This is one of my favorite slow cooker recipes. The chicken--use boneless, skinless thighs or legs, if you can--cooks to melting softness in a slow cooker and is great over rice or noodles. Yes, you can use bone-in chicken, but remove the skin from it, or you'll have a lot of fat in the dish and the skin will be flabby-looking. The bone-in chicken also will take a little longer to cook. Either way--boneless or bone-in--the chicken will be sweet, savory, and a little crunchy all at the same time. Unlike more expensive chicken breasts, the thighs and legs can handle the long slow cooking without drying out, and plenty of vegetables provide color, flavor, and extra nutrition. I generally use curry powder that's on the sweet rather than spicy side, but you can use whatever type you like. Roasted peanuts, in addition to amplifying the peanut flavor of the dish, add extra protein and crunch. If you'd like extra color, feel free to scatter a bit of chopped cilantro or parsley on the chicken when you serve it. Enjoy!
Peanut Butter Chicken Thighs -- Serves 4-5
4-5 large boneless, skinless chicken thighs and/or legs, trimmed of excess fat
1/2 cup of sliced carrots
1 large chopped onion
1 large red or orange bell pepper, chopped (or a combination)
1/4 cup of honey
1/4 cup of reduced sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup of peanut butter
2 teaspoons of curry powder (mild or spicy)
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 cup of unsalted roasted peanuts, plus extra for serving, if you'd like
1/4 cup of cilantro or parsley, chopped (optional)
Spray the insert of a slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray and arrange the chicken in the bottom in one layer, if possible. Sprinkle the chopped carrots, onion, and bell pepper over the chicken. Combine the honey, soy sauce, peanut butter, curry powder, and garlic powder and stir them well. Pour the mixture over the chicken and vegetables. Sprinkle on the roasted peanuts. Cover the slow cooker and cook the chicken on high for 4-6 hours or until falling apart tender. Stir the chicken gently and serve the chicken and sauce over rice or noodles and sprinkled with cilantro or parsley or more peanuts, if you'd like.
