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30 Minute Ginger Peanut Chicken Bowls – better than take-out style! Peanutty, gingery chicken with spicy peanut sauce served over bowls of steamed rice. Add fresh lime-dressed mango, herbs, and avocado to create a vibrant summer dinner bowl. It’s one big bowl of overly saucy ginger peanut chicken and rice—just like a dish you might find at your favorite restaurant, but made at home! Super yummy and easy to create too!
Sometimes I hold onto recipe ideas for far too long. I’ve had this simple summer bowl written in my notes for weeks, possibly even over a month. My mother has repeatedly said, MAKE THIS peanut chicken. It wasn’t until this week that I finally listened to her.
I have no idea why I waited so long, peanut chicken recipes are always smart.
This recipe is everything we want out of a summer dinner. It’s fresh, colorful, and doesn’t take much effort to create. Just mix up a homemade peanut sauce, quickly cook some chicken, and serve with rice.
It’s a pretty classic Tieghan-style recipe, and my mom was very happy I finally made it. This is totally her kind of dinner.
Onto the details
Step 1: mix the peanut sauce
This sauce is everyone’s favorite sauce, I feel like I make it at least a few times a month, probably more!
I’ve mentioned this before, but I used to make this sauce with coconut milk, but now I make it even simpler. It’s a mix of peanut butter (I love Whole Foods 365 creamy peanut butter with just peanuts and salt), tamari, either Gochujang (Korean chili paste), or sometimes I’ll swap Thai red curry paste, pickled ginger juice (often labeled as sushi ginger), and toasted sesame oil.
I added honey and lime juice for this recipe, making my go-to sauce even more addicting.
I find blending the sauce in a blender or using an immersion blender to be easiest.
Step 2: cook the chicken
My secret is to double the ginger, using both fresh and pickled ginger. First, crisp the chicken, fresh ginger, and scallions in sesame oil. Once the chicken is crispy, add butter.
Toss in lots of fresh garlic and a splash of tamari. Let the chicken sizzle until you see crispy brown bits.
Step 3: the mango
Next, I love to toss mango chunks with chopped-up pickled sushi ginger, lime zest, lime juice, cilantro, and basil.
This is a super yummy fresh topping!
Step 4: let’s assemble the bowls
I love making coconut rice for this recipe, but any steamed rice will do! Jasmin is also my go-to when cooking a more Asian-inspired recipe.
Then I add some baby lettuce, spoon over the crispy ginger chicken, dress the chicken in peanut sauce, and add the mango and avocado on the side. And that’s it! You can add or subtract anything you’d like—well, I wouldn’t subtract the chicken or the peanut sauce.
Meal Prepping
This is the perfect dinner bowl for meal prepping. Make a big batch of the chicken and peanut sauce, then enjoy it for lunch and dinner throughout the week. You can switch out the vegetables too!
If you want to freeze, just put the chicken in freezer-safe bags or containers. Freeze the sauce separately, then thaw both and serve as directed. Easy!
Looking for other busy weeknight-night recipes? Try these!
One Skillet Saucy Chicken Tortilla Enchilada Rice Bake
20 minute Crispy Garlic Chicken Noodles
Crockpot Crispy Chicken Tinga Tacos with Avocado Jalapeño Crema
Sheet Pan Honey Mustard Salmon with Caesar Roasted Potatoes
One Skillet Cheesy Green Chile Chicken
Lastly, if you make these 30 Minute Ginger Peanut Chicken Bowls, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
30 Minute Ginger Peanut Chicken Bowls
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 642 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
Peanut Sauce
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/3 cup tamari/soy sauce
- 1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
- 1/4 cup pickled ginger juice
- 1 tablespoon Gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 1 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon tamari/soy sauce
Ginger Peanut Chicken
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, sliced
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
- 4 scallions, chopped
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 mango, chopped
- 1 tablespoon pickled sushi ginger, chopped
- 1 tablespoon lime zest + 2 tablespoons juice
- 1/2 cup chopped, cilantro
- 1/2 cup Thai or regular basil
- rice and avocado, for serving
Instructions
- 1. To make the sauce: Combine all ingredients in a blender or glass jar and mix until smooth. Add water as needed to thin.2. In a large skillet, toss the chicken with toasted sesame oil, fresh ginger, and scallions. Set over medium-high heat. Cook until crispy, about 5 minutes. Add the butter, tamari/soy sauce, and garlic. Cook another minute, then remove the chicken from the skillet.3. In a bowl, toss the mango, pickled sushi ginger, lime zest and juice, cilantro, basil, and a pinch of salt. 4. Serve the chicken and peanut sauce over bowls of rice. Add the mango and slices of avocado. Add extra peanut sauce. Enjoy!!
This post was originally published on July 24, 2024
I made the recipe as described and everyone loved it. I love every single ingredient in the recipe and didn’t change anything. I actually quadrupled the sauce and plan to freeze half of it for the future. I’m not sure how you think it takes 30 minutes, I spent a lot more time than that peeling and chopping all of the items in the recipe! I could have perhaps made the sauce in that amount of time as it only necessitatedopening up jars and juicing fresh limes, but it takes time to peel and dice ginger, garlic, and prep all of the other ingredients!
