Quick Thai Peanut Chicken Bowl — Ready in Under 20 Minutes
Peanut sauce chicken over rice in 20 minutes flat. Done.
It's 6pm, you're tired, and you want something that tastes like you actually tried. This Thai peanut chicken bowl is exactly that — tender sliced chicken tossed in a savory, slightly sweet peanut sauce, served over rice with whatever crunchy stuff you have on hand. The sauce comes together in about two minutes and does all the heavy lifting. Use pre-cooked or microwaveable rice and this goes even faster. Don't expect restaurant-level presentation, but expect to be genuinely satisfied — and maybe a little smug about how fast you pulled it off.
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast — thinly sliced against the grain
- 2 cup cooked white rice — microwaveable pouches work great
- 3 tbsp creamy peanut butter — natural or regular both work
- 2 tbsp soy sauce — use tamari for gluten-free
- 1 tbsp lime juice — from about half a lime
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp sriracha — adjust to taste
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 unit garlic cloves — minced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger — grated; or 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 3 tbsp warm water — to thin the sauce
- 1 tbsp neutral oil — vegetable or avocado oil
- 2 tbsp sliced scallions — for topping
- 2 tbsp chopped roasted peanuts — for topping
Method
- 1 In a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, honey, sriracha, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and warm water until smooth. Taste and adjust — more lime for brightness, more sriracha for heat. Set aside.
- 2 Pat chicken slices dry with a paper towel. Season lightly with a pinch of salt.
- 3 Heat neutral oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, about 1 minute.
- 4 Add chicken in a single layer. Cook undisturbed for 3 minutes until golden on the bottom.
- 5 Flip chicken and cook another 2–3 minutes until cooked through (no pink in the center). Reduce heat to medium.
- 6 Pour the peanut sauce over the chicken in the skillet. Toss to coat and let it simmer for 1–2 minutes until the sauce clings to the chicken and thickens slightly. If it gets too thick, splash in a tablespoon of water.
- 7 Divide cooked rice between two bowls. Spoon the peanut chicken and all the sauce over the top.
- 8 Top with sliced scallions and chopped peanuts. Serve immediately.
Variations
- Vegetarian Swap — Replace chicken with 14 oz firm tofu, pressed and cubed. Pan-fry in oil for 4–5 minutes per side until golden before adding the sauce.
- Even Faster — Use a rotisserie chicken — shred the meat and warm it directly in the peanut sauce in the skillet for 2 minutes. Total time drops to about 10 minutes.
- No Peanut Butter — Almond butter or sunflower seed butter work as direct swaps and keep a similar creamy, nutty flavor in the sauce.
Notes
Microwaveable rice pouches are your best friend here — they cut 15 minutes off the process. The peanut sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored in the fridge (thin with a little warm water before using). Leftover chicken and sauce keep well refrigerated for up to 3 days, but the rice is best freshly cooked.
Equipment that helps
- Large skillet (12-inch) — A wide surface lets the chicken slices cook in a single layer so they brown instead of steam.
- Microplane or fine grater — Makes quick work of grating fresh ginger without having to chop it.
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