Satay lovers rejoice! This is the stuff food dreams are made of – chicken marinated in an authentic homemade Satay Seasoning, then simmered in an incredible Satay Peanut Sauce (Malaysian restaurant recipe). No hard to find ingredients, simple to make, guaranteed to blow your mind!
Satay Chicken Curry (Malaysian)
“I rarely leave comments on blogs…but I am going OUT OF MY MIND about this recipe. Seriously, it’s the best thing I’ve ever cooked. My partner actually thinks I ordered it from a restaurant and am trying to pretend like I cooked it!”
– Kellie, 22 May 2017
As you can see from the date stamp of the above reader feedback, this Satay Chicken Curry is a recipe I published years ago. 9 May 2016, to be exact. Way back before I taught myself to make recipe videos.
A recipe this good, a personal favourite of this curry-loving, satay-obsessed gal, had to be filmed.
So I’m giving it a total makeover – new photos, new video, tidying up some writing. But I promise I have not touched the recipe. I wouldn’t dare – too many people are obsessed with it!!
Different types of satay
Real Satay Chicken is skewered chicken marinated with satay seasonings, seared over charcoal and served with a peanut sauce. Many South East Asian countries have their own version, with most well known being Thai, Indonesian (Bali) and Malaysian (this recipe).
All are slightly different, but have similar undertones. Thai Chicken Satay (pictured below, left) is sweeter, more coconut-y and has a mild red curry flavour (the secret ingredient). Indonesian Satay (below right) is the simplest and most peanutty.
Malaysian Satay is said to be the king of all Satays, with the most complex, deep flavours. Stronger satay seasoning, less peanutty and less coconutty than Thai and Indonesian.
What this tastes like (and why it’s not on skewers)
As far as I know, Chicken Satay in this curry-like form is not authentic Asian. But I love making it this way because it’s so much more satisfying to eat (compared to tiny little skewers!) and so much easier to make large volumes (again – no skewering!).
But while the form of this Satay Chicken Curry might not be an authentic Asian recipe, I can promise you this: it tastes 100% authentic. Because I’ve used a Chef recipe for the homemade satay seasoning and a Restaurant recipe for the Peanut Sauce (this recipe from Chinta Ria in Sydney). 🙂
I think you will be surprised when you see the ingredients for the Satay Seasoning. All spices that you might already have in your pantry!
Ingredients in Satay Seasoning
The foundation of this recipe is the homemade Satay Seasoning which is used for both marinating the chicken AND in the satay sauce. Here are the spices required: coriander, cumin, turmeric, paprika, chilli, curry powder (any brand is fine), sugar and salt.
🇺🇸US readers note: the “chilli powder” in this recipe is not what you call “Chili Powder” (with one “l”) which is a spice mix that is not very spicy. This recipe calls for real chilli powder which is pure ground dried chillies and it is spicy!
With the Satay Seasoning, the chicken is absolutely divine by itself. I could honestly eat it straight out of the pan, without the peanut sauce.
