Thai Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
Curry-marinated chicken skewers, pan-seared until golden and served with a rich, tangy coconut peanut sauce for dipping.
- Skewers
- 400 g / 14 oz full-fat coconut milk (1 can)
- 13-16 bamboo skewers, 16cm / 6.5" long
- Marinade
- 600 g / 1.2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2cm pieces
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon white sugar
- 2 teaspoons red curry paste
- 1 teaspoon cooking salt / kosher salt
- Thai Peanut Sauce
- 2 tablespoons red curry paste
- 3/4 cup natural peanut butter, smooth
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon cooking salt / kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 3/4 cup water
- For Cooking
- 1 1/2 tablespoons oil, for frying
- For Serving
- 2 tablespoons peanuts, finely chopped
- Lime wedges, optional
- Coriander/cilantro leaves and sliced red chilli, optional
- If you plan 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 or catch fire; if you're pan-frying on the stovetop as this recipe does, you can skip straight to marinating the chicken.
- In a bowl, combine the chicken thigh pieces with the curry powder, sugar, red curry paste, salt, and 1/4 cup of the coconut milk. Mix well so every piece is coated, then let it marinate for at least 20 minutes at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate overnight for even deeper flavor.
- Thread the marinated chicken onto the skewers, using about 4 to 5 pieces per skewer and leaving a little space between pieces so they cook evenly on all sides.
- Heat the oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches so you don't crowd the pan, cook the skewers for about 3 minutes per side, until deeply golden and cooked through.
- While the chicken marinates or cooks, make the peanut sauce: combine the remaining coconut milk with the red curry paste, peanut butter, sugar, dark soy sauce, salt, cider vinegar, and water in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Stir to combine, then let the sauce simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes until it thickens slightly and the flavors meld. Adjust the consistency with a splash more water if needed — you're aiming for a pourable but still thickish sauce, not a thin liquid.
- Cover the saucepan and keep the peanut sauce warm over low heat while you finish cooking the remaining skewers.
- To serve, pour some of the peanut sauce into a small bowl and sprinkle with a few of the chopped peanuts, stirring some through if you like. Pile the cooked skewers onto a serving platter and scatter over the remaining chopped peanuts, along with fresh coriander and sliced red chilli if using.
- Serve the skewers with the peanut sauce on the side for dipping, plus lime wedges if you'd like a bit of brightness. A side of jasmine rice or Thai fried rice turns this into a complete meal.
Chef's Note: This Thai-style chicken satay leans on two layers of flavor-building: a quick curry-and-coconut marinade for the chicken itself, and a rich, tangy peanut sauce built on the same can of coconut milk. Using natural peanut butter, rather than a sweetened commercial spread, gives the sauce a stronger, more authentic peanut flavor and a smoother consistency that needs less water to loosen.
The peanut sauce recipe makes considerably more than you'll need for one batch of skewers — leftovers keep well in the fridge for about a week and are excellent stirred through noodles or steamed vegetables, used as a dip for spring rolls, or spooned over a simple rice bowl. If cooking on a barbecue instead of the stovetop, remember to soak the bamboo skewers in water for at least 2 hours first so they don't burn over direct heat.
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