Peanut butter chicken can refer to any of a selection of chicken dishes that incorporate peanut butter as an ingredient in some way. It can be a simple chicken soup that has peanut butter added near the end of cooking, or it can be grilled chicken that is glazed with a peanut butter barbecue sauce. Peanut butter can be used in marinades for baked chicken, or it can be part of the liquids used to coat fried chicken or deep-fried chicken. An Asian-style peanut butter chicken can be made using a coating that resembles Thai peanut sauce with soy sauce and brown sugar. For added texture, chunky peanut butter can be used or whole peanuts can be chopped or ground and mixed into the dish.
Many peanut butter chicken recipes use peanut butter in a thick sauce that coats the pieces of chicken in a soup, stew or casserole. These sauces have a base liquid — such as chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, water, buttermilk or heavy cream — that helps to break up the thick peanut butter. This liquid is mixed with the peanut butter over low heat so the fats and sugars in the peanut butter start to soften and turn it into a creamy, flowing substance. Spices and flavorings such as salt, pepper, honey, garlic, soy sauce or ginger can be added before the sauce is allowed to cook until it has combined. After this, the chicken can be coated in the sauce or cooked in the same pan with it, or the sauce can be poured over the chicken and baked until it reduces and forms a sticky coating.
In some instances, peanut butter chicken can be made by marinating the chicken in peanut butter. A marinade can be made with peanut butter, buttermilk, garlic and onions. It can take longer than usual for the flavors to penetrate the chicken, so the marinade might need to be allowed to work for several hours or overnight. Once the marinade is complete, the chicken can be dredged in flour and then pan fried or deep fried. The flour also can have ground peanuts in it for an added nutty flavor.
When using a grill, peanut butter chicken can be made with a spicy glaze. The glaze often is formed from peanut butter, honey, chili peppers and Worcestershire sauce. As the chicken is grilling, the peanut butter glaze is applied repeatedly in several layers. There might be a high amount of sugar in the peanut butter, so the chicken will need to be turned frequently on the grill to avoid charring.