But with the peanut curry sauce….it just takes it to a whole new level……
Ingredients in Satay Curry Sauce
And here’s what goes into the sauce:
Chicken – thighs are best for the juiciest pieces of chicken, but breast and tenderloin work fine too. Other proteins: pork and beef work too, but it needs to be slow cooking cuts simmered for an hour or so until fall-apart tender. I’ve popped tips in the recipe notes;
Peanuts – roasted, unsalted. Some for blitzing into the sauce, some added later for a bit of crunch in the sauce;
Peanut butter – NATURAL is best (ie no added sugar or oil) because it has the most intense peanut flavour and is thinner than sweetened peanut butter spread. But ordinary peanut butter spreads will work fine too – the peanut flavour is slightly less intense;
Fresh red chilli – I’ve used birds eye chilli here (a common type Australia). 6 chilli = noticeable spiciness but won’t blow your head off. Dial it down if you can’t handle the heat. If you can’t find these specific chillies, don’t worry – use any red chilli you can find, remembering the rule that the smaller the chilli, the spicier it is. You can also leave it out, or take the safe route and start with less then use chilli powder at the end to dial up the spice. Some alternatives: Thai Red Chillies are around the same spiciness. Cayenne is much less spicy (and larger). Habanero is spicier so use 1/2 of 1 (about 1/2 tsp);
Kecap Manis – this is a sweet soy sauce with a consistency like syrup. Here in Australia, kecap manis is available in major supermarkets, in the soy sauce section. And if you can’t find it at your supermarket, don’t worry! It is SO easy to make – just reduce soy sauce and brown sugar. Seriously. I’ve included directions in the recipe for you;
Dark soy sauce – the intense colour of this soy sauce is what darkens the sauce colour from a pale yellow colour to a deeper orangey reddy colour. Read more about different soy sauces here. Don’t have it or can’t find it? That’s ok – you can use normal or light soy sauce, just know your sauce colour will be lighter. Won’t affect flavour that much;
Coconut milk – full fat, for best flavour (because coconut flavour is in the fat);
Chicken stock/broth – to thin about the sauce. Much tastier than using water;
Lime juice – for a touch of sour, to balance out the flavour. Not the end of the world to substitute with a vinegar (it’s not a major flavour component in this recipe);
Garlic and onion – essential aromatics;
Lemongrass OR kaffir limes leaves – plonking either of these into the sauce as it simmers adds a special extra touch of flavour that really elevates it to “real restaurant” flavour. It is still mighty tasty without (I’ve made this plenty of times without either of them) but with, it really is that little bit more special. They both add similar flavour – so use whichever is easier for you to find.
Kaffir lime leaves – sold in small packets at fruit & veg stores, Asian stores and most large grocery stores in Australia. Leftovers freeze perfectly, and it’s used in most authentic Thai dishes (like red curry, Tom Yum Soup) as well as other South East Asian dishes like Beef Rendang and Coconut Rice.
Lemongrass – using a fresh stalk is best if you can get it (bashed to release flavour), otherwise a dab of paste from a tube will works wonders too. If you use paste, just stir in 2 teaspoons when the lemongrass is supposed to go in. Use leftover paste for Thai recipes like Thai Meatballs, Red Thai Curry, Poached Salmon in Coconut Lime Sauce, Thai Coconut Noodle Soup.
How to make Chicken Satay Curry
And here’s how to make it – very straightforward!
Mix the Satay Seasoning ingredients together;
Marinate the chicken in the Seasoning with some grated onion for extra flavour;
Sear the chicken just to get some nice colour on it – no need to cook the chicken through;
Saute aromatics – onion, garlic, chilli;
Transfer to blender (or Nutribullet, in my case) with most of the peanuts and chicken broth;
Blitz until smooth;
Pour back into the skillet along with the coconut milk, and lemongrass or Kaffir Lime leave;
Add chicken back in then simmer until it reduces and thickens, your mouth is watering and it looks like THIS ↓↓↓:
Food euphoria. Food so good it makes you want to cry. And to think this is made from scratch, no jar pastes…just incredible.
This peanut curry sauce is so good it’s nuts. Go on – groan at the terrible pun!!! That might distract you for a mere moment of lusting after this sauce!!! 😉 – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Satay Chicken Curry (Malaysian)
Ingredients
Satay Seasoning
- 1 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1 1/2 tsp tumeric
- 1 1/2 tsp paprika (sweet or normal, not smoked or spicy)
- 1 1/4 tsp chilli powder , adjust to taste (not US "Chili Powder", Note 1)
- 3 1/2 tsp curry powder , not HOT (any, Malaysian, generic, Clives of India, Keens)
- 1 1/4 tsp salt , cooking / kosher (or 1 tsp table salt)
- 2 tsp white sugar
Chicken
- 750g / 1.5 lb chicken thigh fillets , cut into bite size pieces (Note 2)
- 1/2 onion (brown, white or yellow), grated
Satay Sauce
- 2 tbsp oil , separated
- 3 – 6 birds eye chillies or other small hot red chillies , finely chopped (Note 3)
- 1/4 cup onion (brown, white or yellow), finely diced (~ 1/4 onion)
- 4 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 cup chicken broth / stock
- 3/4 cup peanuts, roasted unsalted, , chopped, separated
- 2 tsp kecap manis (Note 4)
- 3 tsp dark soy sauce (Note 5)
- 400g / 14oz coconut milk (preferably full fat but light will be ok)
- 2 tbsp peanut butter , pure best but spread ok too, crunchy or smooth
- 2 tbsp lime juice , to taste
Flavour Infusion – choose ONE:
- 3 kaffir lime leaves
- 1 lemongrass stalk , white part only, smashed to burst open (Note 6)
Garnish (choices)
- Peanuts , chopped
- Cilantro / coriander leaves
- Fresh chilli, finely chopped
Instructions
- Combine Satay Seasoning ingredients in a small bowl.
