Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
Curry-marinated chicken thigh skewers seared until golden and served with a rich, coconutty Thai peanut sauce for dipping. Active time is about 35 minutes, plus a minimum 20-minute marinade.
- 400 g / 14 oz coconut milk (1 can), full fat
- 13 to 16 bamboo skewers, about 6.5" long
- Marinade
- 600 g / 1.2 lb chicken thighs, boneless skinless, cut into 2 cm / ¾" pieces
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon white sugar
- 2 teaspoons red curry paste
- 1 teaspoon cooking salt / kosher salt (or ½ teaspoon table salt)
- Thai Peanut Sauce
- 2 tablespoons red curry paste
- ¾ cup natural peanut butter, smooth
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon cooking salt / kosher salt (or ½ teaspoon table salt)
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- ¾ cup water
- Serving
- 2 tablespoons peanuts, finely chopped
- Lime wedges, optional
- Coriander/cilantro leaves and sliced red chilli, optional
- If you're planning to cook the skewers on a barbecue or over charcoal, soak the bamboo skewers in water for 2 hours beforehand so they don't scorch over direct heat.
- In a bowl, combine the chicken pieces with the curry powder, sugar, red curry paste, salt, and ¼ cup of the coconut milk, mixing well so every piece is coated. Cover and set aside to marinate for at least 20 minutes, though letting it sit overnight in the fridge will give the chicken even deeper flavor.
- Thread the marinated chicken onto the skewers, using about 4 to 5 pieces per skewer.
- Heat 1½ tablespoons of oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches so you don't crowd the pan, cook the skewers for about 3 minutes on each side, until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through.
- While the skewers cook, make the peanut sauce: place the remaining coconut milk in a saucepan along with the red curry paste, peanut butter, sugar, dark soy sauce, salt, and cider vinegar. Set the pan over medium-low heat and stir to combine.
- Simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes until everything is smoothly combined and heated through. Gradually stir in the water to adjust the consistency until the sauce is pourable but still thick enough to cling to the skewers. Cover and keep warm until you're ready to serve.
- Pour some of the peanut sauce into a serving bowl and sprinkle with a portion of the chopped peanuts, stirring some through if you like. Pile the cooked satay skewers onto a platter and sprinkle with the remaining peanuts, along with coriander and sliced chilli if using.
- Serve the skewers with the peanut sauce on the side for dipping, alongside jasmine rice or Thai fried rice if you'd like to turn this into a complete meal.
Chef's Note: Marinating the chicken overnight rather than the minimum 20 minutes makes a noticeable difference here, letting the curry paste and spices really work their way into the meat. Cooking the skewers in batches rather than all at once keeps the pan hot enough to get a proper golden sear instead of steaming the chicken.
This recipe makes more peanut sauce than you'll need for the skewers alone — expect to use only about a third of it here. The extra keeps well in the fridge for about a week, or can be frozen, and is fantastic tossed through noodles or rice, used as a dip for fresh vegetables, or spooned over a simple salad.
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