Satay skewers: the benchmark of authentic Thai food! Think deeply marinated chicken with a peanut sauce that’s 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 Rice , Pad See Ew or Thai Chilli Basil Stir Fry!
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
Thai Chicken Satay skewers
At the risk of sounding totally obnoxious – 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 will just know they are going to taste amazing.
Then you have a taste of the peanut dipping sauce…… and you’ll just shake your head, wondering how the heck can something so simple taste so good??!!
Or you might be thinking – OMG, I finally cracked it, this tastes EXACTLY like the authentic Chicken Satay I had in Thailand!!! Oh wait, maybe that’s just in my head. 😂
What goes in Chicken Satay and Thai Peanut Sauce
It might surprise you how few ingredients go in Chicken Satay and the peanut sauce! Here’s what you need:
The BEST Thai Red Curry Paste
Thai Red Curry paste is a “secret ingredient” in both the marinade and the sauce. You just need about 2.5 tbsp which doesn’t sound like much, but we don’t want this to taste of red curry. We’re just using it as a flavour enhancer.
While I’m 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, at around $1.30 per can at major supermarkets like Coles, Woolies and Harris Farms.
How to make Thai Peanut Sauce
Thai Peanut Sauce is almost unbelievably simple to make. It’s 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 a really great authentic Thai Peanut Sauce that truly stacks up to your favourite Thai restaurant, use pure peanut butter. You’ll find it in the health food section of most supermarket nowadays.
Pure peanut butter is made with JUST peanuts – no sugar, oil or other additives – so the peanut flavour is stronger.
Also, natural peanut butter is thinner than commercial peanut butter spreads (see below) which means you need less water to thin the sauce = better peanut 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 confirm this!
I’m 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
Here’s what you need for the Thai Chicken Satay Marinade:
Chicken pieces – chicken thighs yield the juiciest chicken skewers but breast or tenderloin are fine
Red curry paste – see above for my recommended brand Maesri
Curry powder – any is fine here
Coconut milk
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.
It’s 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 it’s done in Thailand!
Thai Chicken Satay is a popular starter on Thai restaurants menus along with Thai Fish Cakes. But it’s also ideal served as a main. Serve it with steamed jasmine rice – or with fluffy Asian Coconut Rice (it’s amazing!). Or go all out with Thai Fried Rice or Pineapple Fried Rice!
For a fresh side salad, try this Asian Slaw, or use this Asian Sesame Dressing for a fresh salad 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, 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 I’ve made this recipe so it’s accessible to everyday cooks – without compromising! 🙂
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 / 6.5″ long (Note 1)
Marinade:
- 600 g / 1.2lb chicken thighs , boneless skinless, cut into 2cm/4/5″ 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 – 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 – 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 – 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, Peanut Noodle Salad or Sesame Noodles
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
He thought I said PELICAN satay……
Wow!! The BEST satay I have ever tasted let alone cooked!! I used beef strips and added some veggies. Amazing!
how do you keep them warm, since you are cooking in batches?
Hi Heather, if you’re cooking in batches, you can place them in a warm oven on a rack to keep them warm while you continue to cook the rest. N x
My partner and I loved these so much, we made them three times in two weeks!
Hi I’d love to try this soon, but was wondering if it’s possible to swap the sugar for honey or maple syrup? Would it be like for like measurements? Thanks for the recipe
Your recipes never disappoint. I used a yellow curry paste and coconut cream as it was a last minute meal. It tasted like I spent hours in the kitchen. So delicious. Thanks!
I’ve made this before and LOVE it. I want to make it tonight but I only have green curry paste or panang curry paste. Will either work?
Hi Amy, Penang would be the closest in flavour. N x
First time to cook this dish. Recipe is the bomb!!!😋🤩 I used chicken breast and Skippy, because those were the ones available. I only made half of the sauce (still got a lot of leftover sauce). Thank you so much!
Made this recipe tonight – it was delicious! Rather than using skewers, I cut the chicken up into strips and served it on a bed of rice, along with stir fried vegetables. Will be making this one again. Thanks Nagi.
Hi Nagi,
After I posted I noticed that I had not given my intended 5* rating.
Perfect Graeme!! N x
What a fantastic recipe. I’ve not seen this website before so I’m keen to look at all the other recipes and try some more! This was absolutely delicious and very simple.
Hi Nagi! I have made this several times for me and hubby and it’s such a hit! This time I want to make it for friends coming over for dinner. Do you think it will be ok to make the peanut sauce a day in advance and reheat it just before serving?
I have reheated leftovers from the fridge and it was totally fine. I’ve even frozen the sauce and it turned out great too.
Another winner! I didn’t have the ingredients for the Indonesian version, but I had them for this on. No regrets – perfect choice for a steamy night like tonight – all cooked outdoors and hot enough to make you sweat a bit. Thanks again Nagi!
Hi, could you pls tell me where to buy cider vinegar, I can’t seem to find it anywhere!
All I can find is apple cider, or rice wine, white wine vinegars?
Thank you
Naji never fails. After reading the ingredients in REAL peanut butter, I decided to make my own. Followed her recipe to a “T” and it’s fabulous.
Cider Vinegar is easily found in the US, and found alongside plain “white” vinegar. Heinz is a major brand and is named Apple Cider Vinegar – commonly referred to as Apple Cider Vinegar.
Hi Nagi,
When you say Cider vinegar – is this the same as apple cider vinegar?
Thanks
Hi! I was wondering what could be substituted for the coconut milk? My family is allergic to coconuts. Peanuts are safe for them, but they are allergic to all other forms of nuts. Would evaporaped milk work? Thank you!! P.S. I just found your website and your recipes are on everyday of my meal plan this week!!
Can I cook these on the bbq grill?
Thank you so much.
Yes 100% Lucy! N x
Thanks for another delicious recipe! I’m a pretty novice cook but this turned out so well – restaurant quality thanks to you!
Could you use chunky peanut butter in this sauce?
Yummooo, made this for dinner tonight, even my fussy teenage son loved it.
Can I make and freeze this meal. I made it last week and grandkids and son loved it, but I want to be able to prepare it in advance and wonder if I can cook and cool both the sauce and chicken pieces and freeze together in one Ziplock bag or should I freeze in two separate bags? By the way, I LOVE your website – recipes are so simple to follow!
Out of this world delicious. I made it 3 times already! thank you. Wonderful blog.
So yummy! Whatever you do don’t leave off the coriander, chilli and lime! It really needs it as it’s a rich sauce. I froze the leftover sauce to keep for a dip with chopped up vegies. It’s just delicious. Thanks Nagi!