Thanks so much, Sandra! Love to hear that this dish turned out well for you, I appreciate you making it! Sorry to hear this took longer than expected! xT
Amazing flavors that came together quick, and it was easy to make. Thank you so much for another winner! My husband is having his second bowl right now!
Hey Tracy,
Amazing! So glad to hear this dish turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! xx
My daughter has a peanut allergy. Wondering if you think this would work with almond butter as a substitute?
Hey Liz,
Sure, you could also use sunflower butter, I think that would work nicely! I hope you love this recipe! xT
Made this last night for supper! It’s a keeper!
Hubby had two servings 🤗
Hey Jan,
Happy Friday!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out nicely for you, thanks for making it and your feedback! Xx
WOW. You really hit it out of the park with this one!
Thanks so much, Shayla!! Love to hear that you enjoyed this dish:) Happy Friday! xT
Hi! Excited to make this recipe tonight – reading comments to see if there are any alterations I should consider and noticed a lot of people commenting on the tamari being listed twice. I think the confusion is that you have both the 1/3 C and 1T listed under the sauce ingredients but the 1T is not for the sauce. When you read Step 1., it says to combine all the sauce ingredients which would include that tablespoon but then Step 2 says to use it – separate from the sauce. Easy fix – just need to move the 1T of tamari to the section section of listed ingredients to avoid confusion. Thanks!
Hi Brittany,
Thanks so much for sharing this feedback! I hope the recipe turns out nicely for you! xT
Lots of flavour!
But the recipe is not quite right for the sauce instructions.
The last ingredient is 1 tablespoon of tamari sauce but does not go in the sauce. It is used when you are cooking the chicken.
I think you need to explain how thick the sauce. should be.
Mine was quite thick and I add to added lots of water. I have made this sauce twice and both times it was way to thick.
It appears your recipe has every ingredient you would need for a Thai dish but it is just off.
The papaya with the chopped ginger is not quite right. It should have had some red onion added to it.
I use a lot of your recipes and love so many but this one is not quite up to your standard.
Hi Penelope,
Thanks so much for trying this dish and sharing your feedback! So sorry to hear you didn’t love it. xx
Very tasty- lots of good flavors. I might use less butter next time- it seemed unnecessary. But my husband and I both enjoyed it.
Hey Melinda,
Awesome! Thanks so much for trying this recipe and your comment, love to hear that it was enjoyed! xT
This took forever and was not good
Hi Margaret,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear it was not enjoyed. xx
Does the picture show actual peanuts in the dish? I think it does but they are not in the recipe.
Hey Maureen,
If you want to add them for serving you totally can, but you don’t have to:) Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
Did you change your web site? I can’t print your recipes with the “Jupiter” app.
Hi Russell,
You should be able to click the “print” button on this page and then the “print” button on the Jupiter page. I just tested that with this recipe and it worked for me. Please let me know if this helps! xx
I similarly am wondering about the repetition of the tamari/soy sauce ingredient in two different amounts. Also, would liquid aminos work ok for that as well? I’m excited to try!
Hi Rachel,
You will use 1/3 cup of the soy sauce/tamari in step 1 and 1T of soy sauce/tamari in step 2. Yes, the liquid aminos or coconut aminos should also work nicely for you. I hope this helps! xx
If I were to swap in Thai red curry paste would it be 1 Tablespoon also? This looks delicious!
Hi Nancy,
Yes, that will work for you. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
The sauce ingredients calls for 1/3C tamari/soy and then 1T of the same. Is this correct?
I go for the soy sauce, I find a lot of tamari gives off too much umami flavor, a little is ok, but 1/3 cup is a lot.
Hi Kate,
Yes, that is correct, you will use 1/3 cup in step 1 and then 1T in step 2. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xT
So many of your recipes call for sushi ginger juice, leaving me with extra ginger. Is it possible to add a liquid to the remaining ginger, let it stay in refrigerator for a month, then use? Or do any brands sell sushi ginger that is juicer?
Hi there,
So sorry, I am not sure about that. The brand I use has the ginger in juice, it’s called The Ginger People. I hope this helps! xT
Could you sub rice vinegar for ginger juice in this recipe? Or is there something that may work as a better alternative?
Hey Christy,
Sure, that should work nicely for you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
I was wondering the same thing! I noticed this recipe calls for 1/4 c of ginger juice. I’d be lucky if the entire jar had 1/4 cup of the juice! Then the ginger would be wasted. Tieghan, you mentioned a specific brand of pickled ginger in your comment, but not everyone can get one specific ingredient like that. Unfortunately, I think this recipe is going to have to be a pass for a lot of people because of that. 😒
Hi Melanie,
Of course you do not need to use the brand that I used, I was just sharing for Dot to reference:) Please use any brand that you enjoy, there should be a variety at your local grocery store in the pickle aisle. I hope this helps. Please have a great day! x
Just google “pickled ginger recipe,” Dot. I pickle ginger all the time to keep on hand. It lasts for months and doesn’t have any added chemicals!