Keto Thai Spicy Peanut Chicken With Asian Slaw
⏲ ~24 min total · prep 17 · cook 7 · 4 servings
Lunch⏱ 25 min total🔥 4.1g net carbs⚡ ≈622 kcal/serving~11% of calories from carbs
By the KFI Test Kitchen · Tested & approved by Jason Lieu, KFI recipe editor
Published Sep 15, 2026 · Updated Sep 15, 2026
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, sliced thin across the grain
- 1/3 cup natural unsweetened peanut butter
- 3 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 1 garlic clove, finely grated
- 1-2 tsp sriracha
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1/4 head green cabbage, cored and shredded thin (about 5 cups)
- 2 cups shredded red cabbage
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar plus 1 tbsp avocado oil, for the slaw
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro and 2 tbsp crushed roasted peanuts, to finish
Instructions
- Whisk the peanut butter, tamari, lime juice, ginger, garlic, sriracha, and 3 tbsp hot water in a small bowl until the sauce is smooth and pourable.
- Toss both cabbages with the rice vinegar, avocado oil, and a big pinch of salt in a large bowl; set aside 10 minutes to soften and drain off excess liquid.
- Heat 1 tbsp avocado oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat until it just smokes, then add the chicken in one layer.
- Stir-fry 5-6 minutes, tossing only twice, until the chicken is browned at the edges and no pink remains.
- Pour in the peanut sauce and toss 1-2 minutes more, until it bubbles, thickens slightly, and glosses every piece.
- Pile the slaw on plates, spoon the saucy chicken over the top, and finish with cilantro, crushed peanuts, and an extra squeeze of lime.
Why this recipe works
- Thin slices, fast pan Slicing the thighs thin across the grain means 5 to 6 minutes of stir-frying finishes them. No pink, no drying out, no hovering over the pan.
- Slaw salted on purpose Ten minutes with rice vinegar, oil, and salt softens the cabbage and pulls the excess water out. Unsalted raw cabbage stays stiff and floods the plate later.
- Sauce thinned with hot water Three tablespoons of hot water turn unsweetened peanut butter into something pourable that glosses every slice. Thick sauce clumps instead of coating.
Tips for making this recipe well
Buy natural peanut butter
The unsweetened kind is what the sauce is built on. Sweetened brands tip the flavor toward candy and add sugar the label does not need.
Toss only twice
High heat with two tosses in 5 to 6 minutes browns the chicken properly. Constant stirring drops the pan temperature and steams the meat gray.
Wait for the bubble
The sauce needs 1 to 2 minutes in the pan until it bubbles and thickens slightly. Sauce poured over at the table never reaches that gloss.
Set the heat to taste
The sriracha range is 1 to 2 teaspoons. Blend the sauce, taste it, and adjust before the pan ever gets involved.
Slice the cabbage thin
Core both heads and cut ribbons thin enough to twirl on a fork. Thick rib pieces stay raw-tasting even after the 10-minute salt rest.
Serving suggestions
Pile the drained slaw on plates and spoon the chicken and its sauce over the top while everything is still glossy. Cilantro and crushed peanuts go on last, with an extra squeeze of lime over it all. A plate runs 4.1 net carbs. The cool slaw under the hot peanut chicken is the whole appeal, so keep them separate until serving, and the peanuts stay crunchy exactly as long as the plate sits still.
Storage and meal prep
Store the chicken and the slaw in separate containers; the chicken keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge and the slaw is best within a day before it softens too far. Reheat the chicken in a skillet with a splash of water, since the peanut sauce seizes as it chills. The crushed peanuts wait in a jar at room temperature and go on fresh each time. Cilantro wilts, so add it cold at serving.
Variations worth trying
- Milder Use 1 teaspoon of sriracha and taste the sauce. The lime and the ginger still read clearly.
- Almond butter version Unsweetened almond butter swaps in for the peanut butter. Thin it the same way with hot water.
- Extra lime A third tablespoon of lime juice brightens the sauce considerably. Worth it if your limes run small.
- All green cabbage Skip the red cabbage and use all green. The plate loses color contrast and nothing else.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my peanut sauce thick?
Natural unsweetened peanut butter is dense by design. Whisk in more hot water a tablespoon at a time until the sauce pours.
Can I use crunchy peanut butter?
The recipe is written for smooth natural peanut butter. Crunchy works if it is unsweetened; expect nut fragments through the sauce, which plenty of people like.
How do I know the chicken is done?
Thin slices across the grain cook through in 5 to 6 minutes at high heat. Check the thickest piece; no pink should remain.
Why rest the slaw for 10 minutes?
Salt and rice vinegar draw out water and soften the ribbons. Skipping the rest leaves stiff cabbage and a puddle under the chicken later.
Does this work for meal prep?
Yes, with the parts stored separately. The chicken keeps 3 to 4 days, the slaw holds up for a day before it softens too far, and the peanuts go on fresh.
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