If you like meals that feel comforting but still fresh, this Spicy Thai Peanut Chicken Bowl will probably slide straight into your regular rotation. It’s a simple bowl of jasmine rice, tender chicken, crunchy vegetables, and a creamy, spicy peanut sauce that ties everything together. Nothing fancy, nothing over the top. Just a solid, tasty Spicy Thai Peanut Chicken Bowl you can throw together on a weeknight without too much fuss.

The balance is what makes this bowl so satisfying: warm rice, juicy chicken, crisp shredded carrots, red bell pepper, and cool cucumber, all finished with a peanut sauce that’s a little salty, a little tangy, a little sweet, and as spicy as you like it. Picture setting a big bowl down on the table, sauce pooling into the rice, peanuts and cilantro on top for that final crunch and freshness. It’s the kind of meal that feels like takeout, but you made it yourself in under an hour.

Ingredients for this Spicy Thai Peanut Chicken Bowl

Here’s everything you’ll need to make one full batch of this Spicy Thai Peanut Chicken Bowl at home. It serves about four people, depending on how hungry everyone is.

For the base:

1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 cup uncooked jasmine rice, rinsed
2 cups water for cooking the rice

For the vegetables and toppings:

1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
1 cup thinly sliced cucumber
1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

For the spicy peanut sauce:

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp sriracha or other hot chili sauce
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup warm water for thinning the sauce

Once everything is chopped and measured, the recipe moves pretty quickly. If you’re cooking for guests, you can prep the vegetables and sauce ahead of time so that, when it’s dinner o’clock, you only need to cook the rice and chicken and then assemble the bowls.

Instructions

We’ll build this Spicy Thai Peanut Chicken Bowl in layers: rice, sauce, chicken, vegetables, then toppings. Take it step by step and it’s very straightforward.

Cook the jasmine rice.
Rinse the jasmine rice under cold water until the water runs mostly clear. This helps keep the grains from sticking together too much. Add the rinsed jasmine rice and the 2 cups of water to a medium saucepan and bring it to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.
Steam and rest the rice.
Once the rice is boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid, and let it simmer for about 12 to 15 minutes, until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed. When it’s done, remove the saucepan from the heat and let the rice rest, still covered, for 5 minutes. Then fluff it gently with a fork. This will be the cozy base of your Spicy Thai Peanut Chicken Bowl.
Make the spicy peanut sauce.
While the rice cooks, add the creamy peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, honey, sriracha, grated fresh ginger, minced garlic, and the warm water to a medium bowl. Whisk everything together until the sauce is smooth and creamy. If it feels too thick to drizzle, add a splash more warm water, a spoonful at a time, until it’s pourable. Set the sauce aside for a moment.
Season the chicken.
Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels so they brown better in the pan. Sprinkle the salt and black pepper evenly over the chicken and toss to coat. This small step makes a big difference in flavor.
Cook the chicken.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the seasoned chicken in an even layer. Let it cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pieces are lightly browned on the outside and cooked through in the center. You want them juicy, not dry, so don’t walk too far away from the stove here.
Coat the chicken in sauce.
Reduce the heat to medium and pour about half of the peanut sauce over the cooked chicken in the skillet. Stir well so every piece is coated. Let it warm through for 1 to 2 minutes, just until the sauce clings nicely to the chicken. Take the skillet off the heat and set it aside. Keep the remaining sauce for drizzling over the finished bowls.
Prepare the vegetables.
While the chicken rests, make sure your vegetables are ready to go. Place the shredded carrots, thinly sliced red bell pepper, and thinly sliced cucumber in separate small bowls. Having them prepped and separated makes it easy to build each Spicy Thai Peanut Chicken Bowl just the way you like it.
Assemble the bowls.
Divide the warm jasmine rice evenly among four serving bowls. Top each bowl of rice with a portion of the peanut-coated chicken, arranging it slightly to one side. Add small piles of shredded carrots, red bell pepper, and cucumber around the chicken. This way, every bite can be a little different.
Finish with sauce and toppings.
Drizzle some of the remaining peanut sauce over the vegetables and chicken in each bowl. Finally, sprinkle each bowl with chopped roasted peanuts and chopped fresh cilantro. The peanuts add a satisfying crunch, and the cilantro brings a fresh, herbal note that lightens everything up.

Take a second to admire your work, then grab a fork and mix things together as much or as little as you like. The first bite, with warm rice, saucy chicken, and crisp vegetables, is usually the one that makes everyone go quiet for a moment.

Cook and Prep Times

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: About 40 minutes
Servings: 4 bowls

Nutritional information

Nutritional values will vary a bit depending on the exact brands you use and how generous you are with the sauce, but here is an approximate breakdown per serving of this Spicy Thai Peanut Chicken Bowl:

Calories: 620 kcal
Carbohydrates: 53g
Protein: 36g
Fat: 27g
Saturated fat: 5g
Sodium: 980mg
Fiber: 4g
Sugar: 11g

It’s a fairly balanced bowl: good protein from the chicken and peanut butter, carbohydrates from the jasmine rice and vegetables, and healthy fats from the peanuts and sauce. If you want to lighten it up a bit, you can use a slightly smaller scoop of rice and a little less peanut sauce, but keep the vegetables nice and generous.

Frequently asked questions

Can I adjust the spiciness of this Spicy Thai Peanut Chicken Bowl?

Yes, easily. The heat in this Spicy Thai Peanut Chicken Bowl comes mainly from the sriracha in the peanut sauce. If you prefer a milder bowl, simply use less sriracha or even start with a small teaspoon and taste as you go. For more heat, you can add an extra squeeze of sriracha to the sauce or drizzle a little on top of your finished bowl. Since the spice is in the sauce, you have full control over how fiery things get.

Can I make this recipe ahead of time for meal prep?

You can. For meal prep, cook the jasmine rice, chicken, and peanut sauce as directed, and let everything cool slightly. Divide the rice and chicken into containers, then add the shredded carrots, red bell pepper, and cucumber on top. Keep the chopped roasted peanuts, cilantro, and a bit of the peanut sauce in separate small containers if possible, so they stay fresh and crunchy. When you’re ready to eat, reheat the rice and chicken until warm, then add the sauce, peanuts, and cilantro just before serving.

What can I use instead of jasmine rice in this bowl?

If you don’t have jasmine rice on hand, you can still enjoy this Spicy Thai Peanut Chicken Bowl with what you’ve got. Any cooked rice will work, such as regular long-grain white rice or brown rice. Just follow the same instructions for assembly, using your cooked rice as the base. The main flavors here come from the chicken, vegetables, and spicy peanut sauce, so the bowl will still taste great even with a different type of rice.

Once you’ve made this Spicy Thai Peanut Chicken Bowl once or twice, it starts to feel like second nature. A bit of chopping, a quick sauce, some sizzling chicken, and you’ve got a colorful, comforting dinner in a single bowl.