Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
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Perfectly grilled chicken satay skewers in the most flavorful marinade. Served with THE BEST creamy peanut sauce ever!!!
I’m going to be completely honest with you guys.
These chicken satay skewers could taste like shoe leather. And if they did, that would be okay. Because this peanut-lime sauce will make anything and everything taste so much better.
But don’t worry. It absolutely does not taste like shoe leather. Promise.
Instead, it’s the most perfectly grilled, golden-brown chicken bites with just the right amount of charred, smoky goodness. The marinade takes the chicken to the next level of flavor town with the help of a simple coconut milk marinade and some pantry spices.
And I know I say this all the time, but really, this creamy, zesty peanut-lime sauce is the best peanut sauce of your lives. SO SO SO good.
Tools For This Recipe
Metal skewers or wooden skewers
Cast iron grill pan or large cast iron skillet
Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce: Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! But because ground ginger is often more potent/concentrated than freshly grated ginger, you need less when using dry. The correct ratio is 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger to 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger.
Yes, chicken breasts can absolutely be used here but chicken thighs have more dark meat and a higher fat content which will yield juicier, more flavorful chicken when thrown on the grill.
Metal skewers are sturdy and reusable but note that they will retain heat so please be careful when serving. Wooden skewers can also be used but can burn over a hot grill. I recommend soaking them overnight in water (or at least 30 minutes) prior to using.
No grill, no problem. A cast iron grill pan or a large cast iron skillet will work beautifully here, especially during those winter month when it’s too cold to grill out!
Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
- ¼ cup coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
- 2 ½ teaspoons yellow curry powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons turmeric
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the peanut sauce
- 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce, or more, to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine coconut milk, soy sauce, curry powder, turmeric, garlic, ginger, brown sugar and fish sauce.
- In a gallon size Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine chicken and coconut milk mixture; marinate for at least 2 hours to overnight, turning the bag occasionally.
- Drain the chicken from the marinade, discarding the marinade.
- Preheat grill to medium high heat. Thread chicken onto skewers. Brush with canola oil; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Add skewers to grill, and cook, turning occasionally, until the chicken is completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 12-15 minutes.
- Serve immediately with peanut sauce.
For the peanut sauce
- Whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, chili garlic sauce and ginger in a small bowl. Whisk in 2-3 tablespoons water until desired consistency is reached.
Video
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I’m making this tonight! What’s the difference between curry powder and yellow curry powder. I have curry powder – can I use that as a substitute?
Yes, you can absolutely use curry powder, Madelaine. 🙂
This recipe is so good. Ingredients aren’t crazy and it comes together really easily. I grilled some veggie skewers as well and it was a good compliment to the dish. I didn’t have chili garlic cause and used sriricha instead and the sauce was still delicious. Thanks for the great recipe for this bored cook!
I bet the veggies were a delicious side dish. Thanks for sharing, Brooke! 🙂
Tried this and it was worth it. It was easy and very tasty packed with flavor. I do like spice level 4 so I had to add red pepper flakes to take it up a notch.
We’re so glad you enjoyed this so much, Betty!
Very tasty and easy to make! I marinated the chicken for 3 hours and definitely noticed the flavors in the chicken meat itself. The only substitution I made was powdered ginger instead of fresh ginger root because I didn’t have any on hand. I doubled the recipe and doubled the sauce — the amounts were great.
We did find the peanut sauce a little too “peanut-y” for us. I made a package of Conimex chicken satay sauce as well and we unanimously decided that a mixture of this sauce and the Conimex sauce was the best balance for us.
Another great recipe Chungah!
We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
This sounds amazing! I’ll have to try it soon. I love your photography!
One question – the recipe says to season with salt & pepper to taste in step 5. It seems there are salty ingredients (soy sauce and fish sauce) in the marinade already. Have you found that an extra sprinkle of salt is necessary before grilling? I would be afraid to over-salt it the first time I make it. Thanks!
That’s a great question! I personally do not add any salt into the marinade myself (I actually never add salt whenever possible as I prefer less-salted foods) so it really just depends on personal preference. 🙂
I love your recipes soooo much, and I trust them enough that I am not afraid to make them for company without testing first! They’re always a hit.
One question here though – what is chili garlic sauce? Is there away to make it?
Chili garlic sauce is very similar to sambal oelek, but with garlic and a super secret garlic seasoning. Ingredients are as follows: chili, salt, garlic, distilled vinegar, potassium sorbate and sodium bisulfite as preservatives, and xantham gum. The sauce is a coarsely ground blend of jalapeno chili peppers, salt, garlic, and vinegar.
This is available in most grocery stores in the Asian food aisle.
Can you replace chicken thigh with chicken breast? Will the chicken dry out?
Yes, absolutely, but it is truly best to use chicken thighs here. 🙂
How long in the oven, at how many degrees? Grill pans scare me
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without having tried this myself, I cannot answer with certainty. But if you get a chance to try it, please let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Looks Delicious
Can you substitute the coconut milk with almond milk or water?
Thank You
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without having tried this myself, I cannot answer with certainty. But if you get a chance to try it, please let me know how it turns out! 🙂