One of my favorite Thai inspired dishes is chicken satay. The chicken is pretty incredible, but to be honest, I could put that peanut sauce on anything and devour it! This recipe was inspired by one that my friend Anne shared with me. I’ve adapted it over the past three hundred times I’ve made it…we can’t get enough of it! I think you’ll find that if you just use this marinade alone, the chicken will be divine! Add the satay sauce…and it becomes heavenly! You will almost always end up with extra satay sauce…this is not a problem folks…this is masterful thinking! Put it in the fridge in a container. Later in the week (or the very next day!) cook up some noodles, cut up some assorted veggies and toss with the sauce. Aroi mak mak (very very delicious)!
Thai Chicken Satay
4 – 6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Marinade
3 T. lemongrass
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 t. chili paste (or 1 small hot chili pepper, finely chopped)
2 t. ginger, grated
1/4 C. soy sauce
2 t. lime juice
1/2 t. turmeric
1 T. coriander
1 t. cumin
3 T. dark brown sugar
Peanut Dipping Sauce
1 c lightly salted roasted peanuts
1/4 c. water
1/2 c. light coconut milk
1 1/2 T lime juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 t soy sauce
1 t. dark sesame oil
2 t. chili paste (or 1 small hot chili pepper, finely chopped)
1/2 t. ginger, grated
3 T. dark brown sugar
You’ll need wooden skewers for your chicken. Soak them for at least 30 minutes before skewering the chicken pieces.
Slice chicken breasts lengthwise into thin strips. You can either thread them onto the skewers at this point or marinate first, then put them on the skewers. I usually thread them on first.
In a small bowl, combine the marinade ingredients. Whisk together.
If you’ve skewered the chicken first, place them in a roasting pan or large flat dish and cover them with the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour and up to overnight.
Make the dipping sauce by placing all of the ingredients into a blender or food processor. Process until the sauce is nice and smooth. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Remove the chicken from the fridge about 10 minutes before grilling.
Preheat your grill to high heat. Once heated, grease the grate by folding up some paper towel dipped in vegetable oil and grasping it with tongs. Carefully coat the grates to prevent sticking.
Grill the chicken skewers for about 4 minutes per side.
Plate them and tent with foil for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Serve with the dipping sauce on the side.
Notes:
- This is really nice served as a dinner with some basmati rice and veggies stir fried with garlic or on its own as an appetizer!
- I like to scatter a handful of peanuts over top just because it’s pretty and if serving a crowd, it’s a little heads up that there are peanuts in the sauce.
You mentioned you would tell us how to fix this if we didn’t have a grill, but forgot to do so. Please and Thank you!!
Hi Judy! I must be getting older…I can’t seem to remember that! ;) No worries, it’s very simple. If I can’t use my outdoor grill, I use either an indoor grill pan or I broil the chicken skewers on a greased broiling pan for about four minutes per side. Be aware that when broiling, the wooden skewers can burn easily. I prefer metal skewers when broiling. Enjoy!
This was a really tasty dinner. I only had cheap peanut butter but it still tasted great. A good quality peanut butter would really make this dish sing. A winner in our house
So happy to hear it, Katie! Thanks for letting me know!
In your first step when you soak them… do you mean the skewers? Soak them in water? Thanks!
Yes, Ashley. You are correct. It does call for soaking the skewers in water for about 30 minutes. Sorry for any confusion.
I’m very excited to try your recipe for Valentine’s Day! I just had one minor question: in the marinade, is 1/4C soy taken to mean soy sauce or soy something else? I’m only confused because you called for soy sauce specifically in the dipping sauce. Thanks!
I’m so happy you’ll be making this! It’s a great idea for Valentine’s Day! Thanks so much for bringing that to my attention! I’m about to correct right now. Yes…you are correct. The “soy” does mean soy sauce! I hope you love it and have a wonderful Valentine’s Day!
Wanted to drop in and tell you how much I enjoy your photography! The sauce for this chicken dish sounds great. I will sub out almonds though as we have a peanut allergy in the house. Ginger paste is a new one for me!
Awww…thank you Lori! I’m still working on figuring out the camera…so that means the world to me! I do love this sauce! The almonds are an incredible idea! Let me know how it turns out with them! I’d love to share that with other readers with allergies. The pastes I used from Gourmet Gardens are wonderful. You can find them in the produce section of most grocery stores. They are super convenient. If you don’t have them, just go ahead and use the amounts noted for fresh herbs and ginger. It’s really great either way.
I couldn’t agree more about satay sauce. This is me at a restaurant, “I’ll have the satay chicken please and can I have an extra bowl of sauce?” They always roll their eyes.
I have a recipe for it that I like but somehow I forget to plan ahead. Seeing yours makes me hungry.
Maureen, you and I should go out together then…we’d have lots of eye rolls! ;) I’m so flattered this has made you hungry! Thanks so much!
Oh, Caroline! I love your photos! Gorgeous, gorgeous! And I’m super-jealous reading about your Potluck conference – how awesome! This recipe is so easy yet just stunning. And who doesn’t love skewers – hard to beat food on a stick, right!?!? I love the idea of tossing the chicken with noodles and veggies – brilliant!
Shelley, you are the sweetest! Thank you so much! The satay sauce with the noodles is fantastic! I would even make that sauce alone simply for that dish! The Potluck was such a great experience. If you ever have the opportunity to go…I highly recommend it! I met some of the nicest people and made wonderful friends.
I’m famous. Can’t wait to make this here.
You ARE famous! I do seem to mention you an awful lot! ;) I hope you took your food processor with you…and lots of adaptors!