Peanut Butter Chicken Rice Bowl

This super easy peanut butter chicken rice bowl is a fantastic make-ahead recipe that will stay fresh in the fridge all week. Marinate the curry chicken up to 24 hours in advance so you can have this peanut chicken ready in no time!

 

You Will Love This

• It’s perfect for meal prep! If you like to meal prep at the beginning of the week, this is a great recipe to add to the menu. Prepare the chicken, rice, peanut sauce, and pickled veggies ahead of time, and have all the components of this peanut butter chicken rice bowl ready to go whenever you’re hungry!
• If you loved this recipe, be sure to check out my cold vegan peanut noodle salad, 15-minute sesame salmon sushi bowl, and don’t forget to make my quick pickled veggies!

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Chicken Breast – I like to dice up boneless, skinless chicken breast but you could also use skinless chicken thighs if you prefer.
• Curry Paste & Curry Powder – A combination of curry paste and curry powder gives this chicken recipe it’s signature warm, earthy flavor. I use Thai Kitchen red curry paste because it adds loads of flavor but it isn’t spicy.
• Garlic Powder – I prefer garlic powder over freshly minced garlic for this marinade because it blends seamlessly with the other ingredients and coats the chicken beautifully.
• Ginger Paste – Ginger paste is an easy way to get that fresh ginger flavor with minimal work on your end. Plus the tube of ginger paste will stay fresh in your fridge for months! Feel free to finely grate your own fresh ginger if you prefer. You can also substitute with a 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger.
• Peanut Sauce – My easy creamy peanut butter sauce is the perfect accompaniment for this rice bowl recipe. It takes just minutes to throw together with only a handful of ingredients and it’s the perfect creamy drizzle to go with this peanut butter chicken recipe.
• Quick Pickled Veggies – I highly recommend throwing together a batch of my quick pickled veggies for these chicken and rice bowls as well. Cool, crunchy, crisp veggies give a delicious variety of texture to the dish. And they’re another ingredient that will stay fresh in the fridge all week! If you don’t have time to pickle veggies, you can also serve this peanut butter chicken with roasted broccoli, carrots, or red bell peppers.
• Rice – You can use any type of rice you like. We tend to use jasmine rice, but brown rice or cauliflower rice (if you’re going for low carb) will work as well. If you’re short on time, grab one of those bags of microwaveable ready rice that cook in just 90 seconds. They taste delicious and save tons of prep time! Rice noodles taste great with this peanut butter chicken too.

Instructions

Combine olive oil with curry paste, curry powder, garlic powder, ginger paste, and a couple large pinches of salt and pepper in a bowl.

Add chicken and toss to coat evenly.

Marinate chicken for 1-24 hours. Throw together my easy peanut sauce and quick pickled veggies while the chicken marinates.

Cook chicken in a large cast iron pan, large skillet, or cast iron griddle pan over medium heat. You may need to cook it in batches depending on the size of your pan.

Toss chicken in peanut sauce if desired, or drizzle the peanut sauce over the chicken once it’s cooked.

Serve over rice with my easy pickled veggies for a quick and delicious meal your family will love! Garnish with chopped peanuts, green onions, and cilantro if desired.

Tips

• Let the chicken marinate for at least an hour! I know when you’re short on time it’s tempting to just toss the chicken in the spices and then cook, but I highly recommend letting the chicken sit and marinate for at least an hour and up to 24 hours. This will ensure that it soaks up all the spices and gives you the most flavor possible.
• Make sure to cook the chicken in a single layer. The best way to get that nice, crispy, golden brown crust on the chicken is to cook it in batches and make sure the pieces are spread out in a single layer. Don’t move them too much either, just let them cook and flip them when they remove easily from the pan.
• There is a moderate amount of oil in the marinade so you shouldn’t need to oil your pan before sautéing the chicken. However, if your chicken begins to stick just add a thin layer of olive oil to your pan.
• Because there is oil in the marinade, keep in mind that you as cook the chicken oil may spatter. I recommend wearing an apron or a t-shirt that you don’t mind getting a bit of oil spatter on!

What is peanut butter chicken made of?

This peanut butter chicken is marinated in a mixture of olive oil, curry powder, curry paste, ginger, ginger, and garlic. It’s seared in a hot pan and drizzled with creamy peanut sauce. Pair it with rice and pickled veggies for a complete meal your family will love!

What does peanut butter chicken taste like?

Peanut butter chicken has a warm, earthy flavor from the curry paste and curry powder plus a zing from the ginger and garlic. The cool, creamy peanut sauce adds a nutty flavor that pairs well with the sauteed chicken.

How to make peanut butter chicken?

Make peanut butter chicken by tossing chicken breast in a mix of spices like curry powder, curry paste, garlic, and ginger. Then cook the chicken until it has a nice crispy outside. Coat the cooked chicken in peanut butter sauce then serve with rice and veggies, and garnish with green onions and cilantro.

Variations

Feel free to switch up the flavors of this dish! You can whisk any of the following into the marinade.

• coconut milk
• a squeeze of fresh lime juice
• fish sauce
• soy sauce (or tamari)
• red pepper flakes
• honey
• ground cumin
• turmeric
• ground coriander

Make-Ahead, Storage, and Reheating

• Make-Ahead: This easy peanut butter chicken recipe is a great make-ahead meal. You can marinate the chicken up to 24 hours in advance. And the cooked chicken will stay fresh in the fridge for up to a week. Prep the pickled veggies and peanut butter sauce ahead of time as well so you’ve got everything ready to go for an easy meal.
• Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
• Reheating: Reheat chicken in a cast iron skillet over medium heat on the stovetop. You can also microwave the leftover chicken in 20-30 second intervals until warmed through.

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