Chicken Satay – Indonesia

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Street-Corner Satay

Bring the vibrant street food culture of Southeast Asia to your backyard with these irresistible chicken satay skewers. Tender chunks of chicken thigh are marinated in a simple yet effective blend of soy sauce, sugar, and citrus before being threaded onto skewers and grilled until lightly charred and succulent. But the true star of this dish is the rich, complex peanut sauce – a heavenly combination of creamy peanut butter, coconut milk, and aromatics that’s given a kick of heat from birds-eye chillies and brightened with fresh lime juice. While traditional satay vendors fan their charcoal grills late into the night on the streets of Jakarta, this recipe adapts their time-honored techniques for home cooking, ensuring you achieve that perfect balance of smoky, sweet, spicy, and savory flavors that makes satay an enduring favorite across Southeast Asia.

Chicken Satay with peanut sauce
 
Author: 
Nutrition Information
  • Serving size: 100g
  • Calories: 184 kcal
  • Fat: 13 grams
  • Saturated fat: 4.1 grams
  • Carbohydrates: 6.1 grams
  • Sugar: 5 grams
  • Sodium: 0.92 grams
  • Fiber: 1 gram
  • Protein: 12 grams
Recipe type: Grilled chicken
Cuisine: Indonesian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
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The Satay (or Sate, as it is called in Indonesia and Malaysia) is thought to have originated in Java. It subsequently spread throughout South East Asia. The reason for this is not hard to find. It is simply fantastic ! Succulent marinated chicken that has either been fried or barbecued is served with spicy satay sauce. This dish has a fantastic combination of sweet, sour and saltiness, with just a hint of Chilli. Good eating that will not disappoint !
Ingredients
For the chicken
  • Chicken thigh fillets – 500 grams
  • Butter – 2 to three tablespoons ( see note *)
  • Wooden skewers – 10 to 12
For the marinade
  • Soya sauce - 1 tablespoon (see note **)
  • Sugar – 1 teaspoon
  • Lemon juice – two tablespoons
For the satay sauce
  • Smooth peanut butter – 150 grams (cashew, or almond butter can also be used).
  • Coconut milk - 1 cup (250ml) coconut milk
  • Soya sauce – 2 tablespoons ( see note **)
  • Vegetable oil – one tablespoon
  • Lemongrass puree – ½ teaspoon
  • Garlic puree – two teaspoons
  • Onion – one medium – finely diced
  • Birds-Eye Chillies – 3 to 4 (finely sliced)
  • Sugar – 2 teaspoons)
  • Lime juice – one tablespoon
Instructions
Pre- preparation
  1. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces (approximately 25 mm x 25 mm).
  2. Combine all the ingredients under "for the marinade" in a glass dish or bowl.
  3. Add the chicken pieces. Cover with cling film and allow to marinate for one to two hours in the refrigerator.
  4. If you are planning to barbecue the chicken, now is an excellent time to start soaking the skewers in water = so that they don't burn over the open flames.
Making the satay sauce
  1. Add the vegetable oil to a small pot and bring to a medium heat.
  2. Add the onions and fry until translucent.
  3. Add the Chillies and the garlic, stir-fry for two to three minutes.
  4. Add the nut butter, coconut milk, soya sauce, lime juice, lemongrass puree and sugar.
  5. Turn down the heat slightly
  6. Stir the sauce continuously until all ingredients have combined and have heated through (7 to 10 minutes).
  7. Keep warm until serving
Cooking the chicken
  1. Remove marinated chicken from the refrigerator.
  2. Thread the chicken pieces onto the wooden skewers
  3. Heat the butter in a large frying pan.
  4. Fry the chicken; three to four skewers at a time until nicely browned (keep the fried chicken warm in a heated oven while cooking the rest).
  5. Once all the chicken has been fried. Transfer to plates
  6. Spoon satay sauce into a bowl or pouring jug
  7. The sauce is poured/ spooned over the chicken skewers prior to eating
Notes
*If you intend to barbecue the kebabs, paint the skewers with one tablespoon of melted butter

** To make this recipe gluten free , use Tamari

Keywords: Chicken Satay with peanut sauce

Serves 4

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