Name: Grilled Thai Peanut Chicken
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2.5 pounds chicken ((thighs, breasts, legs, etc)); Rice or quinoa (for serving); Fresh cilantro or basil (for serving); Crushed peanuts (to garnish); 1/2 cup coconut milk (full fat); 1/4 cup soy sauce; 2 cloves garlic (minced); 1 tablespoon fresh ginger (minced); 2 tablespoon honey; 1 can full-fat coconut milk; 1 cup peanut butter; 3 tablespoon fish sauce; 1 lime (juiced); 2 tablespoon brown sugar; 2 tablespoon Thai red curry paste; 3 tablespoon soy sauce; 1 stalk lemongrass (light parts only, finely chopped)

Jump to Recipe

Made with tender marinated chicken, this Grilled Thai Peanut Chicken Recipe is easy, delicious, and bursting with bright and vibrant flavors. Serve drizzled with a fast and creamy Thai Peanut Sauce and a side of rice for a full and complete meal the whole family will love!

Fast and amazing leftover, this crazy-delicious Thai Peanut Chicken is ready in just 30 minutes and is loved by the whole family. Covered in a rich and creamy Thai peanut sauce, this grilled Thai Chicken never tasted so good (assuming, of course, that you love peanut butter and Thai food, of course).

Anyway, Thai food. The best, right? I would happily eat Thai food every day.

With so many different flavors and textures from sweet to spicy, savory to salty, the options are truly endless. Options including Thai Noodle Salad, Thai Fish Curry, and Thai Fried Rice.

Thai Chicken Ingredients

There are few parts to this recipe – the marinade, the Thai peanut sauce, and the garnishes. Each part is made with simple, easy-to-find ingredients (mostly) and both the marinade and peanut sauce come together without the need for any special mixers of equipment.

Thai Chicken Marinade

Chicken. Technically, you can use any chicken you would like to make this recipe. Chicken breasts, thighs, drumsticks – whatever is your favorite. That said, if you plan to use chicken breasts, try to get breasts with skin to help prevent them from drying out.
Coconut milk. One of the most popular ingredients in Thai cooking, coconut milk helps tenderize the chicken during marinating.
Soy sauce. Soy sauce adds saltiness and umami flavor (substitute with Tamari to keep the marinade gluten-free).
Fresh garlic. Fresh always.
Fresh ginger. Like garlic, freshly grated ginger has the best flavor. Use a Microplane, if needed, to help grate it (and save your fingers!)
Honey. Honey helps balance out the savory salty flavors from the other marinade ingredients (plus it tastes delicious).

Thai Peanut Sauce

Coconut milk. Yep, more coconut milk. Full-fat coconut milk is best.
Peanut butter. We can’t really have Thai peanut sauce without peanut butter, right? Any kind of peanut butter will work, but creamy peanut butter is definitely recommended (unless you love a little crunchiness in your creamy Thai peanut sauce).
Fish sauce. Unless you already know that you hate fish sauce, I don’t recommend skipping it as it is one of the very BEST additions you can make. Yes, it’s somewhat smelly, but the flavor is awesome.
Lime juice. Fresh, not bottled. The difference is big, my friends.
Brown sugar. Personally, I love adding brown sugar. If you prefer agave or honey, those would also work.
Thai red curry paste. You can make your own Thai red curry paste or purchase Thai red curry paste pre-made.
Soy sauce. Soy sauce adds saltiness and umami flavor (substitute with Tamari to keep the marinade gluten-free)
Lemongrass. Guys, lemongrass is such a delicious addition but it is optional. It is becoming more and more available at major markets, and, some stores even sell it in the refrigerated section in a paste.

Garnishes

Thai red chilis. Not recommended unless you love a little heat.
Crushed peanuts. Because who does love a little extra crunchy salted peanuts sprinkled all over their chicken?
Cilantro. This one is a must-have for me, but I know not everyone loves cilantro. So, totally optional.

How to make Grilled Thai Peanut Chicken

Prepare the Marinade. Add all ingredients for the marinade (coconut milk, soy sauce, garlic, fresh ginger, and honey) in a medium bowl and mix until fully combined.
Marinate the Chicken. Transfer the chicken and marinade to a large ziplock bag and mix well to fully cover the chicken with the sauce. Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes, or transfer to the refrigerator to marinate overnight.
Prepare the Peanut Sauce. whisk all ingredients for the peanut sauce together in a small saucepot over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring often, until smooth, warmed through, fully combined, and at your desired consistency. If your sauce is too thick, add water to thin until desired consistency is reached. Remove from heat and set aside.
Grill. When ready to cook, preheat an outdoor grill, indoor electric grill, or grill pan to medium heat. Oil the grates. Add the chicken and grill for approximately 6-8 minutes per side, or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F as read by a digital thermometer.
Serve. Remove chicken from the grill and drizzle with the warm Thai peanut sauce. Serve garnished with fresh basil, cilantro, and crushed peanuts, if desired.

Tips + Tricks + FAQs

Meal prep– make this dinner even easier by preparing the rice, Thai peanut sauce, and the marinade a day or two before you plan to serve for dinner. Marinate the chicken for up to three days in advance.
If you do marinate the chicken ahead of time, be sure to let the chicken come to room temperature before adding to the grill. Super cold chicken on super hot grill grates isn’t the best idea.
Add some dried red chili flakes to the Thai peanut sauce if you want a little kick, but don’t have any Thai red chilis.
Thai Peanut Sauce will stay good stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Keep it low carb and serve with cauliflower rice or spaghetti squash.
Have a peanut allergy? try this making this chicken and sauce with almonds or cashews.
Really really love ALL the sauce? Try serving it with this Sweet and Spicy Thai Chili Sauce.
Make it a complete meal with a glass of ice cold Thai Iced Tea and Garlic Bok Choy.

Love Thai Peanut Chicken? Try these,

If you try making this Grilled Thai Peanut Chicken, please leave me a comment and let me know! I always love to hear your thoughts.