I already had a satay sauce without coconut milk that is perfect, but I quickly learned that slow cookers can water down flavors. I had to test my slow cooker satay chicken a few times because one was too thin, the other didn't have enough flavour and I was unsure whether to use breasts or thighs. Finally, I came up with this one, and I've got the best tips to make it your next favourite.
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Why you'll love this recipe
Peanut. The sauce gets its richness from good-quality peanut butter similar to my satay chicken noodles. But, make sure to top it off with something sweet like my chocolate chip peanut cookies.
Dump and go. Just toss everything in and let it cook, just like my slow cooker Mexican chicken, marry me chicken orzo bake or slow cooker massaman curry.
Chicken breast recipe. A lean, budget-friendly protein that works perfectly for meal prep, much like my honey mustard chicken breast bites or chicken zucchini pasta.
Ingredients and substitutions
Chicken breast. I did try chicken thighs because a lot of recipes recommend this in the slow cooker, but I found they didn't hold onto the satay sauce as well.
The breast shredded really well after slow cooking and captured the satay sauce a lot better.
Vegetables. I always try to add in some extra veggies to make my meal preps stretch longer. I used onions, bell peppers (capsicums) and carrots, but you could really use whatever is in your fridge.
Just make sure you adjust the cooking times - for example, I only added the bell peppers in toward the end.
Peanut butter. I recommend a good quality peanut butter (one with just peanuts and salt) as this will give you the best flavour.
Soy sauce. Make sure it's all purpose (it can be low sodium). Don't use dark soy.
Chilli, garlic and ginger. Because the slow cooker dulls some of the flavour, I found the use of these ingredients absolutely critical.
I upped their use in comparison to my other satay sauce dishes.
Please check the recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantity.
How to make slow cooker satay chicken
Step 1: Sear the chicken breasts (whole) for approx. 3-4 minutes each side.
This is optional, but helps with the overall flavour.
Step 2: Add onions and carrots to the chicken.
Step 3: Add satay sauce ingredients to a jar and shake well until combined. Add into the slow cooker.
Note. It will be quite thick so you might need to pop the lid on for about 20 minutes to heat it up before mixing it all up with the ingredients. Don't stress if it isn't within 20, it can be done at any time.
Step 4: Cover and cook on LOW for 5 hours until chicken is tender and vegetables are cooked.
Step 5: With 1 hour left, shred the chicken with 2 forks then add capsicum and continue to cook for another hour.
Step 6: Cook the rice separately, then serve the satay chicken over rice, with extra sauce spooned on top.
Top Tip
Stir once heated. The satay sauce can be quite thick because you aren't adding a huge amount of liquid. If this is the case, let the slow cooker cook for at least 20 minutes and then stir to combine the sauce with the rest of the ingredients.
Recommended equipment
I have a 6L searing slow cooker which I highly recommend, but you could use any slow cooker and the searing is absolutely optional.
As you'll see from my photos below, I use souper cubes for freezing the chicken and the rice as this recipe makes a large batch.
Meal prepping slow cooker satay chicken
Meal prepping this chicken breast recipe is one of the easiest ways to have an affordable and tasty meal for your week.
Because the chicken cooks directly in the sauce, when you reheat it doesn't dry out (and actually tastes better).
Plus, this recipe makes a BIG BATCH of chicken so you'll have plenty of leftovers for the freezer (just make sure you follow my tips).
Storing
Transfer the chicken and vegetables with plenty of sauce into airtight containers. Keep rice on the opposite side of the container.
Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
The satay sauce may solidify slightly - but don't worry about this as it'll transform back when reheated.
Reheating slow cooked chicken
Add a splash of water or an icecube to the rice side of the container. Microwave on 1 minute intervals, stirring in between until heated through.
Wait to stir until after the first minute because otherwise it might be difficult.
Freezing chicken and rice
For longer storage, freeze the chicken and sauce separate from the rice to avoid moisture build-up.
I portion the satay chicken into souper cubes with lots of sauce over the chicken (this helps decrease freezer burn and keeps the texture best).
If I have leftover rice, I'll portion these into single serves into souper cubes as well. Keeping it separate will help keep it the best texture.
These will last in the freezer for 3-6 months.
If you want more meal prep information, check out my Meal Prep for Beginners post and my Meal Prep Basics E-Book.
FAQs
Jasmine rice is my go-to because its light fragrance pairs perfectly with the creamy peanut satay sauce. But other long-grain rice works well.
For an even quicker option, microwave pouches of rice work well and cut down prep time on busy nights.
No, this version gets all its creaminess from peanut butter. But you can add coconut milk if you want a richer sauce.
Onions and carrots are classic for satay chicken because they soften without turning to mush during the slow cooking time.
Other veggies like zucchini, broccoli, or green beans work well, but they're better added at a similar time to the bell peppers otherwise they'll become too soft.
Other chicken breast meal preps
Or, you can have a browse through my chicken breast meal preps for more delicious eats.
Recipe
Slow Cooker Satay Chicken with Vegetables (Meal Prep)
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 400 g (2 cups) rice, note, this will be enough for the 8 serves. Adjust if needed.
- 1 kg (2 lb) chicken breast, see note 1
- 2 brown onions
- 2 bell peppers / capsicums
- 4 carrots
- 250 g (1 cups) peanut butter, see note 2
- 60 ml (¼ cups) soy sauce, all purpose
- 15 g (1 tablespoon) crushed chilli, optional, see note 3
- 4 cloves garlic, fresh recommended, see note 4
- 10 g (3 teaspoon) ginger, fresh recommended, see note 4
Instructions
Prepare
- Slice 2 brown onions 4 carrots, 2 bell peppers / capsicums into bite sized pieces.
- Grate 4 cloves garlic and 10 g (3 teaspoon) ginger then mix with 250 g (1 cups) peanut butter, 60 ml (¼ cups) soy sauce, 15 g (1 tablespoon) crushed chilli (I add all to a jar and shake until combined)
Cook
- (optional) Sear the 1 kg (2 lb) chicken breast (whole) for approx. 3-4 minutes each side.
- Add onions, carrots and sauce to the slow cooker with the chicken. note: If the sauce is too thick to mix in, wait at least 20 minutes then stir once heated.
- Cover and cook on low for 5 hours.
- With 1 hour left, shred the chicken with 2 forks then add capsicum and continue to cook for another hour.
- About 20 minutes before serving, cook the 400 g rice separately you way or follow my tips and tricks.
- Serve the satay chicken over rice, with extra sauce spooned on top.
Tori
I made this yesterday and it was 100x better than any other slow cooker chicken satays I’ve tried! I def think the searing first helps. I didn’t have enough peanut butter (or fresh ginger) so I substituted with some with red curry paste and it was great. Will definitely try another recipe soon. Thankyou!
athletelunchbox
Hi Tori! Thank you so much for your comment! That means the world that you enjoyed it 🙂 I definitely have to try with that red curry paste substitution - it sounds like it would add such a delicious kick!!