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……
I used white vinegar as I can’t get cider vinegar. Unfortunately, it ruined my sauce….no wonder other recipes don’t have any vinegar in them. Sorry but white vinegar definitely does not work. I’m not sure how it would work with cider vinegar, maybe more subtle and not so strong but I strongly recommend not to use white.
Hi Nora, sorry you had issues here – what type of white vinegar were you using? It’s been tested here with white vinegar and has worked perfectly. N x
Hi Nagi!
I love your recipes whenever I look for a new recipe I will alway look and use yours first
Great work
Wow! Made this with my hubby today and I love the taste! It’s better than restaurant quality! Will be making this again and other recipes here! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Wahoo, that’s great to hear Eden! N x
I’m an awful cook and only recently tried experimenting with new recipes. This was 100% a HUGE hit, and I’m SO excited with how it turned out, spot on with restaurant quality which isn’t something I EVER thought I’d say. I made it last night and I’m making more chicken tonight to use the rest of the peanut sauce.
Our dinner party meal for tonight – thank you for saving us again Nagi with a foolproof meal. In the peanut sauce I’ve subbed in an altered version of your homemade red curry paste that is VERY mild (feeding 5 kids) and it’s still delicious. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I still can’t believe you put out all these recipes for free when they are restaurant quality. You’re a star x
First off, I LOVE your recipes. Everything has been amazing. I made pad Thai today and added the peanut sauce on top (kind of like a curry) and it was mind blowing!
Sounds fab Miranda! N x
I have made satay using various recipes over the years. My 16yr old son and I cooked this together tonight, and oh my, the look on the rest of the family’s faces, when they tasted it was priceless – a big winner! They already asking for it on next week’s menu.
I’m so glad it was a hit Sally – that’s so great to hear! N x
Hi, i’m making this recipe tonight, chicken already marinating. will let you know how it turns out. Also making some on the BBQ and some on the stove just to see the difference 🙂
Perfect!!! N x
Hi Nagi, can these be baked instead of fried?
Hi Jackson – you really want to get that browning on them for that flavour – I’d put them under the grill/broiler 🙂 N x
Not my favourite but that is down to personal taste. I like the idea of red curry paste and may add to other recipes I enjoy to see if it works with them, I would certainly recommend you try this recipe as everyone has different tastes.
Made this for dinner tonight, it was absolutely delicious! Will definitely make again
Sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy is Kate – can I ask what paste you were using? N x
This is incredibly good!
Being in lockdown, and with no local Thai restaurants … I started scanning the internet for satay recipes. Sure, you grabbed my attention by starting the conversation “at the risk of sounding totally obnoxious”. But there is nothing obnoxious about this recipe.
I even made the peanut butter (warmed the peanuts up first in the oven).
Definitely a family favourite now. We don’t eat curries often, but will bump up the spice factor just a smidge.
Thank you!
Delicious, easy and so tasty. I used chicken breast cut into long strips and marinated for 7 hours and it was very tender. The comment from the family “This is better than the restuarant”
Woah what a great compliment, sounds like you nailed it! N x
This was delicious! My two picky kids both loved it, and that never happens.
Any suggestion for what to do with leftover peanut sauce?
how many does this serve?
its only my partner and myself and I dont want too much 🙂 thank you
Hi Attara, the number of servings is listed at the top of the recipe. Hover your mouse over it and you can scale it down to serve 2 people. N x
Thank you so much I didn’t see it haha sorry! It was amazing!!!
Made this tonight. Holy wowza that sauce! Drool! As with everything I make from you… Perfection 😊.
Just one thing. Sauce was a touch too spicy for the kids. Would using less red curry paste help this? Or will it affect the taste too much?
Hi Michelle, I’d just cut back on the curry paste to reduce the heat 🙂 N x
Hoping to make this for dinner tomorrow night. In regards to the coconut milk, is there a brand you prefer? And also do you sweetened or unsweetened coconut milk
Hi Liz, always unsweetened – any brand will work fine in this recipe! N x
Hi Nagi just got say this is the best satay sauce recipe. Just needs a tsp nor two of chilli to make it bite, also the recipe could do with a tweak as I just printed the recipe first time. And the coconut milk was a bit confusing, have got it sorted now and love it.
Hi Bill, yes that’s where the red curry paste comes in – some are sweeter than others and you can definitely offset this with more chilli if you prefer 🙂 N x
Amazing! This recipe is so easy and simply delicious. We LOVED it. xx
Wahoo, that’s great Isabelle! N x
This may be a really silly question, but with the “cider vinegar” does this mean apple cider vinegar? :-/
Sure does Lisa 🙂 N x
T
Chicken satay is one of my favorite dishes. I’ve tried to make it many times, especially the sauce and this was the first recipe that tastes just like what I get from the restaurant! I can happily drink that sauce by itself, too. But I won’t, maybe. LOL. Thank you for such a winner.
You’re so welcome Kate! N x