Thai Peanut Chicken Stir Fry
Updated Mar 06, 2026
Easy Peanut Chicken Stir Fry with chicken, vegetables, and a creamy peanut sauce made with soy sauce, honey, ginger, and red curry paste.
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Peanut Chicken Stir Fry is soo good!
I really like stir fry and Thai peanut sauce, so of course I had to combine the two. The peanut sauce is the whole point here. It’s salty, a little sweet, and coats the chicken and vegetables really well. I usually just use whatever vegetables I have in the fridge and serve it over rice, but noodles work too.
This Peanut Chicken Stir Fry recipe is from my friend’s cookbook, the Well Plated Cookbook. According to Erin, this is the recipe that got her married! Yup, that’s how good it is! She says, “The peanut sauce is rich, sassy, and filled with layers of sweet and spicy flavor“. The whole book is filled with over 100 budget-friendly, healthy, and approachable recipes like this one, with tons of dinner ideas!
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Thai Peanut Chicken Stir Fry Ingredients
- For the Peanut Sauce: Peanut butter, water, honey, soy sauce, red curry paste, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic & crushed red pepper. Whisk everything together until smooth. The water helps loosen the peanut butter so the sauce coats the stir-fry instead of clumping. Natural peanut butter works fine, just stir it well first. If the sauce feels too thick once it’s in the pan, add a splash more water. Red curry paste varies in heat, so start with less if you’re unsure. Fresh ginger and garlic make a noticeable difference here.
- For the Stir Fry: Olive oil, onion, chicken, mixed vegetables, peanuts, cilantro & brown rice. Cut the chicken into small, even pieces so it cooks quickly and stays tender. Chicken thighs are more forgiving than breasts if you’re worried about overcooking. When choosing vegetables, pair quick-cooking ones together (like cabbage or peppers) or slice harder vegetables thin so they cook at the same rate. Add the peanuts and cilantro at the end so the peanuts stay crunchy and the herbs stay fresh.
How to Make Thai Peanut Chicken Stir Fry
Thai Peanut Chicken Stir Fry Recipe
Homemade Peanut Chicken Stir Fry with fresh vegetables and a rich peanut sauce made with soy sauce, honey, garlic, and ginger. Quick weeknight dinner.
Video
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons red curry paste
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger minced
- 2 cloves garlic clove minced
- 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
For the Stir Fry
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- 1 medium yellow onion thinly sliced (about 1½ cups)
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs cut into ½- inch dice
- 6 cups chopped vegetables of choice I used napa cabbage, mushrooms, peppers, sugar snap peas and broccoli
- ½ cup dry-roasted peanuts roughly chopped
- ½ cup cilantro chopped
- Prepared brown rice for serving
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients: peanut butter, water, honey, soy sauce, red curry paste, vinegar, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes until smooth. Set aside.
- In a large wok or deep, large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium- high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and cook until fragrant and beginning to soften, about 3 minutes.
- Add the chicken and sauté, stirring occasionally, until fully cooked through and the juices run clear, about 4 minutes. Remove the chicken and onion from the skillet and set aside.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, then the mixed vegetables. Sauté until the vegetables are crisp- tender, 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the vegetables selected.
- Return the chicken and onion to the skillet. Add the reserved peanut sauce. Toss to coat evenly, and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in the peanuts and cilantro. Serve hot over rice, topped with additional chopped peanuts and cilantro as desired.
Notes
My Top Tip: Save time by using package of frozen stir fry vegetables. Thaw and pat the vegetables dry, then add them to the recipe as directed. They won’t be as crisp as fresh vegetables, but they’ll cut the recipe prep time in half.
Storage: Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days.
Freezing: Freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently in the microwave or on the stove top with a splash of broth or water to keep the stir-fry from drying out.
* Please note the nutrition label does not include the rice.
Reprinted from The Well Plated Cookbook by Erin Clarke in arrangement with Avery, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © 2020, Erin Clarke
Nutrition
Calories: 414kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 28g, Fat: 25g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 48mg, Sodium: 493mg, Potassium: 845mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 14g, Vitamin A: 2059IU, Vitamin C: 85mg, Calcium: 81mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Recipe Variations
- Try tofu. Instead of chicken, use one pack of extra-firm tofu. Press it for about 30 minutes, then cut into cubes. Toss in cornstarch and sear in the pan before proceeding with the recipe as written.
- Toast Your peanut butter. If you have time, before making the sauce, add your peanut butter to a dry pan and toast, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes until it smells very fragrant. Let cool, then proceed with making the sauce. This will add an extra depth of flavor to the curry.
- Add a little coconut milk. If you like a creamy curry, add 1 cup of canned coconut milk in with the peanut sauce.
Recipe Tips
- Chop vegetables similar in size so they cook evenly. This is a great way to clean out the fridge with different vegetables you have on hand.
- Be mindful of vegetables that don’t need as much cooking time. If you are using a variety of veggies, add the ones that need the longest time to cook first (think mushrooms, sweet potatoes, etc.). Add bright green veggies towards the end so they stay crisp.
- Make sure that the chicken is cooked all the way through before moving it out of the pan. Once the chicken is added back in, it just needs to be warmed through so that the vegetables don’t overcook.
Comments
Oh waaaw, I really loved this meal!
The sauce is great!
An amazing way to use up all the leftover veggies from this week.
Thanks for sharing!
That’s awesome! I love that you love it, Phoebe!
Great recipe! The thai inspired sauce is so rich and full of layers of flavor. This will be a regular stir fry in my home!
Yay, that makes me so happy to hear!! Thanks, Carla!
Made this last evening. I ended up putting about a half can of chicken broth in before I put the sauce in. I just wanted MORE sauce.. hehe. Also added some cornstarch for thickening at the end, but not too much. This was a hit, and will be made again, but will have to make sure to get the milder Thai Red Curry paste.
So glad you liked it!! Love that you made it saucier to meet your preferences. Thank you for sharing!!
Awesome recipe really appreciate it and wouldn’t change anything.
Thank you so much!! Glad you enjoyed!
Hello, I have just made this and while it is tasty, I find the sauce has more flavor than the chicken. I think next time I will double the sauce and marinate the chicken in half of the sauce prior to sauteeing. It is a nice balance of veggies and seasoning. Thank you.
Yum, that sounds so good! I would love to hear how the chicken turns out after marinating in the sauce. Thank you, Barbara!
Great recipe
Thank you, Megan! So happy you liked it!!
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