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!
Wow wow wow! YUM!!! My chicken got a lot of marinating time by accident (about 36hrs over two nights in the fridge), cooked the rest of the dish one morning before work and then we got home, reheated it and ate it for dinner. So good. Ate it for dinner the next night also and my hubby asked when we would be having it again! Winner all round and so gooooood!!! I only used the chilli powder coz I’m not so good at spicy – absolutely perfect! Thank you.
Nagi, I recommend and send many of your recipes to my friends and family. Such a pleasure following your latest posts and trying your delicious recipes 🙂
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it Nycolle, thanks for letting me know! And thank you for sharing my recipes with your family and friends! N x
This chicken satay recipe was amazing, we had it for dinner tonight, as an expat Aussie it’s hard to find satay here in America that tastes as I think it should, this is a keeper for sure, the next one to try is your nasi goring…
Hi Carolyn – is satay hard to find in the states??? I must say I’ve never hunted satay down over there 🙂 We ARE lucky here in Aus! N x
Yes it is, I did find one brand, Ayam, but it turned out it was a promotion and they stopped carrying it, I can recreate most things I miss but Satay was one I hadn’t found the right recipe for until yesterday 🙂
I don’t use Pinterest much, but pinned the satay one and found I’d pinned your party pie one, after the Satay I’m sure that one will be spot on so that will probably be my next one, again thanks!
hi nagi,
ive been searching most authentic,delicious recipes from different countries as i like to taste different foods and its hard to know the best ones,and now that i found you,my problem is solved you got all of the best recipes ever, you saved my day i dont need to search anymore ,,i keep telling my clients to go to your site,genius idea ,thanks a lot ,more power
Hi Nagi!
I saw you one TVSN and emailed them to ask for your blog address!
I check it everyday-what GREAT RECIPES!!
I have all the ingredients to make your Satay Chicken curry.
Two questions_ can you use both Kiffir Lime leaves and some Lemongrass or
will it be too much-which do you think gives best flavor as I have both?
Also If I use Chicken beast,will they be nice and moist or should I use thighs?
(I do prefer breast but know recipes say that they can be dry)
Many thanks,I am so glad your blog has came into my life.
Karen
Hi Karen! OMG you saw me on TVSN??? My first foray into TV! Thank you for tracking me down, I’m so happy that you found me and are enjoying my recipes! Both won’t be too much, but I do prefer kaffir lime leaves. They have a bit of that earthier flavour that goes so well with satay. However, I freely interchange between them. I always recommend thigh over breast. Guaranteed juiciness! I do hope you enjoy it! N x
Ok Nagi, I just finished making and eating this Satay curry and it’s soooo good!! I would give you a huge hug if I could! I followed your instructions and even made that kecap manis and I’m so impressed with how authentic it tastes! My family goes to an upscale Malaysian restaurant once in a while and I’m telling you, it tastes just like theirs! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!!
You ROCK Jessica! I am SO GLAD you enjoyed this as much as I do!!! Thank you so much for coming back to let me know! N x
Hi there!
I made this and was BRILLIANT. and fun to make!!! I liked mixing up the spice mix in a little jar etc. I like recipes that are fun to make. And it was divine. I bought some to my friend who doesn’t cook a lot and she was so happy. She loved it. I loved the flavour of the lemongrass in it. Another brilliant one Nagi!!!! ????????
YESSSS!!! I am SO GLAD you enjoyed this Jules!! Isn’t the sauce to die for?? You are a GOOD FRIEND!!! N x
This recipe is absolutely divine! I have just come across your blog and have spent hours trawling it, drooling over the pics! This satay sauce is so packed with flavour, I will never go back to my other boring old satay chicken. Can’t wait to try out some recipes.
Thanks for trying my recipe Kim! So glad you enjoyed it! N x
Nagi you have done it again! What a fabulous recipe. It took us back to Bali. I did add a bit less fresh chilli because my dry spice mix was really hot and spicy. We loved it and I can’t wait to cook it for friends. Cheers lisa ???
WOO HOO! So glad Lisa! Thank you for trying my recipe and for coming back to let me know you enjoyed it! N x
Hi Nagi,
If you make the satay sauce without adding the chicken to it, how long will it keep for in the fridge? Could you freeze it?
Cheers,
Nai.
Hi Nai! I must admit I have never frozen this but I can’t think why it wouldn’t freeze. All the ingredients freeze just fine!
Hi,
Step 3 says to put chicken in a bowl and not to worry if it’s still raw.
But after this step, I don’t see in any of the other steps when the chicken goes back on heat? Or am I missing something..
Thanks,
Hi Thomas! Step 7 🙂 Pop the chicken back into the sauce to finish cooking!
