Thai Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
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Thai chicken satay is a delicious dinner or appetizer. Skewers of seasoned chicken paired with a flavorful satay dipping sauce are a delicious Southeast Asian staple. This easy chicken satay with peanut sauce recipe can also be made with cashews for a paleo, Whole30, and Keto friendly version!
What is Chicken Satay Made Of?
Satay is meat grilled on a skewer and served with a flavorful sauce that typically contains peanuts, roasted red peppers and curry. While chicken is most commonly used for satay, beef, lamb and (less commonly) pork are also used. (This post was originally published on June 12, 2012)
Satay with peanut sauce is prevalent throughout Southeast Asia. On nearly every street corner from Jakarta to Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur you can find a satay vendor. Crouched low on their heels, over a coal braizer, smiling men and women will cook skewers of marinated meat for just a couple of ringget or baht.
Each vendor, of course, has his or her own marinade recipe and peanut sauce. Satay is originally from Indonesia, but if you look at a map, you can easily see how this delicious street food has taken over most of the peninsula with each region having different recipes and meats. You’ll also find different forms of satay in Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and the Philippines.
We spent about two weeks in Indonesia and enjoyed satay from street vendors regularly. We also loved the Balinese Breakfasts. And after our four days in Singapore, I knew I had to create my own version of Singapore Hot Pot – it’s fabulous!
How to Make Paleo, Whole30, and Keto Chicken Satay
This easy chicken satay recipe is adapted from Craig Claiborne’s The New York Times Cook Book. I’ve made this recipe so many times, the spine is cracked and broken right at that page.
I’ve updated the recipe, with adaptations, making several changes for Keto, Paleo-friendly and Whole30-compliant options.
I substitute cashews for the peanuts (a legume, therefore not Paleo), with no discernible difference. I also substitute coconut aminos for the soy sauce, and coconut sugar for the table sugar. I’ve also used jarred, pre-roasted red bell peppers, rather than roasting them at home.
None of these changes affected the flavor, and after making it again last weekend for a party, it got rave reviews.
Is satay sauce the same as peanut sauce?
Yes, most satay sauce recipes are made with peanuts, so feel free to use them if you have no issues with them. If you want a more traditional satay marinade, and have no issues with soy sauce, feel free to use it. However remember that traditional soy sauce is much saltier than low-sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos, so adjust accordingly.
What’s the best chicken to use for satay?
Obviously, this is a personal choice, but I prefer chicken thighs.
- Thighs have more fat, even if you remove the excess fat, (which I do for this recipe) thighs have more fat, therefore are just juicier and have more flavor.
- Curry powder or curry paste. Choose a curry powder or paste that you like. Both can vary from mild to super hot. We like one on the mild to medium side. If you don’t know what level of heat your curry powder is, start with less. You can always make it hotter, but can’t really dial it down.
- Lemon or lime juice
- Soy sauce or coconut aminos. Some people avoid soy or are sensitive to soy sauce, coconut aminos are a great option. They’re also Whole30 and Paleo. Be mindful that coconut aminos are not as salty as soy sauce, and adjust to your taste.
- Start by whisking together the marinade and pouring over the chicken strips. Let the chicken marinate for a minimum of one hour and up to 12 hours.
While the chicken is marinating, prepare your cashew or peanut satay sauce. To make this chicken with peanut sauce, simply use peanut butter instead of cashew butter.
Thread the chicken strips on the skewers and grill for a few minutes on each side. They can cook pretty quickly, depending on how thick the meat is. About 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Ingredients for peanut sauce (or cashew sauce)
Satay sauce is made with peanuts or peanut butter. If you have a peanut allergy or are avoiding legumes, substitute cashew butter. Substituting cashew butter makes the sauce Paleo and Whole30 friendly.
Ingredients for chicken satay marinade:
- Unsweetened peanut or cashew butter. Bear in mind if you choose a peanut butter or cashew butter that contains sugar, you won’t need to add any additional sugar to the sauce.
- coconut cream (not creme de coconut which is used in cocktails)
- roasted red bell peppers (you can roast them yourself, or purchase them pre-roasted in a jar).
- 1 shallot, minced.
- 2 Tablespoons curry powder. Keep in mind curry powder can range from mild to super hot! This curry powder is mild, which will give all the delicious flavor of curry, with little or no heat.
