This Grilled Peanut Butter Chicken is a weeknight take on one of my favorite restaurant dishes. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are coated in a satay inspired marinade perfect for grilling. This Thai inspired main comes together in just 30 minutes.

This recipe is a household favorite, and I serve it very simple with either rice and veggies or over a light coleslaw. This best part is that the thick marinade sticks to the outside of the chicken and makes a beautiful brown crust around each piece of chicken.
If you love grilling, try Mediterranean Chicken Kebabs or Easy Chimichurri Flank Steak for your next barbecue.
Make this recipe, because…
The Thai inspired peanut butter marinade is super flavorful and clings to the chicken thighs perfectly for grilling.
The sweet and savory combination of peanut butter and soy sauce with sharp hits from ginger and garlic make for over the top delicious flavor.
You can easily double or triple the recipe size to serve at your next big event.
This peanut butter chicken is packed with flavor and comes together quickly. No need for a lengthy marinade time.
Ingredients
Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs- Thigh meat is some of the juiciest and most tender meat you can get. It is very forgiving to cook and takes on flavor really well. You can use breast meat for this dish, but it can be tricky to grill breast meat without drying it out.
Fish Sauce- This might not be an ingredient you have on hand or have used very much. While it does derive its flavor from fish, I promise, you won’t be overwhelmed by fish taste. It does add a nice pungent flavor to the marinade. If you do not have fish sauce you can skip or substitute with Worcestershire sauce.
Instructions
Step 1
- In a small bowl, combine peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, fish sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger.
Step 2
- Pat the boneless, skinless chicken thighs dry and place them into a food storage bag.
- Add the satay inspired marinade to the bag. Then seal the bag and massage the marinade into the meat.
Step 3
- Heat a grill or grill pan on medium heat.
- Next, remove the peanut butter marinated chicken from the bag and place it top side down on the hot grill.
- Let the thighs cook without disturbing them for about six minutes.
(When the chicken is ready to turn, it should come away from the pan without sticking and be well browned.)
Step 4
- Turn the thighs over and finish cooking for six to ten more minutes.
(Thigh meat can sometimes have a pink coloring making it hard to tell if it is done. The internal temperature should be 165° when fully cooked.)
FAQs
You can marinate the chicken up to one day in advance. A long marinade will not do much for adding flavor, but you can have your chicken prepared ahead of time to make the day of cooking easier.
Expert Tips
Whisk the marinade vigorously to make sure the peanut butter is well combined with the other ingredients.
To keep the marinade from burning, lightly brush vegetable oil on your grill or grill pan and turn down the heat to just below medium.
Don't play with the meat once it is on the grill. It is best to let the pieces sit over the heat undisturbed.
If you are making this dish on a gas grill, I would highly recommend a pan for the drippings. The thigh meat can render off a good amount of fat and a drip pan will make clean up much easier.
Stay inspired! Check out all of the great ways you and dress up poultry for delicious and healthful dinners!
"📖 Recipe"
Grilled Peanut Butter Chicken
Equipment
- Grill or Grill Pan
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Chicken
- 2 lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
- ¼ Cups Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Peanut Butter
- 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Rice Wine vinegar
- 1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
- 1 Teaspoon Fish Sauce
- 2 Cloves Garlic grated
- 2 Teaspoons Ginger grated
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, fish sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger.
- Pat the boneless, skinless thighs dry and place them into a food storage bag.
- Add the satay inspired marinade to the bag. Then, seal the bag and massage the marinade into the chicken.
- Heat a grill or grill pan on medium heat.
- Remove the peanut butter marinated thighs from the bag and place it top side down on the hot grill.
- Let cook without disturbing it for about six minutes.
- Turn over and finish cooking for six to ten more minutes.
Notes
- You can marinate the chicken up to one day in advance. A long marinade will not do much for adding flavor, but you can have your meat prepared ahead of time to make the day of cooking easier.
- Whisk the marinade vigorously to make sure the peanut butter is well combined with the other ingredients.
- To keep the marinade from burning, lightly brush vegetable oil on your grill or grill pan and turn down the heat to just below medium.
- Don't play with the meat once it is on the grill. It is best to let the chicken sit over the heat undisturbed.
- If you are making this dish on a gas grill, I would highly recommend a pan for the drippings. The thigh meat can render off a good amount of fat and a drip pan will make clean up much easier.
Nutrition
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Ana F.
With your tips this Grilled Peanut Butter Chicken came out perfect! I did set them to marinate the night before and the chicken turned out very juice and crispy on the outside. Thanks for the recipe!
maryanne
I love Thai peanut sauce, and this combination with chicken thighs sounds so delicious and super easy! Thanks for the recipe!
Andrea
I am a big fan of Thai food and this chicken is calling my name.
Aimee Mars
Peanut butter is a magic word in my house and this chicken looks outstanding! My husband will devour it.
Mairead
I love all things satay sauce, and chicken is especially delicious when marinated in a peanut sauce. Thanks for a great recipe.