Spicy Shredded Chicken with Almond Butter Sauce

I’ve strayed away from my almond-butter-obsessed ways.

Its replacement: Sunbutter.

Nut butters

It all started when I realized that Liv wanted to eat everything I was eating, and I waited a while before introducing almonds to her. (Sunflower seeds are not a highly allergenic food.) It didn’t seem fair to be shoveling almond butter in my face all the livelong day when she couldn’t have a bite. Now that she eats pretty much everything, we’re still Sunbutter obsessed. It’s been a nice change since I kind of overdid it on the AB. I’m pretty sure I burned out from jars and jars of almond butter, year after year.

Sunflower

Also, I realized that many times I was eating it, I was bored and just felt like snacking on something, and now that I have Liviโ€ฆ well, I’m definitely never bored ๐Ÿ˜‰

So even though I’m not going through a jar a week anymore -we go through a lot of Sunbutter now- I still love almond butter as an accompaniment. It’s no longer the star of the show, but rather a fun nutty addition to snacks and recipes.

Like this chicken.

Spicy Almond Butter Chicken

thai chicken

We’ve been in a chicken rut lately, while I love the convenience of crockpot chicken, we tend to do the same things over and over. I was trying to think of a new sauce or flavor profile to try, and my beloved spicy almond butter sauce came to mind. It was a wise choice, indeed.

spicy almond butter sauce

To get in some extra veggies, I added chopped fresh green beans and carrots to the mix, and served it along with quinoa for dinner.

This afternoon, it was an absolutely fantastic snack wrapped in rice paper with lettuce, basil, lime juice and sriracha. 

Spicy almond butter chicken rolls

(Pay no attention to that sad roll in the back)

It will be fun option to add to salads and wraps this week!

Here’s how you can make it at home too:

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Spicy Shredded Chicken with Almond Butter Sauce

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A nutty twist on classic slow-cooked chicken

  • Prep Time: 15
  • Total Time: 240

Ingredients

Scale

For the slow cooker

  • 2 large chicken breasts
  • 3 carrots, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 pound of green beans, trimmed and chopped
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • Salt and pepper
  • 3 cloves of minced garlic

For the sauce

  • 1/2 cup almond butter
  • 1/3 C almond milk (or milk of choice)
  • 1 tablespoon Tamari or soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon of honey
  • Splash of sriracha
  • Salt, pepper and garlic powder

Instructions

  1. In the slow cooker, add the chicken, garlic, broth, carrots and green beans
  2. Top with broth (make sure there’s enough to go halfway up the chicken) and season liberally with salt and pepper
  3. Set to low for 4-6 hours
  4. When chicken is finished, use a fork to shred the meat and then make the almond butter sauce by whisking all ingredients in a bowl until smooth
  5. Top the chicken and veggies with almond butter sauce and stir to coat
  6. Enjoy atop brown rice or quinoa for a savory and satisfying dinner!

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 3

I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Have a great day <3

xoxo

Gina

 

 

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57 Comments

  1. Ali @ Peaches and Football on August 20, 2013 at 5:31 pm

    chicken with an almond butter sauce? sounds fabulous!

    I’ve seen a LOT of people eating sunflower butter but I’ve never tried it. Is it pretty similar in nutrition and taste to AB?

    • Caitlyn@HolisticSimplicity on August 20, 2013 at 5:38 pm

      It is similar in nutrition, though AB tends to run higher in fats (not by much though). The taste is quite a bit different. I prefer sunflower seed butter

  2. Kristi on August 20, 2013 at 5:32 pm

    yum! this looks awesome ๐Ÿ™‚

  3. nicola on August 20, 2013 at 5:52 pm

    How were you able to get the Yumprint recipe onto your blog?? That is a great idea and a great recipe!!

    • Fitnessista on August 20, 2013 at 10:38 pm

      it’s a recipe card plugin

  4. Elizabeth on August 20, 2013 at 5:59 pm

    I love the new recipe layout. Very easy to read & it looks nice.

  5. Alison @ Daily Moves and Grooves on August 20, 2013 at 6:16 pm

    Yum! I’ve always wanted to make a homemade savory sauce using some kind of nut or seed butter. I haven’t had almond butter in a longggg time, but I have had lots of sunbutter and peanut butter for sure.
    This looks delicious and simple–my kinda meal!

  6. Alisha @ Alisha's appetite on August 20, 2013 at 6:20 pm

    I recently switched from almond butter to sunbutter too! Mostly to mix it up, but it’s also less expensive than almond butter. I really like the taste of sun and how runny/drippy it is!

  7. Jackie on August 20, 2013 at 6:23 pm

    Yum thanks Gina!

