Three-quarters of a cup of peanut butter and a can of coconut milk make a sauce that is thick from the first minute, so the chicken is not so much braised as coated and gently cooked through.
The peanuts and cilantro at the end are not optional garnish. They are the crunch and the freshness in a dish that is otherwise entirely soft and rich, and both are visible in the finished bowl.
Why This Recipe Works
- Whisking the sauce in the empty cooker means the peanut butter is fully combined before any heat or protein arrives.
- Coconut milk carries the fat that keeps the peanut butter from seizing over three and a half hours.
- Lime juice and soy work against the brown sugar and peanut so the sauce stays savoury rather than sweet.
- Shredding the chicken back into the sauce lets every strand take on the coating rather than sitting under it.
Ingredient Notes
- Creamy peanut butter
- Three-quarters of a cup. Creamy rather than crunchy — the crunch comes from the roasted peanuts at the end.
- Red curry paste
- One tablespoon. Enough to give the sauce warmth and colour without making it a curry.
- Roasted peanuts and cilantro
- Three-quarters of a cup of peanuts and half a cup of cilantro. Both are defining components of the finished dish, not decoration.
How to Make It
Whisk the sauce first
Whisk the peanut butter, coconut milk, soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, curry paste, garlic and ginger in the slow cooker.
Chicken in, pepper late
Add the chicken, cover, and cook on Low for 3 1/2 hours. Add the red pepper during the final 30 minutes.
Shred back in
When the chicken reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit, shred it and stir it back into the peanut sauce.
Serve
Serve over white rice with chopped peanuts and plenty of cilantro.
Building the Peanut Sauce
Unusually, the sauce is finished before the cooking starts. Everything below goes into the cold cooker and is whisked to a single smooth base.
The fat and the body
Whisk until there are no lumps and the mixture is one uniform colour.3/4 cup creamy peanut butter and 1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk
The thickness and the richness. The coconut fat is what stops the peanut butter tightening over a long cook.
The salt and the acid
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce and 2 tbsp lime juice
Pulls the sauce savoury and keeps it from reading as a sweet spread.
The heat and the aromatics
2 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp red curry paste, 3 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp grated ginger
Warmth, colour and the fragrance that makes it Thai-leaning rather than plain satay.
The protein and the vegetable
3 1/2 hours on LOW, chicken at 165F, then shredded back in.2 lb chicken thighs, then 1 thinly sliced red bell pepper at 30 minutes remaining
The chicken releases juices that thin the sauce slightly to a coating consistency; the pepper stays firm and visible.
Then tasteOver white rice with 3/4 cup of roughly chopped roasted peanuts and 1/2 cup of cilantro - the crunch and freshness the sauce itself cannot provide.
Success Tips
- Whisk until the sauce is completely uniform before the chicken goes in. Lumps of peanut butter will not smooth out later.
- Slice the red pepper thinly and add it at the thirty-minute mark so it keeps some bite.
- Chop the peanuts roughly rather than finely — the texture is the point.
Serving Ideas
Six servings over white rice, with chopped roasted peanuts and plenty of cilantro on top.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use crunchy peanut butter?
The recipe calls for creamy. The chopped roasted peanuts added at the end supply the texture.
Does the chicken have to be shredded?
Yes. It is shredded and stirred back into the sauce, not served in pieces.
Why is the red pepper added late?
Thirty minutes is enough to soften it while keeping it visible and firm in the finished dish.
