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.
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Amazing! I have left over shrimp paste from a different Satay peanut recipe, can that be used in this recipe instead of fish sauce?
Flavor bomb, loved it!! This was really good! Next time I will double the sauce. Used S&B curry powder and siracha. Served with jasmine rice and stir fried veges.
This is best chicken satay that I’ve ever made thank you so much for sharing this delicious recipe.
Wayne
I’ve tried to replicate chicken satay that I eat at my neighborhood Thai restaurant many times. This recipe comes closest. It is a super easy recipe and tastes delicious
Chili Garlic Sauce….found in the Asian aisle of your grocer.
This is such a good recipe, it’s very well balanced and has an amazing flavour profile. I served it with a coconut rice and steamed bok choy.
I really want to try this recipe but I’m unsure what the chilli garlic sauce is?
Thanks
Nicola
Chili Garlic Sauce….found in the Asian aisle of your grocer.
I just use sambal oolek and add a little more garlic. Seems to be a reliable substitute.
A rose by any other name …
I love this recipe soooo much! I’ve made it 3 times in the past 2 weeks. I’m a vegetarian so I use seitan instead of chicken and I leave out the fish sauce. This is undoubtedly one of my favorite recipes ever. I use the remainder coconut milk to make coconut rice, and it is the perfect complement to this delicious dish. Sooooo good!
Fantastic! I followed the recipe exactly, with one minor variation: We didn’t have fresh ginger so I substituted finely-minced pickled ginger. Not quite as “sharp” but still that great ginger “bite.” We served it with grilled fresh pineapple, which paired quite nicely with it.
Both the chicken and the sauce were phenomenal! I don’t have a grill, but frying in a pan worked just fine. Amazing results for very little effort and simple ingredients. I’m going to make this all the time!
This was my first time making chicken satay, and I have to say I picked a winner. Three chicken breasts, all gone with 2 girls and me. Amazing. I added a bit more of the chili to the sauce as it wasn’t quite spicy enough without it for us (wife cooks spicy a lot), but still delish and great pairing. Also, younger daughter doesn’t really like peanut butter but scarfed the sauce right up. Definitely making it again this summer.
Awesome chicken!
Awesome sauce!! (thinned with coconut milk instead of water)
Don’t think they go together, thus, 4 stars. But, separately- damn delicious! Now, I’ve gotta figure out what to do with this amazing sauce…. maybe just eat it with a spoon?
I have made this a few times now. So good! Hands down the best peanut sauce. After using 1/4cup of the coconut milk I have enough of a can left over to make coconut rice:). Serve with some green vegetables.
Very easy to make, and turns out just like the picture on the Damn Delicious website. I left the thighs whole; they were easier to grill and tasted just as delicious. Best peanut sauce ever! I added about 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar to the sauce.
Most excellent Chicken and the sauce is wonderful!
I’ve made this 5 times in the last month! It is Damn Delicious! The recipe was super easy to follow and I had all the ingredients on hand. Definitely a crowd pleaser. The peanut sauce was incredible! I served it with sautéed broccoli and diced cucumbers that added a nice refreshing crunch. Highly recommend this recipe!
I’ve played around with other recipes for the sauce. This is hands down the best!! Easy and can use right away. Awesome flavor. My 3-year-old was just eating the sauce bg itself. LOL. I swear, I don’t know why I mess around finding recipes on other sites. Damndelicious is the go-to spot! So many winners and no adjustments needed. Great work! 🙂
Omg this was so easy to make and so super delicious! I’ll be sure to make this over and over again. Yummm!
Delicious. I added extra Thai garlic chili sauce and one munched garlic to the peanut sauce. Served with coconut rice and sautéed spinach. Everyone loved it. So easy too.
Thank you for the delicious recipe. Let me tell you this is a keeper. Everything about this was perfect, delicious chicken skewers with a beyond wonderful peanut sauce. We can’t wait to make it again.
Even my 3 year old liked it! He loved the peanut sauce on the chicken.