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Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken Recipe

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3.9 from 4 reviews

Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken is a hearty and flavorful dish featuring tender chicken breasts slow-cooked in a rich and creamy coconut milk and peanut sauce. This easy recipe blends savory, sweet, and tangy elements with a slight kick of heat, garnished with crunchy peanuts and fresh cilantro. Perfect served over rice, rice noodles, or wrapped in lettuce for a light meal.

  • Total Time: 5 hours 10 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

Chicken and Broth

  • 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • ½ cup chicken broth
  • Salt, to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Peanut Sauce

  • 1 cup unsweetened canned coconut milk
  • ½ cup unsweetened natural peanut butter (crunchy or creamy)
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)

Garnish and Serving

  • Chopped peanuts, for garnish
  • Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
  • Rice, rice noodles, or lettuce leaves, for serving

Instructions

  1. Cook the Chicken: Arrange the chicken breasts in a large slow cooker and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pour the chicken broth into the bottom of the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours, or until the chicken is fall-apart tender.
  2. Shred the Chicken: Remove the chicken breasts from the slow cooker and place on a cutting board. Cut the chicken into chunks and shred it using two forks. Drain the liquid from the slow cooker and wipe the inside clean. Return the shredded chicken to the empty slow cooker.
  3. Prepare the Peanut Sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, peanut butter, minced garlic, honey, low-sodium soy sauce, lime juice, rice vinegar, fish sauce, and crushed red pepper flakes until smooth and well combined.
  4. Combine and Cook: Pour the peanut sauce over the shredded chicken in the slow cooker. Stir well to coat all the chicken evenly. Cover and cook on LOW for an additional 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring halfway through, until the sauce thickens and everything is heated through.
  5. Serve: Serve the Thai peanut chicken over cooked white or brown rice, cooked rice noodles, or inside large lettuce leaves as wraps. Garnish with chopped peanuts, fresh cilantro, and additional crushed red pepper flakes if desired.

Notes

  • Ensure the chicken is fall-apart tender—if not, cook a bit longer as slow cooker times vary by model.
  • Older slow cookers may require 6 to 8 hours, while newer models can cook chicken in 3 to 4 hours without drying it out.
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
  • Freeze leftovers in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating gently.
  • This recipe was modified in 2025 to suit modern hotter-running slow cookers; the original version cooked the raw chicken directly in the sauce.
  • Author: Olivia
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 hours
  • Category: Main Course
  • Method: Slow Cooking
  • Cuisine: Thai

Find it online: https://iamstarved.com/slow-cooker-thai-peanut-chicken-recipe/