Easy chicken satay with peanut sauce

Juicy grilled chicken satay skewers served with peanut sauce for dipping is a delicious, easy dinner recipe perfect for summer nights.

Ingredients needed

Full recipe + amounts can be found in the recipe card below. 

• Chicken thighs. Boneless + skinless. 
• Ground turmeric. 
• Curry powder. 
• Soy sauce. Use tamari or coconut aminos if you need this recipe to be gluten free.
• Fish sauce. 
• Garlic. 
• Ginger. 
• Brown sugar. 
• Lime juice. 
• Peanut butter. 
• Coconut milk.

How to make chicken satay

1. Marinate the chicken: Chop skinless boneless chicken thighs into bite-size chunks and place in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine oil, garlic, ginger, curry powder, soy sauce, fish sauce, lime juice, brown sugar and salt and whisk together. Pour the marinade over the chicken and mix to coat the chicken. Cover and allow to marinade in the fridge for at least 30 minutes but up to 24 hours. While the chicken marinades, soak the bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes.
2. Assemble the skewers and cook: To cook the chicken satay skewers, thread the marinated chicken onto soaked bamboo skewers or metal skewers. Heat a grill or grill pan over high heat then cook the chicken skewers for 5-6 minutes per side until cooked through and golden brown all over.
3. Make the peanut sauce: To make the peanut sauce, combine peanut butter, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, coconut milk, lime juice and a pinch of brown sugar and mix well. Serve the cooked chicken with peanut sauce, lime wedges and crushed toasted peanuts.

Can you cook chicken satay in the oven?

Yes, you can. The oven has a tendency of drying out chicken that is not on the bone so make sure to preheat the oven to its hottest setting (using the broiler/grill in your oven is a good idea). Cook the chicken for 5-6 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through.

Is chicken satay gluten free?

Because this recipe contains soy sauce, it is not gluten free. To make it gluten free, use Tamari or Coconut Aminos instead of soy sauce. Make sure the peanut butter you use for the dipping sauce is gluten free (some are produced in factories where gluten-containing food is processed). These satay skewers can easily be turned into a low carb or keto recipe, simply leave out the brown sugar and serve with a dipping sauce made with almond or cashew butter.

What to serve with chicken satay

1. Soy honey noodle salad
2. Asian noodle salad with peanut ginger dressing
3. Sliced cucumber, carrots or radishes.
4. Ginger rice – Steam rice with fresh ginger.

Chicken skewer recipes

1. Hawaiian chicken skewers
2. Easy herby lemon chicken skewers
3. Greek chicken skewers