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Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

Name: Chicken Satay Recipe with Peanut Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1-1/2 pounds chicken (cut into bite-sized pieces); 3-4 Thai peppers (chopped (or use spicy red peppers available to you)); 1 shallot (chopped); 2 stalks lemongrass (trimmed and chopped (or use 1 teaspoon lemongrass paste)); 3 cloves garlic (chopped); 1 teaspoon fresh ginger (chopped); 2 tablespoons fish sauce; ¼ cup brown sugar; 3 tablespoons soy sauce; 2 tablespoons sriracha; 1 teaspoon turmeric; 1 teaspoon cumin; 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro + more for garnish; Spicy chili flakes as desired; Bamboo skewers soaked in water for at least 20 minutes; ¼ cup creamy peanut butter (use ½ cup for more peanut flavor); 2 tablespoons soy sauce; 1 tablespoons rice wine vinegar; 2 tablespoons chili-garlic sauce; 1 tablespoon sesame oil; 1 tablespoon honey; 1 teaspoon lime juice; 1 teaspoon cayenne powder (or use paprika for a milder heat); 1 teaspoon garlic powder (or use 1 clove garlic, finely minced or grated); 1 teaspoon ginger powder (or use 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger); 1 tablespoon water (or more as needed for thinning)

by Mike Hultquist · Mar 22, 2022 · 56 Comments

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This Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce recipe features juicy marinated chicken that's grilled to perfection and served with Thai-style peanut sauce. No grill? No problem. Instructions for stove-top cooking and baking also included!

Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce Recipe

If you're looking for a fun and spicy recipe for the game day table this year, or maybe an interesting appetizer for the holidays, consider making chicken satay. It's a spicy food lover's dream recipe.

It's pretty easy to make and you can really play with the spice levels to adjust it to your own preference. I make these frequently for parties and gatherings, and they always disappear pretty quickly. Everyone loves food on a stick!

Chicken satay can also be the STAR of your meal. Either serve up a few of them to fill up your plate, or use extra long skewers like I did and serve individually. I love them for a quick and easy dinner.

Ingredients in Chicken Satay with Thai Peanut Sauce

There are two key components to this recipe - the Marinade and the Thai Peanut Sauce.

For the chicken and marinade:

Chicken
Thai peppers chopped (or use spicy red peppers available to you)
Shallot
Lemongrass stalks (or use 1 teaspoon lemongrass paste)
Garlic
Ginger
Fish sauce
Brown sugar
Soy sauce
Sriracha
Turmeric
Cumin
Cilantro
Spicy chili flakes
Bamboo skewers soaked in water for at least 20 minutes

For the Thai peanut sauce:

Peanut butter
Soy sauce
Rice wine vinegar
Chili-garlic sauce
Sesame oil
Honey
Lime juice
Seasonings - Use cayenne (or paprika for a milder heat), garlic powder (or fresh grated garlic), ginger powder (or fresh grated ginger). Curry powder is a nice addition for extra flavor.

Thai Chicken Satay skewers on a plate, slathered with spicy Thai peanut sauce

How to Make Chicken Satay

Marinate the chicken. Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl or a baggie. Mix until the chicken is evenly coated with the flavors. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Skewer the chicken. Pierce the chicken pieces onto skewers when you’re ready to cook.

Cook the chicken. Heat a grill to medium heat and lightly oil the grates. Grill the chicken skewers 4-5 minutes per side, until the chicken is cooked through. It should measure 165°F. internally.

Enjoy! Garnish with fresh cilantro and spicy chili flakes. Serve with the spicy Thai peanut sauce.

Thai Chicken Satay skewers on a plate, ready to serve

How to Make Thai Peanut Sauce

Whisk it all. Whisk all of the ingredients together, except for the water, in a small bowl until well combined and the sauce is nice and smooth.

Thin it out if needed. Add water a teaspoon at a time until you achieve your desired consistency.

Marinating the chicken for my Thai Chicken Satay Recipe

Recipe Tips & Notes

Marinate the chicken. You’ll get more flavor with a longer marinade. 12 hours or overnight is best. I like to start the marinade in the morning so the chicken is ready by dinnertime.
Add other ingredients. There are a number of different ingredients you can use to make this recipe your own, particularly for the spicy peanut sauce. Try a tablespoon of red curry paste or a bit of sriracha, or even chili-garlic sauce. Try it with gochujang as well. Coconut milk is a nice addition for the marinade.
Turn up the heat! This recipe is a touch spicy, but you can dial that back by going easy on the sriracha and skipping the addition of spicy chili flakes or powders. However, if you're looking the really up that heat, you have several options - add in more sriracha, add in another hot sauce, sprinkle in spicy chili flakes or use your favorite hot and spicy chili powder. You can also chop or grind up some spicy fresh peppers for the marinade. Ghost pepper chicken satay, anyone?