Marinate & Cook Chicken:
- Marinate – Combine chicken with 3 1/2 TABLESPOONS Satay Seasoning and onion in a bowl. Marinate for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight, minimum 20 minutes (Note 6)
- Cook – Heat 1 tbsp oil in a non stick skillet over high heat (Note 7). Cook chicken in 2 batches until browned all over but still raw inside. Transfer to bowl, cover and keep warm.
Satay Sauce:
- Saute aromatics – Using the same skillet, turn heat down to medium and heat 1 tbsp oil. Add chill, onion and garlic cloves. Sauté until onion is translucent – around 2 minutes.
- Satay Seasoning – Add remaining Satay Seasoning and cook for 1 minute.
- Blitz – Transfer to a blender or small food processor (I use a Nutribullet). Add chicken stock and 1/2 cup of the peanuts (rest gets added later). Puree until pretty smooth – some peanut chunks can remain. Pour mixture back into the skillet.
- Add remaining ingredients into sauce – Add remaining 1/4 cup peanuts, kecap manis, dark soy sauce, coconut milk and peanut butter. Stir to combine.
- Add kaffir lime or lemongrass – Crush kaffir lime leaf in hand a bit (to break leaf to release the flavour). Add kaffir lime leaf OR lemongrass and chicken to sauce.
- Simmer – Bring to simmer, turn heat down to medium low and simmer for 15 minutes until thickened.
- Serve – Add lime juice to taste. Serve with rice (jasmine, white rice or brown rice). Garnish with peanuts, cilantro/coriander leaves and more chilli if desired. See Note 9 for suggested sides.
Recipe Notes:
- Beef – 1kg / 2lb chuck or beef ribs cut into 4cm / 1.5″ pieces. Marinate and sear per recipe (use a pot) then make sauce per recipe. Now, before adding beef back in, add about 2 cups of water, enough so that the beef is mostly submerged. Put lid on and cook on low simmer for 1.5 hrs (topping up water as needed) until beef is fall apart tender. Remove lid towards end to reduce sauce to pictured thickness. Crazy delicious!
- Prawns/Shrimp – Using about 500g/1lb peeled prawns, follow recipe as written except with following changes: prawns will cook through during sear step, so simmer to reduce the sauce without the prawns in it. Just add the prawns back in right at the end, just to warm through, making sure you tip in all the juices dropped by the prawns in the bowl.
- Fish – I personally wouldn’t because I think the sauce is too rich for fish in this saucy curry form, but you certainly can if you want! Follow prawn steps using large fish cubes It would be great for economical freshwater fish that has a tendency to taste a bit muddy (those fish are always served with strong sauces to disguise the muddy flavour).
- white, jasmine or brown rice
- fresh slices of cucumber and tomato wedges, no dressing – very Asian, pairs great with rich mains like this
- Smashed Cucumbers (personal favourite), Asian Slaw, leafy greens or any garden salad with Asian Sesame Dressing or this Vermicelli Noodle Salad.
i). Make one common seasoning (because the ingredients are very similar); and
ii) Converted the sauce into a curry sauce rather than dipping sauce, but keeping the flavour; and
iii) Change the Satay Sauce steps to avoid grinding the peanuts with a mortar and pestle a) for convenience; b) because the sauce for this recipe should be silkier than chunky satay peanut dipping sauces for satay on sticks; and c) because depending on the quality of the peanuts, sometimes it can make the sauce a bit gritty. Also because of the vast volume of the sauce compared to making a dipping sauce, I added a small amount of peanut butter to help create a thick smooth curry sauce as well as adding a touch of sweet rather than using sugar. 12. Nutrition per serving, curry only no rice. Sauce is rich, coconut, peanutty, heavily spiced!
