This Thai chicken satay with peanut sauce is a delicious appetizer or meal. The meat is briefly soaked in a coconut curry marinade for maximum flavor, then grilled until tender and juicy.
If you enjoy peanuts in your dish, try my crunchy Thai salad with peanut dressing!
Table of Contents
Satay chicken skewers are a popular handheld appetizer for parties, but you can easily pair them with steamed rice and veggies for a heartier meal. I have a Thai-inspired marinade for this recipe that completely transforms the taste of the chicken in just 15 minutes of soaking.
To complement the chicken, I have a creamy peanut dipping sauce. Using a blender makes the texture super smooth. Just grab your favorite jar of peanut butter, and combine it with some of the ingredients in the marinade. Then add spicy chili sauce for a little kick of heat.
What is chicken satay?
Satay is a Southeast Asian dish prepared in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. Each region has its own version of marinated grilled chicken. The meat can be cut into bite-sized pieces or long strips placed on skewers and barbecued.
There are various condiments traditionally served. Some everyday items include a spiced peanut sauce and small pieces of pickled vegetables or cucumber salad. The creamy sauce and crisp vegetables complement the grilled meat.
Poultry selection
Boneless skinless breast is a delicious lean protein option that quickly absorbs the marinade’s flavor. It’s also easy to cut into thick strips or chunks for hearty portions on each skewer. If you prefer thigh meat, you can use that as well. However, you must cut it into smaller pieces since they are not as thick.
Recipe Resources
Prepare the chicken
I prefer to cut the chicken breast into long strips following the grain, about ¾ to 1-inch thickness. Slicing it lengthwise makes it easy to lay flat on the grill for even cooking. The lean chicken protein is very tender, making it easy to bite and chew.
Alternatively, you can cut the chicken into smaller pieces and thread them onto each metal or soaked bamboo skewer individually. I recommend cutting them into similar widths as the slices. Adjust the cooking time to prevent the meat from drying out.
Make the satay marinade
Using a spicy and sweet chicken marinade highlights the characteristic flavor profile of Southeast Asia and its exotic cuisine. Use a combination of creamy coconut milk, honey, lime juice, curry powder, fish sauce, minced garlic, and olive oil. The coconut and honey help balance the savory fish sauce while adding a fragrant tropical nutty aroma. Other sweeteners like pure maple syrup, granulated sugar, or brown sugar can be used.
The lime juice gives a citrusy taste without being too sour. The citric acid also helps tenderize the chicken, weakening the surface proteins so they aren’t tough when cooked. The yellow curry powder adds warm, earthy, fragrant spices. It often contains a mixture of turmeric, coriander, cumin, fenugreek, pepper, ginger, nutmeg, and clove. Use red curry powder for a spicier taste.
Marinate the meat
You only need 15 minutes of marinating time for the chicken. Cutting the poultry into slices provides more surface area for the liquid to adhere to and season. Since lime juice is added, I recommend not letting the meat soak in the acidulated marinade for longer than one hour. Otherwise, the texture will turn mushy and get dried out.
If you’d like to marinate overnight, wait to add the lime juice until the last 15 to 60 minutes before grilling.
Grilling tips
Preheat your barbecue grill to medium heat. Since the chicken is sliced thin, it will cook very quickly. Too high of heat will dry them out. Stunning char marks will form as long as the grill grates are hot and greased, and the meat will thoroughly cook in just a few minutes. This will take about 5 minutes per side, depending on the thickness.
For a quick indoor option, cook the chicken skewers on the stovetop using a cast iron skillet or grill pan. The grill pan gives similar sear marks but with a less smokey taste than the barbecue. Alternatively, broiling is another option. Do not use skewers, or they will burn. Cook the chicken on a greased foil-lined baking pan until the surface lightly browns, and the meat is fully cooked.
Make the peanut dipping sauce
Use a blender or food processor for the smoothest and quickest peanut sauce. Processed in a minute or less, the peanut butter, coconut milk, minced ginger and garlic, soy sauce, lime, honey, and spicy sriracha make for a hard-to-resist sauce for the chicken satay.