  8. Sara @ LovingOnTheRun on August 20, 2013 at 6:30 pm

    Chicken and almond butter sounds like an amazing combination! Looks delicious as well! ๐Ÿ™‚

  9. Jillienne@ChasingRaspberries on August 20, 2013 at 7:19 pm

    I love peanut sauce on chicken but I never would have thought to use almond butter! Recipe looks amazing!

  10. Kaila @healthyhelperblog! on August 20, 2013 at 7:20 pm

    What plugin do you use for your recipes?! Looks cool!

    • Fitnessista on August 20, 2013 at 10:36 pm

      recipe card!

  11. Christina @ The Beautiful Balance on August 20, 2013 at 7:37 pm

    Mmm, sunbutter is THEE best nut butter in my mind! I don’t think I’ll ever go back ๐Ÿ™‚

  12. Paige@FitNotFad on August 20, 2013 at 8:09 pm

    LOVE sun butter! So delicious and you’re right, definitely a nice mix up from almond or peanut butter. (Do other people still eat peanut butter? I feel like almond butter has taken over but I still love me some PB). That chicken looks fantastic! Will definitely be trying it out soon!

    • JennP on August 20, 2013 at 8:21 pm

      I still eat PB! I’ve tried to get into AB, but frankly, I just don’t like the taste of almonds ๐Ÿ™ I can do unsweetened almond milk in smoothies and shakes, but that’s only because the taste is masked by the other ingredients. If I were to make this sauce, I’d use peanut for sure!

  13. Kristina g. on August 20, 2013 at 8:52 pm

    have you heard of “cracked butter”

    so good its like crack. lol

    nut butters with why protein.
    check out their site. im obsessed with the chocolate chip cookie dough one.

    crackedbutter.com

    kristina

    • Fitnessista on August 20, 2013 at 10:36 pm

      i’ll look at it now!

      • Kristina on August 21, 2013 at 5:29 pm

        yay! they are fab!

  14. FitBritt@MyOwnBalance on August 20, 2013 at 9:22 pm

    Another great recipe Gina! I was actually looking for rice paper in the grocery store today and couldn’t find any. Boo. I’ve never tried sunbutter. I’m just getting on board with the almond butter and cashew butter craze.

    • Fitnessista on August 20, 2013 at 10:37 pm

      loooove cashew butter!
      send me an email if you want to try out soli beat before it comes out ๐Ÿ™‚

  15. Diana on August 20, 2013 at 9:23 pm

    I’ve never had sunbutter. But I think ill have to add it to my foods to try list

  16. Sarah on August 20, 2013 at 9:25 pm

    Describe the taste of sunflower butter, I’ve never eaten it. I do like almond butter though.

    • Fitnessista on August 20, 2013 at 10:36 pm

      it’s sweet because most have some sugar added and a thinner texture than peanut butter.

  17. Brittany on August 20, 2013 at 9:26 pm

    Can I just live in your kitchen? I don’t care about the rest of the house (though in pictures it looks really beautiful and I’m sure it’s even better in person)I just want to live in your kitchen and smell the amazing smells and eat the delicious food! I will be your kitchen troll! Pretty please with almond butter on top?!

    • Fitnessista on August 20, 2013 at 10:36 pm

      hahaah i love it

  18. Laura on August 20, 2013 at 9:28 pm

    I love rice wraps, but I rarely buy them and they seem like a nice change to other wraps.
    I just made stuffed chicken with spinach, garlic, nutmeg, and goat cheese to change things up.
    Also, there’s a great mango Thai chicken recipe on Paleomg

    • Fitnessista on August 20, 2013 at 10:35 pm

      ohhh i’ll check it out! i love stuffed chicken, too- thanks for reminding me ๐Ÿ™‚

  19. Ali on August 20, 2013 at 9:47 pm

    I’m that person who can eat the same same thing constantly for months on end and then I burn out and can’t look at that food. That’s what happened to me and sunbutter about a year ago! I can’t even think about it much less smell it! I forced down the last bit of the jar I had because I didn’t want to waste is but…blech. Sadly, I can’t do almond butter due to allergies but PB and homemade cashew butter have a permanent spot in my pantry! ๐Ÿ˜€

    • Fitnessista on August 20, 2013 at 10:34 pm

      that’s what i do, too! when i find something i love, i overdose on it and then don’t want it again for a loooong time

  20. Maria@TheBrooklynFig on August 20, 2013 at 10:02 pm

    Wow what store is that picture taken in? I’ve never seen so much Justins or PB&Co…I need those options!! The supermarket near me sells no PB&Co and only one Justins in the squeezable pouch.

    • Fitnessista on August 20, 2013 at 10:14 pm

      whole foods! ours has an entire nut butter wall… it’s glorious

  21. aneessa on August 20, 2013 at 10:15 pm

    LOVE the yumprint addition! i had never heard of it before, but now i’m signed up and excited to easily save your recipes. thanks girl!

