Thai Peanut Curry Chicken

Thai peanut curry with chicken, spinach, jasmine rice, scallions, and chopped peanuts in a white bowl.

5 from 1 vote

Thai peanut curry chicken is a creamy, pantry-friendly weeknight meal with red curry paste, peanut butter, lime, and tender chicken ready in about 35 minutes.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: Entrées

Cuisine: Asian

Servings: servings

Author: Lynne Webb

Ingredients

1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 can unsweetened coconut milk (13.5 ounces) see notes
1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste plus more to taste
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon vegetable or coconut oil
1-1/2 tablespoons fish sauce plus more to taste
1/2 red bell pepper cored, seeded and cut into cubes
1-1/2 tablespoons light brown sugar
Zest of 1 lime ( or Kaffir lime leaves - see notes)
6 ounces fresh spinach
3 scallions chopped
2 tablespoons chopped unsalted peanuts
Steamed jasmine rice

Instructions

Trim any excess fat from the chicken thighs and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, peanut butter, lime juice, and 1 tablespoon of the curry paste until smooth. Taste and add additional curry paste in small increments if you’d like more heat. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned on the outside.
Add the fish sauce and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the red bell pepper.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the coconut milk mixture, brown sugar, and lime zest (or kaffir lime leaves if using). Simmer gently for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is slightly thickened.
Add the spinach a handful at a time, allowing each addition to wilt before adding more.
Stir in half of the scallions. Taste the sauce and add additional fish sauce if desired.
Serve over steamed jasmine rice and garnish with the remaining scallions and chopped peanuts.

Notes

Using Light Coconut Milk

Light coconut milk produces a thinner sauce than full-fat coconut milk. To thicken it, mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water and stir it into the simmering sauce before adding the spinach. Cook until slightly thickened.

Nutrition