If you don’t have a blender, the sauce can be whisked by hand. I recommend finely mincing the garlic and ginger to reduce the size of the pieces or using a microplane to make them into a puree. Add chopped pieces of roasted peanut to give contrast to the creamy sauce.
Flavor variations
There are various ways to customize this chicken satay recipe; here are a few options:
- Curry: Instead of a mild yellow curry powder, try green or red curry. Green curry has lemongrass, white peppercorns, and Thai chilies for a spicy and citrusy taste. Red curry is spicier, with extra red chili peppers.
- Nuts: Instead of peanut butter, use almond butter or cashew butter.
- Sweetener: Use maple syrup, brown sugar, granulated sugar, or coconut palm sugar.
- Chili: Instead of sriracha, try sambal oelek, chili powder, chili oil, or minced Thai chilies.
- Tanginess: Instead of lime juice, try a more traditional sweet and tangy tamarind pulp.
- Protein: Try beef, pork, or shrimp. Slice up firm tofu for a vegetarian option.
Serving suggestions
Frequently asked questions
Marinate slices or chunks of meat in a coconut curry marinade for 15 to 60 minutes. Thread the chicken onto metal or wooden skewers, about 3 ounces per portion. Grill over medium heat until fully cooked and the surface has some sear marks for flavor.
Yes, you can use dark meat like chicken thighs. The meat is slightly tougher than white meat chicken breast, therefore cut into smaller ¾” to 1″ bite-sized chunks. Make sure to remove excess fat from the meat so that it’s not too greasy.
Chicken satay skewers are served with a condiment, commonly a peanut dipping sauce, or in Indonesia, as bumbu kacang. There are different styles. This version uses creamy peanut butter, lime juice, coconut milk, garlic, ginger, honey, and sriracha. Other ingredient swaps include sambal oelek or Thai chilies for heat, tamarind pulp or paste for tanginess, and coconut palm sugar.
Recipe Science
Tips for using wooden skewers
Soak the wooden skewers while you are prepping the chicken. The sticks are very dry and can burn quickly on a hot grill. Soaking them in water reduces the chance of them overly charring on the grill. Another option is to cook the skewers on the lower part of the grill so the wood is not in contact or touching the grill surface. You could also purchase reusable stainless steel skewers. Be careful as they become hot to the touch right off the grill.
Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
Chicken Satay
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, two pieces
- ⅓ cup unsweetened coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon yellow curry powder
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Peanut Sauce
- ¼ cup peanut butter
- ¼ cup unsweetened coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon minced ginger
- ½ teaspoon sriracha
- ¼ cup roasted peanuts, chopped
Instructions
- Soak the Skewers – If using wooden skewers, soak them in cool water for at least 15 minutes before grilling.
- Prepare the Chicken – Slice each chicken breast with the grain to yield long strips, about ¾ to 1-inch thick. Each breast should produce about 4 pieces, 8 total.
- Make the Marinade – In a medium bowl, whisk together coconut milk, honey, lime juice, olive oil, curry powder, fish sauce, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Marinate the Meat – Add the chicken to the marinade and turn to evenly coat. Cover and refrigerate. Marinate for at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour.
- Skewer the Chicken – Thread one piece of chicken on each skewer. Cover and refrigerate until ready to grill.
- Grill the Skewers – Heat the grill or grill pan over medium heat. Add some olive oil to a folded piece of paper towel, and carefully grease the grates. Once hot, add the marinated chicken skewers. Cook until no longer pink and the internal temperature reaches between 160 to165°F (71 to 74ºC), about 4 to 5 minutes per side, depending on the thickness. Transfer to a clean serving plate.
- Make the Peanut Sauce – In a blender, add peanut butter, coconut milk, honey, lime juice, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and sriracha. Puree until smooth, about 30 to 60 seconds. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.Alternatively, whisk in a medium bowl until combined.
