Full of peanut flavor, deep and rich and such a lovely color with all of those charred crisp edges, nothing is better than this peanut sauce chicken skewers recipe!
Serve over a bed of rice with a green veggie and you'll be wondering how soon you can make this again without the family giving you the side eye.
Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
I offer this recipe with a real hesitation to call it a Satay because I monkeyed with a REAL satay recipe so much that maybe we should call it, "the recipe formerly known as a peanut satay". Right?
That said, its ding dong delicious and we've been eating it weekly around here. You know, I have to get the recipe "just right" for you and that involves LOTS of testing. It's a hardship I'm willing to endure.
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Full of peanut flavor, deep and rich and such a lovely color with all of those charred crisp edges, nothing is better than this peanut sauce chicken skewers recipe!
Here's What You'll Need:
- Chicken Thighs - Always more forgiving than white meat, you'll really want to go with the boneless/skinless thighs for this recipe.
- Creamy Peanut Butter - I mean, you could use the chunky kind but the creamy works best. Use the best quality peanut butter you can.
- Coconut Milk - You could literally substitute any milk here, but coconut milk is more authentic and has that lovely flavor you'll soon crave. Just shake the can really well before using.
- Turmeric - Gives the dish such a lovely yellow hue and a delicious flavor. Don't skip this one. Be careful, it will stain your hands too.
- Other Herbs and Spices - Give this dish exactly what it needs.
It's Easier Than You Think!
Cut up chicken 
mix up sauce 
massage into meat & refrigerate 
put meat on skewers 
grill 
garnish 
serve hot!
You'll LOVE how EASY this is. Simply mix up the marinade, cut up the meat. Add it all together and refrigerate.
Here's an Overview of How To Make This!
- Mix up the marinade and cut the meat into small pieces. Mix together, cover (or put in resealable plastic bag) and refrigerate.
- After a couple of hours in the fridge, string the meat onto the skewers.
- On a good hot grill, cook the skewers until the meat is done with a good char developing.
...its ding dong delicious and we've been eating it weekly around here.
Frequently Asked Questons (FAQ's)
A satay is an asian dish made with (in this case) chicken cut into pieces and coated with a sauce and cooked and served on a skewer.
I've indicated substitutions in the recipe, but honestly, it tastes best the way I've written the recipe.
Yes! You sure can! Bake on a baking sheet at 350 for about 20 minutes or until the chicken has reached an internal temp of 165.
Around here, it lasts for exactly one meal. lol. But if you keep it refrigerated and covered, it will keep for 5 days.
Once the chicken is cooked, yes, you can freeze it for up to 3 months. Do not try to freeze the marinade or the uncooked chicken in the marinade however.
Marinate this chicken for at least 30 minutes but several hours is better up to 24 hours.
I fill the skewer ¾ full. The amount will depend on the length of your skewers. My metal skewers which are about a foot long hold about ½ lb of meat each.
I do not recommend doing this for many reasons mainly that the veg and the chicken may not cook at the same rate. It's best to keep them cooking on different skewers.
What Do I Serve With Peanut Sauce Chicken Skewers?
We SO LOVE the following dishes with ours....
- Chicken Fried Rice (if you have some left over rice, this works out beautifully).
- Green Beans Cooked in Foil - because you have the grill out anyway.
- Minute Rice - for an easy side dish.
Tips and Tricks
- You will definitely need a whisk to mix up the marinade, unless of course, you are looking to develop arm muscles the size of Atlas. In that case, use a fork.
- Originally, I wrote this recipe to add salt at the end. That was a mistake. Add salt to the marinade and then, if you need it, add more before serving. Kosher salt looks very cool sprinkled over the top.
- Turmeric makes this dish yellow. There's no getting around that. But hey, it's good for you!
- Grilling makes this dish perfect. If you don't have a grill, the next best option is using a smacking hot grill pan on the stove top. Don't have that? Use a frying pan or bake in the oven.
- I haven't tried it personally, but I'm 100% positive that this will make lovely chicken wings.
- Use tongs or oven mitts to turn the skewers on the grill or you are going to burn yourself (ask me how I know).
- If you are using the bamboo skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes before skewering the chicken. This will keep the skewer from burning.
Subtitutions
- Coconut Milk - You could use a nut milk or evaporated milk, but nothing is going to taste as good as coconut milk. Be sure to shake the coconut milk very well before opening.
- Soy Sauce - low salt kind is fine. Braggs liquid aminos is fine as well.
- Garlic Cloves - can use the pre-minced garlic in a jar - 3 teaspoon or Garlic Powder, 1 Tbs.
- Chicken Thighs - You CAN use breast meat, but it will likely turn out dry. It's best to use the thighs.
- Sesame Oil - You can substitute another oil, but the sesame gives a very unique flavor that you can't get anywhere else.
PRO TIP: Oil the grates of your grill so that nothing sticks and then get the grill screaming hot (like 500 degrees). Put the chicken on and let it cook very well on one side to develop the char.
