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–+ servings

Quarterback Chicken

45-MinutesChickenCreamyDinnerHeartyHotNutsSavoryStove-Top
Time :35 minutes
Yield :4 servings
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The Scoop

This chicken came ready to call the plays. 
Tender chicken thighs simmered in a creamy coconut-peanut sauce loaded with ginger, garlic, lime, and chili, then finished with crunchy peanuts, fresh cilantro, and juicy mango.
Big flavor, minimal drama.
Hack it:
Turn up the heat with extra chili sauce, sliced jalapeños, or chili crisp.
Swap chicken thighs for shrimp, salmon, or crispy tofu.
Add sliced bell peppers, snap peas, or broccoli to the skillet.
Use pineapple instead of mango for a sharper sweet-tart finish.
Add fresh ginger and a splash of rice vinegar for extra brightness.
Serve over jasmine rice, rice noodles, or quinoa to soak up the peanut-coconut sauce.
Leftovers:
Toss the chicken and sauce with rice noodles for a quick peanut noodle bowl.
Stuff it into lettuce cups with crunchy cabbage, herbs, and peanuts.
Turn it into a rice bowl topped with cucumber, mango, and chili crisp.
Shred the chicken into wraps with greens and extra peanut sauce.
Chop the chicken and fold it into fried rice with vegetables and a fried egg.

Ingredients

For the chicken:

  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 1/2 pounds chicken thighs, boneless, skinless, and chopped into 1 1/2-2-inch pieces
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

For the sauce:

  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can coconut milk
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 2-3 teaspoons Asian chili sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/3 cup peanut butter, smooth or crunchy
  • peanuts, to taste, crushed, for serving
  • cilantro, to taste, for serving
  • mango or pineapple, to taste, chopped, for serving

Directions

  • In a large bowl, mix the ginger, the garlic powder, the coriander, the turmeric powder, and the pepper together.
  • Add the chicken to the spice mixture and stir to evenly coat.
  • In a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until hot and rippling.
  • Add the chicken to the heated oil and cook until opaque, about 3-4 minutes per side. The chicken will not be cooked through yet.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk the coconut milk, the cornstarch, the soy sauce, the brown sugar, the lime juice, the fish sauce, the chili sauce, and the basil together.
  • Add the sauce mixture to the chicken and simmer until an instant thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chicken reads 165 degrees F and the sauce has thickened, about 3-5 minutes.
  • Stir the peanut butter into the chicken and sauce mixture until melted.
  • Plate the chicken with the cilantro, peanuts, and the mango.
  • Serve.
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