Nutrition Information:
Originally published May 2016. Updated September 2020 with brand new photos, process photos, brand new recipe video. No change to recipe!
Life of Dozer
No satay for Dozer – too spicy!
So he chewed his toy octopus instead.
And from the original publication date:
The only reason there’s no photo of Dozer drooling over Satay along with you (and me) is because he’s outside gnawing on a bone. He always splays his front legs out like this when he’s munching on a bone – is this normal?? Looks awkward!
I’m interested to know if you’ve ever frozen the leftovers? Also, how it reheats? I live alone and am not much for entertaining, but do share with family and friends. Thanks
Could u substitute lemon for lime juice bought wrong thing, using lime leaves also or should i run out and get limes to b on safe side🤔
I couldn’t beleive all of the “amazing” feedback on this recipe so off course I had to test it for myself!
And its absolutely true – thus curry is DEVINE !! Family all loved it – thanks again Nagi for another winning recipe 😊
Glad you enjoyed this Maria! Thank you for letting me know! N x
Another amazing dish. I used to have another blogger as my ‘go-to’ but you have now taken on that role! And thank you so much for putting up the nutritional info – our 11 year old has just been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes and we need to count the carbs in each meal and you make it super easy for me!
You’re making my ego swell 😂 Glad you enjoyed this one Rebecca! Thanks for the reminder actually, I want to make a video for this recipe 🙂 N x
I made it and thought it was delicious ! What side dishes would you suggest ? And a dessert that compliments this main course?
That’s great to hear Alison! For a side, to be honest, I would probably serve cucumber slices and tomato wedges which is a very Asian thing to do – no dressing. They pair really well with rich mains like this. I’m afraid I’m stuck on the dessert! I am actually not a fan of Asian desserts – I know, it sounds bad to say that. Sorry! N xx
Amazing!! Made this for the first time tonight and will definitely make it again (and again and again…).
I put some lemon zest in instead of the lamongrass, came out great!
Thanks so much!!!!
Wonderful! So glad you enjoyed this Niki, thanks for letting me know! N x
Cooked this for dinner tonight and it was beautiful! What a great recipe! Perfect balance of spices and flavors! Definitely a keeper! Thank you
Nagi, I am sure that every male who has passed comment on any of your recipes has said this, but I love you! Just don’t tell my wife. This concoction was truly great. I adore cooking, and spend vast amounts of time reading others wisdom on the subject. This has to be the first time I have not felt a little deflated by what emerges from a list of ingredients, and instructions. The whole gang (wife, 4yr old daughter, and 2yr old daughter) loved this dish. I have read a great many of your other recipes, and intend to tackle them in the coming weeks.. In fact it is chicken tikka masala this weekend, care of your good-self. Love your interpretations, and your approach. Thanks.
Seriously amazing, thank you!!!
That’s wonderful to hear Leah! Thanks for taking the time to let me know you enjoyed this! N xx
Hi Nagi,
Are you supposed to remove the seeds from the chillis? Maybe I’m just a big wuss but I put in 5 chillis, with most of the seeds still in, and I found it SUPER hot. Might leave them out next time anyway but thought I’d clarify just so I know. Very tasty despite the heat, my husband loved it 🙂
Hi Elise! Yes definitely always remove seeds from chillies if you are sensitive to spice! N xx
Hi Nag,
I am making this recipe tonight & I wanted to clarify with you something about the Satay Seasoning.
I made the seasoning & in your instructions you state add 3 Tbsp seasoning to chicken & marinade.. But the seasoning made 3 Tbsp exactly. Which I added that all + 1/2 the grated onion. So in step 4 you state to add remaining satay seasoning, but I don’t have any left? Is this correct? Or should I have more left?
Your help would be appreciated.
Many Thanks
Cathy
Hmm! It should make 12 tsp of seasoning which is 4 tbsp 🤔 That’s ok Cathy, as long as it’s all in the chicken then excess flavour comes off into the sauce when it’s simmered. It will still be delicious! N x
Lol, I do not know what I did wrong with the seasoning measurements to get 3 Tbs instead of 4 but either way it turned out delicious!
