Slow Cooker Thai-Inspired Peanut Chicken with Vegetables
Tender slow-cooked chicken thighs, colorful vegetables, and a creamy, savory peanut sauce come together in this Thai-inspired dish. With carrots, broccoli, red bell pepper, yellow onion, and sugar snap peas, it's a flavorful, veggie-packed meal that's easy to prepare and perfect for busy weeknights.
Introduction
A slow cooker meal that fills the kitchen with the aromas of garlic, ginger, and warming spices while dinner practically makes itself.
Inspired by a slow cooker Thai peanut chicken recipe, this version brings even more color, texture, and nourishment to the table with the addition of carrots, broccoli, red bell pepper, yellow onion, and sugar snap peas.
The creamy peanut sauce combines savory soy sauce, a touch of honey, fresh ginger, garlic, and bright lime juice. As the chicken slowly cooks, it absorbs those delicious flavors, becoming tender enough to shred with a fork. The yellow onion slowly softens into the sauce, adding a mellow sweetness that complements the richness of the peanuts.
Adding the remaining vegetables toward the end helps preserve their color and texture, creating a satisfying balance of tender chicken, creamy sauce, and crisp-tender vegetables.
Serve over rice or noodles for a comforting, easy weeknight dinner with minimal cleanup.
🌿 Mindful Morsel
This colorful dish combines protein, fiber, healthy fats, and a variety of plant-based nutrients in one satisfying meal.
Chicken thighs provide protein, iron, zinc, and B vitamins that support muscle maintenance and normal energy metabolism.
Peanuts offer heart-healthy unsaturated fats, plant-based protein, magnesium, and vitamin E, contributing richness and nutritional value to the sauce.
Broccoli, carrots, and red bell peppers provide fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants, including beta-carotene, which the body can convert into vitamin A.
Sugar snap peas add fiber, vitamin C, and a little plant-based protein, while yellow onion, ginger, and garlic contribute flavorful plant compounds being studied for their potential health-promoting properties.
Ingredients that culminate into one big colorful meal that brings a little extra nourishment and plenty of delicious flavor to your day.
Recipe Information
Servings: 5–6
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: Approximately 4–5 hours on LOW or 2½–3½ hours on HIGH
Total Time: Approximately 4 hours 20 minutes to 5 hours 20 minutes on LOW
Calories: Approximately 270–400 calories per serving, excluding rice, noodles, and toppings (rough estimate)
Dietary Notes: Dairy-free when prepared as written. Use gluten-free tamari instead of regular soy sauce for a gluten-free option. Contains peanuts and soy.
Ingredients
Thai-Inspired Peanut Chicken
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
⅓ cup creamy natural peanut butter
¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
2 tablespoons honey
¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
¼–½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional, for heat
Vegetables
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced (approximately 1 cup)
2 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 large red bell pepper, sliced into strips
1½ cups broccoli florets
1 cup sugar snap peas, trimmed (or 1 cup frozen green peas)
For Serving
Cooked jasmine rice, brown rice, or rice noodles
Fresh cilantro, chopped, optional
Green onions, thinly sliced, optional
Chopped roasted peanuts, optional
Lime wedges, optional
Sesame seeds, optional
Instructions
Prep: Peel and thinly slice the carrots, thinly slice the yellow onion and red bell pepper, cut the broccoli into bite-sized florets, and trim the sugar snap peas. Mince the garlic, grate the ginger, and juice the lime. Set the carrots, bell pepper, broccoli, and snap peas aside until needed.
Prepare the Peanut Sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce or tamari, honey, chicken broth, lime juice, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and optional red pepper flakes until smooth. If the peanut butter is particularly thick, add another tablespoon or two of broth to help combine the ingredients.
Add the Chicken & Onion: Place the chicken thighs and sliced yellow onion in the bottom of a 3–4-quart slow cooker. Pour the peanut sauce over the chicken and onion, turning the chicken pieces to coat evenly. Gently stir to distribute the onion throughout the sauce.
Slow Cook: Cover and cook on LOW for approximately 4–5 hours or HIGH for 2½–3½ hours, until the chicken is tender and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Cooking times vary by slow cooker.
Add the Carrots: Approximately 60–90 minutes before the chicken finishes cooking on LOW, add the sliced carrots, gently stirring them into the sauce. Cover and continue cooking.
Add the Bell Pepper: Approximately 45–60 minutes before serving, add the red bell pepper strips. Stir gently to coat them in the sauce, then replace the lid.
Add the Broccoli: Approximately 20–30 minutes before serving, add the broccoli florets, nestling them into the sauce. Cover and cook until the broccoli is bright green and tender-crisp.
Add the Sugar Snap Peas: During the final 15–25 minutes, stir in the sugar snap peas. If substituting frozen green peas, add them during the final 10–15 minutes instead. Cook until heated through and tender.
Shred the Chicken: Once the chicken is fully cooked and tender, carefully remove it from the slow cooker and shred it using two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the sauce and gently stir to combine with the vegetables.
Taste & Adjust: Taste the sauce and adjust as desired. Add another squeeze of lime for brightness, a splash of broth if the sauce is too thick, or additional red pepper flakes for more heat.
Serve: Spoon the peanut chicken and vegetables over cooked jasmine rice, brown rice, or rice noodles. Garnish with fresh cilantro, sliced green onions, chopped peanuts, sesame seeds, and a squeeze of fresh lime, if desired.
Tips / Notes
Keep the Vegetables Crisp-Tender: Adding the carrots, bell pepper, broccoli, and snap peas in stages helps prevent them from becoming overly soft. Cooking times are estimates for LOW. When using HIGH, check the vegetables earlier, as they may cook more quickly.
Choose Your Peanut Butter: Natural creamy peanut butter without added sugar works especially well. If using sweetened peanut butter, consider reducing the honey slightly.
Adjust the Sauce: Peanut sauce naturally thickens as it cooks and cools. Add a splash of warm chicken broth or water to loosen the sauce if needed.
Storage & Reheating: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding a splash of broth or water if the sauce thickens.
Freezing: For best texture, freeze the chicken and peanut sauce separately from the vegetables for up to 3 months. Broccoli and snap peas may become softer after freezing and reheating.
Social Media Callout
Creamy, savory, a little sweet, and packed with colorful vegetables! 🥜🥦🥕
This Slow Cooker Thai-Inspired Peanut Chicken with Vegetables combines tender chicken thighs, carrots, broccoli, red bell pepper, yellow onion, and sugar snap peas in a deliciously creamy peanut sauce with ginger, garlic, honey, and lime.
It's an easy, mostly hands-off meal that's perfect for busy weeknights, with plenty of protein, fiber, and colorful vegetables.
Serve it over rice or noodles, finish with fresh cilantro and lime, and enjoy!
One slow cooker, simple ingredients, and a whole lot of flavor!
Tag @mmmindfulmorsels if you make it!
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