Whenever I go out to a Thai restaurant and see chicken satay on the menu, or any peanut chicken, I want to order it SO BADLY. But after going gluten free, I couldn’t because most of the sauces you see on the menu run the risk of being made with soy sauce. If you didn’t know, soy sauce is not naturally gluten free. To have the safest gluten free version, I had to figure out how to make this dish at home using gluten free soy sauce or tamari.
This slow cooker chicken satay is an easy gluten free meal and a dairy free meal. It is a crock pot recipe so the amount of dishes you’ll have to do afterwards is minimal, which to me is exactly what I prefer. The less dishes the better! This spicy chicken burger recipe also uses minimal dishes!
I also love to make my own chicken and broccoli at home as well as a chicken teriyaki and black pepper chicken. This way, I know it tastes just like take out without any of the stress of it being unsafe!
why you’ll love this recipe
- Brain Friendly: Peanuts contain high levels of niacin and are a good source of vitamin E – two nutrients that have long been known to protect against Alzheimer’s disease and age-related cognitive decline.
- Vitamins and minerals: Peanuts and peanut butter in the satay sauce are packed with 19 vitamins and minerals plus they are low cost, tasty and versatile.
- Minimal chopping: Just dice the bell pepper and onion, all other chicken satay ingredients go straight into the slow cooker. I like to chop my ingredients ahead of time to save time when actually putting the meal together.
- Short prep time: You can easily prep all the ingredients in 15 minutes or less, leaving more time to relax. No one wants to spend 2 hours cooking dinner after a full day of work. Definitely not me.
- Saves time on dishes: Everything cooks together in the slow cooker, minimizing the amount of pots and pans to clean. I literally HATE doing dishes so slow cooker meals are the ideal situation if you ask me.
- Set it and forget it: I always find that slow cooker recipes are ideal for busy weeknights. I like to throw everything in the slow cooker in the morning, especially on a Sunday when I’m home all day and have a delicious meal ready to serve by dinnertime.
- Meal prep friendly: Cook a big batch of this slow cooker chicken satay and portion it out into containers for easy grab-and-go lunches throughout the week. I love a meal that I can portion out and bring to work for an easy heated-up lunch.
ingredients & substitutions
Chicken breasts: I like lean skinless chicken breasts the best but you can also use chicken thighs if you prefer. To make this vegetarian I love to use crispy cauliflower instead.
Bell pepper: Any color pepper works! Red, orange, yellow, or green will all add sweetness. I always buy red bell peppers. I like to buy the frozen chopped peppers to save myself preparation time since the peppers are already diced for you…and it’s cheaper! Also, I like to use green beans if I don’t have any bell peppers.
Peanut butter: A recent study of more than 6,000 adults showed that eating more nuts as part of a brain-healthy diet called the MIND diet was associated with a 30 percent reduced risk of cognitive impairment! 30 PERCENT!! THAT’S HUGE. So to have a recipe that uses peanuts and can help brain health…COUNT ME IN!
Bone broth: You can use any broth you have like chicken broth, chicken stock or beef broth for this Chicken Satay base. Vegetable broth is a good option for vegetarians, or you can use water if it’s easier…and it’s also cheaper.
Soy sauce: I like to use gluten-free soy sauce. Tamari is a gluten-free substitute for soy sauce and works exactly the same. Liquid aminos or coconut aminos are a great option too!
Honey: You can also sub Maple syrup or brown sugar. I like to add the honey for sweetness in the peanut sauce.
Rice vinegar: White vinegar or apple cider vinegar will work in a pinch.
Sesame oil: If you don’t have sesame oil, just skip it.
Hot sauce: Any hot sauce you like will work to add spice. I like to use red curry paste in this slow cooker chicken satay when I do not have hot sauce.
directions
Step 1
Prep the sauce: In your slow cooker, combine the diced bell pepper, diced onion, peanut butter, bone broth, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, hot sauce, and lime juice. Give it a good stir to make sure everything is well combined.
Step 2
Add the chicken: Place the chicken breasts on top of the sauce in your slow cooker. Try to arrange them so they’re at least partially coated in the sauce.
Step 3
Cook: Set your slow cooker to high and cook for 3 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through.
expert tips & tricks
- Sauce control: If you prefer a thicker sauce for the slow cooker chicken satay, a great way to make this thicker is to mix a cornstarch slurry (cornstarch mixed with water) into the sauce after removing the chicken. Let it simmer for a few minutes until thickened.
- Spice it up: Drizzle Sriracha or your favorite hot sauce over individual servings or top with chili flakes for an extra kick. I also like the spicy chili oil from Trader Joes!
- You can cook it for 5-6 hours on low heat if you have extra time and do not want to cook on high heat.
- Serve the Thai peanut chicken over white rice, jasmine rice or rice noodles for a complete meal. I even like to use this slow cooker satay chicken recipe as a filling for lettuce wraps.
- To make this recipe vegetarian I love to use the same sauce but over crispy cauliflower instead! When making the sauce, make sure to use vegetable broth!
serving, storing and meal prepping
Once cooked, serve the slow cooker chicken satay over fluffy rice or noodles.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
To reheat, thaw frozen portions in the fridge overnight or heat them straight from frozen on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through.
For meal prep, cook the slow cooker chicken satay as directed and then let it cool completely. Divide the mixture into single-serve containers and store them in the fridge for easy grab-and-go lunches throughout the week.
Slow Cooker Chicken Satay (Gluten free)
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 1 lb chicken breasts
- 1 bell pepper diced
- ½ onion diced
- ½ cup peanut butter
- ½ cup bone broth
- ¼ cup gluten free soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 lime squeezed
Toppings:
- 1 tbsp crushed peanuts
- 1 tbsp fresh herbs
- 1 tbsp lime juice
Instructions
- Prep the sauce: In your slow cooker, combine the diced bell pepper, diced onion, peanut butter, bone broth, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, hot sauce, and lime juice. Give it a good stir to make sure everything is well combined.
- Add the chicken: Place the chicken breasts on top of the sauce in your slow cooker. Try to arrange them so they’re at least partially coated in the sauce.
- Cook: Set your slow cooker to high and cook for 3 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through.
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