This peanut sauce stir fry is one of my favorite quick dinners when I want something lighter but still really satisfying. It's made with tender chicken, crisp vegetables, and a creamy homemade peanut sauce that coats everything perfectly. It's naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and comes together in under 30 minutes, making it perfect for busy weeknights. I love serving it over rice so the extra peanut sauce gets soaked up, and it's one of those easy meals I come back to again and again.
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This peanut sauce stir fry is one of the most reliable dinners and something I make when I want a flavor-packed meal that's still simple and quick. Stir-fries like this peanut sauce stir fry come together fast, but the sauce technique makes all the difference. I whisk the peanut butter with soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and liquid until it's smooth and pourable, which helps it coat the chicken evenly as it cooks. The sauce thickens slightly in the pan and clings to every bite without feeling heavy. If you love bold peanut flavors, you'll also love my ground chicken peanut stir fry, which uses similar ingredients in a different but equally easy way.
Ingredients
See the recipe card below for the remaining ingredients and quantities.
Instructions
Step 1: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the diced onion, red pepper, and broccoli. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are slightly softened but still crisp. Add the chicken to the pan and season with ½ teaspoon of salt. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is mostly cooked through and no longer pink on the outside.
Step 2: While the chicken cooks, whisk together all of the sauce ingredients in a small bowl until smooth and fully combined. The sauce should be pourable and well-blended with no clumps of peanut butter.
Step 3: Pour the sauce into the pan with the chicken and vegetables and stir to coat everything evenly. Reduce the heat slightly if needed and let the stir fry simmer for 5-10 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked through and the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Step 4: If the sauce is too thin, whisk together 1 tablespoon cornstarch, flour, or arrowroot powder with 2 tablespoons cold water to create a slurry. Pour it into the pan and simmer for another 1-2 minutes, stirring, until the sauce thickens. Turn off the heat and serve immediately over rice or noodles.
Sarah's Top Tips
- Cut the chicken into even pieces. I always dice the chicken into similar-sized chunks so everything cooks evenly. Smaller pieces cook faster and stay more tender.
- Don't overcrowd the pan. If the pan is too full, the chicken will steam instead of sear. Cook in batches if needed so you get better browning and more flavor.
- Whisk the peanut sauce until completely smooth. If the peanut butter isn't fully blended with the liquid, it can clump when it hits the heat. I like to whisk it until it's thin and pourable before adding it to the pan.
- Adjust the sauce consistency at the end. If the sauce feels too thick, add warm water 1 tablespoon at a time until it loosens. If it's too thin, let it simmer for another minute or two, and it will naturally thicken.
- Cook just until the chicken is done. Overcooked chicken turns dry quickly in stir-fry. It should be fully cooked through but still juicy when you cut into it.
- Use high heat and move quickly. Stir fry cooks fast. Have everything prepped before you start, so nothing overcooks while you're chopping.
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Serving Suggestions
I love serving this peanut sauce stir fry over warm jasmine rice or brown rice so the extra sauce gets fully soaked up. It's also great with noodle salad or even cauliflower rice if you want something lighter. For a little extra texture, I'll top it with chopped peanuts, green onions, or a squeeze of fresh lime. This is the kind of dinner that works for busy weeknights, casual family meals, or even simple meal prep since it reheats so well and stays full of flavor.
Storage & Reheating
Fridge: Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Reheat: Reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. Heat the chicken and peanut stir fry in a skillet over medium-low heat until warm.
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below-I'd love to hear how it turned out! THANK YOU!
Peanut Sauce Stir Fry
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Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 2 cups broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces
- ½ teaspoon salt
Peanut sauce
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- ¼ cup coconut aminos or soy sauce
- ½ lime, juiced
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add onion, red pepper and broccoli and sauté for 4-5 minutes, until slightly softened.
- Add the chicken to the pan with ½ teaspoon of salt and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl or container. Once mixed together, pour into the pan with the chicken and vegetables.
- Allow the stir fry and sauce to simmer for 5-10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. If the sauce appears too runny, create a slurry by combining 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, flour or arrowroot powder with 2 tablespoons of cold water and pour this into the pan to help thicken the sauce.
- Turn off heat and serve over rice or noodles. Enjoy!
Sarah's Tips
- Switch up the vegetables. Cauliflower, zucchini, snow peas and asparagus are all great options. Feel free to even use a bag of frozen stir-fry vegetables to make this recipe even easier.
- Swap out the protein. Make it a shrimp or tofu stir fry instead.
- More ingredient swaps. If you don't have limes at home, use fresh lemon juice or rice vinegar instead. Brown sugar or even maple syrup can be used in place of the honey.
- Use store-bought peanut sauce if you are in a real pinch for time!
Lilly L says
So easy to make, healthy, and the sauce was delicious!
Trish says
Made this tonight for dinner. So delicious! Everyone loved it. Will be making again soon.
Steve H says
I made up my own version of this years ago and just looked. I think you are the only one that comes close. I also add grated Ginger, szechuan sauce for spice (housx of Tsxxx) and dry sherry. I have also added Teriyaki sauce from a jar and judge the thickness to see how much cornstarch to add. It needs to be thick enough to coat and stick to veggies, but too runny and it ends up at the bottom of your bowl, and too thick and it globs and doesn't coat the rice if you eat it on rice.
This is a great recipe, unique and fun to play with but the base of soy, sesame oil and peanut butter is a great start!
Steve H says
I forgot to rate it, of course 5 stars!
Sarah Holt says
Hi Steve, thanks so much for the kind words. I love that you played around with it and enjoyed it!
CJ says
Doubled the sauce recipe, used some of it to marinade the chicken and added ground peanuts on top. Delicious!
Sarah Holt says
Hi CJ, the peanuts on top sound so good, will have to try that next time!!
Myles says
This sauce turned out very nice but a little thick from the peanut butter. I kept adding water but it stayed a bit sticky thick.. I think adding a liquid like pineapple or orange juice to the recipe may be helpful. I enjoyed the taste though.
Sarah Holt says
Hi Myles, the sauce should thin out when added to the pan. Glad you enjoyed it though!
Nancy says
Made tonight, family loved it!
Sarah Holt says
So happy everyone enjoyed it!