Slow Cooker Peanut Butter Chicken is a very simple and delicious dinner for busy weeknights! Let your slow cooker do all the work; prep time for this dish is less than 5 minutes! Kid friendly and gluten-free.
I am introducing you to my kids’ favorite crockpot meal. If there is one food they love more than tacos, it’s peanut butter chicken. The peanut sauce is slightly sweet, a little acidic, and will leave your house smelling AhhhhhMAZING! You will love the way the chicken tenderizes and can even shred to create the most delicious bowl of goodness.
Short on time? This recipe is perfect. If your weeknights are super busy like ours, dinner can be ready with very little prep time.
Want to call this recipe tacos and wrap in a tortilla? Another great idea!
How to make Slow Cooker Peanut Butter Chicken:
Start by gathering up chicken breast (or thighs) with a handful of pantry ingredients. Here is what you’ll need:
- chicken breast or thighs
- peanut butter (smooth or crunchy, your preference! You can also use another nut butter)
- Gluten-free Tamari Sauce, coconut aminos, or soy sauce
- honey
- rice vinegar (you can sub with apple cider vinegar)
- chicken broth
- garlic cloves
- cilantro for serving
- crushed red pepper (optional)
- lime juice (optional)
All you need to do is stir the peanut sauce ingredients (peanut butter, coconut aminos, honey, rice vinegar, chicken broth, and garlic), throw in your chicken breast, hit start, and be on your way.
It’s that easy you guys!
Serving and Storing:
Serve with some veggies over rice or cauliflower rice. My favorite companion is my oven Roasted Lemon and Garlic Broccoli.
Looking for a creamier option? Stir in 1/2 cup coconut milk!
Store in the fridge for up to 5 days (perfect for meal prep lunch), or freeze for up to 3 months.
Instant Pot Option:
You can make this recipe in the Instant Pot. You will need to increase the chicken broth to 3/4 cup.
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Slow Cooker Peanut Butter Chicken
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs chicken breast or chicken thighs
- 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup GF Tamari Soy Sauce or Coconut Aminos I use low sodium GF Tamari Soy Sauce
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 3 large garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp crushed red pepper (optional)
- 1 tbsp lime juice (optional)
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro (optional)
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts into your slow cooker.
In a small bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients: peanut butter, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, chicken broth, and garlic cloves. Sauce will be slightly lumpy, but make sure it's well incorporated. Pour on top of chicken.
Cook on low for about 4 hours or until chicken can easily shred.
Serve over rice with roasted vegetables and be sure to top your chicken with the sauce. Squeeze optional lime juice and cilantro on top.
Recipe Notes
Recipe adapted from Parade Magazine: Recipe Girl
This recipe sounds really good! Do you think I can get by with creamy PB?
Yes! Of course. I just love crunchy peanut butter, but I have also used creamy too!
Do you think substituting white wine vinegar or Apple cider vinegar in place of the rice vinegar?
Yes, absolutely. I think out of those 2, apple cider is best 🙂
Do u know about how many carbs in this peanut butter chicken?
Yes, according to nutrition facts posted in yummly, per serving it is 21g of carbohydrates. Hope that helps!
I used the “My Fitness Pal” website to calculate and it said 28g Carbs, 2 of which were fiber, 21 sugars
If i wanted to bake this what would the baking instructions be?
Hi Cheri, cover chicken with sauce in a shallow baking dish. Bake at 350 for 25 mins. It won’t be as tender, but still tasty!
Tried this tonight – amazing! Cooked it on high for 3 hours, then turned to low for an hour and a half – came out really well (didn’t have time to start it early so I took a chance!) Served it on edamame noodles with bean sprouts, broccoli and snow peas. This is a definite win!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I’m not sure why, but I made this sauce per=recipe and it was so salty that I dumped it out and made my own version. The amount of Vinegar and Soy Sauce this recipe calls for seems to be the culprit.
Hi Zeke, sorry it didn’t turn out! I use the gluten-free tamari brand soy sauce, and sometimes the low sodium variation. Perhaps it was the type of soy sauce?
Don you think I xold swap soon sauce for Worcester
Yes, you could swap out the soy sauce and use Worcestershire sauce. I would cut the vinegar in half if you are going to do that. Only use 1-2 tbsp of rice vinegar.
Hi! This recipe sounds deliciously easy! However, I really hate the smell and taste of soy sauce…do you reckon I can leave it out completely? Or swap it for something else? Thanks in advance!
