Peanut Chicken Protein Bowl (Printable version)

Protein-packed bowl with sautéed chicken, coconut rice, fresh vegetables, and Thai peanut drizzle

# What You'll Need:

→ Coconut Rice

01 - 1 cup jasmine rice
02 - 1 cup unsweetened canned coconut milk
03 - 1 cup water
04 - ½ teaspoon salt

→ Chicken

05 - 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced
06 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
07 - 1 tablespoon soy sauce
08 - ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
09 - 1 clove garlic, minced

→ Peanut Sauce

10 - ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter
11 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
12 - 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
13 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
14 - 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
15 - 1 teaspoon sesame oil
16 - 1 clove garlic, minced
17 - 1 to 2 tablespoons warm water
18 - ¼ teaspoon chili flakes (optional)

→ Toppings

19 - 1 cup red cabbage, thinly sliced
20 - 1 cup carrots, julienned
21 - ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
22 - 2 tablespoons roasted peanuts, chopped
23 - Lime wedges for serving

# How To Make:

01 - Rinse jasmine rice under cold water until water runs clear. In a medium saucepan, combine rice, coconut milk, water, and salt. Bring to a boil, stir once, then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let steam, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
02 - In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add diced chicken, soy sauce, black pepper, and minced garlic. Sauté for 6 to 8 minutes until chicken is golden and cooked through. Remove from heat.
03 - In a bowl, whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, lime juice, sesame oil, garlic, and chili flakes. Add warm water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
04 - Divide coconut rice among four bowls. Top each with sautéed chicken, red cabbage, carrots, and cilantro. Drizzle generously with peanut sauce. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and serve with lime wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours in a Bangkok kitchen, but comes together in under an hour on a weeknight.
  • The peanut sauce is so good you'll find reasons to make extra just to drizzle on other things.
  • It's proof that healthy eating doesn't mean sacrificing flavor or that deeply satisfying feeling of a complete meal.
02 -
  • The peanut sauce is temperamental when warm but sets up beautifully as it cools, so if you're making it ahead, thin it slightly more than seems right because it'll thicken as it sits in the refrigerator.
  • Not all soy sauces are created equal—cheap ones taste metallic in this dish, so taste your sauce component and adjust with an extra squeeze of lime juice if something feels off.
03 -
  • If you're batch cooking for the week, keep sauce separate from assembled bowls or everything gets soggy by day three—assemble fresh each morning and you'll actually want to eat it.
  • Chicken thighs stay juicier than breasts if you have the time, and one extra minute of cooking doesn't hurt them while breasts can go from perfect to dry in seconds.
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