Peanut Chicken with Rice
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Peanut Chicken with Rice would make a perfect entree for a Chinese Dinner at home. Tender pieces of chicken breast in a sweet and savory peanut sauce over rice. If you’re a fan of peanut butter, you’ll like this dish!
(Post modified on 1/27/24.)
When it comes to themed dinners, I’ve been known to go a little crazy in the kitchen. Of course, my husband thinks it’s a bad kind of crazy, like insane, or completely wired. But it just makes sense, that if I’m going to the trouble of making one dish to serve my craving, (there are times when I majorly crave Chinese Food), I might as well make four or five dishes, and shoot, I might as well invite company to eat with us! You see how this works?
Tips for Planning a Chinese Dinner
Usually, when I get in one of these moods, (which happens once or twice a year), I plan the dinner out on paper, deciding what steps I can do ahead of time in an effort to save myself from that last-minute craziness. And it does help.
When preparing a large Chinese Dinner, prepare as many of the tasks ahead of time. Cut up any vegetables that you will need. Prepare the sauces. Freeze the egg rolls and crab rangoon. You can even make entrees an hour or two ahead and keep them warm in a slow cooker. This is a genius idea my mother-in-law gave me! Such a help.
But there’s no stopping it. It’s always crazy at the last minute. Especially when you’ve created this four-course dinner for 8 that includes Egg Drop Soup, Fried Egg Rolls, Crab Rangoon, Fried Rice and two main dishes–because not everyone may like Chicken and Peanuts! Oh, and dessert.
[Insert eye roll and hysterical laughter]. And inevitably after each one of these crazy marathon dinners, I tell myself that I really don’t need to go to such fuss. Just make one or two or three things. [Again, I’m laughing here, because I know this will never happen.]
So anyway, here’s a delicious recipe to make when you’re craving some Chinese food.
More Chinese Main Dishes to Try
Ingredients for Peanut Chicken with Rice
(See the full recipe at the bottom of this post.)
- skinless, boneless, chicken breasts (3-4 of them)
- olive oil
For the Rice
- jasmine, basmati, or long grain rice
- kosher salt
- water
Peanut Sauce
- chicken broth
- creamy peanut butter
- honey
- soy sauce
- Hoisin sauce (See my Homemade Version Here.)
- rice vinegar
- minced garlic
- dried minced onion
- ground ginger (or fresh)
- freshly ground black pepper
- dry roasted peanuts, chopped
Instructions for this Recipe
Gather your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.
Prepare the Ingredients
Start with cutting the chicken breast into bite-sized pieces, using a boning knife and cutting board. Set aside.
I’ve also used skinless, boneless, chicken thighs for this recipe with good results. Use what you have, but I recommend the chicken be skinless and boneless for ease of preparation.
With a second cutting board, mince the garlic. If using fresh ginger, grate the ginger.
Chop the peanuts using a nut chopper or knife.
Have everything close to the stove where you’ll be cooking, so it’s within reach and easy to get to. I like to use prep bowls, such as these Duralex Stackable Bowls, which make doing stir-fry so much easier.
Brown Chicken and Make Rice
Once you have all the prep work done, it’s time to start cooking. I like to start making my white rice at this time, which will take approximately 18-20 minutes. If you begin now, it’ll be done when your chicken is ready to serve.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Cook the pieces of chicken, stirring frequently until browned. Remove from heat, and transfer chicken to a plate. Keep warm until ready to use.
Prepare the Peanut Sauce
In a medium bowl, combine chicken stock, peanut butter, honey, soy sauce, Hoison sauce, rice vinegar, minced garlic, dried minced onion, ground garlic (or fresh), and cornstarch. Carefully whisk together until combined.
You may opt to have this already prepared during the prep time of this dish, but I have it listed here since you’ll have time to do it while the chicken is browning.
Place the skillet on medium heat, adding more olive oil if needed. Pour the sauce into the pan and bring to a boil. Stir until it thickens, about 3-5 minutes, being sure to scrape up any chicken fond left on the pan.
Add the chicken to the sauce and stir to coat the chicken. Continue cooking and stirring for an additional 3-5 minutes until the sauce clings to the chicken.
Place peanut chicken in a serving bowl and sprinkle with chopped peanuts or place peanuts in a bowl for individual servings.
Serve over rice. This recipe will serve 4-6 people and goes well with Egg-Drop Soup, Egg Rolls, Crab Rangoon, or Fried Rice.
Peanut Chicken with Rice
Ingredients
- 3 large chicken breast boneless, skinless
- 1/4 cup olive oil
For the Rice
- 3 cups water for rice
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups jasmine rice or basmati, or long grain rice
Peanut Sauce
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Hoison sauce See my Homemade Version Here.
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried minced onion
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger or 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts chopped
Instructions
- Gather your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.
Prepare the Ingredients
- Start with cutting the chicken breast into bite-sized pieces, using a boning knife and cutting board. Set aside. (If desired, you may substitute chicken thighs here.)
- With a second cutting board, mince the garlic. If using fresh ginger, grate the ginger.
- Chop the peanuts using a nut chopper or knife.
- Have everything close to the stove where you’ll be cooking, so it’s within reach and easy to get to. I like to use prep bowls, which make doing stir-fry so much easier.
Make Rice and Brown Chicken
- Once you have all the prep work done, it’s time to start cooking. I like to start making my white rice at this time, which will take approximately 18-20 minutes. If you begin now, it’ll be done when your chicken is ready to serve.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Cook the pieces of chicken, stirring frequently until browned. Remove from heat, and transfer chicken to a plate. Keep warm until ready to use.
Prepare the Peanut Sauce
- In a medium bowl, combine chicken stock, peanut butter, honey, soy sauce, Hoison sauce, rice vinegar, minced garlic, dried minced onion, ground ginger (or fresh), and cornstarch. Whisk together until combined.
- Place the skillet on medium heat, using any remaining oil in the pan. Pour the sauce into the pan and bring to a boil. Stir until it thickens, about 3-5 minutes, being sure to scrape up any chicken fond left on the pan.
- Add the chicken to the sauce and stir to coat. Continue cooking for an additional 3-5 minutes until the sauce clings to the chicken.
- Place peanut chicken in a serving bowl and sprinkle with chopped peanuts or place peanuts in a bowl for individual serving.
- Serve over rice. This recipe will serve 4-6 people.
Nutrition