Thai Peanut Chicken

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Marinate: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 25 minutes
Recipe Makes (Approximate): 4 servings

Tender, juicy chicken thighs in a rich and creamy peanut sauce and served on skewers or with a side of rice.

Ingredients

For the Peanut Sauce

• ½ cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup unsweetened, full-fat coconut milk (from can, not carton; stirred well)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (juice from approximately 1 medium lime)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce (or fish sauce)
• 1 ½ packed tablespoons brown sugar (dark preferred, see Notes)
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic (approximately 3 large cloves)
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (plus more to taste)

For the Chicken

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (cut into bite-sized chunks)

Serving Suggestions (All Optional)

• cooked white or brown rice
• 1 cup prepared peanut sauce (made from ingredients listed above)
• lime wedges (to garnish)
• whole or chopped peanuts (to garnish)
• chopped green onions (to garnish)
• chopped cilantro (to garnish)

Instructions

For the Peanut Sauce
Add ½ cup creamy peanut butter, 1 cup unsweetened, full-fat coconut milk, 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 ½ packed tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic, and ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes to medium bowl. Whisk ingredients together vigorously until fully combined.
Transfer 1 cup of prepared peanut sauce to small bowl. Cover bowl with lid or plastic wrap, then place bowl in refrigerator. Save remaining sauce (approximately ½ to 1 cup) to use as marinade for chicken.
15 minutes prior to serving, remove bowl from refrigerator and let sauce come to room temperature.

To Marinate the Chicken
Place bite-sized chunks of 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs in baking dish.
Pour remaining prepared peanut sauce over chicken, then toss or stir chicken until fully coated in peanut sauce.
Cover dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour and no more than 8 hours. Toss or stir chicken again at least once while marinating.
After chicken has marinated for desired length of time, remove dish from fridge and uncover. Thread marinated chicken pieces onto skewers if using, then place on lightly-greased baking sheet. If not using skewers, fit baking sheet with wire baking rack and place marinated chicken pieces on top of rack.

To Broil the Chicken
Preheat broiler to high. When preheated, place baking sheet with chicken under broiler. Broil chicken 6 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160° Fahrenheit.
While chicken cooks, remove refrigerated sauce from fridge and bring to room temperature.
When chicken reaches 160° Fahrenheit according to internal meat thermometer, carefully remove skewers from under broiler and let rest 5 minutes before serving.

To Grill the Chicken
Preheat grill to medium-high heat, approximately 375° to 450° Fahrenheit. Lightly spray grill grate with cooking spray (optional).
When grill reaches desired temperature, place chicken skewers directly on grill grates, over indirect heat, and close grill lid. Grill chicken 6 minutes, then flip chicken and grill another 6 to 10 minutes. Chicken is ready when internal temperature reaches 160° Fahrenheit internally and releases from grates easily.
When chicken is ready, carefully remove skewers from grill and let rest 5 minutes before serving.

To Serve the Peanut Chicken
After allowing chicken to rest 5 minutes, transfer chicken to serving plates. Serve chicken with cooked white or brown rice, 1 cup prepared peanut sauce, and lime wedges. Garnish dish with whole or chopped peanuts, chopped green onions, and chopped cilantro if desired.

Notes

• If you plan to serve the chicken on the skewers (rather than removing the skewers after cooking), you can either divide the skewers evenly onto individual plates or transfer them all from the grill to a serving platter and let everyone grab their own.
• Make it Gluten-Free: Use a gluten-free soy sauce or fish sauce, or substitute with lite tamari.
• Make it Paleo: Use cashew or almond butter instead of peanut butter, and fish sauce or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. Replace the brown sugar with coconut sugar.
• Make it Keto: Use a low-carb peanut butter that contains only peanuts and salt. Replace brown sugar with a keto-friendly sweetener like Brown Swerve.
• Leftover chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently to avoid drying out the meat or separating the sauce.

Nutrition Information (Approximate)

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 576
Protein: 54g
Fat: 37g
Saturated Fat: 15g
Trans Fat: 0.04g
Cholesterol: 215mg
Sodium: 772mg
Potassium: 954mg
Total Carbs: 9g
Fiber: 3g
Sugar: 2g
Net Carbs: 6g
Vitamin A: 133IU
Vitamin C: 4mg
Calcium: 68mg
Iron: 5mg

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