Peanut Sauce Chicken features coconut milk and curry-marinated chicken, grilled on skewers, and paired with a simple peanut sauce. It’s flavorful, easy, and made with pantry staples.
Use Those Pantry Staples
Peanut Sauce Chicken comes together with pantry staples and just a few other ingredients, making it a simple yet flavor-packed meal. The only “fresh” ingredient you’ll need is chicken, but frozen (thawed) chicken works just as well.
This recipe was inspired by my Peanut Chicken Lettuce Wraps, a family favorite that uses a pantry-friendly peanut dressing my kids actually love—it’s the first peanut sauce they’ve ever eaten! While it’s more of a dressing than a peanut sauce, it pairs perfectly with the easy chicken marinade.
Ingredients
- Chicken: Breast or thighs work great here!
- Coconut Milk: Use full-fat coconut milk for the best flavor and texture.
- Curry Powder: Adjust the amount to your spice preference.
- Soy Sauce: Use low-sodium soy sauce to control the salt level.
- Brown Sugar: Swap with honey for a more natural option.
- Garlic + Ginger: Grate the ginger for maximum flavor release.
- Peanut Sauce: This sauce is sweet by design, but you can adjust it! Reduce honey for less sweetness or add cayenne, red pepper flakes, or chili sauce for more spice.
How To Make Peanut Sauce Chicken
- Marinate the chicken: Longer marinating time = more flavor!
- Prepare the peanut sauce: Adjust water for your desired sauce thickness.
- Skewer and grill: Soak wooden skewers in water to prevent burning.
- Serve and enjoy: Top with fresh cilantro or chopped peanuts for extra flavor.
Peanut Sauce Chicken Tips
- Oil the grill grates: Rub oiled paper towels over the grates with tongs to stop sticking and get a good sear.
- Don’t skip coconut milk: The marinade needs its fat and creaminess, even with just a little. Use the rest to make coconut rice!
- Avoid overcooking: Small chicken pieces cook fast—about 4–8 mins, turning once. Adjust for grill heat and size.
- Check temp: Use a meat thermometer and cook to 160°F; the heat will finish it to 165°F.
Coconut Rice
For a base, I love pairing Peanut Sauce Chicken with coconut basmati rice, especially since there’s leftover coconut milk from the marinade.
I outline how to make it in the notes section of the recipe card or follow this Coconut Rice recipe!
Storage
Leftover Peanut Sauce Chicken?
Store leftover Peanut Chicken in an airtight container.
Refrigerate the chicken for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
More Chicken Recipes
- Chicken Gyros with so much flavor
- Grilled Curry Chicken with coconut rice
- Chicken Enchilada Casserole corn tortilla layered chicken casserole
- Chicken Ramen ready in 30 mins or less
- Coconut Curry Chicken reader favorite recipe!
Peanut Sauce Chicken
Coconut curry-marinated chicken skewers grilled to perfection and paired with a sweet, simple peanut sauce. Packed with flavor, easy to make, and mainly from pantry staples!
Equipment
- Grill or a large, nonstick pan for stovetop cooking
- Aluminum foil
- Small blender I use a mini Blendtec/Twister Jar
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1/4 cup coconut milk full-fat
- 1 tablespoon yellow curry powder
- 2 teaspoons red curry paste I use Thai Kitchen
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1-1/2 teaspoons oil if cooking on stovetop
- Toppings as desired see note 1
Peanut sauce/dressing
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons honey start with less if you want a less sweet sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons water
- 1-1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1-1/2 tablespoons soy sauce can be reduced-sodium
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional, depending on heat preference
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Optional: serve over cooked coconut or plain basmati rice (see note 2)
Instructions
- Cut chicken into 1-inch cubes and place in a large resealable plastic bag or resealable container. In a medium bowl, whisk together coconut milk, curry powder, red curry paste, sugar, salt, and pepper. Whisk until smooth, then pour over the chicken. Knead the plastic bag to coat the chicken. Seal the bag and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours.
- Grill: Preheat grill to medium-high (400°F). Thread chicken onto soaked wooden skewers (see note 3). Grill for 2–4 minutes per side (usually a total of 6 minutes) or until chicken is grilled to 160°F when tested with a cooking thermometer. Remove to a plate. Cover with foil and allow to rest 5 minutes.
- Stovetop: Alternatively, add the oil in a very large, nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add the skewers (in batches; don’t overcrowd the pan) and cook for 2–3 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cooked through. Test with a cooking thermometer; chicken should be 160°F. Remove to a plate. Cover with foil and allow to rest 5 minutes.
- Sauce: In a small, powerful blender, add creamy peanut butter, honey (see note 4), olive oil, the water, rice vinegar, soy sauce, pepper, cayenne pepper, and salt. Blend until smooth and refrigerate while finishing everything else.
- Optional Coconut Rice: Combine 1 cup basmati rice, 1 and 1/2 cups coconut milk, 1/2 cup water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir and place over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and cover the rice. Allow to simmer 13–18 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, keep covered, and let stand 10–15 minutes. Fluff the rice and serve.
- If you prepared the rice, divide it evenly among plates. Top with cooked chicken skewers. Add a side of peanut sauce. If desired, garnish chicken and rice with fresh cilantro, fresh lime wedges, and crushed peanuts. Enjoy immediately.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Optional but recommended toppings: fresh lime juice, fresh cilantro, finely chopped peanuts.
Note 2: I love this dish with plain or coconut basmati rice. The recipe instructions share how to make coconut basmati rice. Here’s how to make plain basmati rice:
- Measure 1 cup rice and rinse in a fine-mesh sieve until the water runs clear.
- Place the rice in a bowl and cover it with water to soak about 5–10 minutes.
- While rice is soaking, fill a large pot with water and set to boil.
- Once water is at a rolling boil, drain the rice and add it to the pot.
- Cook without reducing the heat, 5 minutes, then drain and fluff with a fork.
Nutrition
Serving: 4servings | Calories: 316kcal | Carbohydrates: 18.6g | Protein: 29.6g | Fat: 21.3g | Cholesterol: 82.7mg | Sodium: 180.5mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15.9g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’m a big fan of Thai food and this peanut sauce looks legit! YUM! And totally loving that coconut rice 🙂
I’m not usually into thai food either, but this does look really good! I would totally try it. And probably love it. 🙂 Pinned!
Peanut anything is my favorite!
This dish looks sooo good. I seriously LOVE peanut sauce! I would eat this meal for dinner any night of the week!
This peanut sauce chicken looks awesome…I love a good peanut sauce!
This looks delicious! Definitely need to add this to our menu soon!
I LOVE peanut sauce.
I’ve never made a peanut sauce. Certainly sounds yummy though. I’m sure my kids would gobble this up quick! Pinning for later.
Have a wonderful Wednesday!
I am addicted to peanut sauce, so this easy recipe is lookin’ like dinner! Love it girl! pinned 🙂
Mmm, this looks good!