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Plated Chicken Satay (Satay Gai) with tender chicken skewers, garnished with sesame seeds and accompanied by peanut sauce.

Thai Chicken Satay (Satay Gai): A Smell You Never Forget and a Peanut Sauce That Makes It Complete

Susie Thompson
This was a staple in our house from the very beginning, and it has never left. My mother and her sisters made it at home in Thailand and in Maryland, and we found it at every market we ever visited, the smoke rising and the smell of the marinade on the chicken finding you before you ever reached the stall. The peanut sauce was sweet and savory and went perfectly with every bite. There was never a wrong time to have it and there still isn't.
Make this for the people you love. Get the marinade going tonight, let the chicken rest overnight, and grill tomorrow. Put the peanut sauce in a bowl, the cucumber relish alongside, the sticky rice within reach, and watch what happens when the smell comes off the grill. Everyone will come. They always do.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Appetizer, Chicken, Family meal, Snack, Street food,
Cuisine Thai
Servings 4
Calories 320 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb chicken breast sliced into thin strips
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 2 tbsp curry powder
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp lemongrass finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • Bamboo skewers soaked in water for 30 minutes

Peanut Sauce:

  • 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp red curry paste
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tsp fish sauce

Instructions
 

  • Prepare the Marinade: In a large bowl, combine coconut milk, curry powder, fish sauce, brown sugar, turmeric, ground coriander, cumin, garlic, lemongrass, and vegetable oil. Mix well to create a smooth marinade. Add the chicken strips, ensuring they are well-coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight for maximum flavor.
  • Skewer the Chicken: Remove the marinated chicken from the refrigerator. Thread the chicken strips onto the soaked bamboo skewers. Preheat your grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush the grill with oil to prevent sticking.
  • Grill the Satay: Place the skewers on the grill and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until the chicken is cooked through and has a nice char. Turn occasionally to ensure even cooking. While the chicken is grilling, prepare the peanut sauce.
  • Prepare the Peanut Sauce: In a small saucepan, combine coconut milk, peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, red curry paste, lime juice, and fish sauce. Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously until the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
  • Serve the Satay: Arrange the grilled chicken satay on a platter and serve with the peanut sauce on the side. Garnish with fresh cilantro and lime wedges for an extra burst of flavor. Enjoy your Thai Chicken Satay with jasmine rice or cucumber salad.

For the Peanut Sauce:

  • Mix Ingredients: In a saucepan, combine coconut milk, peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, curry powder, and red pepper flakes. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until smooth and heated through.

For the Cucumber Salad:

  • Combine Ingredients:In a bowl, mix together the sliced cucumber, red onion, rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes to marinate. Stir in the chopped cilantro just before serving.

Notes

Marinate overnight. Two hours produces good satay. Overnight produces the satay that tastes the way it does at the market vendor's stall, where the chicken has been sitting in the spiced coconut milk marinade since before the day began. The coconut milk tenderizes the chicken, the turmeric and lemongrass and galangal penetrate all the way through, and the result is chicken that tastes of the marinade in every bite rather than only at the surface. Make the marinade tonight. Thread the skewers in the morning. The grill does the rest.
Turn the skewers every two minutes and baste after every turn. This is the instruction that produces caramelized, golden satay rather than chicken that is charred on one side and pale on the other. The coconut milk and sugar in the marinade caramelize fast over direct heat. Frequent turning keeps the caramelization even. Basting with the remaining marinade adds another layer of flavor and another layer of caramelization with each turn. Keep the marinade nearby. Keep the brush ready.
The peanut sauce should not be rushed or boiled. Low heat, constant stirring, three to four minutes until smooth and glossy. A boiled peanut sauce separates and becomes grainy. A properly made peanut sauce is smooth and pourable and slightly glossy, sweet and savory and bright from the lime. Taste it before it goes to the table. It should taste like what you want to dip the chicken into. If it does not, adjust it until it does.
The cucumber relish alongside is not optional. It is the cool, slightly sour counterpoint that the warm, rich satay and peanut sauce need. My mother always put it on the table. The market vendors always include it. There is a reason it has always been part of this dish.

Nutrition

Serving: 2-3Calories: 320kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 28gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 720mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6g
Keyword Chicken satay grilled chicken
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