Satay skewers: the benchmark of authentic Thai food! Think deeply marinated chicken with a peanut sauce thatโs so good, everyone will be begging for the recipe. Serve this with steamed jasmine or Coconut Rice. Or go all out with a Thai restaurant banquet complete with Thai Fried Riceย , Pad See Ew or Thai Chilli Basil Stir Fry!
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook โDinnerโ!
Thai Chicken Satay skewers
At the risk of sounding totally obnoxious โ this is a recipe for Chicken Satay skewers with Thai Peanut Sauce that truly stacks up to your favourite Thai restaurant.
When it hits the stove, the smell is SO GOOD you willย just know they are going to taste amazing.
Then you have a taste of the peanut dipping sauceโฆโฆ and youโll just shake your head, wonderingย how the heck can something so simple taste so good??!!
Or you might be thinking โย OMG, I finally cracked it, this tastes EXACTLY like the authentic Chicken Satay I had in Thailand!!! Oh wait, maybe thatโs just in my head. ๐
What goes in Chicken Satay and Thai Peanut Sauce
It might surprise you how few ingredients go in Chicken Satay and the peanut sauce! Hereโs what you need:
The BEST Thai Red Curry Paste
Thai Red Curry paste is a โsecret ingredientโ in both the marinade and the sauce. You just need about 2.5 tbsp which doesnโt sound like much, but we donโt want this to taste of red curry. Weโre just using it as a flavour enhancer.
While Iโm an advocate of homemade curry paste for Thai Red Curry and Green Curry, for recipes like this that use a smaller quantity, I use store bought.
I use Maesri Thai Red Curry Paste which I think is the best by a long shot. I also use this same brand for Green Curry and Red Curry for quick midweek curries.
It also happens to be the cheapest, atย around $1.30 per can at major supermarketsย like Coles, Woolies and Harris Farms.
How to make Thai Peanut Sauce
Thai Peanut Sauce is almost unbelievably simple to make. Itโs literally just a 5 minute plonk-and-simmer job:
coconut milk
red curry paste
cider or white vinegar (not lime juice!)
pure peanut butter (see below for more info)
soy sauce
sugar
cooking salt / kosher salt (halve the quantity if you only have table salt which is finer. So 1 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt = 1/2 tsp table salt).
For the BEST Thai Peanut Sauce, use natural peanut butter
While commercial peanut butter spread is ok, if you want aย really great authentic Thai Peanut Sauce that truly stacks up to your favourite Thai restaurant, useย pure peanut butter.ย Youโll find it in the health food section of most supermarket nowadays.
Pure peanut butter is made with JUST peanuts โ no sugar, oil or other additives โ so theย peanut flavour is stronger.
Also, natural peanut butter is thinner than commercial peanut butter spreads (see below) which means you needย less water to thin the sauce =ย better peanutย flavour in Thai Peanut Sauce!
Ahead of publishing this recipe, I tried the Thai Peanut Sauce with natural pure peanut butter vs commercial peanut butter (Kraft, now Bega) side by side to confirmย this!
Iโm a firm believer that Chicken Satay skewers should be tasty enough to eat on their own and the peanut sauce just takes it over the top. So I like to marinade the chicken to make it extra tasty.
Chicken Satay Marinade
Hereโs what you need for the Thai Chicken Satay Marinade:
Chicken pieces โย chicken thighs yield the juiciest chicken skewers but breast or tenderloin are fine
Red curry paste โ see above for my recommended brandย Maesri
Curry powder โ any is fine here
Coconut milk
sugar
cooking salt / kosher salt โ halve the quantity if you only have table salt which is finer. So 1 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt = 1/2 tsp table salt.
Itโs best to marinade for at least 3 hours but even 20 minutes is long enough.
Cooking the Chicken Skewers
Chicken satay is a summertime favourite to cook on the BBQ. But I usually cook it on the stove for convenience.
For a really authentic Thai experience, cook the Chicken Satay over charcoal like itโs done in Thailand!
Thai Chicken Satay is a popular starter on Thai restaurants menus along with Thai Fish Cakes. But itโs also ideal served as a main. Serve it with steamed jasmine rice โ or with fluffy Asian Coconut Riceย (itโs amazing!). Or go all out withย Thai Fried Riceย orย Pineapple Fried Rice!
For aย fresh side salad, try this Asian Slaw, or use this Asian Sesame Dressing for a fresh saladย or steamed vegetables.
If you want to go all out with a homemade Thai Banquet, serve this Chicken Satay as the starter with Thai Chilli Basil Stir Fry, a curry (Massaman Curry,ย Green Curry or Red Curry) with Coconut Rice as the mains. Or Pad See Ew! ~ Nagi x
Recipe source: An original creation but the roots of this recipe are from various Thai cookbooks and renowned Thai food experts like David Thompson and Sujet Saenkham (owner of the famous Spice I Am restaurants). Except Iโve made this recipe so itโs accessible to everyday cooks โ without compromising! ๐
Watch how to make it
This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!
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Thai Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
- 400 g/14oz coconut milk (1 can), full fat
- 13-16 bamboo skewers , 16cm / 6.5โณ long (Note 1)
Marinade:
- 600 g / 1.2lb chicken thighs , boneless skinless, cut into 2cm/4/5โณ pieces (Note 2)
- 1 tbsp curry powder (Note 3)
- 1 tsp white sugar
- 2 tsp red curry paste (Note 4)
- 1 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt (sub 1/2 tsp table salt)
Thai Peanut Sauce:
- 2 tbsp red curry paste (Note 4)
- 3/4 cup natural peanut butter, smooth (Note 5)
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 2 tsp dark soy sauce (Note 6)
- 1 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt (sub 1/2 tsp table salt)
- 2 tbsp cider vinegar (Note 7)
- 3/4 cup water
Serving:
- 2 tbsp peanuts finely chopped
- Lime wedges (optional)
- Coriander / cilantro leaves and sliced red chilli (optional)
Instructions
- If cooking on a BBQ or over charcoal, soak skewers for 2 hours in water.
