Slow-Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken

Prep 40 min
Total 3 hr 10 min
Servings 6

Combining sweet, savory and spicy flavors, it’s no wonder Thai Peanut Chicken is a take-out favorite. But here’s a secret: It doesn’t have to come from a take-out box to turn out delicious. You, or rather your slow cooker, can do this dinner at home. Thai cooking is all about combining bright, bold ingredients to create big flavor. Here’s how that works in this recipe. First, simply choosing chicken thighs will start you off in the right direction. Thighs have more fat and turn out tender (not dry) when slow cooked. Second, dredging your thighs in flour and then browning, before slow cooking, develops the flavor of the meat and helps the sauce turn out thick and velvety. Combining standard ingredients—your jar of peanut butter and bottle of Worcestershire—with a few more specialized, but still widely available, ingredients—curry paste (more on that below), coconut milk and fresh ginger—allows you to build the flavor you know and love. Finally, letting all these elements stew together in the slow cooker over low heat melds them together, so you end up with a perfectly balanced and fully flavored dinner. MORE+ LESS-

By Betty Crocker Kitchens

Updated December 19, 2019

Make with

Gold Medal Flour

Ingredients

can (13.66 oz) unsweetened coconut milk (not cream of coconut)

1/3

cup creamy peanut butter

tablespoons soy sauce

tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

to 5 tablespoons Thai red curry paste (see Tip)

tablespoons gingerroot, peeled and finely chopped

cloves garlic, finely chopped

boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 2 1/2 lb)

teaspoon salt

1/2

cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour

tablespoons vegetable oil

tablespoons packed brown sugar

tablespoon lime juice

1/4

cup cilantro leaves

1/4

cup chopped roasted peanuts

Steps

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1

Spray 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray.
2

In medium bowl, beat coconut milk, peanut butter, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, curry paste, gingerroot and garlic with whisk. Set aside.
3

Season chicken with salt. Place flour in shallow bowl. Dredge chicken in flour. Discard remaining flour.
4

In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Arrange half of the chicken in skillet; cook, turning once, 4 to 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to slow cooker. Pour half of the coconut milk mixture over chicken in slow cooker. Repeat with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and chicken.
5

Transfer to slow cooker, and pour remaining half of sauce over chicken.
6

Cover; cook on Low heat setting 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours or until chicken is cooked through (at least 165°F). Transfer chicken to serving bowl.
7

Stir brown sugar and lime juice into sauce in slow cooker. Pour sauce over chicken; garnish with cilantro and peanuts. Serve over rice, if desired.

Expert Tips

Worcestershire sauce is a savory, fermented condiment made from a base of vinegar, and flavored with anchovies, molasses, tamarind, onion, garlic and other seasonings. It has a tangy flavor, and we use it in this dish, because it has a slight flavor resemblance to the Southeast Asian fish sauce, which has much more pungent flavor and can be more difficult to find on grocery store shelves.
Thai red curry paste is a spicy, flavorful, wet paste that is made of many ingredients that usually include red chile peppers, lemongrass, spices, lime leaves, cilantro and shrimp paste. It’s often used in Thai curry, sauces and marinades. We used the brand Thai Kitchen™ in testing this recipe. It’s important to note that different brands can have wildly ranging heat levels with some being fairly mild (like Thai Kitchen™) and others being fiery hot. For this reason, we recommend tasting the curry paste before deciding how much to use in this recipe. In most cases, the range will be between the recommended 2 to 5 tablespoons, but depending on the particular brand and your personal preferences, that range may vary. We used the top of the range for this recipe, because Thai Kitchen™ is a mild brand. If you’re unsure how much to use, it might make sense to start with a lesser amount. Wondering what to do with the rest of your jar of curry paste? Your fellow home cooks give high ratings to Spicy Asian Turkey-Noodle Soup, Slow-Cooker Thai Coconut Chicken Soup and Thai Red Curry Coconut Chicken. Try all three, and you might decide red curry paste is a kitchen staple at your house!
Thai cooking is known for big, dynamic flavor. Think sour, sweet, salty, and of course, spicy notes all in a single dish and perfectly balanced with varying textures—silky sauce, crisp-tender vegetables, tender meats, crunchy toppings. If you find yourself smitten, explore the rest of Betty’s Thai-inspired recipes.

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 2 Thighs and About 1/3 Cup Sauce

Calories: 620
Calories from Fat: 330

% Daily Value

Total Fat: 37g; 57%
Saturated Fat 17g 86% Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol: 180mg; 60%
Sodium: 1150mg; 48%
Potassium: 720mg; 21%
Total Carbohydrate: 24g; 8%
Dietary Fiber 2g 10% Sugars 10g
Protein: 47g

% Daily Value*:

Vitamin A: 20%; 20%
Vitamin C: 2%; 2%
Calcium: 6%; 6%
Iron: 20%; 20%

Exchanges:

1 1/2 Starch; 0 Fruit; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 6 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 6 1/2 Fat;