to make peanut butter chicken. Leave the cornstarch to the side. You can decide whether or not you want to add it at the end. It isn’t necessary, only if you want the sauce to be thicker before serving.

Cut meat into bite size chunks so they are small enough to soak in the sauce as much as possible. Do NOT stir in the dollops of peanut butter. This may cause an issue when pressure cooking. Instead just put large tbsp dollops on the top before closing the lid and they’ll cook right in perfectly.

How do you make Chinese peanut sauce?

Yes, this is a bit like Chinese peanut butter sauce with a twist. It’s also sometimes called satay sauce, bumbu kacang, or sambal kacang. You can use these measurements instead if you want a spicy option to the sauce.

1. 2 cups creamy peanut butter 
2. Two tbsp soy sauce or fish sauce
3. 4 tsp minced garlic.
4. 1/2 cup hot water – not used
5. 1/4 c chopped cilantro
6. 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar – which we didn’t use
7. 2 tsp sugar – wasn’t used
8. 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes – for heat, could be added to the recipe below

How to save leftovers

If you have leftovers just let it cool and store in an airtight container in your fridge for up to 3 days. When reheating stir every 30 seconds and you might want to add a tbsp of broth or more PB to loosen the sauce up.

Is peanut sauce good for you?

Let’s start out by saying this isn’t listed as a low calorie, carb, or keto friendly meal. We are all about comfort foods here, and that’s okay in moderation. While most peanut sauces contain nutrient packed ingredients, they are also a bit higher in calories and fat.

What else can you use peanut butter for other than sandwiches?

We are always trying to come up with new chicken recipes so dinnertime doesn’t get too boring. Other than sandwiches, we hope you gave you a unique yummy idea. Here are a few more peanut butter recipes too: Our peanut butter and jelly donuts are semi homemade with refrigerated dough and always a huge breakfast hit.

These cookie brownies use cake mix and come out creamy and delicious for a dessert. You can also include some inside a batch of peanut butter blender muffins for a tasty treat in the morning.

You can also venture out with serving it alongside seafood skewers or dumplings. Peanut sauce marinade: To make this just blend peanut sauce with soy sauce, ginger, onions, and a dash of hot sauce. Put into a freezer bag with meat and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cooking.

Looking for another winner of a dinner to try in your nifty multi cooker? I would try our Instant Pot butter chicken next.