Easy Spicy Thai Peanut Butter Chicken Thighs
User Reviews
4.8
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
40 mins
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Total Time
55 mins
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Servings
4 (to 5)
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Calories
503 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Thai
Easy Spicy Thai Peanut Butter Chicken Thighs
Description
Easy Spicy Thai Peanut Butter Chicken Thighs combines a complex sauce made from peanut butter, soy sauce, coconut milk, chicken stock mixed with cornflour, garlic, ginger, honey, rice wine vinegar, and chopped red chilies poured over skinless, boneless chicken thighs arranged in a baking dish. The chicken bakes covered to let the sauce bubble and thicken, then uncovered near the end to concentrate the flavors and develop a slight glaze.
The dish balances creamy richness from the peanut butter and coconut milk with spicy warmth from fresh and optional additional chilis. Toppings of finely chopped spring onions, crushed peanuts, and sliced red chili add layers of aromatic crunch and heat contrast. Serving suggestions include rice, rice noodles, poppadoms, or naan for textural variety and to help soak up the sauce.
Practical tips include adjusting sauce thickness with extra cornflour if needed, controlling spice level by removing chili seeds, and adding Thai red chili paste for a curry flavor note. The dish can be assembled ahead and refrigerated before baking, and it freezes well without toppings. Reheating is best done gently either in the oven wrapped in foil or in the microwave at reduced power to prevent drying out.
Ingredients
Chicken
- ¼ cups peanut butter
- ¼ cups soy sauce
- ¼ cups coconut milk
- ¼ cups chicken stock blended into the cornflour
- 2 tablespoons cornflour (US = corn starch)
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 piece ginger (thumb-width piece, at least) peeled and finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar (I used Japanese mirin, but Chinese is fine, too)
- 2 Chili pepper small red (increase to 3 if you like, remove the seeds for less spicy
- 1.75 pounds chicken thigh around 800 grams or between 7 to 11 thighs, depending on the size (the weight doesn't have to be exact!, skinless, boneless
Toppings
- 3 spring onions (US = scallions/salad onions), chopped finely
- 1½ ounces peanuts around 50 grams or a large handful, crushed in a food processor or bashed with a rolling pin in a plastic bag (salted or unsalted are both fine)
- 1 red chili or increase to 2, chopped finely (or serve more on the side if you like)
- lime wedges
- rice to serve, if you like
- rice noodles
- poppadoms
- naan bread
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/355F.
- Slowly blend the soy sauce into the peanut butter in a jug or medium bowl, then blend in the coconut milk & stock/corn starch (cornflour).
- Stir in the minced garlic, chopped ginger, honey, rice vinegar and chopped chilis.
- Arrange the chicken thighs in a large baking dish (A medium round baking dish, or a 9 x 12 inch rectangular one), then pour the sauce all over them.
- Cover with aluminium foil and bake for about 40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce bubbling and thickened a little. 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time, remove the foil, spoon the sauce all over the chicken again and then return to the oven uncovered.
- Spoon the chicken and sauce into individual bowls over rice or rice noodles (or into one nice larger serving dish with a separate bowl of rice/noodles).
- Sprinkle the spring onions, peanuts and remaining chili over. Eat immediately with lime wedges and poppadoms/naan bread if you like. Also serve extra chilis on the side if you like.
Notes
- Sauce thickness may vary; thicken by adding blended cornflour slurry and baking longer if necessary.
- Remove chili seeds to reduce heat, or add extra chilies for more spice, with options to serve additional chopped chili on the side.
- Use gluten-free soy sauce and chicken stock to make this dish gluten-free.
- Add Thai red chili paste for a curry-style variation of the sauce.
- Assemble the dish ahead, store covered in the fridge for up to one day before baking.
- Freeze cooked chicken and sauce without garnishes for up to three months; defrost overnight in the fridge.
- Reheat gently in the oven wrapped with foil or in the microwave at low power to avoid drying the chicken.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4(to 5)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 503 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 503kcal | 25% |
| Carbohydrates | 24g | 8% |
| Protein | 48g | 96% |
| Fat | 25g | 38% |
| Saturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 6g | 35% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 9g | 45% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 189mg | 63% |
| Sodium | 1092mg | 46% |
| Potassium | 903mg | 19% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 13g | 26% |
| Vitamin A | 459IU | 9% |
| Vitamin C | 51mg | 57% |
| Calcium | 59mg | 6% |
| Iron | 4mg | 22% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.8
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