Keto Peanut Butter Chicken

Name: Keto Peanut Butter Chicken
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon Ground cumin; 1 teaspoon Ground coriander; 16 ounces Boneless (Skinless Chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces); 3 tablespoons Soy Sauce (divided); 1 Red bell pepper (diced); 3 cloves Garlic (finely minced); 1 tablespoon Minced fresh ginger; 3 ounces Onion (finely minced); ½ cup Natural peanut butter; 2 tablespoons Red curry paste; 1 cup Chicken broth; 2 tablespoons Lime juice; ¼ cup Chopped fresh cilantro

published September 7, 2021 — last updated October 31, 2023

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Keto peanut butter chicken is a delicious low carb recipe with Thai-inspired flavors. This perfectly tender chicken cooked in a creamy peanut butter curry sauce makes a great weeknight dinner.

Keto Peanut Butter Chicken in a cast iron skillet

I’ve been kind of obsessed with this peanut butter chicken recipe for the last few weeks. It’s a little sweet, a little spicy, and it’s packed full of flavor from fresh herbs and spices.

We’ve already shared our keto Instant Pot butter chicken (one of my all-time favorites!!) and our curry chicken salad. This dish has more Thai-inspired flavors with a creamy peanut sauce made with red curry paste, soy sauce, warm, aromatic spices, and fresh garlic and ginger.

If you’re eating keto and missing some of those Thai flavors you loved so much, or if you just love a good Thai-inspired dish you’ve got to give this one a try. Serve it over cauliflower rice or with a side of sauteed veggies, and enjoy!

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Ingredients You’ll Need

For this peanut sauce chicken, you’ll need to have the following on hand:

Spices – You’ll need ground cumin and ground coriander.
Chicken thighs – You should use boneless, skinless thighs for this recipe. The extra fat in the thighs is perfect for keto and gives the chicken so much more flavor. If you already have chicken breast that you need to use that will still work!
Soy Sauce – You could use Tamari for an even more keto friendly version.
Red bell pepper – You could use green or another color if you prefer.
Aromatics – You’ll need fresh garlic, ginger, and an onion.
Natural peanut butter – Watch for added sugar. We prefer Crazy Richard’s brand because it does not contain any added sugar.
Red curry paste – You can choose your favorite variety.
Chicken stock – This helps to add some extra flavor. You can use regular or reduced sodium.
Fresh lime juice and cilantro – A little lime juice and some fresh cilantro to add a nice fresh flavor to the dish.

Keto Peanut Butter Chicken in a skillet garnished with peanuts and lime wedges

Instructions

Step 1 – Combine the spices. In a small bowl, mix the cumin and coriander together.

Step 2 – Cook the chicken. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and then add the cubed chicken thiches. As they start to cook, sprinkle a teaspoon of the spice mix and one and half tablespoons of soy sauce over the chicken.

Cook the chicken for 5 minutes and then add the finely minced garlic, minced ginger, diced onions, and diced red bell pepper. Continue to stir and cook for 5 more minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Remove the chicken and peppers from the skillet and set aside.

Step 3 – Make the sauce. Return the skillet to the stove top and set the stove to medium heat. Next, add the natural peanut butter, red curry paste, remaining 1 teaspoon of spice mix, 1.5 tablespoons of soy sauce, and chicken stock to the pan and stir together.

Step 4 – Return chicken to skillet. Once the sauce is mixed, add the chicken, onion, and bell pepper to the sauce and continue to cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken well.

Finally, remove from heat and mix in the lime juice and cilantro. Serve immediately over greens, cauliflower rice, with a side of veggies, or on its own.

Keto Peanut Butter Chicken garnished with chopped peanuts

Can I Use Chicken Breast?

You can definitely use chicken breast for this recipe, but chicken thighs give you more flavor. Also, when you’re cooking keto, the added fat in the chicken thighs helps to balance out the protein to keep your macros in check.

Chicken breasts are high in protein and low fat. They also have trace amount of carbs, so they will work in this recipe. You just want to make sure you check your fat vs protein intake for the day.

Is Peanut Butter Keto?

Peanut butter can be keto. It offers a combination of healthy fat and protein. But you do need to be a bit careful when selecting peanut butter.

You need to make sure it is a natural peanut butter with no added sugar. Our favorite is Crazy Richard’s Creamy Peanut Butter with only 2 grams of net carbs per two tablespoons. In this recipe, it equals out to a total of 8 grams of net carbs from peanut butter.

How to Make it Ahead of Time

To store, allow it to cool completely before placing it in an airtight container. You can store it in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.

To reheat, place it in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until warmed through. Or, you can heat it in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through.

If you want to keep it for longer, you can freeze it in a gallon freezer bag for up to 3 months. To reheat when frozen, allow it to thaw in the fridge for 24 hours and then heat in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through.

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Servings: 5

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 30