Visit any Thai Restaurant in the states and you’ll find Chicken Satay on the appetizer menu. However in Thailand, Satay is a popular street food eaten as a meal with sticky rice or with spicy papaya salad. That’s definitely my favorite way to eat it. When we were in Thailand last fall, my kids lived off of Pad See Ewe and Satay. They just loved eating meat on a stick! Satay can be made with Chicken, Pork, or Beef, but restaurants here typically do Chicken. If you love this popular Thai dish, you’ll be pleased to know how easy it is to make at home with a few simple ingredients.
My recipe is an easy version since it does not consist of grinding spices and aromatics to make a paste, which is how authentic satay marinade is made. Instead I use coconut milk, curry powder, turmeric, and garlic for the marinade. The coconut milk helps tenderize the chicken and give it a sweet taste, while the curry powder mimics the flavors of traditional spices used, and the turmeric gives the satay a nice yellow hue and added benefits. Combine everything together and allow the chicken to marinate for at least an hour, but if you have a few hours that’s even better. When you’re ready to grill, skew marinated chicken pieces on pre-soaked wooden skewers.
The peanut dipping sauce is also very popular when eating satay. I’m warning you, this stuff is addictive! I can pretty much put this on top of anything, but its perfect for a salad, over rice, or to dip veggies. This makes about a cup and a half, so if you have leftovers, it can be stored in a container in the fridge for a few days. Since the peanut sauce is a little rich, the cucumber salad helps balance it out with crunchiness and acidity. I also like to add pickled jalapenos to the cucumber salad for some extra spice. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 lb Chicken Breast or Thighs, cut into 1 inch cubes.
- 1 Cup of Canned Coconut milk
- 1 Tbsp Curry Powder
- 1 Tbsp Turmeric
- 2 Cloves of Garlic, minced
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Pepper
- 1 Cup of Canned Coconut milk
- 1/2 Cup of Creamy Peanut Butter
- 1 to 2 tsp of Fish Sauce, taste first
- 1 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
- 1 Tbsp Siracha Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Coconut Sugar or Honey
- 1 Tsp Curry Powder
- 1 cup of quartered cucumbers
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tbsp sugar
- (Optional) sliced red onions or jalapenos, and crushed peanuts.
Instructions
- Place cubed chicken into a gallon zip bag with marinade and coat well. Allow to marinate in refrigerator for at least an hour, the longer the better.
- 30 minutes prior to grilling, soak wooden skewers in water.
- Place chicken pieces onto skewers and place on a pan or cutting board, the chicken will be a little messy so you'll need something sturdy to transport to the grill. Grill until fully cooked.
- Place all ingredients for peanut sauce into a small sauce pan, bring heat to simmer, whisk until it becomes smooth and creamy. Remove from heat and place into serving dish. Remainder can be stored in the fridge for a few days.
- For the cucumber salad, dissolve sugar with vinegar and mix in cucumbers. You can also add red onion slice, jalapenos, or crushed peanuts on top.
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