Thai
Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
Chicken strips are marinated, threaded onto skewers, and grilled, then served with a warm peanut and coconut sauce. The chicken tastes lightly sweet and charred, and the sauce tastes nutty with lime.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
Why you’ll love it
- A short marinade of soy and lime seasons thin strips all the way through.
- Skewers cook fast, so the chicken hits 165°F before it dries.
- The peanut sauce is cooked on the stove, not on the grill, so it does not split.
- Lime at the end keeps the sauce from tasting heavy.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Toss the chicken with the soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of lime juice, the brown sugar, and the vegetable oil. Thread the strips onto the soaked skewers.
- 2
Heat a grill to medium-high, about 425°F. If oil on the grates smokes, turn the heat off and let them cool before you continue.
- 3
Grill the skewers, turning once, until the chicken reaches 165°F, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.
- 4
While the chicken grills, stir the peanut butter, coconut milk, garlic, ginger, the remaining lime juice, and the salt in a small saucepan.
- 5
Warm the sauce over medium-low heat until it is smooth and hot, about 3 minutes. Do not boil it hard.
- 6
Serve the skewers with the warm peanut sauce.
Pro tips
- Soak wooden skewers so the exposed ends do not burn.
- Leave a little space between strips so the heat reaches the middle.
- Thin the sauce with a splash of water if it is thicker than you want.
Easy substitutions
- peanut butter
- almond butter
- coconut milk
- chicken broth for a thinner sauce
- grill
- a grill pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate the chicken and sauce separately for up to 3 days.
Reheating
Reheat the chicken in a 350°F oven until hot and warm the sauce gently on the stove, stirring in a splash of water if it thickens.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 406
- Protein
- 40 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
Moderate · Grill, Stovetop · Dairy-Free, High Protein
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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