READY IN 8+ hrs

Frank's Favorite Slow-Cooker Thai Chicken

Read Reviews (59)

"Chicken thighs get delish with a family-pleasing, super-easy crock pot recipe. Only one step, start in the morning, ready when you get home. Just add your favorite rice." — sweet-potato

Directions

Combine the salsa, peanut butter, coconut milk, lime juice, soy sauce, sugar, and ginger in the crock of a slow cooker; mix well. Place the chicken in the sauce, spoon mixture over chicken to coat.
Place the lid on the cooker and set to LOW. Cook until chicken is very tender and sauce has thickened, 8 to 9 hours. A meat thermometer, inserted into the thickest part of a thigh should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Garnish with peanuts and cilantro before serving.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 15 mins
COOK 8 hrs
READY IN 8 hrs 15 mins

Footnotes

Cook's Notes:
You'll never guess this is made with chicken thighs! They really taste better than using breast meat which dries out in the crock pot - and thighs are more economical.
The strength of the hot salsa dissipates when cooked, so this dish is not too spicy. You may even want to serve hot-sauce as an accompaniment. Regular coconut milk can replace the low-fat, if desired. If you don't have chunky peanut butter, use regular peanut butter.

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Apr 18, 2011

I have been on here for years and have yet to leave a rate. This recipe really deserved it. 5 stars from a very critical cook. I made a few adjustments based solely on my own personal taste, but this was 5 stars before I ever got near it. My tweaks were substituting 2 tablespoons of siracha for the 3/4 cup salsa, using creamy peanut butter, using a full can of full fat coconut milk, 3 tablespoons of soy, & leaving out the sugar. again these were tweaks to adjust to my own taste. I served a bed of fresh spinach, topped with bean sprouts, topped with Jasmine rice, then the chicken, then the sauce . . . AWESOME!

—katylester

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Oct 26, 2011

This was very bland...I followed the instructions to the letter but, I ended up adding a tablespoon of fish sauce, 3/4 cup more salsa and tripled the lime juice. I also shredded the chicken as soon as it was done and added it back to the crockpot. Shredding it and adding it back after doctoring the sauce made a big difference. The chicken absorbed sauce and made the chicken even more flavourful.

—maybaby

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78 Ratings

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Jul 05, 2011

I have to agree, I was skeptical. The only thing I did differently is I used mild salsa (because that's what I had) and I used natural peanut butter (because that's all I buy). It was good! I will definately put this in my rotation. It's not strictly Thai if you are a Thai food conniseur, but it is a really great kids-friendly recipe, especially if they are not used to the flavors. My 2 year old loved it. I love Thai food, so it was a wonderful middle ground between something I appreciate as Thai and something she will eat. Great!

—icountbeans

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Apr 15, 2011

Delicious and easy. Made only a few changes, creamy pb and whole coconut milk. A little spicy but even the 4 year old didn't mention it was too hot. Thanks Frank!

—momtohanna

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Apr 18, 2011

This was good but the peanut butter flavor seemed to get cooked out of the dish in the slow cooker. So, am going to add a little more. This also needs a little salt added to it after cooked. Other than that, this is a really good dish!

—emilyv

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Jul 01, 2011

I admit that I was skeptical about the combination of salsa and peanut butter when I first read this recipe, but it was fantastic! My changes were very minor: I used a whole can of regular coconut milk, 1 T. of ginger paste (I didn't have any fresh ginger), brown sugar in place white, about 1 T. dried cilantro mixed with the rest of the sauce and just before serving added peas. We served this over white rice and it was so delicious! My boys (4 and 6) gave it two thumbs up :) Now that's what I like to hear at dinnertime. This is a keeper!

—CKETCHAM

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Apr 21, 2011

Very good....I prepared it off of night shift this morning and woke up to it ready to feed my family. Nice and easy. Can kick it up a notch in spices if you desire. Will be added to my slow cooker fav list.

—PATTIMOM2

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Dec 06, 2011

Great dish for the amount of prep time.

—autumn

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Nutrition

Calories
562 kcal
28%

Carbohydrates
13.7 g
4%

Cholesterol
137 mg
46%

Fat
35.9 g
55%

Fiber
3.6 g
15%

Protein
47.6 g
95%

Sodium
860 mg
34%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Frank's Favorite Slow-Cooker Thai Chicken

Serving Size: 1/4 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 562
Calories from Fat: 323

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 35.9g 55 %
Saturated Fat 9.1g 45 %
Cholesterol 137mg 46 %
Sodium 860mg 34 %
** Potassium 696mg 20 %
Total Carbohydrates 13.7g 4 %
Dietary Fiber 3.6g 15 %
Protein 47.6g 95 %
Sugars 4.9g
** Vitamin A 7 %
** Vitamin C 6 %
** Calcium 6 %
** Iron 32 %
** Thiamin 22 %
** Niacin 166 %
** Vitamin B6 33 %
** Magnesium 36 %
** Folate 31 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.