Meow Recipes: Ginger Peanut Chicken with Coconut Rice

Ginger peanut chicken in a bowl with rice and a spoon and fork.

This is a brand new recipe that’s part of our Fall 2022 SOS Series! View the full series here.

It’s September and you know what that means: “Omg everything is happening all at once oh no plz haaaaalp!”

Yes, our sentiments exactly. Whether it’s back-to-school or just a generally hectic season of life, we feel you. So, here we are in the next installment of our SOS Series! You know, those recipes that are quick, easy, delicious little life rafts for your busiest nights when life is just being a little too…everything.

This juicy, quick-marinated, ginger-spiked chicken on a bed of THE MOST LUSH coconut jasmine rice, with speckles of crunchy peanuts, bright fresh cilantro, and lime squeezers is coming to save your day!

In This Post: Everything You Need For This Peanut Chicken

Why This Recipe is Weeknight-Fancy SOS
How to Make Coconut Rice
What to Serve with This Ginger Peanut Chicken
FAQ about this recipe

Why This Recipe Is Weeknight-Fancy SOS

We are definitely ride or die for weeknight-easy meals but it’s definitely a bonus when it can still feel a little fancy-adjacent, you know? A little elevated. We also love a frozen pizza or an “ok, it’s popcorn for dinner!” kind of night, too…but it’s nice when that level of ease can also be lovely and delicious and look harder than it was. So, that’s the sweet spot these SOS recipes are always kinda going for.

To bring this lil’ gem together:

Marinate the chicken. Do you haaaave to? Nah. But it’s a great extra boost you can give the chicken while you’re prepping the rest of your ingredients anyway! The flavor will be there even if your heart says 😩 to marinating.
Make your rice. Everything goes into the Instant Pot, voila! Perfect coconut rice.
Caramelize dat chicken. Get all that deliciousness in your pan and let’s go. You actually want to leave it undisturbed in the hot pan for a bit anyway to get all that caramelly sear, so yay! Less to do!

That’s really just about it, a simple 1-2-3! You’ll toss your peanuts and greens in there once the chicken thighs are cooked through. We love a cilantro/green onion blend but we’ve also done it with spinach for an A+ situation. Whatever you love!

Top with more peanuts, more lime squeezes, everything spilling over that fluffy, luscious coconut rice…ok, YES, SOS. We see you.

How To Make Coconut Rice (And Why It’s Heaven)

We really don’t know what to say about this coconut rice other than we…never stop thinking about it? Like, awkwardly so. Have you tried this other SOS fave with coconut rice? Oof.

It’s still an easy Instant Pot button-push away (or rice cooker/stove top if you prefer), so no extra work, but it IS extra luxe. That coconut milk just replaces part of the cooking liquid – yep, it’s that simple – and the result is out of this world. It doesn’t turn out creamy exactly, but it is just sort of…velvety? Is that a thing?

So satisfying and rich that you don’t need any kind of extra sauce on the chicken, except for a lime squeeze or two for brightness. We are so very star-eyes about all of it.

What To Serve With This Ginger Peanut Chicken

Everything absolutely shines as is, but if you’d like to get some extra green on the table alongside, some roasted broccoli or maybe some seared green beans might be nice. There’s always another of our SOS-iest faves: this simple green salad. Simple, lovely, a never-fail.

Do you want to pile the rice/chicken in a lettuce wrap? Hello, yes you’re a genius!

Does extra-good puppy chow count as a side-dish? It does now.

Do you want to just open a bag of baby carrots because hey, you already accomplished a lot with this dinner? Have at it! You win. Always.

Person squeezing a lime over a bowl of Ginger Peanut Chicken and Coconut Rice.

Welcome to September, to almost-Fall, to “oh man, you can totally do this” season. Let’s really celebrate with some easy dinner wins. 🏆

Ginger Peanut Chicken: Frequently Asked Questions

Can you use other nuts, or just omit the nuts?

For sure! You’ll lose some of the crunch, but it will still be delicious. As an alternative to peanuts, cashews would also work well here.

Do you have to take the time to marinate the chicken?

Not really, the flavor will come through either way, but as long as you’re prepping everything else anyway – rice, toppings, etc. – it will just give the chicken more time to absorb that goodness if you start that first.

How can I cook the coconut rice on the stovetop or in a rice cooker?

Cooking the rice in a rice cooker or just on the stovetop should work well. To make it on the stove, you can add 2 cups of rice, 1.5 cups of water, and a 14-ounce can of coconut milk to a large pot and bring it to a boil. Once it’s boiling, you can reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook the rice for about 15-20 minutes.

Ginger Peanut Chicken with Coconut Rice

Author: Lindsay
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4

Print Recipe

Description

Juicy, quick-marinated, Ginger Peanut Chicken on a bed of THE MOST LUSH coconut jasmine rice, with speckles of crunchy peanuts, bright fresh cilantro, and lime squeezes.

Ingredients

Units

Ginger Peanut Chicken

1 1/4 pounds chicken thighs, fat trimmed, cut into small bite-sized pieces
1-inch piece of ginger, grated
3 green onions, thinly sliced (white parts and green parts separated)
zest and juice of 1-2 limes
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
2–3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
spinach, bok choy, etc.

Coconut Rice

2 cups white or jasmine rice
1 1/2 cups water
1 can coconut milk
a pinch of salt

Instructions

Marinate Chicken: In a stainless steel bowl, mix the chicken with the ginger, green onions (white parts), lime zest, brown sugar, salt, and oil. Marinate for 20 minutes-2 hours.
Rice: Add the rice ingredients to an Instant Pot. Cook on high pressure for 3 minutes, followed by a natural pressure release for 10-15 minutes (it won’t be quite done yet after 3 minutes – it needs the rest time to finish cooking). Release the steam, fluff with a fork, and attempt not to eat the whole thing! (Don’t have an Instant Pot? Alternative methods are in the notes section!)
Cook Chicken: Heat a large skillet (nonstick or cast iron work well) to medium-high heat. Add the marinated chicken to the pan, working in 1-2 batches depending on the size of your pan. Leave the chicken sitting undisturbed for several minutes to get a nice caramelization on the chicken.
Adding Extras: When all the chicken is cooked, turn the heat down slightly and add the peanuts and garlic to the pan. Sauté for 3-5 minutes to get the peanuts roasty and the garlic nice and fragrant.
Finish by adding in the cilantro, green onion, and spinach. Squeeze lime juice into the pan and season with more salt and pepper as needed.
Serve over coconut rice! SO simple but so good.

Notes

To cook the coconut rice on the stove or in a rice cooker: Cooking the rice in a rice cooker or just on the stove top should work well. To make it on the stove, you can add 2 cups of rice, 1.5 cups of water, and a 14-ounce can of coconut milk to a large pot and bring it to a boil. Once it’s boiling, you can reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook the rice for about 15-20 minutes.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Category: Dinner
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Asian-Inspired