Name: Easy Ground Chicken Stir Fry with Peanuts
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 small yellow onion (diced); 2 red bell peppers (chopped); 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken (Substitute ground turkey); 1/2 cup peanuts (Substitute cashews or almonds.); 4 cloves garlic (minced or grated); 1- inch piece fresh ginger (grated); 1/3 cup coconut aminos; 1-2 teaspoons fish sauce; 2-3 tablespoons honey; 2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce (I like Huy Fong Chili Sauce); 3/4 cup fresh basil (roughly torn); 1/4 cup fresh mint (roughly torn or 1 cup Thai basil); Fresh lime juice (for finishing); Steamed white or brown rice (for serving)

This easy ground chicken stir fry with peanuts is a quick, Asian-inspired one-pan dinner made for busy weeknights. It comes together in about 30 minutes using simple pantry ingredients, fresh bell peppers, and ground chicken for a meal that feels both light and budget-friendly. The sauce is sweet, savory, and a little spicy thanks to chili garlic paste, while peanuts add the perfect crunch. A fast skillet dinner for busy nights that doesn't sacrifice flavor.

Chicken stir fry over rice topped with peanuts, mint leaves, and lime wedges.

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Ground Chicken Stir Fry Recipe
Key Ingredients
Instructions
Sarah's Top Tips
Serving Suggestions
Storage & Reheating
Easy Ground Chicken Stir Fry with Peanuts
Comments

Ground Chicken Stir Fry Recipe

I make this chicken stir fry with peanuts on nights when I want something fresh but don't want a sink full of dishes. We usually flip-flop between chicken and teriyaki beef bowls, depending on what I have in the freezer. Stir-fries are one of the easiest ways to build a balanced meal fast because everything cooks hot and quickly. That high heat is what keeps the vegetables crisp, the meat juicy, and the flavors bold without a long cook time. I love serving this over rice so it soaks up every bit of the simple sauce, especially with the crunch from the peanuts and the fresh veggies mixed in. If you try it, I'd love to hear how you customize it. Let me know in the comments.

Key Ingredients

Ingredients for ground chicken stir fry.

See the recipe card below for the remaining ingredients and quantities.

Instructions

Diced red and orange bell peppers sautéing with onions in a large skillet.

Step 1

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add the onion and bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly caramelized.

Ground chicken added to one side of the skillet with sautéed bell peppers and onions.

Step 2

Push the vegetables to one side of the pan and add the ground chicken. Cook, breaking it up with a spatula, until browned and cooked through.

Cooked ground chicken and bell peppers simmering with peanuts in the skillet.

Step 3

Stir in the peanuts and cook briefly until lightly toasted.

Ground chicken stir fry in the pan sauce poured over the center.

Step 4

In a small bowl or jar, combine the garlic, ginger, coconut aminos, fish sauce, honey, and chili garlic sauce, stirring or shaking until well mixed. Pour the sauce into the skillet and toss everything together. Let it simmer just until slightly thickened.

Stir fry with bell peppers, peanuts, and fresh basil and mint in the skillet.

Step 5

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the basil and mint or Thai basil. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lime juice and serve over steamed rice.

Sarah's Top Tips

Do not overcook the ground chicken. Ground chicken cooks quickly, and going even a minute too long can dry it out. But, this makes it perfect for stir fry! Cook just until it's no longer pink so it stays juicy and tender.
Toast the peanuts directly in the pan. Adding them before the sauce lets them toast lightly in the residual heat, which brings out their nutty flavor and helps them stay crunchy instead of soft.
Balance the sauce before adding it to the skillet. Taste it and adjust the sweetness or heat to your liking. Once it hits the hot pan, flavors concentrate quickly, so this small step makes a big difference.
Finish with lime off heat. Adding lime juice after cooking keeps the flavor bright and fresh. If added too early, the acidity can turn bitter as it cooks.

Ground chicken stir fry served over white rice in green bowls with lime wedges on the side.

Serving Suggestions

I usually serve this chicken stir fry with peanuts and call it a meal, but it's also great with a simple side if you want to round things out. If I'm not serving Thai basil beef bowls, I'll serve this chicken stir fry. It pairs well with something fresh like an Asian cucumber salad or cold noodle salad, and I'll often add steamed broccoli or snap peas if I have them on hand. If you're meal prepping, this stir fry holds up really well and makes an easy lunch the next day.

Storage & Reheating

Fridge: Store any leftover chicken stir fry in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Freezer: To freeze, let the stir fry cool completely, then transfer it to a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating, and warm gently in a skillet or microwave.

Reheating: Reheat gently in a skillet over medium heat or in the microwave until warmed through, adding a splash of water if needed to loosen the sauce. This stir fry is best enjoyed fresh, but it also works well for meal prep since the flavors hold up nicely over time.

Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below-I'd love to hear how it turned out! THANK YOU!

Ground Chicken Stir Fry Recipe

Key Ingredients