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Skewers off the grill and a peanut sauce you will want to eat with a spoon. The sauce takes ten minutes and keeps for a week, so make double.
Chicken satay with peanut satay sauce
Ingredients
Method
- Mix half the curry powder, the turmeric, one grated garlic clove and 4 tbsp of the coconut milk in a bowl. Add the chicken, stir to coat and chill for at least an hour.
- Soak the wooden skewers in cold water for 30 minutes.
- For the sauce, heat the oil in a small pan and cook the remaining garlic and curry powder for one minute.
- Pour in the rest of the coconut milk and bring to a bare simmer, not a boil.
- Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the peanut butter until smooth.
- Stir in the soy sauce, sugar, fish sauce, chilli flakes and lime juice. Thin with hot water until it pours.
- Thread the chicken onto the skewers, laying the strips flat rather than bunched.
- Grill or griddle over a high heat for 10 to 12 minutes, turning halfway, until charred at the edges and cooked through.
- Serve the skewers with the warm sauce alongside.
Notes
Why this recipe works
The marinade and the sauce share a base of curry powder, garlic and coconut milk, so the two taste like one dish rather than chicken with a dip bolted on. Turmeric in the marinade also gives the skewers the yellow colour you expect.
- Thigh meat stays juicy under a grill.
- The sauce is built in the pan, so the peanut butter never splits.
- Lime and fish sauce keep it from turning cloying.
What is satay sauce made of?
Satay sauce is peanut butter loosened with coconut milk, seasoned with soy sauce, curry powder, garlic, brown sugar and lime. Many versions add fish sauce for depth and chilli for heat. It is thinned with water to a pouring consistency at the end.
How to make a simple peanut satay sauce
Soften the garlic and curry powder in a little oil, add the coconut milk, then whisk in the peanut butter off a rolling boil. Season with soy, sugar and lime, then thin with water. Ten minutes, one small pan, no blender.
Tips for the best satay
The two failure points are dry chicken and split sauce. Both come from heat that is too high for too long.
- Soak wooden skewers for 30 minutes so they do not burn.
- Thread the chicken flat, not bunched, so it cooks evenly.
- Take the sauce off a hard boil before the peanut butter goes in.
- Marinate for at least an hour. Overnight is better.
Swaps and variations
The sauce is the point, and it goes with far more than chicken.
- Tofu or halloumi skewers, grilled the same way.
- Prawns, grilled for two minutes a side.
- Use almond butter or tahini for a peanut free version.
- Add a spoon of the sauce to noodles for a fast dinner.
Make ahead and storage
The sauce keeps in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to a week and thickens as it cools. Loosen it with a splash of hot water before serving. Marinated raw skewers can sit in the fridge overnight or freeze for up to three months.
What to serve with chicken satay
Satay is rich and sweet, so it wants something sharp and something plain alongside. Cucumber salad does the first job and rice does the second.
- Cucumber and red onion in rice vinegar
- Steamed jasmine rice or egg fried rice
- Prawn crackers
- A crunchy side like salt and pepper chips
Frequently asked questions
Smooth or crunchy peanut butter?
Smooth for a pourable sauce, crunchy if you want texture. Use one with no added sugar or palm oil, or the sauce turns sweet before you have seasoned it.
Can I cook the skewers without a grill?
Yes. A griddle pan over a high heat gives the best colour. An air fryer at 200C for 10 to 12 minutes also works, turning once.
Why did my satay sauce split?
The coconut milk was boiling when the peanut butter went in. Drop the heat to a bare simmer, whisk the peanut butter in off the boil, and it will come back together.
Is satay Thai or Indonesian?
Satay is Indonesian in origin and is eaten widely across Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. The peanut sauce served in British restaurants is usually closest to the Malaysian and Thai style.
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- Smooth peanut butter. The base of the satay sauce.
- Bamboo skewers. For threading and grilling the chicken.
