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Thai Chicken Satay
Every summer, when I host BBQ parties, I would always have satay for my guests. My favorite is chicken satay.
It’s hard not to fall in love with satay—skewered of marinated meat of chicken or beef satay—grilled over fire, and then served with a savory peanut dipping sauce. The combination is just brilliant and to die for, I just really enjoy the aromatic blend of spices and savory goodness in every bite!
While I make Malaysian-style satay most of the time, I also love a good Thai chicken sate, which is marinated with coconut milk and fish sauce, two key ingredients in Thai recipes.
Unlike its Malaysian counterpart, Thai chicken sate tastes milder and less complex in taste, pretty good nonetheless.
Chicken Satay With Peanut Sauce
This is my Thai chicken sate with peanut sauce recipe, adapted from a cookbook. The finished dish showcases the aromatic flavors of Southeast Asia with delicious grilled chicken and a rich, creamy homemade peanut sauce.
Try it out and I am sure you (and your guests) would absolutely welcome a skewer or two, or three freshly grilled sate with my Thai peanut sauce.
Thai Chicken Satay Ingredients
This marinade recipe creates tender and flavorful Thai chicken sate skewers, perfect for appetizers, main dishes, or even as part of a buffet-style meal. Here are the list of marinade ingredients:
- masaman curry paste
- fish sauce
- tamarind juice
- paprika
- garlic powder
- ground coriander
- coconut milk
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
How to Make Thai Chicken Sate
Step 1: Slice the chicken breast across grain with at least 1 inch (2.5cm) wide each piece.
Step 2: Mix in the Marinade and make sure all pieces are well coated. Marinate the meat for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
Step 3: Take out the marinated chicken from the refrigerator.
Step 4: Insert the wooden skewers through the meat lengthwise.
Step 5: Grill the Sate for 4 minutes on each side or until desired tenderness.
Step 6: Serve with Peanut Sauce and some sliced cucumber.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is only 100 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Thai Chicken Satay
Serve this satay with Thai cucumber salad. For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
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Thai Chicken Sate with Peanut Sauce
Equipment
- 25 wooden skewers soaked in water for 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds (1kg) skinless and boneless chicken breast, sliced 1 inch wide x 4-5 inches length
- 1/2 cucumber, sliced
Marinade:
- 2 teaspoons Masaman curry paste, or red curry paste
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1.5 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2.5 teaspoons sweet soy sauce
- 2.5 teaspoons sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/3 cup coconut milk
Peanut Sauce:
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3/4 cup coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste or Massaman curry paste
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar or to taste
- 2 tablespoons ground peanut
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Slice the chicken breast against the grain into pieces that are at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide. Mix in the marinade, ensuring all pieces are well coated. Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- Add all the ingredients for the peanut sauce to a saucepan. Using a whisk, quickly combine the ingredients before placing the saucepan on the stove over low heat. Continue whisking the peanut sauce until all the ingredients are well combined.
- As soon as the peanut sauce starts to simmer and bubble, turn off the heat. (If you prefer a thinner sauce, you can add a little water to dilute it during cooking.) Remove from heat and top with ground peanuts. The Thai peanut sauce is now ready. You can store any leftovers in the fridge for up to a week without losing its fresh taste.
- Remove the marinated chicken from the refrigerator. Thread the chicken onto wooden skewers lengthwise. Grill the satay for 4 minutes on each side, or until it reaches your desired tenderness.
- Serve with peanut sauce and sliced cucumber.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can either the peanut sauce or the marinade be made in advance and then frozen? I’d like to marinate the chicken and then freeze it.
Yes you can.
i tried this recipe today and everything came out super delicious. The marinade worked really well with tilapia too. Thank you
Awesome!
Hi,
I don’t have a food processor. Would a pestle and mortar work for the marinade? Are there other ways to get similar results without a food processor?
Yes.
You can use a blender. If too dry, put 1/4 cup of cooking oil before you start to blend.
This recipe was absolutely delicious! The kids loved it too, thank you so much for sharing!
This recipe was absolutely delicious! The kids loved it too, thank you so much for sharing!
Any substitute for tamarind sauce? Can Garam Masala curry powder be used instead of paste and crunchy peanut butter?
I can’t find tamarind juice, what can be a good substitute for it? I think I’ve seen dried tamarind in Asian markets, how can I use dried tamarind to substitute the fresh tamarind juice?
Just add some water to the dry tamarind to extract the juice.
Ok, thanks! Will try!
I must say… THANK YOU! Thank you for the excellent receipe! I couldn’t get any galangal, but it worked out fine without it.
I got confused with the two satay recipes. I ended up using the Malaysian satay marinade and Thai chicken sate peanut sauce. My husband and I enjoyed the combination. Thanks for sharing both recipes!!
That’s great, I am happy that you guys enjoyed the chicken sate and peanut sauce.
Just made the marinade. This marinade tastes very salty. Once the chicken is cooked, does it taste salty?
No, it shouldn’t, especially after dipping with peanut sauce.
So good. I love this dish