​Instant Pot Peanut Butter Chicken

Don't have to twist my arm to try anything with peanut butter! This was delicious and super simple to make in either the Instant Pot or slow cooker. Also, to make this vegan-friendly you can use chickpeas instead. My only note for this recipe is if you coat the chicken in arrowroot flour then I'd opt to brown the chicken on the stovetop instead of the Instant Pot on sauté function. I did a few batches of browning the chicken since I increased the serving size, but my Instant Pot was coated in burnt arrowroot flour by the end and very difficult to clean before I was able to finish cooking. Not sure if I needed a lot more oil or what, but that was something I do not want to mess with again! I used boneless chicken breasts this time and am already planning to try it with chicken thighs next time around. This one was a winner!

​​Instant Pot Peanut Butter Chicken
Ingredients:
Chicken Marinade

• 1.5 lbs chicken breast or thighs
• 3 tbsp coconut aminos
• 2 tbsp arrowroot starch (optional *)
• Salt to taste

Sauce

• 1 cup full-fat coconut milk (cream and liquid divided) - 13.5 oz
• 1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened peanut butter
• 1 pinch of red pepper flakes
• 2 - 3 tbsp coconut aminos
• Additional Salt to taste *
• 1 clove of garlic (minced)
• 2 tbsp avocado oil
• 1/4 cup onion (chopped)​

Directions:

1. Cut the chicken into cubes. In a big Ziploc bag or medium bowl, marinate the chicken with coconut amino, salt * and arrowroot flour (if using any) for at least 20 minutes. Make sure the chicken is completely coated.
2. Using "saute" mode, heat up 1 - 2 tbsp oil in an instant pot. Add onion and garlic, saute until fragrant.
3. Add Chicken cubes (add more oil if needed). Flip a couple of times until the chicken is slightly browned on the outside. Stir in the rest of the ingredients. Use all of the top cream part of the coconut milk (roughly 1/2 cup) along with 1/2 cup of the liquid on the bottom.
4. Make sure the chicken is evenly coated.
5. Cover set the valve to “sealing” and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
6. Once done, release. Serve with rice, your favorite vegetables and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro.

Notes

• *Coconut amino itself is salty, so take that into consideration when you salt the chicken.
• **If you don't have arrowroot flour, you can omit it. I love using arrowroot flour to help lock the juice in and make the chicken extra moist.
• For Crockpot and Stovetop Instruction, check out the "What if I don't have an Instant Pot" section in the link below. 
• You can use 1 to 1 1/2 can of chickpea instead of chicken to make this recipe vegan-friendly.

Original recipe found here