Description

Enjoy quick and flavorful Thai Peanut Chicken Thighs featuring juicy, crispy-skinned chicken in a creamy, tangy peanut sauce, ready in just 30 minutes.

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the chicken and sauce:

600 g boneless, skin-on chicken thighs
2 tbsp vegetable or peanut oil (divided)
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
120 g smooth, natural peanut butter
200 ml canned coconut milk (well-shaken)
3 tbsp soy sauce (or tamari)
2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
2 tbsp fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
1–2 tsp sriracha or chili garlic sauce (to taste)

For garnish:

chopped roasted peanuts
fresh cilantro
sliced scallions
lime wedges

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Instructions

Pat and season the chicken: First, pat your chicken thighs completely dry with paper towels. This is the single most important step for getting that skin crispy, golden, and not-steamy. Season both sides generously with the salt and pepper. Let them sit for a few minutes while you heat your skillet.
Cook the chicken skin-side down: Place your large skillet over medium-high heat and add one tablespoon of the oil. Once the oil is shimmering hot, carefully add the chicken thighs, skin-side down. You should hear a confident sizzle. Don’t move them! Let them cook for 6-8 minutes, until the skin is deep golden brown and releases easily from the pan.
Make the peanut sauce: While the chicken is sizzling away, let’s make the magic sauce. In your mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter, coconut milk, soy sauce, honey, lime juice, minced garlic, grated ginger, and sriracha. Whisk it all together until it’s completely smooth and creamy. You’ll notice the sauce will thicken slightly as you whisk—that’s perfect.
Flip and cook the chicken: Flip the chicken thighs over. They should be beautifully browned. Cook for another 5-7 minutes on the second side until the chicken is cooked through (an internal temperature of 165°F or 74°C). Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it on a plate for a moment.
Prepare the sauce in the skillet: Reduce the heat to low. Pour off most of the rendered chicken fat from the skillet, leaving just a tablespoon or so for extra flavor. Now, pour your peanut sauce into the still-warm skillet. It will bubble and sizzle wonderfully. Use a whisk to scrape up any of the browned bits from the chicken from the bottom of the pan—that’s pure flavor gold.
Simmer the sauce and finish cooking: Let the sauce simmer gently for 2-3 minutes, stirring often. You’ll see it thicken and become glossy. If it gets too thick, you can thin it with a tablespoon or two of water. Now, return the chicken thighs to the skillet, spooning the sauce over them to coat everything. Let it all heat through together for another minute.
Serve: And that’s it! Take the skillet off the heat. Serve the chicken thighs smothered in that glorious peanut sauce, and don’t be shy with the garnishes. A shower of chopped peanuts, fresh cilantro, and scallions makes it look as incredible as it tastes.

Notes

Don’t skip the fresh lime juice and ginger—they provide essential bright, zingy notes that cut through the richness.
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.