This chicken satay with peanut sauce is a really easy way to change up your dinner routine.
In this recipe, chicken thighs are marinated in soy sauce, coconut milk, brown sugar and a combination of spices. Then they’re grilled and served with a delicious peanut sauce.
The chicken needs to marinate for at least a couple of hours, but the marinade is a cinch to make and the chicken cooks pretty quickly. Plus, the peanut sauce is super easy to make too.
Serve the chicken satay with peanut sauce as an appetizer or pair it with a side of jasmine rice and steamed vegetables for a complete meal your family will really enjoy.
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For the Chicken Satay you will need
2 pounds Chicken Thighs, boneless, skinless and cut into roughly 2 inch pieces
¼ cup Soy Sauce, low sodium
¼ cup Coconut Milk, unsweetened
2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
2 Garlic Cloves, grated or minced
½ teaspoon Turmeric
½ teaspoon Ginger Powder
½ teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon Coriander
¼ teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
For the Peanut Sauce you will need
½ cup Peanut Butter, smooth
½ cup Coconut Milk, unsweetened
¼ cup Brown Sugar
2 tablespoons Soy Sauce, low sodium
½ tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice
½ a Garlic Clove, grated or minced
¼ teaspoon Ginger Powder
¼ teaspoon Turmeric
Pinch Crushed Red Pepper
You will also need
8-10 Bamboo Skewers (10-12 inches)
Grill Spray, to reduce sticking
Prep Work for the chicken satay and peanut sauce
There is a little prep work with this delicious dish. We have to prepare the marinade, and marinate the chicken. Then make a peanut sauce from scratch. Luckily, everything is really easy to do.
Prepare the chicken
We’ll start with the chicken because it needs to marinate for a while for the best taste. Get it started at least two hours before grilling.
We marinate the chicken the night before and leave it in the refrigerator overnight. The chicken thighs turn out so tender and flavorful.
Cut the boneless, skinless chicken thighs into roughly 2 inch pieces and place them in a large bowl or a zip top bag.
Next, make the marinade by adding the coconut milk, soy sauce, brown sugar, grated garlic, turmeric, ginger powder, salt, coriander and crushed red pepper to a bowl. Stir well with a fork or small whisk to combine.
Tip: Use a microplane to grate garlic. They’re super convenient, just grate right into the bowl or jar. No dirty cutting board and no fuss.
Add the marinade to the chicken and toss well to coat it completely. If you’re using a zip top bag, seal it well, then massage the chicken a little bit to coat it with the marinade.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or place the bag on a pan or plate just in case it leaks. Refrigerate the chicken at least 2 hours, to overnight.
Prepare the peanut sauce
Add all of the peanut sauce ingredients to a small blender, like a Nutribullet, or use a blender.
Blend until all of the ingredients are combined and the sauce is smooth. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and blend again.
Transfer the sauce to a serving bowl or container. You can make the sauce ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to use. Two things:
- Cover the sauce with a lid or plastic wrap.
- Remove it from the refrigerator a while before using to get the chill out, and stir it vigorously to loosen.
Soak the skewers
We use bamboo skewers for this chicken satay (10-12 inches long). Soak them prior to using to prevent them from burning on the grill.
Place the bamboo skewers on a sheet pan or shallow baking dish and cover with water. Soak the skewers for 30 minutes to an hour so they don’t catch fire on the grill.
Skewer the chicken
Remove the bamboo skewers from the water. Thread about 5 chicken pieces onto each skewer. The chicken thigh pieces will be irregularly shaped so tread any loose pieces through the skewer to secure.
Set the skewer on a pan or plate and repeat with the remaining chicken.
Discard any leftover marinade.
Grill the chicken
Spray the barbecue grates with the grill spray to prevent sticking. Grill the chicken satay over moderate heat, turning them a couple of times. Cook until they are golden brown on both sides and completely cooked through.
Grilling should take about 12-15 minutes since the chicken is boneless and cut into small pieces. Make sure the juices run clear when pierced with a fork or knife and the meat is no longer pink.
The internal temperature of the chicken should be at least 165°F at its thickest part. Use an instant read thermometer to make sure.
Serve the chicken satay with the prepared peanut sauce. Makes 8-10 Skewers
Want more Asian inspired recipes? Try one of these:
Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
Chicken Satay Ingredients
- 2 pounds Chicken Thighs boneless, skinless and cut into 2 inch pieces
- ¼ cup Soy Sauce low sodium
- ¼ cup Coconut Milk unsweetened
- 2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
- 2 Garlic Cloves grated or minced
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric
- ½ teaspoon Ginger Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Coriander
- ¼ teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
Peanut Sauce Ingredients
- ½ cup Peanut Butter smooth
- ½ cup Coconut Milk unsweetened
- ¼ cup Brown Sugar
- 2 tablespoons Soy Sauce low sodium
- ½ tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice
- ½ a Garlic Clove grated or minced
- ¼ teaspoon Ginger Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric
- Pinch Crushed Red Pepper
Instructions
You will also need: 8-10 Bamboo Skewers and Grill Spray
Prepare the chicken
- Cut the boneless, skinless chicken thighs into roughly 2 inch pieces and place them in a large bowl or zip top bag.
- Add the soy sauce, coconut milk, brown sugar, grated garlic, turmeric, ginger powder, salt, coriander and crushed red pepper to a bowl. Stir well to combine. Add the marinade to the chicken and toss well until coated. If you’re using a zip top bag, seal it well, then massage the
chicken a little bit to coat it with the marinade. - Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or place the bag on a pan or plate just in case it leaks. Refrigerate the chicken at least 2 hours, to overnight.
Prepare the peanut sauce
- Add all of the peanut sauce ingredients to a small blender (like a Nutribullet), or use a blender. Blend until all of the ingredients are combined and the sauce is smooth. Transfer the sauce to a serving bowl or container until ready to serve.
- Place the bamboo skewers on a sheet pan or shallow baking dish and cover with water. Soak the skewers for 30 minutes to an hour.
Grill the chicken
- Remove the bamboo skewers from the water. Thread 4-5 chicken pieces onto each skewer. Set on a pan or plate and repeat with the remaining chicken. Discard any remaining marinade.
- Spray the barbecue grates with the grill spray to prevent sticking. Grill the chicken satay on moderate heat, turning occasionally until they are browned and completely cooked through (about 15 minutes). The internal temperature of the chicken should be at least 165°F at its thickest piece.
- Serve the chicken satay with the peanut sauce.
