Saucy Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken

I pretty much love anything if it’s covered in peanut sauce. The first time I tried Thai food, I couldn’t get over how delicious everything was — thanks in no small part to the salty sauce and crushed peanuts covering much of it.

I went home and immediately tried to recreate the recipes. Soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, thai chili paste, chili flakes, tahini… the sauce recipes I was finding online required so many specialized ingredients. It was daunting. There had to be a better way.

A Thai blogger laughed at my struggles I had posted online, and told me that the easiest way to pull off something close to the traditional Thai flavor was Hoisin sauce, peanut butter, and Sriracha. Genius! (Seriously, try this at home with a splash of water. It will by your new favorite dipping sauce.)

Since then, I use the sauce for everything from toast to spring rolls, and even as a veggie dip. And bonus: it’s kind of fun to have a recipe that uses peanut butter, beyond cookies and PB&J.

I took that simple sauce to the next level to bring you this Thai-inspired Slow Cooker Peanut Chicken recipe. It adds a few more ingredients to the sauce to help hold up in the long slow heat, but it’s still simple to pull off. Plus, once you set the slow cooker, it totally takes care of itself. The small amount of prep work is worth not having to watch your oven waiting for chicken to cook.

You’ll find that everyone loves the complimentary creamy, spicy flavors of this rich chicken dish. You’ll make it time and time again!

Saucy slow Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken

Serves about 6

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, cut to 1-inch pieces
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3/4 cup peanut butter (I prefer chunky, but smooth works well, too)
1 14-ounce can of coconut milk
1/4 cup Hoisin sauce
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp Sriracha
1/3 cup roasted peanuts (for garnish)
1/4 cup green online, thinly sliced
handful fresh mint (optional)

Directions

Drizzle olive oil on bottom of slow cooker.
In a large plastic, tiptop bag, add chicken, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Seal bag. Toss until chicken pieces are coated evenly. Transfer chicken pieces to slow cooker.
In a medium bowl, whisk together coconut milk, peanut butter, Hoisin sauce, honey, lime juice, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, and Sriracha.
Pour mixture over chicken. Stir content of slow cooker until chicken is coated. (Note: There’s a lot of sauce, but it boils down during cooking.)
Cook on low for about 4 hours, or set to high and cook for about 2 hours. Check on chicken about 3/4 of the way into the cooking, and stir. Chicken is done when it reaches 165ºF in the middle and no pink/raw beige color is visible.
Serve with Thai rice noodles, rice, or another grain of your choice. Add chicken to plate and top with peanuts, green onions and mint.