- To Serve – Sprinkle chopped peanuts on top of the sauce right before serving.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Recipe Yield: 8 Skewers
- Storing: Store chicken and sauce in an air-tight container for up to 5 days.
- Reheating: Cover and reheat the chicken in the microwave on high heat in 15 to 30-second increments until hot.
- Make it Gluten-Free: Use tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. Purchase gluten-free fish sauce.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Joanne Scott says
Jessica, I love your recipes, but now that I have cut sugars out of my diet, wondering if there is something I can substitute, such as Swerve brown sugar replacement sweetener? Thanks.
Jessica Gavin says
Yes, you can use swerve as a sweetener replacement for the marinade and the sauce.
Wakely says
Made this tonight and it was perfect. I marinated the chicken for 6 hours and didn’t bother with the skewers. To make this a meal, I also grilled some sliced onion and bell pepper, added everything to lettuce wraps with a few rice noodles, and topped with green onion. Thank you for the recipe! I will definitely be making this again.
Jessica Gavin says
Wow, love that you added the chicken to lettuce wraps, that sounds delicious!
Madhavi says
Enjoying your recipes! What is the serving size for the nutrition information given for chicken satay? An approximate gram weight would be appreciated. Thank you!
Jessica Gavin says
Thanks! One serving is one skewer, about 85 grams.
Darwin says
Made the Mac salad, chicken satay and beef bolognese this last week!! All YUM!
Dennis Murphy says
Perfect for my table top Yakatori Charcoal Grill.
Do you have more recipes suitable for this type grill?
Dennis
Jessica Gavin says
I would check out the grilling section. I have a chicken yakitori and grilled shrimp that I think would be nice!
Marlene says
Hi Jessica
Getting ready to make the recipe tomorrow for my family! The ingredients include dry roasted peanuts but I don’t see where you are adding them in during the prep stages? Can you please clarify?
Thank you
Marlene
Jessica Gavin says
I just updated the recipe, Marlene, thanks for the catch! Add the peanuts on top of the peanut sauce before serving.
Abby says
This chicken satay recipe is so flavorful and super easy to make too! My husband loves chicken satay and this recipe was a hit. Will be on repeat in our house.
P.S. I turned this into a meal by slicing the grilled chicken and serving it over brown rice and sauteed shredded Brussels Sprouts garnished with green onions and crushed peanuts in one bowl. My kids (6yrs and 2yrs) ate a ton!
Jessica Gavin says
Wow, I love that you created a bowl-style meal out of the chicken satay recipe. Great job on the mom win!
Molly Bollier says
This was excellent! We loved it! Thank you.
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you Molly!
Courtney says
Looking forward to making this but no grill and no grill pan…can I cook this is the oven?
Jessica Gavin says
Yes! I would cover the exposed ends of the skewers (if wooden) with foil. Then I would broil them on high on a foil lined sheet pan, flipping halfway through until no longer pink. keep a close enjoy because it can cook quickly! You can also pan fry the chicken in a saute pan with out skewers on medium high heat, flip halfway through to cook both sides. Please let me know how it goes!
Maria Terry says
This chicken is oh so GOOD! The marinade imparts the chicken with so much flavor. The peanut sauce was so delicious I could’ve consumed it with a spoon as a side dish. Make this chicken, you won’t be sorry! – Maria T.
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you so much Maria! I’m so thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the chicken and the sauce, I love the combo!
Amanda says
OMG…delicious!!! I rarely leave reviews but could not resist on this one. I marinated my chicken for about an hour in a large ziplock. Also, it’s snowing here so it wasn’t ideal grilling weather. I cut into small strips and cooked on our cast iron grill skillet inside. Added a side of steamed broccoli (topped with the peanut sauce of course!) and a side of pad Thai noodles. My hubby inhaled it and swears it’s the best thing I’ve made in months. Thank you for this recipe!!!!! 5 stars 🙂
Jessica Gavin says
Wow, thank you for the rave review Amanda! The dinner you put together sounds so delicious! I love that the weather didn’t hold oyu back from making the satay. Cheers!