Hi Jamie! The soy sauce gives the recipe that salty/sweet taste. Have you tried coconut aminos as a substitute? Otherwise I would add more chicken broth in it’s place, and cut the honey in half. It would still be tasty!!
Use Teriyaki sauce…. I have a similar recipe that is made with pork instead of chicken and includes julienned red bell peppers and uses Teriyaki instead of soy sauce… I found the chicken to be very bland and added Teriyaki sauce… was perfect.
Hi. Im a bit confused. Is it 4 or 6 hrs for cooking. It says both. Thanks
Hi Erin, it depends on your slow cooker. For most it should only take 4 hours.
Hi Amy,
Recipe sounds amazing. Do you think I could swap out sunflower butter for the peanut butter if someone has a peanut allergy?
Yes, absolutely!
Hello, I just put everything in the crockpot. I have four options on my crockpot: 4hrs on high, 6hrs on high, 8hrs on low and 10hrs on low. If I chose 6hrs on high, will it be too much?
Hi Catherine, I would do 8 hours on low and then take it out early (between 4-6 hours)
Made this for dinner tonight. It was yummy. I served it with rice noodles and chopped peanuts on top. Have some left for lunch tomorrow!
Glad you enjoyed it Suzanne!
This turned out delcious. One of my favorites a great recipe. Thanks for sharing.
simon
Hi I’m going to try this but wondering does it work well with boneless thighs as well? What about bone-in legs? Thanks!
Yes, it will definitely work with thighs. I have not tried with bone-in because the chicken gets so tender and will shred.
HAs anyone made this in the instant pot? What setting would you use? I love this recipe!
Yes! Use the manual setting, set it to 8 minutes on high pressure. Use a quick release!
I used the instant pot to your specifications (first time I’ve actually used it other than rice right before) and it came out great. However the valve never rose and there was no pressure when I did the quick release. Is that the experience you had? Wondered if iit had something to do with the sauce being so thick? Thanks!
Hi Ryan, That’s definitely weird and has never happened to me. Did you have the valve set right? I’m actually surprised the chicken still came out if there was no pressure. You could maybe try to add some more chicken broth next time, but the sauce will be runny.
Can I make this without lime juice, I’m allergic to citrus fruits. If so should I substitute with something?
Hello, I am very excited to make this! I am just wondering where the nutritional facts are so I can calculate it within my weight watchers app. Thank you!
For the slow cooker peanut butter chicken it says to cook for 6 hours and then it says 4 hours. I was wondering if it is 4 or 6?
It is between 4-6 hours, depending on your slow cooker. I find mine is perfect at 4 hours. Start with 4 hours, and then check to see if it needs more time
Really beautiful tasting sauce and tender chicken. The whole family enjoyed it. My daughter who was visiting demanded the recipe! Served with rice noodles and brocolli. Will become a regular dish in our house. Thanks.
Love to hear that! Thank you 🙂
I made this last night. I used bone in chicken legs and baked it at 325 for about 90 minutes. I took the meat off the bone and rough chopped it. Served over ramen noodles discarding the seasoning packet. Loved the sauce. This is a keeper!
Sounds like a delicious adaptation!!
Could I make this in the instant pot vs. the slow cooker?
Yes! Add in a bit more chicken broth, about 3/4 cup total. Add ingredients and use the manual setting at 8 minutes, quick release.
I used regular vinegar. Any way to correct?
I wanted to make this without using honey so substituted 2 tsp liquid stevia and enough water to make the 1/4 cup measurement of the honey. It turned out really well.
The basics of this recipe are great, but I find that it needs only 1-2Tbsp vinegar. I also completely left out the honey and it was still delicious.
This sounds delicious! And I have extra peanut butter to do things with. Can I make this with split breasts (on bone)? Would you cook it meat side down? Thanks.
You say chicken is done when you can shred it. But the pictures show whole pieces.
Hi Sunny, yes I kept them whole for the picture. But they are tender enough to pull apart. You can serve them whole if you like!
Do you think this would freeze okay before cooking? Combine all the slow cooker ingredients in a bag, freeze, thaw overnight then cook?
Yes, my only suggestion would be to blend the sauce in a blender or food processor so that the peanut butter is well incorporated. It will freeze better that way! Hope that helps.
Hi! I made this delicious chicken dish for dinner tonight and it was a HUGE hit!
Thank you for sharing!
Julianne, so glad you loved it!