Lime peanut sauce stir fry

This lime peanut sauce stir fry combines a tasty, easy sauce with a quick stir fry. Here I've used chicken and a mix of vegetables, but there are so many ways to mix up this delicious, quick & easy meal.

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Chicken satay with peanut sauce is a favorite in our house but I'm afraid I'm not one of those people who cooks on the grill in the rain and snow. In fairness, it's generally my husband that does the actual grilling part in our house, but either way, I just don't feel in a grilled food mood much as it gets colder.

However we do love peanut sauce in various forms and so I recently made this lime peanut sauce stir fry to get some of those flavors without the grilling, and without the marinating. The result is a quick, delicious dish that has lots of possibilities to vary what's in there. It makes a great meal for a busy night.

Chicken satay was something I made before we went to Malaysia a couple years ago and 'chicken on a stick' was something he requested when he saw it when we were there. Mind you, I had to give it to him without the sauce as it was generally too spicy.

At home, it's the sauce he likes the most since I make it without the heat. In fairness, we all love it so I do sometimes make a variation on satay peanut sauce such as for the Thai basil meatballs with peanut basil sauce I made previously. This lime peanut sauce stir fry is inspired by that, but has more of a lime flavor (as the name suggests).

How to make this lime peanut sauce stir fry

This dish is really easy to make, with the sauce being simply a few ingredients mixed together and it can also be made ahead. For the main stir fry, I've made it here with chicken and a range of vegetables but this is a dish that has lots of possibilities. You could make it just with vegetables, or swap the chicken for pork or shrimp.

The vegetables themselves can be changed depending on your preference and what you have, although I did like the combination we had here. Mix it up and experiment! Whatever you use, you cook them up then mix through the sauce at the end.

Y

ou can serve this lime peanut sauce stir fry over rice, as we had it, or with noodles. You could also just add in enough vegetables that you don't really need anything else. However you serve it, be sure to mop up or scoop all the sauce as it is so tasty.

For something so easy to put together, it packs a great flavor punch and makes a great midweek dinner. Give it a try and you'll see what I mean.

Try these other traditional Asian and Asian-inspired meals:

• Thai red curry (great for leftovers)
• Nyonya shrimp and pineapple curry
• Thai basil pork meatballs with peanut basil sauce
• Plus get more mains recipes in the archives.

Print Recipe

5 from 4 votes

Lime peanut sauce stir fry

A limey twist on peanut sauce makes a deliciously flavorful way to dress up a simple stir fry.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time35 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian, Fusion

Servings: 2 -3

Calories: 600kcal

Author: Caroline's Cooking

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Ingredients

For the sauce

• 2 tablespoon peanut butter smooth, unsalted and unsweetened
• 2 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro coriander, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon lemongrass minced, can use pre-prepared
• 1 teaspoon garlic minced

For the stir fry (suggested)

• ½ small red onion
• 5 oz Asian eggplant 140g, aubergine
• 7 oz bok choy 200g
• 1 red pepper
• 3 oz broccoli 85g
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken 450g, thigh or breast meat
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or a little more, as needed
• 2 tablespoon peanuts approx

Instructions

• First, make the sauce by mixing together all of the sauce ingredients (peanut butter, lime juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, water, cilantro, brown sugar, fish sauce, lemongrass and garlic) until smooth. This can be done ahead and set aside/refrigerated if kept for longer.
• Prepare everything for the stir fry before you start cooking so you can add quickly - slice the onion, slice the eggplant and cut larger slices in half or smaller, as fits, to make small bite-sized pieces. Slice the bok choy and separate the stem part from the leaves. Slice the pepper and cut the broccoli in to small florets as well as chunks of stem. Cut the chicken in to thin slices or strips.
• Warm the oil in a stir fry pan or saute pan/skillet. Add the onion and cook for a minute or two then add the eggplant. Cook for a few more minutes until both are softening.
• Add the bok choy stems and red pepper and cook for a few more minutes. Add the broccoli and chicken and cook a couple minutes until chicken is cooked through. Add the bok choy leaves, stir so they wilt, then add the sauce. Cook a minute then serve, topped with the peanuts.

Nutrition

Calories: 600kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 59g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 1159mg | Potassium: 1546mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 6630IU | Vitamin C: 166.2mg | Calcium: 153mg | Iron: 3.1mg

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