    • Fitnessista on August 20, 2013 at 10:33 pm

      wahoo! ๐Ÿ™‚

  22. RachelG on August 20, 2013 at 10:30 pm

    I was just thinking to myself today that I’ve been paying an awful lot of attention to the sunflower seed butter jar and I miss that rich, nutty almond butter flavor! Umm, Gina please get my out my head/mental dream journal!! lol! Can’t wait to try this sauce after my belated bday massage later this week. ๐Ÿ™‚

  23. Giselle@myhealthyhappyhome on August 21, 2013 at 12:26 am

    Oohh, these look so good! I love spring rolls and have the rice papers but just always forget to make them.

  24. glidingcalm on August 21, 2013 at 1:25 am

    i love me a nutty sauce! Those sound like amazing wraps!

  25. STUFT Mama on August 21, 2013 at 1:45 am

    Oh my goodness, I am so making these. I gotta find my darn crock pot. Ha ha. ๐Ÿ™‚

  26. Aqilah on August 21, 2013 at 4:53 am

    I just found out how AMAZING almond butter is a few days ago, and now sunbutter?! Get out! That looks so good! Hahaha.

  27. Lisa on August 21, 2013 at 5:25 am

    Oohh, this sounds delicious!!!! ๐Ÿ™‚

  28. Ksenija @ Health Ninja on August 21, 2013 at 6:08 am

    Gosh, I am totally on a chicken rut too and I do also love Thai Spring Rolls. This combination sounds awesome!

  29. Racheal @ Running with Racheal on August 21, 2013 at 6:47 am

    Wow Gina, that sounds delicious. Thanks for adding to my crockpot chicken arsenal! Putting it on the dinner menu for next week. ๐Ÿ™‚

  30. Kelster on August 21, 2013 at 7:04 am

    I made something similar for dinner on Sunday. But I used peanut butter and cooked it in the sauce. In the slow cooker too.

    • Fitnessista on August 21, 2013 at 10:32 am

      it didn’t dry out? i wasn’t sure if cooking it the sauce would give the nut butter a weird texture

  31. Holly @ EatGreatBEGreat on August 21, 2013 at 7:11 am

    I LOVE the slow cooker!! We use it all the time!! Oh, these chicken sounds amazing! I love the addition of almond butter. I’m totally pinning this!

  32. V on August 21, 2013 at 8:11 am

    I’m loving the almond sauce and sriracha combination for the spring rolls.

  33. Katie @ running4cupcakes on August 21, 2013 at 9:29 am

    That first picture of the whole section of nut butters made me smile. Love that part of the grocery store. That area and then the chocolate bar section. ๐Ÿ˜‰

  34. Heather on August 21, 2013 at 10:12 am

    I’m not a huge fan of sunbutter- the sugar in it is too much for me and the kids. Of course my kids beg for it because they love sweet stuff but I wasn’t cool with the amount of sugar in the TJ’s version.

  35. Liesl @ Fitnessinthekitchen on August 21, 2013 at 11:44 am

    Looks yummy! I still love my almond butter, but am loving some homemade sunflower butter recently with coconut oil!

  36. Anna @ Fitness ร  la Anna on August 21, 2013 at 1:00 pm

    I have been feeling like I’m in a bit of a chicken rut as well, this should jazz up my dinners this week! Also, I totally agree that the new recipe card is gorg!

  37. cathy on August 21, 2013 at 4:20 pm

    Could you substitute hot (wing) sauce for the siracha? Or is the flavor profile too different?

    • Fitnessista on August 21, 2013 at 4:40 pm

      i think it would be fine!

  38. LisaG on August 21, 2013 at 5:04 pm

    Yum love this flavor combo. I get bored with the same ole- same ole too!
    Just saw the below recipe for a good idea:

    http://iowagirleats.com/2013/08/20/crock-pot-roast-chicken/#comments

  39. Liz @lizziefit_ on August 22, 2013 at 9:36 pm

    I have to say… I am mega-jealous of that nut butter wall. Atlantic Canadian are lucky to see 1/4 of that selection ๐Ÿ™ BUT we do have Sunbutter! I might have to try it ๐Ÿ™‚

  40. Stephanie on August 24, 2013 at 7:43 am

    I’ve never thought about putting almond butter in a chicken recipe before! I will definitely be trying it out because it looks delicious!

  41. Racheal @ Running with Racheal on August 28, 2013 at 7:33 am

    I made this last night for dinner. Oh my – I wanted to swim in that sauce! I am going to try it on grilled chicken next. Thanks Gina for another amazing recipe!

    • Fitnessista on August 28, 2013 at 10:53 am

      awesome- so happy you liked it!

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