Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken

Some dishes just don’t photograph well. This is one of them. (Notice how I deftly place the blame on the dish and not the photographer’s skill [or lack of it]. this certainly can’t be my fault, says the girl who will always--no matter how much she reads or practices--move up from beginner-level photography.)

But don’t let the not-terribly-appealing pictures fool you. This is one of my favorite dinners. I love a crock pot meal, especially when it requires very little active work. Really, what is the point of a crock pot dinner that requires step after step and the browning of meats and adding ingredients in at different points throughout the day? The whole reason I use the slow cooker is for the ease of just tossing things in and not having to think or worry about them as they cook. This one fits the bill perfectly—just throw everything in and go about your day. So nice for the summer when even the thought of turning on the oven makes me sweat. I usually put it in the crock pot after laying the kids down for their naps, and it’s ready just as Jeff is getting home from work. It’s always nice to have a slower evening, rather than frantically trying to get a dinner pulled together with grumpy kids whining at me and hanging all over my legs.

Besides being easy to make, this tastes fantastic with tender chicken, delicious spicy peanut sauce, and colorful, crunchy toppings. So easy and so good.

Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken
adapted from 365 Days of Crockpot

1 1/2 pounds chicken thighs or breasts or a combination of the two
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 1/4 cups chicken broth, divided
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 green onions, chopped
1/3 cup peanut butter

hot cooked rice
chopped cilantro
chopped salted peanuts

Place chicken and red pepper in crock pot. Add 1 cup chicken broth, soy sauce, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes. Cook on low 3-5 hours or until chicken shreds easily (in my slow cooker, 3 hours is just about right) (and I don’t know if this affects the cook time, but I usually use chicken thighs in this recipe). Remove chicken and shred.

In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/4 cup broth with cornstarch and stir to dissolve. Add this to crock pot, along with peanut butter and green onions. Stir well and add chicken back to crock pot. Turn heat to high and cook for another 30 minutes while you prepare the rice.

Serve chicken over rice, topped with cilantro and peanuts to taste.