- coconut sugar (for Paleo) or regular sugar. Just 2 teaspoons gives it all the sweetness it needs.
- coconut oil (to saute the shallots)
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste.
How to make Thai peanut sauce
- Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add shallots, cooking briefly. Add curry powder and cook just a minute or two.
- Reduce heat to low. Add peppers, peanut or cashew butter, coconut cream.
- Let simmer on low for about 5 minutes.
- Puree sauce in food processor or blender until smooth and creamy.
Thai Satay FAQs
How do you thread chicken satay?
- Cut your chicken into long strips and thread it through most of the skewer, weaving in and out like you’re sewing a piece of cloth.
- Before you are ready to cook, soak your bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes so the skewers don’t burn.
- When serving this as an appetizer, keep in mind that your guests should be able to eat the skewer in one or two bites. In that case, push a smaller amount of the chicken towards the tip of the skewer.
How much Thai satay per person?
Expect each person to eat about 4-5 skewers for a dinner serving. For an appetizer, or as one of the hors d’oeuvre for a cocktail party, I suggest 2 skewers per person.
Can I make chicken satay ahead of time?
Yes! If you’re planning a party, or just dinner for your family, you can make the peanut or cashew sauce a day (or even several days) ahead of time and store it in a jar in the refrigerator. The marinade can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for several days. The chicken should marinate from one to no more than 12 hours.
How long will satay last?
Leftover chicken skewers will last about 2-3 days, well wrapped, and satay sauce will last up to a week stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
What to serve with chicken satay?
Popular side dishes for Thai satay include Asian cucumber salad, coconut or jasmine rice, Stir-fry Vegetables, dumplings or egg rolls.
Thai Satay Chicken with Peanut (or Cashew) Sauce.
Ingredients
For the chicken marinade:
- 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into strips
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons lemon or lime juice
- 3 Tablespoons coconut aminos (or gluten free soy sauce or tamari if not Paleo)
- 2 Tablespoons curry powder
- 2 teaspoons coconut sugar (Omit for Whole30, or can use regular sugar if not Paleo or Whole30)
- 1 teaspoons kosher salt
For the sauce:
- 12 oz jar of roasted red bell peppers drained, and coarsely chopped
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil
- 1 shallot thinly sliced
- 2 Tbsp curry powder or curry paste
- 1 cup coconut cream
- 1/2 cup cashew butter or peanut butter if not Paleo
- 2 tsp coconut sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Chicken:
- Cut chicken into long strips.
- Mix the marinade ingredients together and pour over chicken pieces.
- While chicken marinates, soak 3 dozen bamboo skewers in cold water. This prevents the skewers from burning on the grill.
- Marinate chicken for a minimum of one hour and up to 12 hours.
- Thread chicken on bamboo skewers. Number of skewers will depend on how much chicken you put on each skewer.
- Grill skewers for a few minutes on each side. They can cook pretty quickly, depending on how thick the meat is. About 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve with Cashew Sauce.
Cashew (or Peanut) Sauce:
- Heat oil in skillet over medium heat, add shallots, cook briefly, stirring. Add the curry powder, or paste and cook briefly.
- Remove from heat and add peppers, cashew butter, and coconut milk or cream.
- Let simmer on low for about 5 minutes.
- Puree in a food processor or blender.
- Thin with water or chicken stock if too thick. Season with salt and pepper if necessary.
Notes
- To save time use jarred roasted red bell peppers, drain, rinse and de-seed before using.
- To make appetizer sized skewers, use a small amount of meat and push it toward the tip of the skewer.
- To make dinner portioned skewers, thread the chicken 3/4th of the way down.
All of the above sounds delish!! Love satay! Question – Chunky Peanut Butter? Most Satays thatI’ve had were really smooth…and do you have a favorite brand?
A must try!
Oh, and don’t go tellin’ tales on Sweet & pretty lil’ Sophie!
Sandy, it gets smooth when you puree it in the food processor. I just use skippy.
is it possible to grill the meat in the oven?
Heck yeah Annie! I had to grill/broil in my oven for SEVEN months because we did not have a BBQ! And we live in California.
