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
I absolutely love Thai food!! But, I have tons of food intolerances & can’t eat fish or oyster sauce, real soy sauce, sarachi sauce…..so I was so excited when I found this delicious dish that I didn’t have to change everything and hope it turns out well. I can’t recommend it enough!!! It’s a definite keeper!!! I used coconut aminos for the soy sauce, chicken bone broth instead of water and added some unsweetened coconut milk (as the chef reccomended) to thin in out a bit and it was delicious.
That’s so great to hear! I’m so glad this one worked well for your food intolerances without needing a lot of changes. Your swaps sound absolutely delicious, and I love that you made it work so well for you. Thank you so much for sharing, and I’m thrilled it’s a keeper!
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!!
Wow, Yumna. This was so delicious and flavoursome! Restaurant quality. My partner and I ate this for lunch today. My partner raved about it. This will be a regular in our house.
Yay!! Aww, that makes me so happy to hear. Thank you, both!
The sauce! This was so delicious – Next time I am going to just make a big batch of the sauce and pour it on rice, veggies, would go with anything.
Aww, I love that!! So happy you loved the sauce, thank you so much for sharing!
I came across this recipe when I was trying to find something even close to replicate a similar dish from my absolute favorite restaurant and this was SO much better than I could have expected! Not exactly the same but absolutely delicious!
Aww yay, that makes me so happy to hear!! Thanks, Tammy!
This recipe was sooo good! I added carrots in addition for a little crunch and I loved it!
This is a 10/10! I subbed bake tofu for the chicken and agave nectar for the honey. Very easy and so good!
So happy you liked it!
This was absolutely delicious! Very well balanced…thank you 🙂
So glad you enjoyed it!
This dish is REALLY spicy! If I make it again, I cut down on both the ginger and the dried red peppers.
Sorry to hear it was too spicy for you, thanks for the feedback.
I doubled the sauce and added an extra pound of chicken breast. I can’t have onions so I used celery and garlic with the chicken. I also cooked and served the vegetables all separately so guests could choose what they wanted. I used zucchini from our garden. Awesome !
Thank you so much!
So delicious!! I did extra crushed red pepper to make it spicier and this is definitely a repeat recipe in. house now!
Thank you so much, Erin!
I’ve made this recipe multiple times and it’s sooooooo good! I want to make it for a family member who has a peanut allergy. I was curious what a good substitute for the peanut butter would be? Thanks!
Hi Grace, I haven’t made this recipe with anything other than PB. But, I don’t see why you couldn’t use another nut butter like cashew or almond. Tahini might work as well if they have other nut allergies.
I had everything but curry paste and didn’t want to make an extra trip to the store. Next time I will be sure to have some or at least will use a little bit less peanut butter. It was so good, but I thought the pb flavor was a bit too strong without the curry paste to balance it out!
Yeah, you do need the curry paste to balance out the PB. But, I am glad it still turned out well!
Hi. im just about to make this, i have no red paste, so im going to add some curry powder(if thats ok?) Also im wondering will the garlic and ginger be cooked enough, after adding the sauce and cooking for 2 minutes only.
It will change the flavor slightly, but it could still work. And, yes, it should be good!
Thank you Yumna, it was yummy
yummy
Wonderfully delicious! Didn’t have That curry paste so I subbed in Sriracha. Added some mandarin orange segments. Hubby raved about this recipe. We’ll definitely make it again. Thanks for this flavorful recipe!
Thank you! That sounds so fresh yet hearty. I’m glad you both enjoyed!
Hi Pamela thank, it was gorgeous. I will defiently make it again with the red paste
So good! My husband and I agree it tastes like something we’d order at a restaurant! Didn’t have vinegar, so I tried subbing it for lime juice and it turned out really well!
Thank you! That’s amazing!!
Delicious and easy! Will definitely revisit
Thank you! I love that!
Loved it! Will absolutely make this again. Rich flavor and veggie filled. I served it over keto-friendly stir fry noodles. We used a spoon at the end to get all the delicious sauce.
Thank you! I love that!!
Delicious! My husband liked it so much that he wants to put this recipe in a WEEKLY meal rotation! Stir Fry Fridays, anyone? 😉
Thank you! I love that so much!
I’ve been looking for a long time for a peanut butter sauce that makes you feel like your at the restaurant and I can say I finally found it!
That makes me so happy to hear! Yay!!
Most delicious stir fry I’ve ever had. Have cooked this dish several times already and it’s become a family favourite. The sauce is Amazing!! Thank you so much for your healthy, delicious recipes.
Wow, thank you so much! That’s incredible! You’re so welcome!
Fabulous meal. I used red pepper, green and yellow pepper , thinly sliced carrots , onions and cashews. cut red pepper flakes to half the ant. Will make this again and again! Would be so easy to cook all in advance and then heat and add sauce at the end and serve.
Thank you! Love all those veggies. It really would be!
Can you add some scrambled eggs for some extra protein? Like toss it in towards the end so it doesn’t fall apart or get too tough.
Yes, for sure!
This recipe is so good! My husband went back for seconds and he rarely goes back for seconds. Definitely going to add it to the rotation.
Thank you! Wow, that’s amazing! Yay!!
This recipe has become part of our standard rotation. We usually have all the ingredients on hand all the time. I use Korean red chilli flakes for a stronger kick. And found when I don’t have rice vinegar, half a lime works beautifully! Thanks for this recipe, we truly love it.
That’s lovely! I’m going to need to try the lime trick next time! You’re so welcome!!
I made this in a small town in Morocco, so had to provise. No red chilli paste here, but green harissa spiced things up. Broccoli made its first appearance in the souq, so good on that department. It was really a great change from tagines and charmoula!
I’m glad it still worked out with the improvisations! Yay!!
This dish was so easy and turned out amazing!! I keep most of the ingredients on hand at all times which made for the perfect weeknight dinner.
Thank you so much! I’m so glad to hear that!
100% will make again.
This was delicious. Exactly what I was looking for: a little sweet, a little spicy. I cut the Thai curry paste down by 1tbsp just for my own preference and tolerance. Used chunky peanut butter instead of smooth, as that’s what I had.
Yay! I’m glad it hit the spot and that you were able to make it with what you had on hand!
Love it, I think it will also be very good with a bit of pineapple. Wonderful spicy, peanutty taste. Easy, quick & delish
That’s definitely worth giving a try! Thank you!
I was craving Thai and this dish did not disappoint. I didn’t add the mushrooms but did use the cabbage, snow peas, red bell pepper and broccoli.
Delicious – a must try recipe!
KD
ON, Canada
Awesome!! So glad to hear it!
I am truly obsessed with this recipe. It is so easy to make and comes out delicious every time! I made it for my boyfriend and he also fell in love.
So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you!
Yumna, thank you SO much for sharing this recipe and my cookbook! I hope your readers love it too <3
You’re welcome Erin! We loved it so much!