Quick & Easy Peanut Butter Chicken (20-Minute Meal!)

This quick and easy peanut butter chicken recipe is sure to become a weeknight favorite! Repurpose the leftovers (if there even are any), into delicious meal prep bowls with some brown rice and crunchy, colorful fresh veggies…

This recipe was created in partnership with The Peanut Institute. Thanks for supporting me and the brands I love!

Peanut Butter Chicken

Hey there fellow peanut butter lovers! Have y’all been dipping and dousing everything in sight with the easy peanut sauce I shared last week, yet? If not, here’s another reason to make it STAT — peanut butter chicken…

Yes, chicken and peanut butter is really a thing, and it’s seriously amazing. Like all caps with three exclamation points, AMAZING!!! I mean, how can you go wrong with tender, sautéed chicken smothered in a warm and spicy peanut sauce that can be ready to serve in less than 20 minutes? Add some brown rice (try this easy Instant Pot brown rice recipe) and crunchy, colorful fresh veggies for a healthy dinner that’s sure please.

Ready to try it? I promise you won’t be sorry!

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What’s so great about peanut sauce chicken?

Well, besides the fact that peanut sauce chicken is utterly delicious and addictive, there’s been some pretty compelling research recently on the health benefits of adding more peanuts (and peanut butter) to your diet. The nutrients and compounds in peanuts can:

• INCREASE BLOOD FLOW TO THE BRAIN — peanuts contain resveratrol, a plant compound that is believed to improve blood flow in the brain, which may reduce risk of stroke and help improve cognitive abilities.
• HELP ENHANCE YOUR MOOD — polyphenols (like those found in peanuts) have shown the potential to enhance mood. Sounds like a great reason to feed my teens more peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, if you ask me!
• HELP YOU STAY ALERT — unsaturated fat in peanuts provides sustained energy, which can ward off fatigue and help you stay sharp.

What’s more, peanuts also contain high levels of niacin and are a good source of vitamin E, two nutrients that have long been known to protect against Alzheimer’s disease and age-related cognitive decline. And of course, they’re packed with protein, vitamins, and minerals.

Adding a handful of peanuts or two tablespoons of peanut butter almost every day is all you need to realize these benefits. So increase your intake by making this easy peanut butter chicken recipe ASAP. Another good choice is these yummy no bake peanut butter protein balls. But I’ll warn you that, as with this peanut butter chicken, they’re just a wee bit addictive!

How To Make Peanut Butter Chicken

This peanut butter chicken recipe is super quick and easy to make, especially if you already have a batch of my peanut butter sauce on hand. I keep a jar in my fridge expressly for this purpose! Well, that and because it’s also divine as a salad dressing, mixed into cold noodles, or as a veggie dip…

Trust me — it will NOT go to waste. But even if you don’t have ready-made peanut sauce, it only takes 2 minutes to whip up a batch!

From there, you simply sauté some diced boneless skinless chicken breasts in oil, seasoning them with about a tablespoon of soy sauce. When the chicken is fully cooked, stir in 3/4 cup of the peanut sauce and warm it through.

Voila, dinner is ready! Serve this peanut butter chicken warm over pressure cooker brown rice with some thinly sliced red cabbage, sliced red peppers, and shredded carrots, all drizzled with more peanut sauce. I like to finish it off with some more chopped unsalted roasted peanuts, along with a small handful of cilantro.

Want a light and fresh side dish idea to pair with this? This quick and easy Asian cucumber salad is exactly what you’re looking for!

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Peanut Butter Chicken Meal Prep Bowls

Meal prep bowls are a hot item these days, and I have to say they’re kind of growing on me. This peanut butter chicken is pretty darn tasty even when it’s cold, so it’s an ideal make ahead recipe for this application.

Box up your leftovers in some glass meal prep containers (I like the 3.5-cup containers in this set), or whip up a batch during your weekly meal prep sessions just for these bowls.

If I’m being honest, I’m not normally a huge fan of leftovers, but this is really a great way to use them up. When you portion things out intentionally like this, it feels a little less leftover-y — and I can’t deny that I love knowing I’ve got a healthy and flavorful ready-made lunch waiting!

Are you interested in more easy recipes that can serve as dinner AND a meal prep option? Let me know in the comments!

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If you like this peanut butter chicken, you might also enjoy these other recipes featuring peanuts and/or peanut butter:

• Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Banana Muffins
• No Bake Peanut Butter Protein Balls
• White Chocolate Peanut No Bake Haystack Cookies
• Pea and Peanut Salad (trust me on this one!)