Alex Guarnaschelli's Chicken Stir Fry With Spicy Peanut Sauce Recipe

Of all the dinners that you could whip up on a busy weeknight, stir fry is no doubt one of the tastiest options. A traditional stir fry usually has three components: a protein, vegetables, and some sort of sauce. With these components in mind, it's easy to get creative with stir fry, and over the years, some truly mouthwatering recipes have become absolute cooking staples. One of those recipes is none other than Alex Guarnaschelli's chicken stir fry with spicy peanut sauce — if you've ever had this recipe or something similar, you know just how delicious it is!

Recipe developer and dietician Jaime Bachtell-Shelbert from Wholly Nourished has crafted a recipe that's just as good as Guarnaschelli's but has a few exciting twists, including the fact that you make it in an Instant Pot. "This chicken stir fry is a quick, easy weeknight meal," Bachtell-Shelbert says of this stir fry recipe. "I love that it can be cooked in the Instant Pot and that it is easily customizable with whatever veggies you have on hand." It's no secret that Alex Guarnaschelli has some of the best recipes out there, and thanks to Bachtell-Shelbert's twist, this chicken stir fry with spicy peanut sauce is truly elevated — keep reading to learn how to make it. 

You may have to make a run to the grocery store to get the ingredients to make this recipe, but we are certain that it will be worth your time! You'll need chicken, smooth peanut butter, low-sodium soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, honey, hot sauce, sesame oil, grated ginger, minced garlic, canola oil, red pepper flakes, radishes, a red bell pepper, frozen peas, a lime, and optional fresh cilantro as garnish. Bachtell-Shelbert notes that this dish pairs best with rice or udon noodles, so you may want to prepare one of those as well for serving. 

One of the most important components of a stir fry is the sauce, and this recipe is no exception. So, you'll start by preparing your spicy peanut sauce. In a bowl, add the peanut butter, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, honey, hot sauce, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic. Whisk these ingredients until they're evenly combined and nice and smooth, as shown in the picture. Note that if you don't want your stir fry to be quite as spicy, you can customize that factor in this step by adding less hot sauce into the mix. Of course, you can also add more if you like it extra spicy!

Now that you have the spicy peanut sauce prepared, you can begin actually cooking the stir fry. Start by grabbing your Instant Pot and setting it to sauté mode. Add the canola oil in, and then layer the chicken in a single layer. Season your chicken with salt and red pepper flakes, and then allow the tenders to cook in the Instant Pot for two to three minutes. Then, flip the chicken tenders, add in the red bell pepper strips, and cook for another minute. Finally, pour in the spicy peanut sauce, place the lid on the Instant Pot, and set the valve to "sealing." Then, set the Instant Pot to pressure cook for eight minutes.

After your stir fry has cooked in the Instant Pot for eight minutes, carefully turn the valve to "venting" to do a pressure release. Take off the lid, and then stir in the frozen peas and coconut milk. Additionally, add in both the juice and zest from the lime, then stir everything together. Once you've thoroughly mixed the stir fry together, you're ready to plate with rice, udon noodles, or simply alone. Top with optional fresh cilantro, and you're ready to enjoy this incredibly easy chicken stir fry recipe.

So, how does Bachtell-Shelbert's recipe differ from Guarnaschelli's? If you've made Guarnaschelli's recipe before, then you'll know that she prepares the stir fry in a skillet over the stovetop. Bachtell-Shelbert's recipe, on the other hand, comes together in the Instant Pot, adding a wonderful level of simplicity.

Also, Guarnaschelli's recipe does not call for coconut milk or cilantro, but Bachtell-Shelbert's does. By adding the coconut milk, you get an almost curry-like dish, as well as a little extra sweetness and creaminess. Both recipes will have that delicious spicy peanut sauce, vegetables, and chicken, but Bachtell-Shelbert's rendition really takes things up a notch with the irresistible addition of coconut milk!