Awesome, thank you!! I’ll try this tonight =)
Hi Nagi! I am one of your new fans and this was the first recipe that i tried and my husband LOVE it. I made in three times in a week with the portions getting bigger and bigger. i must say tho that my husband and I love to eat it without the satay sauce. Its already very very tasty just by it self. Four thumbs up with this recipe. Thank you so much Nagi! This is our new family favourite! ?❤️
BA HA HA! You made me LAUGH at the thought of the increasing portion sizes! thank you so much, I am so glad you enjoyed this. And I absolutely 10000% agree that the chicken itself is so flavourful it can be eaten plain! 🙂
PS–The kitchen smells beyond fabulous when you are making this, increasing the pleasure you get from it!
Nagi, I made this for the second time tonight, and Mr. Fussy continued to give it his 5-martini-plus rating. He couldn’t stop raving, yet again. I made a full recipe for the two of us, to have leftovers to freeze for when I’m having surgery (hip replacement, oy!) later this month. I know this will make me feel better! Don says to be sure to tell you how much he loves this, and that I”d better keep the recipe in the regular rotation. So incredible, and worth the bit of fuss. (I forgot that it needed 3+hours marinating and only marinated for 1/2 hour. It was just as good, I’m delighted to report. Cheers to you!
Woah – wait – hip replacement?? No big deal I hope??? PS How was your trip?
Unfortunately, it is a big deal, sort of, although I am apparently a good candidate and should recover fairly quickly. I just have to be patient. it may be a good time to get back to the blog, finally. I have a backlog of recipe pics. The Boston trip was great. I saw long-time friends and all the family. Thanks for asking!
Oh Marlene! I’m sorry to hear you have to go through it but am glad that you will feel better afterwards. What date is the operation? I want to put it in my diary. 🙂
June 20. Thanks for your wishes. It’s become a pretty routine procedure with very good outcomes so I am optimistic.
Bah! Nothing to worry about 🙂 It is going to be smooth sailing! (I’ve made a note of it just in case though, please let me know how you get on!)
Simply awesome, I don’t normally comment on these types of pages but wow. Thank-you for one of my favorite recipes.
Thanks so much!!! Did you try it?? I hope you did – or do! N x
Nagi,
After Marinating for overnight, it turned out incredibly tasty. WOW! just brilliant. Everyone loved it. This one I will repeat it again next week. God bless you.
Gautam
Doing the happy dance around my kitchen! So glad you enjoyed this Gautam!!! I worked really hard on this recipe, so I’m especially glad! N x
This was incredibly flavorful! I’m guilty of not reading the recipe ahead of time, so there was no time to marinate the chicken. However, stirring it in with the herbs and letting it sit while I prepared the rest of the ingredients was still enough time to make it flavorful. I used 2 thighs and one breast, and halved the rest of the recipe. I ended up with way too much sauce even halving the recipe, but it was so delicious! The combination of herbs and salty and the peanut butter was amazing. I’d definitely make this again.
YAY!!! So glad you enjoyed this – and thank you SO MUCH for coming back to let me know!! N x PS yes it makes lots of sauce. Because it’s the best part, no?? Soak the rice in it!! 😉
Oh wow. This was bloody incredible. I simply couldn’t stop eating it – my mouth was pleasantly on fire but I kept going back for more! It had that real Bali feel of proper heat perfectly matched with lime and warm spices with a hint of sweet… you’ve really outdone yourself with this recipe. I threw in a good lot of sugar snap peas to cook with the chicken and add some token greens, and they were actually very nice with this sauce. Though to be fair, cardboard would be very nice with this sauce. I can’t wait to eat the leftovers – thank you for another wonderful recipe Nagi!
Glad you loved it as much as I do Beck!!! Thank you very much for coming back to let me know! N x
I love this idea. A perfect way to serve satay.
Thanks Barbara!! 🙂
I made this last night…………….. I am still thinking about it, that’s how good it was ha ha
My husband went back for seconds and kept raving about it all night. So to me that’s a winner. Thank you so much Nagi
for another great great recipe. Love your cooking and photo’s 🙂
Awwww, THANK YOU JANE! So glad you enjoyed it!!! PS How’s the weather back in Oz? Looking forward to coming home!!!
One question on the lemon grass…put in whole n remove when cooked, or chop up finely n keep in? Never cooked with lemongrass before
Hi Liz! Thanks for the question 🙂 I’ve added clarification in the recipe – just cut the reedy green end off and keep the mostly white part at the bottom of the lemongrass. Use the side of your knife to bash down to split it open (to release flavours) then pop it straight into the sauce. Then remove it prior to serving! N x