Peanut Chicken Bowls
with Garlicky Quinoa & Smashed Cucumbers
- Fish
- Soy
- Wheat
- Peanuts
Peanut butter and jelly. Apples with peanut butter. Peanut butter-stuffed celery. There are some nutty pairings that just seem to work perfectly together. Chicken and peanut butter may seem like an unlikely combo, but it steals the show tonight: Chicken is simmered in a sweet and spicy peanut sauce, then served with garlicky quinoa and smashed cucumbers that give this bowl a hearty, spicy, and juicy finish. We’ll never call you nutty for licking this bowl clean.
Ingredients
24 milliliters
Ponzu Sauce
(Contains: Fish, Soy, Wheat)
½ cup
Quinoa
10 ounce
Chopped Chicken Breast
1 ounce
Sweet Thai Chili Sauce
1 unit
Chicken Stock Concentrate
2 clove
Garlic
1 teaspoon
Korean Chili Flakes
2 unit
Mini Cucumber
1 unit
Peanut Butter
(Contains: Peanuts)
1 unit
Lime
¼ ounce
Cilantro
Not included in your delivery
teaspoon (tsp)
Salt
2 teaspoon (tsp)
Sugar
2 teaspoon (tsp)
Cooking Oil
teaspoon (tsp)
Black Pepper
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• Wash and dry all produce. • Peel and mince garlic; reserve ¼ tsp (½ tsp for 4 servings) for step 3. • Heat a drizzle of oil in a small pot over medium-high heat. Add remaining garlic; cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. • Stir in 1 cup water (2 cups for 4), stock concentrate, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then add quinoa; cover and reduce to a low simmer. Cook until quinoa is tender and liquid has evaporated, 15-20 minutes. • Keep covered off heat until ready to serve.
• While quinoa cooks, roughly chop cilantro. Zest and quarter lime (for 4 servings, zest one lime and quarter both). • Halve cucumbers lengthwise. Place under a plate; press down until cucumbers break open. Chop into 1-inch pieces.
• In a medium bowl, combine reserved garlic, half the cilantro, 1 packet ponzu (2 packets for 4 servings), 1 tsp sugar (2 tsp for 4), a big squeeze of lime juice, and a pinch of lime zest to taste (save a bit for stirring into quinoa). (You’ll use the remaining ponzu in the next step.) Add cucumbers; toss to coat. Season with salt, pepper, and chili flakes to taste.
• In a large bowl, whisk together chili sauce, half the peanut butter (use the rest as you like), remaining ponzu, juice from remaining lime, and 1 tsp sugar (2 tsp for 4 servings). Season with salt to taste. TIP: If you like things really nutty, add additional peanut butter to taste. Stir in a splash of water if too thick.
• Pat chicken* dry with paper towels. • Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is browned and cooked through, 4-6 minutes. Turn off heat. • Stir chicken into bowl with peanut sauce until thoroughly coated. If needed, stir in a splash of water.
• Fluff quinoa with a fork; season with salt and stir in remaining lime zest to taste. TIP: For a richer flavor, add 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4 servings). • Divide between bowls and top with peanut chicken and smashed cucumbers. Garnish with remaining cilantro and serve.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Dec 2025- Flavor: Many loved the peanut sauce, finding it deliciously balanced between sweet and spicy 🌶️.
- Ease of prep: Some found it quick and simple to make, while others felt it had many steps and dishes to clean.
- Suggestions: Consider using rice instead of quinoa; add extra peanut butter for stronger flavor.
- Portions: Several customers wished for larger portions, especially more chicken and vegetables.
- Texture: The chicken "strips" were often too small or inconsistent; whole breasts to cut up would be preferred.
Reviews from our home cooks
Our fam has never been a fan of quinoa. It was lite, flavorful and a perfect add to the amazing chicken. Smashed cucumbers made it even tastier on a warm summer night. We all agreed a few tossed peanuts would have made a great addition. 5 out of 5!
This was soooo gooood! The quinoa was the perfect amount and so filling. The korean chili flakes on the cucumber had a little kick but also reminded me of tajin (which i loved) and the peanut sauce on the chicken was fire. So many delicious flavors in one bowl, definitely ordering this recipe again.
Great flavors, but needed onion, so I added scallions to the smashed cukes and quinoa. The spicy peanut sauce came out really tasty, especially using the whole packet of peanut butter. Quinoa did seem a little less than usual though.
The complex flavors in the peanut sauce melded together so well, and the leftovers were just as good. I enjoyed the different textures (the quinoa is such a nice alternative to rice) and loved the bright pop of flavor the cucumbers had. This may have been my favorite recipe so far.
Peanuts make this like a Thai dish, and I welcome the added flavor to chicken (though I like them with beef and pork and seafood in Thai cuisine). The smashed cucumbers were sensational, gave such freshness to the dish, like salsa does for Mexican food. I may try this elsewhere because I favor cucumbers and other types of squash over zucchini - but it never occurred to me to leave them uncooked or lightly steamed to keep the crunch. Great idea!
This was an excellent meal and a big hit. The only thing I might do different is add a splash of vinegar to the cucumber marinade to give it some contrast and balance the richness of the peanut chicken.
The smashed cucumber salad paired beautifully will the peanut chicken, and the lime gave everything an acidic pop of flavor that brought the meal together.
Amazing and fresh taste. The quinoa was a perfect texture with the heavier chicken and peanut sauce. Lime zest and cilantro are always great flavors to round out dishes. Disappointed when it was gone.
Love the quinoa, and the smashed cucumbers were really good. Felt that the peanut butter was too peanut buttery on the chicken.
Super easy prep and so much yummy flavor. Loved the peanut sauce and the smashed cucumbers were so good!
