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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Wonderful recipe thank you very tasty.
My kids (2/4) loved the chicken! We make skewered chicken for them and it’s such a novelty- I was a little surprised they liked the chicken – it’s very flavorful! The peanut sauce was also good!
I would LOVE to try this dish BUT i live in an apt so NO barbeque grill is there another way for me to cook this delicious dish
You definitely don’t need a BBQ to cook this dish. I simply marinate the chicken, and place on a tray under the grill, or bake in the oven. Next time I’ll be using my air-fryer. And I don’t skewer the chicken either. Just make it any way you can.. you certainly won’t be disappointed. Good luck and enjoy!
It is an outstanding recipe! Use a slotted/ ridged grill pan. Preferably non stick since you are indoors. Just make sure to turn your stove vent on high.
Can you make a day ahead and warm for next day party
Did this with chicken wings… The BEST ever!!!
Will definitely do this again!
This is an incredible recipe – will become a weekly regular!
Again a beautiful recipe. Simple to make and simply delicious. Will be making this one again. Very happy.
What if I can’t find fish sauce?
This was absolutely delicious. Made it last night and my teenage daughter ants me to make it again next week. The peanut sauce is so good.
ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS EVERY TIME!!!!! We follow your recipe step by step and it is melt in your mouth YUM!!! Your peanut sauce is “that” amazing. Thank you so much :)))
This has become a regular dish in our house we love it! 🙂
This one is a winner! It got rave reviews from my 13-year-old son who declared it “great” 3 times during his multiple helpings. Leftovers will be great on a salad for lunch tomorrow. Thanks for sharing.
Damn delicious is right! Just made it for the first time and it’s clearly a winner. Only issue I had was with the turmeric. I bought fresh but when I started actually making the marinade I realized that it didn’t say minced, sliced, etc…So I put in 1 1/2 tsp. dried. Then in a moment of panic, I scooped some out in fear of adding too much. It still came out great though. Will someone please clarify if the 1 1/2 tsp. of turmeric is supposed to be fresh or dried? Thanks for sharing this excellent recipe!
My husband ate this dish with his eyes closed and just mmmmmmm’ed his way through dinner. No higher praise than that!
This is so simple and so tasty!!! Instead of grilling, I put the chicken thighs in the oven, 240C on the upper part of the oven for 10 minutes on one side, then I flipped it and continued baking for 5 minutes on the other side. It saved me the need to put these on skewers and grilling. The sauce is excellent! Thanks for this wonderful recipe 🙂
Wow, thank you for posting this recipe! Made with your spring rolls and used the leftover coconut milk to make coconut ginger jasmine rice. I feel your recipes are so clearly directed, it’s so easy to serve a spectacular dish with minimal cooking skills!
Because my company were arriving later than expected, I put the chicken/ marinade in the sous vide and then charred on grill pan before serving. Doubled the sauce, to use with the spring rolls and had fresh mango for dessert. The flavor was outstanding! My guests were really impressed, and I am very grateful for what you do!
I subscribe to your emails,which I love because there is always something exciting and new to try!
This was so easy and the payoff was banging!! I doubled the peanut sauce recipe and used the sauce as a drizzle on the chicken and wheat spaghetti noodles. We ate that with pan charred zucchini slices in the cast iron mixed in. Did this with chicken breasts in a stainless steel pan and it was awesome! Chopped up after letting them rest.
Holy moly!! This recipe is insaaaane! I cheated slightly and bought the Lee Kum Kee chilli garlic sauce. My partner and I can’t get enough! Will defo be making again!
I didn’t make the peanut sauce because I had some in the pantry, but will try it next time. Review of just the chicken marinade, ahhhmazing. I made it on our Traeger. Followed the recipe other than brushing the chicken with oil because it wasn’t necessary. My picky 5 year old asked for seconds and thirds
Can you make a day ahead and warm for next day party
My family doesn’t like coconut milk, can I substitute with evaporated milk.
By the way I love all your recipes.
I have been hanging onto this recipe for some time with hubby dragging his heels. Those heels are no longer dragging and with leftovers still on the table, he is already asking that this be a part of our regular repertoire. Absolutely scrumptious! Damn delicious is sooo right.
My family loves this recipe. We double the peanut sauce.