I did need to simmer the sauce for longer than 15 to get desired thickness & I had to put the temperature up to medium high to get the sauce to thicken up quicker but I was very happy with the final result. A very rich dish but very very tasty.
Thanks for another great recipe
Cathy x
That’s great to hear Cathy! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!!! (Yes it is rich – it is Satay, after all! 🙂 ) N x
Nagi – WOW WOW WOW! Both my husband and I cook a lot and this satay is without a doubt the best we have ever made. The flavour is absolutely awesome. It is now home to ‘my favourites’. Well done – YUM!
WHOOT WHOOT! So glad to hear that Anna! N xx
This recipe is mind blowing!!! Made it for my partner a few nights ago, and we ate so much, hardly had any leftovers…
Making it again for the in-laws this week – I can’t wait to show it off! Making a double batch this time for sure.
Thank you for making an achievable and delicious curry recipe!!!
That’s wonderful to hear Katie! Thanks for letting me know! N x ❤️
Just an update – they loved it! I made a batch of the spice mix to send home with them so they can more easily recreate it. We used to live in Aus, and are now back in Kansas City – so I love the Aussie influence on your site, but with American reference! ❤️
🙌🏻 Love hearing that!!!! N xx
On step 5, do you mean to say add all the ingredient of step 4 (the diced onions et.) AND 5 to the blender (3/4 of the peanuts)?
Looking forward to making this tonight. Thanks 🙂
Hi Chris! Add the broth and 1/2 cup peanuts in the fry pan you have cooking in step 4, then transfer everything in that fry pan into the blender 🙂 Save the remaining 1/4 cup of peanuts for step 6! N x
Also, what are the best type of peanuts to use? I have salted, roasted…
Unsalted 🙂 Just updated the recipe!
Recently stumbled across your blog and this is the first recipe I tried – it turned out amazing! I couldn’t stop eating! I can’t wait to make this again. And your notes were really helpful thank you for sharing
Hi Nagi,
I have made this dish 3-4 times already and since the first time it blew our mind as to how tasty this was. My wife loves this a lot and will ask me to make it for her whenever possible. Thank you for sharing with us.
I love hearing that Abhik!! Thanks for letting me know – N x
Nagi, thanks for a great recipe. My husband thought he was getting a cold and said this saved him from it! Just the right amount of heat. I love your site, have put my daughter and daughter-in-law onto it. Great recipes, beautiful photos, cute dog and your lovely personality. Keep up the good work!
Aww! Flu fighter satay!! 😂
Hi Nagi
Loved the dish, bit hot first time round so will reduce chilli next time.
Do you do any other dishes with the marinaded chicken as the smells just getting it out of the fridge after leaving it overnight were outstanding.
Hi Michele, so pleased you enjoyed it!! Do you mean the chicken in this particular recipe? If so, try cooking it even without the sauce, it is loaded with flavour!
This is AMAZIIIIING ! I forgot about rating this recipe when I made it 2 months ago. I froze the left overs and had it for dinner last night. O M G !!!! it was soooo! flavoursome. It is the BEST satay chicken I have ever eaten. It has the right amount of flavour. Sometimes I find in other recipes there is too much peanut butter or too much spice and not enough sweetness. But this recipe has it all. I think my family will be saying in the future not satay chicken again because this is going to be a regular especially when I feel like curry. I also added more chicken. Thank you Nagi. I only comment on recipes I like and this one is going in my special book to pass down to family. LOVE THIS ONE.
Nagi,
I’ve been meaning to cook this dish for some time and your recipe stood out from the crowd when I was checking Pinterest today.
I made it tonight, cheated a bit by using BBQ chooks, adding grilled zucchini and modifying the quantities to cater for our large family but basically kept to your format. The changes were a bit hit and miss (my dodgy cooking style), but although I’m generally not a big fan of my own cooking, I can’t have strayed too far from your design as the result tonight was a pleasant surprise.
Thanks for sharing,
Cheers,
Ivan
That’s so terrific Ivan! I’m so pleased to hear that, thanks for sharing your feedback! N x ❤️