Debra Sidebottom says
I fixed this last night for the first time and OMG can you say amazing? The husband was even asking if we could have it again tonight since he woke up thinking about how good it was. The flavors were spot on and I was amazed at how fast they got through the chicken with only a bit of time marinating. We are done with chicken satay at our favorite Thai restaurant since we can now make it at home and even better tasting. This is the third recipe I’ve tried from you and all have been so delicious so I’m off to find another recipe from you for tonight!
Jessica Gavin says
Yay Debra! I’m so happy that you can recreate your favorite Thai dish right at home 🙂 Yes, the spices are bold enough that they do a good job of adding lots of flavor in little time, plus the sauce is so tasty. I can’t wait to hear what you think about other recipes you try!
Scott G says
Hi Jessica- can’t wait to try this recipe- looks fantastic!
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you so much Scott! Let me know what you think 🙂
Nora Schachter says
I have made three of your recipes in the past few weeks and all three have been winners!!! Chicken satay is a family favorite. Love, love, love your flavor palate. Also, your food photos are inspirational.
Jessica Gavin says
Wow, thank you SO much Nora! You’ve made my day 🙂 I’m so glad that you enjoy my recipes and are inspired by my photos, it keep me motivated to keep creating for you! What will you be cooing next?
Jon says
Loved it! I used dried coconut milk powder in the marinade, and it seemed to work well… cheaper and easier to store and reuse than an open can of the milk. Since I find that chicken breasts tend to get rather dried out on my grill, I used flattened thigh cutlets instead. Cooked them about 1:30 per side, and they were nicely done and very juicy. I initially thought that the peanut sauce would be the star of this recipe, but it turned out that the satay chicken was so tasty that only a touch of sauce was needed! I zested the lime and used the zest along with the crushed peanuts as garnishes; I’ve found that citrus zest yields a richness of flavor that goes beyond the juice and adds very little acid. Served the meal with jasmine rice and sauteed spiralized zucchini, my first effort with the spiral cutter that you have recommended… hope you’re getting a cut on the sales! All in all, a delightful meal. For the wine, I initially considered Riesling but went instead with a 2012 L’Ecole No.41 Semillon from the Columbia Valley for some greater depth and complexity: perfect pairing! Thanks for another great recipe!
Jessica Gavin says
Yay Jon! I’ve never tried dried coconut powder, it sounds like a really handy and tasty ingredient. I’ll have to keep an eye out! The chicken thighs is a great idea as well, they definitely resist getting possibly dried out as easily. I’m a big fan of lime or lemon zest, if I’m ever juicing citrus I always make sure I add some of the zest into the recipe. I agree that it adds to the richness of the flavor 🙂 I’m so happy you are spriralizing, it makes for a nice vegetable side. The wine pairing sounds delicious! Thank you so much for sharing your cooking experience!
Tiffany says
I would like to make this with tofu instead of chicken. But I’m new to vegetarianism/cooking with tofu. Should I drain the tofu first but still marinate it for 15 minutes before grilling?
Jessica Gavin says
Great substitution idea tiffany! Yes I would drain the tofu (use extra firm if you can find it), then cut in into 3/4-inch thick strips and dry them on a paper towel. Then marinade for at least 15 minutes, you could do this overnight if you want to meal prep. Let me know how it turns out 🙂
Judy says
Hi Jessica,
I thought this would have a lot more fat and calories than it does. My husband loves peanut sauce so I definitely will be giving this a whirl. I don’t have a grill /BBQ but we are getting a grill pan this weekend so hopefully that will work okay.
Thanks for another yummy looking recipe. Have a wonderful weekend!
Judy
Janice says
This looks great! Perfect summer time appetizers
Jessica Gavin says
Yes, definitely perfect for the summer Janice 🙂 Thank you!