Chicken Satay with little sweet and spicy marinated chicken, grilled to perfection and drizzled with the best creamy peanut sauce! Easy to make, quick-cooking and fun to eat skewers for dinner or appetizer!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I’ve had this chicken satay recipe tucked in my back pocket for 5 years, and after retesting it recently, I’m ready to share it with you, guys!
Chicken satay with peanut sauce has summer written all over it! When I served these grilled chicken satay skewers to friends after a beach swim on a hot, sunny day, they disappeared in minutes – an instant hit!
I like my peanut sauce as simple as possible, without asking you to open a whole can of coconut milk only to waste the rest. This sauce is thick enough to drizzle over the satay chicken and adds a kick of heat, just how I like it, but you can easily adjust the spice to your taste.
Ingredients for Chicken Satay
I’ll admit I usually avoid marinating chicken with acidic ingredients since it goes against traditional cooking rules. But I thought about how we always marinate chicken in buttermilk, so I broke the rules and added lime juice. It brightens the flavor and helps tenderize the meat!
- Chicken: I like using boneless skinless chicken breasts because they’re way easier to thread onto skewers than chicken thighs.
- Olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil keeps the chicken juicy and gives the marinade a nice, mellow flavor that brings everything together.
- Lime: The juice and zest add fresh tang and helps tenderize the chicken.
- Maple syrup: Used in both the chicken satay marinade and peanut sauce to add a touch of natural sweetness that balances the savory and spicy. Honey or brown sugar works too.
- Soy sauce: Adds salty, savory depth to the marinade and sauce. Use low-sodium if you prefer more control over the saltiness or for a gluten free option, you can use liquid aminos or tamari.
- Marinade seasonings: Turmeric, chili powder, garlic powder, dried ginger, and salt.
- Peanut butter: The star of the sauce so use creamy, unsalted, high-quality peanut butter. I always buy the natural or organic varieties without added sugar.
- Vinegar: I usually use rice vinegar because it’s a bit milder and has a subtle sweetness, but white vinegar is good too.
- Sriracha: I added a couple teaspoons to the sauce this time to give it a little kick. You can adjust to taste, or leave it out if you prefer it mild.
- Garlic: You’ll need a fresh garlic clove for the peanut sauce.
How to Make Chicken Satay
There’s a bit of prep and marinating, but keep in mind the chicken cooks in just 8 minutes! So make sure your grill (or pan) is hot and ready before they go on.
- Marinate the chicken: In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with olive oil, lime zest and juice, syrup, soy sauce, and all the marinade seasonings. Mix well with tongs, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Make the sauce: When you’re ready to cook, whisk together the peanut butter, water, soy sauce, vinegar, maple syrup, sriracha, and garlic in a small bowl. You can add a little more water if it’s too thick. Set it aside.
- Prep the skewers: If you’re using wooden skewers, soak them in water for about 30 minutes so they don’t burn. Then thread the chicken on like a ribbon, flat side down.
- Grill the chicken: Preheat your grill to medium (about 500 F) and give it a spray with cooking oil. Grill the skewers for 3-4 minutes on each side with the lid closed, until the chicken is cooked through.
Serving
Drizzle with the peanut sauce or serve it on the side for dipping.
Tips for Best Results
Here are some quick tips to make your chicken satay one of the top chicken recipes this summer.
- Soak the wooden skewers: Damp bamboo skewers get hot but won’t burn on the grill.
- Portion sizes: I ended up with 8 long skewers which was perfect for dinner. If you’re making appetizers, smaller skewers work really well too.
- Don’t over marinate: Chicken left in a marinade longer than 24 hours can get a bit mushy.
- To cook without a grill: Bake at 400 F for 15-20 minutes, turning halfway. You can cook skewers in a bit of oil on medium-high in a cast iron skillet for 3-4 minutes per side. Or air fry at 400 F for 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway.
Variations
- Chicken strips: Cut the chicken into strips instead of chunks for easy, grab-and-go bites.
- Other meats: I’ve only made chicken satay, but I think beef, pork, or shrimp would work great with this marinade too.
- Veggie skewers: Add bell peppers, pineapple, or zucchini to the skewers.
- Peanut-free: Use a tahini or sunflower seed butter instead of peanut butter.
- Fresh herbs: Toss in chopped cilantro or basil into the marinade for a fresh herbal note.
Serving Ideas
These chicken satay skewers are perfect on their own as an appetizer, but even better with a few sides to make it a healthy dinner the entire family will love.
We like pairing them with Thai cucumber salad for something cool or over Instant Pot coconut rice to soak up any extra peanut sauce.
How to Store and Reheat
Store: Slide the chicken off the skewers and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freeze: I haven’t tested freezing, so I’d stick to enjoying it fresh.
Reheat: Warm your chicken up in the microwave, and don’t forget to heat the peanut sauce too!
More Chicken Recipes to Try
- Peanut chicken soba noodles
- Thai chicken butternut squash soup
- Thai chicken curry
- Thai chicken salad
Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
For Chicken:
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch thick strips
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, extra virgin
- 1 lime, zest and juice of
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup, honey, or sugar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce, or liquid aminos (gluten-free)
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ginger, dried
- 1 teaspoon salt
For Peanut Sauce:
- 1/4 cup peanut butter, smooth
- 3-4 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce, or liquid aminos (gluten-free)
- 2 teaspoons vinegar
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup, honey or sugar
- 2 teaspoons sriracha
- 1 medium garlic clove, grated
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, add chicken, olive oil, lime zest and juice, maple syrup, soy sauce, turmeric, chili powder, garlic powder, ginger and salt. Using tongs, stir to combine, cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 24 hours.
- When ready to grill, make the peanut sauce by whisking peanut butter, water, soy sauce, vinegar, maple syrup, sriracha and garlic in a small bowl. Adjust consistency with more water, if necessary. Set aside.
- If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes, or use metal ones. Skewer chicken onto skewers like a ribbon, flat side down. I got about 10 chicken skewers.
- Preheat grill on medium heat, around 500 degrees F, and spray with cooking spray. Grill skewers with lid closed for 3-4 minutes per side until chicken is cooked through.
- Serve drizzled with peanut sauce or as a dip on a side.
Notes
- Store: Remove chicken from skewers and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat leftovers in a microwave, also warm up the peanut sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
