Peanut chicken lovers will appreciate this quick Peanut Chicken Broccoli Slaw Stir Fry. An easy weeknight dinner that also makes great leftovers for lunch. Leave out the chicken and make it vegetarian.
I had some left over broccoli slaw from a package that I sometimes mix with chopped broccoli florets for a nice slaw – and figured why not try it in a peanut chicken stir fry. I certainly couldn’t go wrong with a spicy peanut sauce when feeding my husband. So I bought a boneless chicken breast, rooted around in the fridge for a few other vegetables, decided on which noodles to use and started to put this stir fry together. The broccoli slaw – the shortcut – contains broccoli, carrots and red cabbage and saved a lot of chopping.
Just over 30 minutes later, I was serving a simple, healthy and yummy meal-in-a-bowl. I can’t decide if I liked the leftovers even better the next day – cold right out of the container I saved them in.
Try serving the peanut chicken with Chinese Stir-Fry Green Beans.
Tailor To Your Taste
- Use any other meat or tofu instead of the chicken- or even just vegetables for a vegetarian version.
- Use boneless thighs instead of breasts for juicier and more flavorful chicken.
- Feel free to substitute whatever vegetables you have on hand.
- Any pasta or rice noodle you like if fine to use. I like to use smaller or thinner pasta because it gives me more peanut sauce per bite.
Make Ahead Peanut Chicken Broccoli Slaw Stir Fry
- This peanut chicken dish can be made ahead and warmed in the microwave. It’s great cold too.
Peanut Chicken Broccoli Slaw Stir Fry Recipe
Ingredients
- 185 grams fettuccini, linguine, spaghetti or rice noodles (about 1/2 of some pasta boxes)
- 2 tsp oil
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut in bit size pieces
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cup broccoli slaw (about 1/2 package)
- 1 head fresh broccoli florets, chopped (optional)
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 1/4 cup green onion, chopped
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach or more (optional)
- sesame seeds (optional)
Peanut Sauce
- 3 tbsp peanut butter
- 2 tbsp soy sauce - low sodium
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar (or lemon)
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp each, grated ginger and garlic
- 3/4 tsp sriracha
Instructions
- MAKE NOODLES: Boil noodles in salted water as per package directions. Drain - reserving a cup of pasta water - and set aside.
- MAKE PEANUT SAUCE: Place all peanut sauce ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smoothly combined.
- STIR FRY CHICKEN: Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a pan (preferably non stick) to medium high. Stir fry chicken for 3-4 minutes until cooked through. Remove chicken to a plate and cover to keep warm.
- STIR FRY VEGETABLES: Add a little more oil if needed and heat to medium high. Add onions, peppers, broccoli florets (if using) and broccoli slaw. Stir fry for 5 minutes until tender.
- FINISH STIR FRY: Add cooked chicken, cooked noodles and peanut sauce to the vegetables. Add baby spinach if using. Stir to combine everything and cook for a couple of minutes until heated through and spinach wilts. Add a bit of pasta water at a time until you get the consistency you want (you will likely not need it all). Sprinkle on sesame seeds and serve.
Other easy peanut stir fries you might like:
Vegetable Rice with Spicy Peanut Sauce
How can you make broccoli slaw? It’s not available where we live (Switzerland). Thanks
Hi Cathy. Broccoli slaw is typically made from the stalks of the broccoli. You can peel off the tough outer layer of the stalks with a paring knife, then either grate the stalks with a box grater or use the grater blade with a food processor if you have one.
For this recipe, you can also chop up the broccoli flowers and use them as well if you like (or put the aside for another meal).