Chicken Satay with Peanut Satay Sauce

Chicken satay – Imagine juicy marinated chicken skewers, grilled to perfection and paired with an intensely flavorful peanut sauce. It’s truly a party in your mouth!

Whether you’re making these satay skewers for a party or a weeknight dinner, they are sure to be a hit. Serve them with cucumbers, bell peppers, steamed broccoli and rice for a delicious meal.

Why You’ll Love This Chicken Satay

• It’s quick, easy and meal prep friendly.
• The sauce is so good, you’ll add it over everything!
• You can use the leftover meat in wraps, salads and sandwiches.
• The marinade works with shrimp, beef and pork too.

Satay Peanut Sauce

Although the chicken marinade is incredibly flavorful, this peanut sauce is the real showstopper. It’s savory, sweet, salty, tangy flavor is unlike any other dipping sauces out there. It’s truly what makes this chicken satay SO GOOD!

And in case you like to sneak in extra veggies at meals, this sauce has helped me clean up a few bowls of steamed broccoli without a fuss.

How to Make Peanut Sauce

• Thai curry paste: Use red curry paste and massaman curry paste for added flavor.
• Peanut butter: Use chunky peanut butter for added texture.
• Sugar: White or brown. Use palm sugar for authentic flavor.
• Coconut milk
• Lime juice
• Salt
• Oil

1. On low flame, sauté 1 tbsp red curry paste and 1 tbsp massaman curry paste in some oil for 1 minute.
2. Pour 1.5 cups coconut milk in parts until mixed in with the curry paste.
3. Add 4 tbsp peanut butter, 1 tbsp sugar and cook for 3 mins. Cook it down to your preferred thickness.
4. Finally add lime juice and salt to taste. Serve at room temperature.

Note: If the sauce thickens too much, thin it out with some coconut milk or water before serving.

Chicken Satay Recipe

This chicken satay recipe is a fusion between the Indonesian and Thai chicken satay variations. It uses the best of both cuisines, making it the most flavorful chicken satay ever!

Ingredients

• Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are the ideal choice. chicken breast can be used too.
• Skewers: Wooden or metal skewers.
• Oil: Coconut oil or neutral cooking oil.
• Marinade: Thai red curry paste, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, sugar, coconut milk and curry powder (or combination of coriander powder+cumin powder+turmeric)

How to Make Chicken Satay

• Slice the chicken: Cut the chicken thighs into thin slices. Approximately 1-inch width, 2-inch length and 1 cm thick.
• Marinade: Blend the ingredients mentioned under ‘marinade’. Pour over the chicken slices, mix well and marinate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
• Soak wooden skewers: Soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes. This prevents them from burning on the skillet or grill.
• Make the satay skewers: Thread the chicken slices onto the soaked skewers. Add about 2-3 slices per skewer. Gently press over the meat so they are compact and stick together.
• Cook the skewers: Heat some oil in a skillet/grill over medium low heat. Cook the skewers until browned and cooked through, about 8-12 minutes.

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Baked Chicken Satay Skewers

These chicken satay skewers can be baked, grilled or pan fried.

To bake, preheat the oven to 375F/190C. Place the skewers in a baking tray coated in some oil and bake at 375F/190C for 15 minutes on one side, flip and bake for 5 more minutes.

For the juciest chicken satay, use well marinated chicken thighs and cook on medium low flame. This way the marinade won’t burn and the meat will stay juicy and tender.

How to Serve Chicken Satay

• As an appetizer, garnish with cilantro and serve with sliced cucumber and lime wedges.
• Salad platter along with cut bell peppers, cucumber and steamed broccoli.
• As a main dish, serve with rice and cucumbers.

Prepping and Storage

• Meal-prep: Cooked meat can be removed from the skewers and added to salads, sandwiches and wraps. Use satay sauce as dressing/dip.
• Store: Cooked chicken skewers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Satay sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
• Freeze: Raw marinated chicken can be frozen for up to 9 months or refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Cooked chicken skewers can be frozen for up to 2 months.

Substitute Ingredients

Not all ingredients can be substituted. Here are a few ideas which won’t alter the flavor too much.

1 tbsp curry powder: 1/2 tbsp coriander powder + 1 tsp cumin powder + 1/2 tsp turmeric powder.

Lemongrass: Lemon or lime zest.

Peanut butter: Whole peanuts (crushed) or peanut powder.

Lime juice: Vinegar or tamarind paste.

Sugar: Sweetener of your choice.