Juicy, quick-marinated, Ginger Peanut Chicken on a bed of THE MOST LUSH coconut jasmine rice, with speckles of crunchy peanuts, bright fresh cilantro, and lime squeezes.
This recipe is a fan-favorite! It was originally published in 2022 as part of ourĀ Fall 2022 SOS Series! View the full series.
This juicy, quick-marinated, ginger-spiked chicken on a bed of THE MOST LUSH coconut jasmine rice, with speckles of crunchy peanuts, bright fresh cilantro, and lime squeezers is coming to save your day.
In This Post: Everything You Need For This Peanut Chicken
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Why This Recipe Is Weeknight-Fancy SOS
We are definitely ride-or-die for weeknight-easy meals but itās definitely a bonus when it can still feel a little fancy-adjacent, you know? A little elevated. We also love a frozen pizza or an āok, itās popcorn for dinner!ā kind of night, tooā¦but itās nice when that level of ease can also be lovely and delicious and look harder than it was. So, thatās the sweet spot these SOS recipes are always kinda going for.
To bring this lilā gem together:
- Marinate the chicken. Do you haaaave to? Nah. But itās a great extra boost you can give the chicken while youāre prepping the rest of your ingredients anyway! The flavor will be there even if your heart says š© to marinating.
- Make your rice. Everything goes into the Instant Pot, voila! Perfect coconut rice.
- Caramelize dat chicken. Get all that deliciousness in your pan and letās go. You actually want to leave it undisturbed in the hot pan for a bit anyway to get all that caramelly sear, so yay! Less to do!
Thatās really just about it, a simple 1-2-3! Youāll toss your peanuts and greens in there once the chicken thighs are cooked through. We love a cilantro/green onion blend but weāve also done it with spinach for an A+ situation. Whatever you love!
Top with more peanuts, more lime squeezes, everything spilling over that fluffy, luscious coconut riceā¦ok, YES, SOS. We see you.
How To Make Coconut Rice (And Why Itās Heaven)
We really donāt know what to say about this coconut rice other than weā¦never stop thinking about it? Like, awkwardly so. Have you tried this other SOS fave with coconut rice? Oof.
Itās still an easy Instant Pot button-push away (or rice cooker/stove top if you prefer), so no extra work, but it IS extra luxe. That coconut milk just replaces part of the cooking liquid ā yep, itās that simple ā and the result is out of this world. It doesnāt turn out creamy exactly, but it is just sort ofā¦velvety? Is that a thing?
So satisfying and rich that you donāt need any kind of extra sauce on the chicken, except for a lime squeeze or two for brightness. We are so very star-eyes about all of it.
What To Serve With This Ginger Peanut Chicken
Everything absolutely shines as is, but if youād like to get some extra green on the table alongside, some roasted broccoli or maybe some seared green beans might be nice. Thereās always another of our SOS-iest faves: this simple green salad. Simple, lovely, a never-fail.
Do you want to pile the rice/chicken in a lettuce wrap? Hello, yes youāre a genius!
Does extra-good puppy chow count as a side-dish? It does now.
Do you want to just open a bag of baby carrots because hey, you already accomplished a lot with this dinner? Have at it! You win. Always.
Welcome to the *almost* end of winter. Letās really celebrate with some easy dinner wins. š
Ginger Peanut Chicken: Frequently Asked Questions
For sure! Youāll lose some of the crunch, but it will still be delicious. As an alternative to peanuts, cashews would also work well here.
Not really, the flavor will come through either way, but as long as youāre prepping everything else anyway ā rice, toppings, etc. ā it will just give the chicken more time to absorb that goodness if you start that first.
Cooking the rice in a rice cooker or just on the stovetop should work well. To make it on the stove, you can add 2 cups of rice, 1.5 cups of water, and a 14-ounce can of coconut milk to a large pot and bring it to a boil. Once itās boiling, you can reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook the rice for about 15-20 minutes.
Description
Juicy, quick-marinated, Ginger Peanut Chicken on a bed of THE MOST LUSH coconut jasmine rice, with speckles of crunchy peanuts, bright fresh cilantro, and lime squeezes.
Ginger Peanut Chicken
Coconut Rice
- Marinate Chicken: In a stainless steel bowl, mix the chicken with the ginger, green onions (white parts), lime zest, brown sugar, salt, and oil. Marinate for 20 minutes-2 hours.
- Rice: Add the rice ingredients to an Instant Pot. Cook on high pressure for 3 minutes, followed by a natural pressure release for 10-15 minutes (it wonāt be quite done yet after 3 minutes ā it needs the rest time to finish cooking). Release the steam, fluff with a fork, and attempt not to eat the whole thing! (Donāt have an Instant Pot? Alternative methods are in the notes section!)
- Cook Chicken: Heat a large skillet (nonstick or cast iron work well) to medium-high heat. Add the marinated chicken to the pan, working in 1-2 batches depending on the size of your pan. Leave the chicken sitting undisturbed for several minutes to get a nice caramelization on the chicken.
- Adding Extras: When all the chicken is cooked, turn the heat down slightly and add the peanuts and garlic to the pan. SautƩ for 3-5 minutes to get the peanuts roasty and the garlic nice and fragrant.
- Finish by adding in the cilantro, green onion, and spinach. Squeeze lime juice into the pan and season with more salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve over coconut rice! SO simple but so good.
Notes
To cook the coconut rice on the stove or in a rice cooker: Cooking the rice in a rice cooker or just on the stove top should work well. To make it on the stove, you can add 2 cups of rice, 1.5 cups of water, and a 14-ounce can of coconut milk to a large pot and bring it to a boil. Once itās boiling, you can reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook the rice for about 15-20 minutes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian-Inspired
Keywords: ginger chicken, peanut chicken, coconut rice, easy chicken recipe
