Hey, love chicken on a stick? How about some peanut sauce to go with it? Whip up this super easy Thai chicken satay at home with just a few simple ingredients!
Chicken satay is a popular dish in Southeast Asian cuisine, particularly in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. The chicken is typically marinated in a mixture of curry spices, ginger, lemongrass, and other ingredients, then skewered and grilled over charcoal.
It is often served as a light meal or appetizer, accompanied by a dipping sauce made from ground peanuts or peanut butter, ginger, lemon juice, and spices.
What makes this recipe easy?
The secret ingredient is mouthwatering Thai curry paste, packed with fragrant lemongrass and zesty galangal.
You simply use curry powder in this recipe. But if you don't have curry paste on hand - we've got you covered with a DIY curry powder recipe in the notes.
And let's not forget about the star of the show - the creamy, dreamy peanut butter sauce that will have you licking your fingers clean.
This Thai chicken satay is the perfect appetizer to get your taste buds dancing, and it pairs perfectly with other Thai favorites like Red chicken curry, warming Tom kha gai soup, and comforting Thai peanut chicken noodles. Trust us, your taste buds will thank you!
Ingredients
Prepare your taste buds for a flavor explosion with this Thai chicken satay recipe!
- Red curry paste: It is a blend of red chilies, garlic, lemongrass, galangal, shrimp paste and other spices used as a base for curries and other Thai dishes. I used Suree Red Curry Paste for a shrimp paste free condiment.
- Ginger or galangal: They both are rhizomes that have a spicy, pungent flavor and are commonly used in Thai cuisine to add heat and aroma to dishes. If you have galangal in hand that use galangal.
- Curry powder: It is a blend of various spices, such as turmeric, coriander, cumin, and chili peppers, commonly used in Indian and Southeast Asian cuisine. Get ready-made curry powder or use my DIY recipe given in the notes on the recipe card.
- Coconut milk or cream: It is optional and adds coconut flavor.
- Brown sugar: Chicken satay is all about a sweet and savory flavor. You can substitute it with jaggery or palm sugar or just sugar.
- Oil: I used fresh coconut oil. Use any neutral oil or peanut oil.
- Soy sauce: Use good quality soy sauce. NOT dark soy sauce.
- Lemon juice
- Garlic
- Lemongrass: I didn't use this ingredient because it is already present in the red curry paste and to keep the recipe simple. BUT if you have fresh lemongrass in hand add a tablespoon of finely crushed lemongrass to the marinade for a lovely aroma.
How to make it?
Making Thai chicken satay is super easy peasy! just marinate and grill. And this peanut butter-based peanut sauce can be put together in less than 5 minutes.
- Pat dry the chicken cubes so there is no excess moisture. Take chicken in a mixing bowl.
- Add all the ingredients of the marinade to the bowl and mix well.
- Cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours.
- Thread the chicken strips onto the wooden skewers. (Tip: Soak the wooden skewers in the water a few hours in advance to avoid burning.)
- While the chicken is marinating, make the peanut sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients of peanut butter until smooth.
- Use a blender if using chunky peanut butter. Peanut sauce is ready to set aside.
- Heat the grill pan or just any non-stick pan. Brush or spray it with a little oil. Grill the chicken skewers for 3-4 minutes per side, or until cooked through and slightly charred. Brush the chicken with oil as needed on both sides as you flip while cooking.
- Serve the chicken satay with the peanut sauce drizzled on it and enjoy!
Expert Tips
Thai Chicken stay skewers: To add some twist and fun, add veggies on the skewers between the chicken cubes. Bell peppers, pineapple chunks, and canned mushrooms are good choices.
Turn it into stir fry: You can turn this chicken satay into stir fry by mixing grilled chicken cubes with peanut sauce and veggies. Also, add little coconut to keep it juicy.
FAQ
Chicken satay is always served as an appetizer and it goes perfectly with peanut sauce. Personally, I love to have it with some fragrant jasmine rice or basmati rice, and some stir-fried veggies on the side. It's a delicious and satisfying meal!
Let it cool down to room temperature. Remove chicken from skewers and transfer to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. If storing longer, then freeze the chicken satay for up to 2-3 months.
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📖 Recipe
Thai Chicken Satay
Ingredients
Marinate Chicken
- 600 g boneless skinless chicken, cut into cubes, pat-dry
- 3 tablespoons coconut milk, optional
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoons ginger or galangal paste
- ½ tablespoons garlic paste
- 1 tablespoons red curry paste
- 1 tablespoon curry powder, get diy recipe in notes.
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 2-3 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil or any neutral oil
Peanut Sauce
- ⅓ cup natural peanut butter, smooth
- 3 tablespoon lemon juice , or 1 tablespoon tamarind pulp
- 2½ tablespoons white sugar
- 1 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon red curry paste
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup water more as needed
Instructions
- Take chicken in a mixing bowl. Add all the ingredients of the marinade to the bowl and mix well. Cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours.
- Thread the chicken strips onto the wooden skewers. (Tip: Soak the wooden skewers in the water a few hours in advance to avoid burning.)
- In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients of peanut butter until smooth. Use a blender if using chunky peanut butter. Peanut sauce is ready to set aside.
- Grill the chicken skewers for 3-4 minutes per side, or until cooked through and slightly charred. Brush the chicken with oil as needed.
- Serve the chicken satay with the peanut sauce drizzled on it and lemon wedges on the side.
Notes
- Red curry paste: It is a blend of red chilies, garlic, lemongrass, galangal, shrimp paste, and other spices used as a base for curries and other Thai dishes. I used Suree Red Curry Paste.
- If you have galangal in hand that use galangal.
- Curry powder: Get ready-made curry powder or use my DIY recipe given below.
- Coconut milk or cream: It is optional and adds coconut flavor.
- Brown sugar: You can substitute it with jaggery or palm sugar or just sugar.
- Oil: I used fresh coconut oil. Use any neutral oil or peanut oil.
- Lemongrass: I didn't use this ingredient because it is already present in the red curry paste and to keep the recipe simple. BUT if you have fresh lemongrass in hand add a tablespoon of finely crushed lemongrass to the marinade for a lovely aroma.
- DIY Curry masala: Mix 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon red chili, 1 teaspoon coriander, ½ teaspoon turmeric ½ teaspoon garam masala or black pepper, and ½ teaspoon salt in a bowl. Curry powder is ready.
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