Checking the internal temperature of my Thai Chicken Satay skewers, on the grill

Serving Suggestions

Here are a few different ways you can serve up this Thai chicken satay recipe:

Game day food table - set them up alongside extra spicy Thai peanut sauce.
Holiday appetizers - just make smaller skewers so they can be served as hand held apps.
Summer grilling dinner - make them the star of the meal.

Alternate Cooking Methods

This recipe calls for grilling the chicken satay skewers on the grill, but you can also cook them in a pan or hot skillet, or in the oven. Here are instructions for cook them:

SKILLET. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet or pan over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes per side, or until the chicken is cooked through. The internal temperature should read 165°F. You may need to work in batches.
OVEN. Heat your oven to 350°F. Bake the skewers for 15 minutes to 20 minutes on lightly oiled baking sheets, or until the chicken is cooked through. The internal temperature should read 165°F.

Storage

Once cooled to room temperature, you can store your chicken skewers in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3-4 days. I recommend reheating either in the air fryer, skillet, or oven until warmed through.

Thai peanut sauce will last a week in the refrigerator or longer. It is not ideal for freezing, and best use right away. Use it as a dipping sauce, drizzling sauce, or you can heat it in a pan with cooked vegetables and/or chicken for a meal.

Dipping a piece of my chicken satay into spicy peanut sauce

Try Some of My Other Popular Spicy Chicken Recipes

Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.

Chicken Satay Recipe with Peanut Sauce

My favorite chicken satay recipe with chicken marinated for maximum flavor, grilled on skewers, then slathered with a creamy, spicy Thai-style peanut sauce. So good!

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Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Thai

Keyword: chicken, grilled chicken, spicy, thai

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 10

Marinating Time: 1

Calories: 243kcal

Author: Mike Hultquist

Servings:

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5 from 18 votes

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Ingredients

FOR THE CHICKEN

1-1/2 pounds chicken cut into bite-sized pieces
3-4 Thai peppers chopped (or use spicy red peppers available to you)
1 shallot chopped
2 stalks lemongrass trimmed and chopped (or use 1 teaspoon lemongrass paste)
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 teaspoon fresh ginger chopped
2 tablespoons fish sauce
¼ cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sriracha
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro + more for garnish
Spicy chili flakes as desired
Bamboo skewers soaked in water for at least 20 minutes

FOR THE EASY THAI PEANUT SAUCE

¼ cup creamy peanut butter use ½ cup for more peanut flavor
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chili-garlic sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon lime juice
1 teaspoon cayenne powder or use paprika for a milder heat
1 teaspoon garlic powder or use 1 clove garlic, finely minced or grated
1 teaspoon ginger powder or use 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1 tablespoon water or more as needed for thinning

Instructions

FOR THE CHICKEN

Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl or a baggie. Mix until the chicken is evenly coated with the flavors. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
Pierce the chicken pieces onto skewers when you’re ready to cook.
Next, heat a grill to medium heat and lightly oil the grates. Grill the chicken skewers 4-5 minutes per side, until the chicken is cooked through. It should measure 165 degrees F. internally.
Garnish with fresh cilantro and spicy chili flakes. Serve with the spicy Thai peanut sauce.

FOR THE THAI PEANUT SAUCE

Whisk all of the ingredients together, except for the water, in a small bowl until well combined and the sauce is nice and smooth.
Add water a teaspoon at a time until you achieve your desired consistency.
Serve!

Notes

NOTES: This Thai peanut sauce will last a week in the refrigerator or longer. It is not ideal for freezing, and best use right away. Use it as a dipping sauce, drizzling sauce, or you can heat it in a pan with cooked vegetables and/or chicken for a meal.

Marinating Time: You’ll get more flavor with a longer marinade. 12 hours or overnight is best. I like to start the marinade in the morning so the chicken is ready by dinnertime.

Makes ~1-1/4 cup of sauce (20 tablespoons)

Alternative Cooking Methods

SKILLET. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet or pan over medium high heat. Cook for 4-5 minutes per side, or until the chicken is cooked through. The internal temperature should read 165 degrees F. You may need to work in batches.
OVEN. Heat your oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the skewers for 15-20 minutes on lightly oiled baking sheets, or until the chicken is cooked through. The internal temperature should read 165 degrees F.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 243kcal Carbohydrates: 19g Protein: 12g Fat: 14g Saturated Fat: 3g Cholesterol: 28mg Sodium: 1783mg Potassium: 268mg Fiber: 1g Sugar: 15g Vitamin A: 218IU Vitamin C: 9mg Calcium: 27mg Iron: 2mg

Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.