PRO TIP 2: You will definitely want to garnish with limes because a bit of lime juice squeezed over the top is divine as is a little kosher salt!
If You Enjoyed This Chicken Recipe, You Might Also Enjoy...
Watch Me Make This Here..
Can You Help Me Out?
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Peanut Sauce Chicken Skewers
Ingredients
- ¼ cup coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 2 ½ teaspoons curry powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground turmeric
- 3 cloves garlic minced (0r once heaping teaspoon of minced garlic)
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger don’t use ground dried ginger
- 3 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 Tbs sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine coconut milk, soy sauce, peanut butter, curry powder, turmeric, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, fish sauce, sesame oil and kosher salt.
- In a gallon size Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine chicken and ¾ of the coconut milk mixture; marinate for at least 2 hours to overnight, turning the bag occasionally. Set the remainder of the milk mixture aside and refrigerate to brush on the meat while it’s on the grill.
- Drain the chicken from the marinade, discarding the marinade that the chicken has been soaking in.
- Preheat the grill to medium high heat. If you are using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for 10 minutes before adding the chicken. This will help keep them from burning on the grill. Thread chicken onto skewers. Brush with oil; Give each skewer a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper on each side.
- Add skewers to grill, and cook, turning occasionally, painting with the marinade until the chicken is completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 12-15 minutes. Taste and check for salt and pepper level. Add more as needed.
Notes
- You will definitely need a whisk to mix up the marinade, unless of course, you are looking to develop arm muscles the size of Atlas. In that case, use a fork.
- Originally, I wrote this recipe to add salt at the end. That was a mistake. Add salt to the marinade and then, if you need it, add more before serving. Kosher salt looks very cool sprinkled over the top.
- Turmeric makes this dish yellow. There's no getting around that. But hey, it's good for you!
- Grilling makes this dish perfect. If you don't have a grill, the next best option is using a smacking hot grill pan on the stove top. Don't have that? Use a frying pan or bake in the oven.
- I haven't tried it personally, but I'm 100% positive that this will make lovely chicken wings.
- Use tongs or oven mitts to turn the skewers on the grill or you are going to burn yourself (ask me how I know).
- If you are using the bamboo skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes before skewering the chicken. This will keep the skewer from burning.
- Coconut Milk - You could use a nut milk or evaporated milk, but nothing is going to taste as good as coconut milk. Be sure to shake the coconut milk very well before opening.
- Soy Sauce - low salt kind is fine. Braggs liquid aminos is fine as well.
- Garlic Cloves - can use the pre-minced garlic in a jar - 3 teaspoon or Garlic Powder, 1 Tbs.
- Chicken Thighs - You CAN use breast meat, but it will likely turn out dry. It's best to use the thighs.
- Sesame Oil - You can substitute another oil, but the sesame gives a very unique flavor that you can't get anywhere else.
Nutrition
I think I've mentioned about a million times that patience isn't my best virtue (you can read that, isn't one of my virtues). So, I find myself looking for answers about patience a lot.
James 5: 7-8
Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand
Russanna says
Do you have a chicken fried rice recipe? Thanks for your wonderful, blog, attitude and kindness.
Wendi Spraker says
Hi Russanna, I DO have a chicken fried rice recipe and I think it's delicious! Here is the link - https://www.loavesanddishes.net/restaurant-style-chicken-fried-rice/
D Hale says
Can't wait to try this with family next weekend. Looks and sounds delicious.
Thank you Wendi.
Wendi Spraker says
Hi! I hope you love it! I know we do!
Debbie Dunlap says
Having just acquired a new smoker, I would love to use it for this recipe; however, I'm going to need a few more details if you don't mind. Like: do we still thread them onto skewers; how many hours should we plan on cooking them and at what temperature? Thank you for any help you can offer.
I have a strong idea that this will be a 5 star recipe.
Wendi Spraker says
Hi Debbie, Thanks for asking. I think I might just do this as a video for the YouTube Channel this week and do them on the smoker. I'll try real hard to remember to email you a link if I do so you can see. First, yes, thread them on the skewers because otherwise, the small pieces will just fall through the grate and become part of your charcoal. The length of time that you cook them on the smoker will depend on what temperature the smoker is at. My pit barrel smoker is hard to control but I find that if the temp stays about 260ish, that makes for the right amount of smoke and cook time. At that temp range, they will be done in about 30ish minutes give or take. I find that cooking on a charcoal based smoker, its best to use a very good instant read thermometer. We have one hanging just below the grate to give the ambient temp and I use one that I stick into the meat for the meat temp. No matter what the ambient temp is, you want the meat to get to 165. Take it off at that temp and let it rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Linda Crawford says
Can’t wait to gather the ingredients and try this!
Wendi Spraker says
Thanks Linda!
Wendi J Spraker says
aggregate ratings test