Healthy Peanut Chicken Stir Fry

Name: Healthy Peanut Chicken Stir Fry
Prep time: PT-459364H45M45S
Cook time: PT-459364H45M45S
Total time: PT-459364H45M45S
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced; 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced; ½ cup creamy natural peanut butter; 4 tablespoons low sodium tamari or soy sauce; Zest and juice of 1 lime; 1 tablespoon brown sugar or honey; Dash crushed red pepper flakes; ½ cup unsalted chicken stock or water; 2-3 tablespoons oil; 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cubed; 1 tablespoon crushed Sichuan peppercorns or crushed red pepper flakes; 2-3 cups stir fry vegetables, chopped (bell pepper strips, broccoli, sugar snap peas, zucchini); 2 cups cooked rice noodles or rice; 2-3 green onions, thinly sliced; Crushed dry roasted peanuts and chopped cilantro (optional)

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Healthy peanut chicken stir fry is a classic Asian-inspired dish that's perfect as a weeknight meal.

With hearty ingredients, like chicken and vegetables, it's sure to fill you and your family up with minimal cooking effort.

Serve over rice or noodles and enjoy the comforting harmony of flavors!

Overhead shot of kung pao chicken stir fry

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About the Recipe

Healthy peanut chicken stir fry resembles a harmony between the better-known kung pao chicken and chicken satay. It's packed full of flavor from garlic and ginger, and comes together in a rich, creamy peanut butter sauce.

With the addition of colorful vegetables and your choice of rice or noodles, it's a complete meal with very few steps. It's quick, easy, healthy, and DELICIOUS. When topped with crunchy peanuts and fresh scallions, it's truly restaurant-quality made in your very own kitchen!

Ingredients

A note about each component of this dish

Ginger, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes: these are the flavor components of the sauce. Each adds a great punch to truly take things to the next level.
Peanut butter: peanut butter is the base of the sauce. It adds a creamy texture, while imparting it's nutty, salty flavor to the dish.
Tamari or soy sauce, lime: these are additional sauce components that also help in the flavor department. Tamari or soy sauce provide a rich, salty, umami taste, while the lime balances everything out with a slight hint of acidity.
Brown sugar or honey: either of these sweeteners helps to tame the acidic, salty flavors from the other ingredients. They also help in the caramelization of the sauce, making it richer and thicker.
Chicken broth: broth helps to thin the sauce, adding flavor and allowing it to coat each chunk of chicken and vegetable.
Oil: oil helps in browning the chicken and the vegetables. It also keeps everything from sticking to the wok or skillet.
Chicken breasts or thighs: whether you're a white meat or dark meat fan, pick whichever you like best. Chicken adds protein and makes this dish ultra filling.
Sichuan peppercorns: sichuan peppercorns are a Chinese spice. They make the sauce more resemblant of restaurant-style kung pao chicken, but if you can't find them at your local Asian market, you can substitute for red pepper flakes to provide the same heat.
Stir fry vegetables: these can include, but are not limited to, bell pepper strips, broccoli, sugar snap peas, zucchini, and onions. Choose whatever vegetables you enjoy and slice them into bite-sized pieces.
Crushed peanuts: topping the stir fry with crushed peanuts is a great way to add some texture to the dish. The flavor mirrors the peanut butter in the sauce, while providing a nice crunch on top.

Instructions

Combine sauce ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Set aside.
Heat oil to medium high in a wok or large skillet. Add cubed chicken and saute 2-3 minutes, until starting to brown. Add pepper flakes and Thai chilies and saute for 30 seconds. Add vegetables and stir fry until veggies start to soften and brown, about 3-4 minutes. Add sauce to the pan and allow to simmer 2-3 minutes, until thick, stirring frequently.
Serve stir fry over noodles or rice and garnish with green onion, peanuts and cilantro.

Substitutions and Alternatives

For a gluten free version: use tamari instead of soy sauce.

Instead of sichuan peppercorns: use red pepper flakes to give it that trademark heat that's similar to restaurant-style kung pao chicken.

Instead of chicken: you can substitute for thinly sliced flank or skirt steak, pork tenderloin or chops thinly sliced, shrimp, or tofu.

You can use a mixture of any vegetables that work well with Asian cuisine.

Serve healthy peanut chicken stir fry with your choice of white or brown rice, rice noodles, in lettuce wraps, or even on a bed of quinoa.

Fun Facts

What are sichuan peppercorns and where can you buy them?

Sichuan peppercorns are a Chinese spice that provides additional heat and flavor to the dish. It can be used whole or finely ground and is common in Chinese five spice powder. You can buy sichuan peppercorns at your local Asian market or they can also be found on Amazon.

Do you cook the chicken or vegetables first in a stir fry?

It is advised to cook the chicken before the vegetables for a few different reasons:

1) Chicken takes longer to cook. You don't want the vegetables to burn or overcook while waiting for the chicken to cook through.

2) Cooking the chicken first allows you to get a golden brown crust, sealing in the chicken's juices and imparting delicious flavor to the meat. If cooked with the vegetables instead, the chicken would end up steaming with the moisture of the veggies and turning chewy and rubbery.

3) The remnants left in the pan from the chicken adds additional flavor to both the vegetables and the finished sauce.

What cut of chicken is best for a stir fry?

For stir fry's, you will want a boneless, skinless cut of chicken. If you like white meat, I recommend chicken breasts. And if you like dark meat, I'd go with chicken thighs. Either one will provide a delicious protein for your meal, just be sure to dice it into bite sized pieces.

Chef’s Tip

For this recipe, I would advise not to use the natural peanut butter with the oil separated on top. Instead, find a natural brand that has the oil already mixed in. Typically, already mixed peanut butter tends to be thicker and lends itself to a creamier sauce.

Additionally, if you choose a peanut butter that doesn't already have salt added, add a pinch of salt to add a touch of flavor to the sauce.

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