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Chicken Satay is juicy, tangy, and absolutely divine. Marinated and then grilled to perfection serve these with a savory peanut sauce that is positively addicting.
Grilling meat on skewers makes it easy to turn and keep it all together. Try these insanely delicious Chicken, Beef, and Shrimp Skewer the next time you grill.
Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
Satay is a national dish of Indonesia. A popular Southeast Asian street food that involves marinated meat that is skewered, grilled and served with a saucy dip. Satay can be served using a variety of meats but today we are using chicken. The combination of spices and coconut milk creates a marinade that leaves the chicken exploding with flavor in every bite. The ease of making this dish is going to have you making it on a regular basis. The intense taste will keep your family asking for more.
Serving the chicken satay with peanut sauce is a must. It is the ultimate companion for these with its spicy, peanutty, and creamy taste and texture. Your whole family is going to love them. Typically served as an appetizer, these can easily be turned into a main dish by adding rice, cucumber salad, or noodles.
What You Need For Savory Chicken Satay
Spices come together to create a chicken that bursts with flavor. This chicken satay is quick and simple to make. It makes for the perfect appetizer or light dinner. Find all ingredient measurements below in the recipe card.
- Chicken thighs: Use boneless, skinless thighs to make it easier to cut.
- Coconut milk: Find Coconut milk in the Asian aisle of your local grocery store. It’s usually in a can.
- Soy sauce: You can use low-sodium soy sauce.
- Brown sugar: LIght or dark brown sugar work here, giving it flavor.
- Minced ginger: Adds heat with a warm spicy note.
- Garlic cloves: I chopped the garlic but you can also mince it.
- Tumeric: Adds an earthy, punchy flavor that is traditonal of satay.
- Curry powder: a mixture of spices that can be bought in mild, medium or hot strengths.
- Juice of one lime: Gives the marinade some zing.
- Salt and Pepper: Add more or less to taste.
- Peanuts chopped: Gives it a bit of a crunch and adds a nice flavor.
- Chopped peanuts and cilantro for garnish: Optional but I highly recommend.
- Peanut Sauce: An out of the this world sauce that is traditionally served with Chicken Satay.
How to Make Grilled Chicken Satay
Simple and easy, this is going to become a family favorite recipe! Chicken satay is placed on skewers and makes the most tender chicken pieces.
- Chicken: Cut the chicken thighs into pieces and set aside.
- Making the Marinade: In a medium sized bowl whisk together the coconut milk, soy sauce, sugar, ginger, garlic, turmeric, curry powder, juice of one lime and salt and pepper. Stir in the peanuts.
- Marinate Chicken: Add the chicken pieces and marinate 3 hours or overnight.
- Skewer: Thread the chicken onto the skewers and grill 8-10 minutes turning once until the chicken reaches 165 degrees and is no longer pink. Garnish with chopped cilantro and peanuts if desired.
- Enjoy: Serve with peanut sauce.
Thai Chicken Satay Tips
We love these grilled chicken satay with a nice char on them, they are so good! Choose your chicken, marinate and add to skewers! It is that simple with these tips.
- Chicken: Chicken thighs are a moist tender cut of chicken that cooks easier without drying out as fast. Chicken breasts can also be used with good success. You can leave the chicken in long strips if you desire but the bite sized chunks are easier to eat.
- Marinate: The longer you can marinate the chicken the better, but don’t marinte it for too long or it will break down the proteins. Stick to between 6-24 hours for maxium flavor. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes prior to cooking so that the chicken comes to room temperature. It will help the chicken cook more evenly.
- Skewers: If you are using wooden skewers be sure to soak them for at least an hour before threading the chicken. You can even soak them overnight if you desire.
- Different Meat: Use this recipe for beef, pork, or shrimp. Check the grilling times however as they will be different from the chicken.
- How you know your chicken is done: When the internal temperature of the chicken is 160 degress you can remove it from the grill ( the internal temperature will continue to rise as it rests) and let it rest, allowing the juices to redistribute in the meat. Loosely cover with foil while it rests for about 5 minutes.
Cooking Variations for Chicken
Grilling isn’t the only way to cook your chicken! Thai chicken satay can be cooking in the oven or stovetop too.
- Stove Top: Using a cast iron grill pan or just a cast iron skillet work the best for giving it a good crust on the outside. Add 1-2 tablespoons of oil and heat over medium high heat. Place the chicken in the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes per a side or till the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
- Oven: This a great way to cook the chicken without having to babysit it. Preheat the oven to 350 degress. Cover a cookie sheet with foil and lightly spray. Space out the chicken on the baking sheet so there is ample space between them so it doesn’t steam them. Bake for 15-20 minutes or till the internal temp is 165 degrees.
- Add: You can add pineapple, peppers, onions or zucchini to the skewers if you desire.
How to Store Chicken Satay Skewers
- Storing: To store leftover skewers, place them in tightly sealed continer and refrigerate for up to 4 days. These can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat in the oven or microwave.
- Serving Leftovers: Leftovers make great rice bowls, tacos, salad toppers, and even pizza!
More Thai Recipes To Try
Thai dishes can be sweet, sour, salty or spicy. They often include noodles, rice, lettuce and vegetables. Traditional thai food usually uses beef, chicken, lamb or shrimp. Curry is a big part of Thai cooking, but not everything has curry in it, despite what some might think. The range of spices and flavors in Thai cooking is amazing. You can definitely find something to love and here are a few recipes to start with.
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Chicken Satay
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken thighs
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon minced ginger
- 3 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 Tablespoon Tumeric
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- juice of one lime
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup peanuts chopped
- chopped peanuts and cilantro for garnish
- homemade peanut sauce
Instructions
- Cut the chicken thighs into pieces and set them aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the coconut milk, soy sauce, sugar, ginger, garlic, turmeric, curry powder, juice of one lime, and salt and pepper. Stir in the peanuts.
- Add the chicken pieces and marinate for 3 hours or overnight.
- Thread the chicken onto the skewers and grill 8-10 minutes turning once until the chicken reaches 165 degrees and is no longer pink. Garnish with chopped cilantro and peanuts if desired.
- Serve with peanut sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi Alyssa, I’m planning on making your Chicken Satay today. It’s just my husband and myself and this recipe serves four. Can I freeze the uncooked meat in the marinate for another kabob dinner? If not, what would you recommend?
Yes, that will work great! Enjoy your chicken satay.