Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce is an easy and delicious appetizer to be served anytime. I even love it for breakfast. This recipe is also savory and scrumptious. Strips of chicken breast are marinated in Asian flavors and spices, skewered, and then quickly grilled on the stove top.
What makes this dish over-the-top delicious is the BEST Peanut Sauce served with the Chicken Satay for dipping. I was so excited when I figured out a perfect recipe based on easy-to-get pantry items. One trick is using a combination of Cream of Coconut, Coconut Milk, and Creamy All-Natural Peanut Butter. The secret to the flavor is to use a good Red Curry Paste. My favorite is Maesri Red Curry Paste that comes in a small can. I order it online and keep them in the pantry. Adjust the amount of Red Curry Paste to your preferred level of spiciness. I use the whole 4-ounce can! The recipe will make enough for multiple meals. It keeps well in the fridge for weeks and even freezes well. Click here for the recipe.
To make the Chicken Satay, follow this step-by-step guide:
Cut the chicken breasts in even-sized, thin strips.
Marinate in a combination of peanut oil, brown sugar, soy sauce, lime juice, turmeric, ginger and garlic for at least 60 minutes.
Thread the chicken strips on 6-inch wooden skewers. Brush a cast iron grill pan with peanut oil, and grill Chicken Satay over a medium-high heat on the stove top. You may have to do this in batches depending on the size of your grill pan. I did NOT soak the wooden skewers for stovetop grilling. If you are grilling on the BBQ with open flames, you will then need to soak the skewers for 30 minutes in water.
Grill 3-4 minutes on each side until the chicken is caramelized with lots of grill marks, and no longer pink in the center.
Serve immediately with Peanut Sauce on the side.
One important note for cooks:
Cooking with turmeric is tricky because it stains anything porous a bright yellow/gold color. I learned this lesson the hard way. The key is to avoid using wooden spoons to mix the marinade. Be sure the marinade is mixed in a glass bowl. Turmeric will also stain your fingers when you pick up the chicken to thread it on the skewer. Use parchment paper as your work surface – NOT your good wood cutting board! When finished skewering, wash up with a good enzyme-powered dish soap such as Dawn to wash your hands immediately afterward. It is a good sanitary practice as well after handling raw chicken. Tumeric is a key ingredient in Satay to achieve that beautiful color, so don’t leave it out.
Easy Chicken Satay with the BEST Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 8 ounce skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil for grilling
- Peanut Sauce on the side homemade or store-bought
- 16 wooden skewers 6-inch or 8-inch length
Satay Marinade
- 3 Tablespoons peanut oil
- 3 Tablespoons light brown sugar
- 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 Tablespoons lime juice or lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder or 3 cloves minced fresh garlic
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger or ginger powder
Instructions
- On a cutting board, slice chicken breasts into strips 1 inch thick. Set aside.
- In a medium glass bowl, add the marinade ingredients and whisk until smooth. Add the chicken strips to the marinade and mix to coat evenly. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 60 minutes.
- Place a parchment paper on your cutting board. With your fingers, remove one strip of chicken from the marinade, drain off, and thread on a skewer. Set aside. Continue threading all the chicken on skewers.
- Brush a cast iron grill pan with the peanut oil. Heat the pan over a medium-high heat. When hot, place a few skewers at a time on the grill pan in a single layer, and not touching each other. Grill 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove with tongs and set aside. Continuing grilling the rest of the chicken skewers in batches.
- Serve immediately with a bowl of Peanut Sauce on the side for dipping.
Leave a Reply