Description
Instant Pot Peanut Chicken that can also be made on the Stove Top – a simple, delicious one pot meal that can be made in 30 minutes! Paleo and GF adaptable, this delicious meal can be prepped ahead, or cooked ahead for the busy workweek!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes, sprinkled with pinch of salt
- 3 fat cloves garlic, rough chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped ( or use ginger paste)
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 13 ounce can coconut milk (liquid and solids) DIVIDED, (do not use light- too watery)
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce (or use GF liquid amino acids)
- 3 tablespoons honey (or coconut sugar or brown sugar)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, more to taste
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic paste (or sriracha, or sambal olek)
- —–
- ½ cup peanut butter (or sub almond butter)
- optional additions : 1 tablespoon lemongrass, 4-5 kefir lime leaves
Chili Cucumber Salad
- 3 Turkish cucumbers, cut into ½ inch thick, diagonal half-moons
- 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic paste
- pinch salt and sugar (optional)
- optional – basil ribbons, scallions, or cilantro
Serve over rice or a bed of spinach (either raw or wilted) or both, with the optional Chili Cucumber Salad Sprinkle with the optional Peanut Chili Crunch, or even just roasted peanuts.
Instructions
Cut the chicken into 1 inch cubes, sprinkle with salt and set aside.
If using an Instant Pot, set it to the sauté function, and sauté the ginger and garlic in a teaspoon of oil for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Add lemongrass if using. Stir the can of coconut milk with a fork- then and add 1 cup of the coconut milk, (you’ll add the rest after). Stir in the soy sauce, honey, lime juice, chili paste and the chicken ( optional kafir lime leaves) everything except the peanut butter in the pot, and stir. Drop the peanut butter in spoonfuls over top of the chicken (don’t stir it in).
Set to HIGH Pressure, for 8 minutes. Naturally release. See notes. (If using thigh meat pressure cook for 12 minutes.)
Once chicken is done cooking, taste a spoonful of the sauce. Adjust salt, lime, sweetness and spice level according to your taste. Stir in the remaining coconut milk if you like. Some of you will want it sweeter. I usually add more chili paste and lime. Sauce will thicken slightly as it cools.
(Alternately, if cooking on the stove top, cook the lightly salted chicken cubes in a dutch oven or large skillet in a little oil, until golden. Toss in the garlic and ginger and sauté until fragrant, 1-2 minutes, then add the remaining ingredients, all except peanut butter, stirring to combine. Cover and let simmer very gently on low heat, 8-10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through, then stir in the peanut butter. )
If the sauce seems too thin, reduce a bit using the sauté function while constantly stirring, to prevent burning the bottom. See notes.
Serve over a bed of rice or baby spinach – or both and the Chili Cucumber Salad. Top with optional Peanut Chili Crunch
To make the refreshing Chili Cucumber Salad, just place everything in a medium bowl and toss. It only takes a few minutes and you can do this while the Peanut Chicken is cooking.
Notes
Stirring in the peanut butter after the chicken is cooked, or dropping it on the top of the chicken will prevent the sauce from getting too thick at the bottom of the instant pot which can cause a mild scorching. So drop it on top, or add it after you release the pressure.
The sauce will start off a bit watery, but will thicken as it cools.
This will become more and more delicious over the next couple days. When cooking chicken breast in a pressure cooker, the meat seems to “contract”. If you allow the pressure-cooked chicken time to “rest” (keeping in on the “warm” setting for a while) it will expand and absorb some of the sauce -the sauce will thicken and the chicken will relax a bit and become more tender and flavorful. That’s why dishes like this usually taste better the next day. A great one to make ahead!
If making or prepping ahead, I would just cook it ahead and refrigerate, allowing the flavors to meld.
To prep this ahead, and cook it later- blend all sauce ingredients (except peanut butter) in a blender. Pour over the raw chicken (in a ziplock bag) and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Then pour it in the Instant Pot. Drop peanut butter on the top of the chicken or stir it in after it is cooked. Follow the rest of the directions above.
Chicken Breast cooking Times:
- 6-ounce chicken breasts- 6 minutes on high pressure for fresh ( 10 minutes on high pressure for frozen)
- 8 ounce chicken breasts -7 minutes on high pressure for fresh (11 minutes on high pressure for frozen)
- 10 ounce chicken breasts- 8 minutes on high pressure for fresh (12 minutes on high pressure for frozen)
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