Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

5 from 9 votes

An easy chicken satay recipe marinated in coconut cream, curry powder, and spices and grilled over an open flame and brushed with a light coconut cream glaze. Served with a simple and easy to make peanut sauce!

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time45 mins

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Snack

Cuisine: Thai

Servings: skewers

Calories: 111kcal

Author: Joyce Lee

Ingredients

2 lbs chicken (approx. 4 chicken breast, see notes)

Marinade

6 tablespoons lemongrass (approx. 1½ stalks)
3 cloves garlic (approx. 1 ½ tablespoons)
½ small onion (or 2 shallots, approx. 3-4 tablespoons)
1 cup coconut cream (full fat)
2 tablespoons Madras curry powder
3 tablespoons fish sauce
¼ cup sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground turmeric (for color)

Coconut Cream Glaze

6 tablespoons coconut cream (full fat)
1½ tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon soy sauce

Quick Peanut Sauce

1 teaspoon Thai red curry paste
¼ cup natural unsweetened peanut butter (the kind where the oil and the peanut butter separate. No preservatives, just peanuts)
2 tablespoons coconut cream (full fat)
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons soy sauce (or fish sauce)
1 teaspoon rice vinegar (or lime juice)
3 tablespoons water (add as much or as little as you like, until you get the consistency you like)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon chili oil (optional)
crushed peanuts (optional, as a garnish, or for a crunchy sauce with texture)

Instructions

Preparing and Marinating the Chicken

Peel away the first layer of the lemongrass and cut off approximately 2 inches of the top dry ends and discard them. Use a rolling pin or the back of your knife and smash the lemongrass to release the oils and finely chop it and place it in a food processor.
Roughly chop the garlic and onions and place them in the food processor.
Add the rest of the ingredients under 'Marinade' into the food processor and blitz it. Place the marinade in a large bowl.
Slice the chicken breast, against the grain into ¼ inch slices. (See blog post for examples of how to do this) Add the chicken slices to the marinade.
Mix the marinade and the chicken together so that each piece is well coated. I find it easiest to use hands for this step.
If you are using bamboo or wooden skewers, soak the back ends of the stick in a cup of water, so it doesn't burn on the grill. You don't need to worry about soaking the front ends since it will be covered with chicken.
Skewer 2 slices of chicken breast per stick. Flatten it out so that it is thin and cooks quickly on the grill. Place the skewered chicken on a plate or bowl and refrigerate it for 4 hours (overnight preferably).

Making the Coconut Glaze

In a small bowl, mix together the coconut cream, honey, and soy sauce and place it in the fridge.

Grilling the Chicken Satay

Take the chicken and coconut glaze out of the fridge 15-20 minutes before you are ready to grill it.
Set the grill to medium-high heat and give the grill a few minutes to heat up.
Once the grill is hot, rub or spray some cooking oil on the grill and place the chicken satay skewers on the grill and grill them for approximately 3-4 minutes per side, 6-8 minutes in total.
[Dark Meat Instructions] if you are using dark meat instead of chicken breast, cook it for an additional 5-7 minutes since they will be cut into chunks so it will take longer to cook. Glaze the chicken the same way with the instructions below.
Brush on the coconut cream glaze and flip them every minute for 5-7 minutes until you get a bit of char. The chicken satay should have cooked for 11-15 minutes in total.
[Alternative to Grilling] If you don't have a grill, you can also make this indoor by cooking it on a cast-iron frying pan on high heat for 3-4 minutes per side for a total of 6-8 minutes. Glaze and flip them every minute for an additional 5-7 minutes afterwards.

How to Make the Peanut Sauce

In a bowl, mix the peanut butter and red curry paste together until they are smooth and well combined.
Add in the coconut cream, honey, fish sauce, rice wine vinegar and sesame oil and mix well.
Depending on how thick or thin you like your peanut sauce, mix water into it - 1 tablespoon at a time and do a taste test when you are done. Don't add too much water, or else it will water down the flavor too much. My happy medium for the peanut sauce is 3 tablespoons.
[Optional] Add chili oil for some extra spice and flavor. My favorite chili oil to use is Lao Gan Ma Chili Crisp. Drizzle right before serving.
[Optional] Toast some pre-shelled peanuts (without skin) on a frying pan and let it cool before crushing it with the bottom of a pan or roll it with a rolling pin on a cutting board. Sprinkle on top right before serving.

Notes

For a juicier chicken satay, you can use dark meat such as boneless thigh or drums instead of chicken breast.
Try to find coconut cream that has no preservatives. I personally find that coconut cream that contains preservatives has less of a coconut flavor. If you can't find coconut cream, you can use full-fat coconut milk. I like to shake the can to find the thickest ones.
For the peanut sauce, use the natural unsweetened peanut butter where the oil and peanut butter separate. It should only contain peanuts (or peanuts and salt), no preservatives.
Be careful when working with turmeric, it may stain your hands and clothes.
If you have lots of leftover marinade, after cooking the chicken, you can cook it down and make a homemade yellow curry paste by cooking the marinade in a frying pan on medium heat with a bit of oil for 10-15 mins until it is thick. Store for up to 1 week in the fridge. You can add stock to it and make a curry or use it for stir-fries and noodles with a bit of water to thin it out.

Nutrition