Thai chicken satay is a classic dish that combines perfectly grilled chicken with spicy, creamy peanut sauce that is so delicious you won’t be able to get enough!
This dish is a mouthwatering eat you can make on the grill or the stove in a frying pan so you can make it all year round.
Some authentic Thai recipes come with a list of ingredients as long as your arm, but this one is ultra quick and tasty, with ingredients you’ll probably have in your pantry.
Salty, meaty, sweet, spicy, and nutty; this Thai delicacy has everything you need from a classic Asian dish.
Why you will love this Thai Chicken Satay recipe…
Thai Chicken Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
For the marinade:
- 3 tbsp lime juice
- 3 tbsp canola oil
- 2 tsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tsp fish sauce
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (I used chilli flakes)
- 1 pound about 450 grams chicken tenders (long strips of chicken)
For the peanut sauce:
- 2 tbsp smooth or crunchy natural peanut butter (or make your own healthy peanut butter)
- 2 tbsp ‘lite’ coconut milk
- 2-3 tsp lime juice or to taste
- 2 tsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper or to taste
Instructions
Ingredients
- For the marinade: Whisk lime juice, oil, soy sauce, fish sauce and red pepper in a shallow dish until combined; add chicken and turn to coat. Let it marinate in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
- For the peanut sauce: Whisk peanut butter, coconut milk, lime juice, soy sauce, brown sugar and red pepper until smooth.
- Prepare the barbeque (grill) or use a grilling fry-pan (skillet) on high heat.
- Thread each chicken tender onto a wooden skewer.
- Grill until cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, about 3 minutes per side.
- Serve warm with Spicy Peanut Sauce.
Notes
- Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate the peanut sauce for up to 2 days.
- Ingredient note: Fish sauce is a pungent Southeast Asian sauce made from salted, fermented fish. You can find it in the Asian section of large supermarkets and in Asian specialty markets.
- Tip: Refrigerate leftover coconut milk for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2 months. It will appear separated when thawed; simply mix until smooth.
- Tip: It can be a bit difficult to cook every bit of chicken when it’s threaded onto a skewer – if in doubt, take the chicken off the skewer and grill a little longer to ensure the flesh is cooked through.
Nutrition
Serving Suggestions
Serve Thai Chicken Satay as is for a delicious appetizer for 4, or make it a satisfying main meal for 2 by pairing it with coconut rice and a simple marinated cucumber salad.
For an extra touch, serve with a chilled glass of Homemade Limoncello – its refreshing citrus notes will perfectly complement the savory flavors of the satay.
If you love extra sauce, consider doubling the sauce recipe for even more flavor! This combination offers the perfect balance of savory, refreshing, and creamy elements.
🧑🍳 Expert Tips
Storage Suggestions
Thai Chicken Satay FAQs
Is Thai peanut sauce the same as satay?
In the US, what we often refer to as peanut sauce is commonly known as satay sauce in Indonesia, where it originated. It is also known as bumbu kacang. However, it’s only called this because it’s often served with a dish known as satay. Satay refers to grilled meats cooked on a skewer.
What does Thai satay sauce taste like?
This sauce has a beautiful balance of creamy nuttiness and sweetness cut with the zing of lime, the saltiness of soy sauce, and the spice of red chili.
How to cut chicken breast for satay?
Cut the chicken breast longways down the breast to create long strips you can thread onto the skewer.
You don’t know how much I am salivating just seeing your recipe! it looks absolutely delicious! Love your photo!
Congrats on completing this month’s Daringk Kitchen Cooks Challenge too!
Thanks Joanne – just heading over to see what everyone else has cooked! And yes, just managed to scrape into the challenge!
I’m so hungry right now and have no chicken in my fridge yet, but that looks utterly delicious. Definitely going to try this out soon! 😀
Haha… yeah it certainly does look tempting doesn’t it! Hope you enjoy it!
Ha! Ha! Completely understandable that you don’t want to freeze your tushy off. I think this was a great compromise cooking this satay up on the grilling pan. I’ve made plenty of complicated chicken satay in my life and I fully appreciate that this can be whipped up at a moments notice with no fuss. Fortunately, it’s warm in Boston (sort of) so I can throw my satay on the barbie. 🙂
Hi Lynn! Lucky you over there in the warmth! Thanks for siding with me on the ‘not freezing my tush off’ decision! And enjoy that barbie!!