Thai Chicken Satay Skewers:
- Mix together the chicken and Marinade with 1/4 cup of coconut milk, then set aside for at least 20 minutes, or overnight.
- Thread onto skewers โ I do 4 to 5 pieces each.
- Heat 1.5 tbsp oil in a large non stick pan over medium high heat.
- Cook skewers in batches for 3 minutes on each side until golden.
Thai Peanut Sauce:
- Place remaining coconut milk and Peanut Sauce ingredients in a saucepan over medium low heat.
- Stir to combine then simmer, stirring every now and then, for 5 minutes.
- Adjust consistency with water โ it should be a pourable but thickish sauce.
- Cover with lid and keep warm while cooking skewers.
Serving:
- Pour some sauce into a bowl. Sprinkle with some peanuts โ stir some through if you want.
- Pile satay skewers onto a platter, sprinkle with remaining peanuts, coriander and chilli.
- Serve with sauce on the side for dipping. Add a side of Jasmine Rice or Thai Fried Rice to complete the meal!
Recipe Notes:
- Sauce for for rice, noodles, veggies (raw or steamed)
- Make a simple Gado Gado with steam veg, hard boiled eggs and rice
- Dip for prawn crackers and vegetables
- As the dressing for this Chinese Chicken Salad, Satay Noodle Salad,ย Peanut Noodle Saladย or Sesame Noodles
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
He thought I said PELICAN satayโฆโฆ
Best Thai peanut sauce ever! I couldnโt stop eating it from the saucepan. Love your book!
This recipe was actually fabulous! The flavours were spot on to a local restaurant I order from. Best part is it was 1/4 the price of ordering out! THANK YOU
This recipe is phenomenal โ the only thing I change is I completely omit the water from the peanut sauce! It still turns out a wonderful texture and I think adding any water would make it too thin. Thanks, Nagi!
Wow Nagi, yet again youโve created a masterpiece!! Thank you so so much! These were wonderful 10/10.
Oh my god the sauce was magnificent !! I disagree that the recipe quantity makes more than you need โ once you taste it , you need and want more ๐
Loved this the first time I had this, when my husband cooked. However, this time when I cooked, the sauce ended up too thin. I guess youโre not meant to add all the 3/4 cups of water at once, although it says โadd all the peanut sauce ingredientsโ?
Wowwwwww!!! Made this tonight, game changer!!!!! Just so delish, words failed us!!!!!
Love this recipe and all my guests too!
Amazing flavoursโฆthis recipe is off the scale gorgeous
incredible delicious!
I am wanting to make this recipe. How much coconut milk goes in the marinade and sauce?
If you read the recipe method, it says there. 1/4 cup of the coconut milk in the marinade, the rest of the can in the sauce.
Hey Nagi not sure if you were aware but in the recipe you forgot to mention coconut milk in the marinade and sauce. I have cooked this one about five times now itโs amazing
Itโs actually listed at the top of the ingredients list. I think because some of the can goes in the marinade and some goes in the sauce, sheโs listed it as a whole can at the top.
Did this for a second time on the grill and it came out amazing. Everyone loved it.
Has anybody tried this with Salmon?
Came out perfect.
I am NOT A COOK! I have had confidence issues in the kitchen and have always struggled to put a meal together. This year I have worked hard to increase my skills this year all with the help of Nagi. Tonight I made this recipe and Iโm leaving this comment even before finishing. It is so damn good. The best thing I have ever made. I would happily cook this for others, even a party of people. Thank you Nagi. You are a life saver and life changer.
This recipe is Delicious!!!! It will be a staple in my household. The simplicity of the ingredients and the added notes made this recipe easy to follow and it came out Amazing! Thank you Nagi!!! I look forward to trying more of your recipes!
It is an amazingly flavorful recipe. We just wanted to be able to eat our favorite local restaurantโs Thai satay more often. But honestly I canโt believe how fantastic this recipe is. Thank you so much! The details you provide, including the brands you use made all the difference!
Peanut sauce is very good. Too much curry in the marinade โ and I do like curry
Iโm planning to make the chicken peanut satay for my birthday dinner, but one guest is allergic to peanuts! Iโm wondering what you would recommend as an alternative nut butter that would best mimic the original recipe? Itโs not a strong allergy in that he can be around peanuts, he just canโt ingest them. I was googling for recommendations but then thought Iโd ask the OG!
I also canโt eat any nuts and found anything store bought just didnโt taste the same so came up with similar to others on internet. Roast sunflower seeds on a tray with spray of oil, cook until golden. Put in food processor with oil, salt and sugar to taste until blended well. People canโt tell the difference when I use this.
As Selina mentions, Tahiti is a good alternative.
If you donโt want to go thru the effort of making it as she has suggested, most major supermarkets (at least in Australia) stock it in both hulled and unhulled varieties.
Hulled generally has a smoother texture where unhulled will be grainier and slightly bitter.
It looks really good, but the recipe for the sauce is very confusing. On the ingredients list it doesnโt even mention coconut milk.