I made the chicken satay, rice and peanut sauce for dinner on Tuesday – both kids really liked the chicken, but only Maya liked the peanut sauce. She really liked it, but Ryan not so much – isn’t that always the way. I am going to make the apricot calfoutte today.
You can’t please ’em all, all the time! Let me know how the Crostata turns out.
This sounds scrumptious!
thank you!
Dear Cynthia, I loved hearing about your travels!!! your dad is right, no regrets. This is such an easy and delicious recipe, can’t wait to try it on the grill.
Thank you Allie!
This looks so good, I am loving that peanut sauce!
Me too Marye! Thank you!
Love these flavors! I know that this would disappear in a hurry at our house!
My kids would LOVE these! Yum!
this looks like a fantastic dish! perfect for an appetizer, or as part of a main dish! My family will love this!
kid go crazy for this!
Oh my word! That cashew sauce sounds so delicious. Love the ingredients and that you blended it. Must make!
thanks Ginny! The sauce is to die for!
What a great idea to use cashew butter in these!
Store bought satay sauce is always so disappointing, so I can’t wait to try this!
Usually trader joes has great stuff…their peanut sauce was just bad. I now use jarred bell peppers which makes this so much faster!
I am loving the sound of this! Chicken satay used to be my favourite takeaway dish but I haven’t had it in years. I must make this at home!
it’s pretty easy…the hardest part is threading the skewers! Enlist a kid!
So cool you were able to get away for a hundred days with a luxury and a blessing to experience that. I love the idea of substituting peanut butter for cashew butter. Sometimes I think in traditional recipes we get too caught up in how they’re supposed to be and it stops our creativity in doing something different I might even try this with almond butter
Yes, we were very lucky, but we worked hard to save the money and didn’t travel extravagantly. Yes, cashew butter is my new substitute for peanut butter!
I haven’t been able to get passed the 100 day honeymoon! Wow. We were lucky to get a week off of work. Impressive! Regarding empty nests, don’t worry, it’ll only take a day or two until you realize you have some freedom back, and more control over your time. It’s truly fun. And, they keep visiting anyway. And when they do, you found the hours until they leave. I’m serious! But what great stories you have, especially about your food experiences. This looks like a great recipe. Love Craig Claiborne. His autobiography is in my Amazon cart!
Hi Mimi. It was a the perfect time to do it. We both saved up for 7 months waiting tables day and night when we got engaged. Since we didn’t have much, we just rented a storage shed and popped everything in there. We had no debt, kids, pets or anything else to worry about. I can’t imagine being able to do that again, even after the kids are out of the nest for good!
I LOOOOVVVVEEE chicken satay with peanut sauce, but have never tried it with cashew sauce. I need to give it a go! I’m sure I’d be just as happy! One of my favorite ways to prepare chicken. So tasty!
Since we’re avoiding legumes, this was a perfect substitute.
What a great recipe! Thanks for explaining the difference between sate and satay as well. Can’t wait to try this one out.
Yep, it all depends on where you are when you order it! No matter where you have it, it’s delicious!
This is an easy recipe to follow. I will add this to our menu plan for next week. Hopefully it does not rain so we can use the grill. Meat just comes out more delicious with the added smokey flavor.
Thank you! Grilling is definitely key!
That looks so good. And now I am hungry.
I love chicken but I’ve never thought of trying it with peanut butter. Thanks for the recipe. Can’t wait to try it.
the peanut butter is part of the sauce which is very traditional in SE Asia.
Gorgeous. I don’t order these out anymore, because I’ve always had bad experiences with the chicken being overcooked. Much smarter to make at home. Love the peanut sauce.
I’ve actually commented twice on this post! I wanted to comment again because we were just in Malaysia in June, and there was a lot of satay. And it was all overcooked! Maybe it’s about the chicken. I’m not sure, but I would have loved to man the bbq grills! Anyway, great recipe!
Excellent recipe all around. Great make ahead meal topping a rice bowl.
great idea! Thanks!
Eating low carb to maintain weight…I love this recipe. I prepare it as a main meal with leftovers. I stir fry veggies to go with it.
Great idea! Did you want to be entered in the drawing too?
I will have to try this on my new grill pan (no outdoor grill at my condo). And maybe I will have a new tea towel and dessert shortbread from Scotland!