How to make chicken stir-fry with sweet Thai peanut sauce for an easy dinner

For a long time, I swore off making stir fry. There were too many ingredients, too much prep, too many pots and pans required, and the cleanup was simply not worth the meal.

At least, that was the case until I started using shortcuts.

There are some that might say using shortcuts in cooking is cheating. I disagree. We’re all busy. Sometimes we don’t have time to spend an extra half-hour chopping vegetables or doing prep work. Sometimes the store doesn’t have the ingredients we’re looking for. If there’s an easier route, I’ll likely take it, especially after a long day at the office.

Grabbing stir fry kits from my grocery store has made my stir fry experience so much easier. Why hunch over my cutting board when all I have to do is pour a bag of ready-to-go veggies into a skillet with a bit of oil and sauté them? It’s a time saver that allows me to truly savor the meal. Of course, if you have the time to prepare vegetables ahead of time, feel free to use them. Most of the time, they come with a sauce packet, but I prefer to make my own. I just wanted to suggest this alternative for folks like me who have zero time, zero patience and zero counter space.

While the vegetables are sautéing, I prepare a peanut sauce. Peanut sauces have been historically tricky for me. There’s a fine line between making a tangy, well-balanced Asian sauce and overpowering it with peanut butter. For this sauce, I whisk together creamy peanut butter, garlic and soy sauce and grate fresh ginger.

Stir fry is a great way to use any leftover proteins, veggies and starches. Use rice or noodles as a base, or just veggies and protein for a lighter dish.

Eat this with chopsticks to feel 10 times more fancy and sophisticated, or with a fork like the rest of us and feel proud that you added an easy and healthy recipe to your arsenal.

This story was originally published August 14, 2023 at 5:57 PM.