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Spicy Peanut Chicken Farro Bowls

By Matthew Fairman

Published on June 12, 2025

Time

30 minutes

Yield

Serves 4

Spicy Peanut Chicken Farro Bowls

Ingredients

Spicy Peanut Sauce

½ cup creamy peanut butter 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons chili crisp, plus extra for serving2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar 1 tablespoon sugar 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil ½ cup hot water, plus extra as needed

Celery-Carrot Slaw

2 celery ribs, sliced thin on bias1 cup shredded carrots ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped coarse2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil ½ teaspoon table salt

Bowl

3½ cups cooked farro, room temperature2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken 1 cup frozen edamame (about 6 ounces), thawed and patted dry⅔ cup dry-roasted peanuts, chopped½ cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped coarseLime wedges

Before You Begin

We developed this recipe with Laoganma Spicy Chili Crisp, but you can use whatever brand or homemade version you prefer. We like the convenience of bagged shredded carrots in this recipe, but you can also peel and shred your own. You can substitute other grains for the farro; see “An Easy Way to Cook Grains.”

Instructions

    for the spicy peanut sauce

  1. Whisk ½ cup creamy peanut butter, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons chili crisp, 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil in bowl until combined. Add ½ cup hot water and whisk until smooth. Add additional hot water as needed, 1 tablespoon at a time, until sauce has consistency of heavy cream. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week; add hot water as needed to loosen before serving.)
  2. for the celery-carrot slaw

  3. Toss 2 thinly sliced celery ribs, 1 cup shredded carrots, ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, 2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar, 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, and ½ teaspoon table salt together in bowl. 
  4. for the bowl

  5. Season 3½ cups room-temperature cooked farro with extra sesame oil, vinegar, and salt to taste. Divide farro mixture evenly among serving bowls. Drizzle each portion of farro with 2 tablespoons peanut sauce. Divide 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken, 1 cup (about 6 ounces) dried and thawed frozen edamame, and carrot-celery slaw evenly among bowls. Drizzle each bowl with additional 1 tablespoon peanut sauce and sprinkle with ⅔ cup chopped dry-roasted peanuts and ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems. Serve with lime wedges, passing extra sauce and chili crisp separately. 
Spicy Peanut Chicken Farro Bowls
Photography by Steve Klise. Styling by Elle Simone Scott.

Spicy Peanut Chicken Farro Bowls

Headshot of Matthew Fairman
By Matthew Fairman

Published on June 12, 2025

Save

Time

30 minutes

Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

Spicy Peanut Sauce

½ cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons chili crisp, plus extra for serving
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
½ cup hot water, plus extra as needed

Celery-Carrot Slaw

2 celery ribs, sliced thin on bias
1 cup shredded carrots
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped coarse
2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
½ teaspoon table salt

Bowl

3½ cups cooked farro, room temperature
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
1 cup frozen edamame (about 6 ounces), thawed and patted dry
⅔ cup dry-roasted peanuts, chopped
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped coarse
Lime wedges

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

Spicy Peanut Sauce

½ cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons chili crisp, plus extra for serving
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
½ cup hot water, plus extra as needed

Celery-Carrot Slaw

2 celery ribs, sliced thin on bias
1 cup shredded carrots
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped coarse
2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
½ teaspoon table salt

Bowl

3½ cups cooked farro, room temperature
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
1 cup frozen edamame (about 6 ounces), thawed and patted dry
⅔ cup dry-roasted peanuts, chopped
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped coarse
Lime wedges

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

Spicy Peanut Sauce

½ cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons chili crisp, plus extra for serving
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
½ cup hot water, plus extra as needed

Celery-Carrot Slaw

2 celery ribs, sliced thin on bias
1 cup shredded carrots
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped coarse
2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
½ teaspoon table salt

Bowl

3½ cups cooked farro, room temperature
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
1 cup frozen edamame (about 6 ounces), thawed and patted dry
⅔ cup dry-roasted peanuts, chopped
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped coarse
Lime wedges

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

We wanted to make hearty grain bowls that boasted a variety of harmonious elements without requiring many subrecipes with time-consuming prep lists. To that end, this spicy chicken bowl with farro relies on supermarket powerhouses and convenience items to make life easier while creating a delicious, nutritious, dinner-worthy grain bowl. Supersavory spicy chili crisp added incredible depth and complexity to a stir-together peanut sauce and doubled as a garnish for color, heat, and texture. Shredded rotisserie chicken made for a tasty, convenient protein. Bagged shredded carrots added crunch and sweetness to a simple slaw without any added knife work. Shelled frozen edamame needed only to be thawed before use, bringing another layer of bright-green veggies to our bowl.

Before You Begin

We developed this recipe with Laoganma Spicy Chili Crisp, but you can use whatever brand or homemade version you prefer. We like the convenience of bagged shredded carrots in this recipe, but you can also peel and shred your own. You can substitute other grains for the farro; see “An Easy Way to Cook Grains.”

Instructions

    for the spicy peanut sauce

  1. Whisk ½ cup creamy peanut butter, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons chili crisp, 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil in bowl until combined. Add ½ cup hot water and whisk until smooth. Add additional hot water as needed, 1 tablespoon at a time, until sauce has consistency of heavy cream. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week; add hot water as needed to loosen before serving.)
  2. for the celery-carrot slaw

  3. Toss 2 thinly sliced celery ribs, 1 cup shredded carrots, ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, 2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar, 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, and ½ teaspoon table salt together in bowl. 
  4. for the bowl

  5. Season 3½ cups room-temperature cooked farro with extra sesame oil, vinegar, and salt to taste. Divide farro mixture evenly among serving bowls. Drizzle each portion of farro with 2 tablespoons peanut sauce. Divide 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken, 1 cup (about 6 ounces) dried and thawed frozen edamame, and carrot-celery slaw evenly among bowls. Drizzle each bowl with additional 1 tablespoon peanut sauce and sprinkle with ⅔ cup chopped dry-roasted peanuts and ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems. Serve with lime wedges, passing extra sauce and chili crisp separately. 

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