Peanut butter chicken, but crispier
If you’re looking for a peanut butter chicken recipe that gives you the best result, this recipe is the way to go. There are a few different ways to make peanut butter chicken. The most common method is to brown the chicken pieces, then cook them in the peanut butter sauce. My recipe uses a different approach:
Lightly batter the chicken Pan fry the chicken until golden crispyMake the peanut butter sauce separately and only assemble it when you’re ready to eat
Using this method, you can create super crispy and juicy chicken bites that do not turn soggy when served with the creamy peanut butter sauce.
Ingredients
Marinade and batter for the chicken
By using a bit of oil, salt, egg and cornstarch, you will be able to create lightly battered chicken pieces that are suitable for pan frying. You don’t need a lot of oil and the chicken bites will turn golden crispy in a few minutes.
The peanut butter sauce
To create the best peanut butter sauce, the key is to use a few other sauces and a ton of aromatics to add a rich flavor:
Soy sauceRice vinegarShaoxing wine (can be replaced with chicken broth)Ginger, garlic and green onion
By spending a few extra minutes to prepare these ingredients, you will be able to create a super rich peanut butter sauce that is not overly sweet, yet bursting with flavor and super fragrant. PS. If you want extra sauce for your rice and veggies, feel free to double the amount of sauce!
Mise en place
When you’re ready to cook, your table should have:
Broccoli cut into bite size piecesChopped ginger, garlic, green onionMarinated and battered chickenMixed sauce
I prefer to serve my peanut butter chicken over steamed rice with blanched broccoli, but you can serve the peanut butter chicken by itself as well.
Cooking process
That’s it! I really love the homemade version of peanut butter chicken. It is crispy and juicy, and the sauce is so rich and flavorful. It ticks all the boxes and satisfies your craving!
How to reheat peanut butter chicken
If you make peanut butter chicken and want to save it for later, store the chicken and the sauce separately. You can heat up the chicken in an air fryer, toaster oven, or frying pan. Heat up the sauce in the microwave. If the sauce is too thick (it gets thick when it cools down), add a splash of hot water and stir to mix well. Then assemble and serve.
Afterthought
Peanut butter chicken is an American takeout dish and I did not eat it when growing up in China. When some readers requested the recipe, I did my research and I settled on this recipe. I decided to use some traditional Chinese cooking techniques to make the dish more “Chinese” tasting. I ended up loving the result so much and now I understand why this is such a popular takeout dish in the US! Now I can’t wait to introduce this dish to my Chinese friends 🙂
More easy takeout recipes
Pork Chop SueyOrange CauliflowerMongolian Beef (Without Using a Wok)Cashew Chicken (腰果鸡丁)Rice Cake Stir Fry (炒年糕, Chao Nian Gao)
