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……
Can I substitute the sugar for honey?
Hi Mercedes, you sure can! Just adjust to taste – N x
Hi Nagi
I bought Sambel Pecel Karangsari in Bali. It was recommended for making satay instead of peanut butter. I haven’t used it yet. Do you know if I could use this for your satay chicken skewers instead of peanut butter? If so how much of the block would I use and would I still use all the other ingredients in the sauce. I think that I dissolve the block in boiling water to the right consistency.
Thank you
Hi Megan, It’s an instant peanut paste – I’m not sure if it has any other additives in it that would affect the flavour. If you give it a go, just add a little at a time to taste – N x
Hi Nagi – absolutely love all your recipes – thank you!
Is cider vinegar the same as apple cider vinegar? Also I am going to make these for a party – is the sauce suitable to freeze? Thanks again, Jo
Hi Jo, yes the same vinegar and it’s perfect to freeze! I hope you love it ❤️
Thank you Nagy, I will try your Chicken Satay with the Peanut Sauce tomorrow. I am truly looking forward to it .
You’re going to love it Maria!!
OMG It’s Awesome! I’m never buying takeaway satay again.!!!!
YESSS!!! This is the best!
We made this dish last night it was amazing. Thank you definitely a favourite now.
Hi, can I make this in the oven? If so at what temperature and for how long?
Forgot to rate 🙂 This is a big five stars. Thank you!
This stuff is like crack. It’s so good. Probably the tastiest thing I’ve ever made, and such a simple recipe. We had it with the coconut rice.
It was a bit spicy for my toddler but next time I’ll try a milder curry powder as I used Keens and that has a bit of heat to it. I mixed the sauce up with some greek yoghurt for her, still delicious.
We used leftover sauce for cold rolls and over noodles.
Tried this last night. Kids thought it was a bit spicy. Do I just reduce the red curry paste to 1 tbs instead of 2?
Wow! I made this recipe as well as the recipe for Vietnamese spring rolls and it was truly incredible. The peanut dipping sauce is to die for!! I halved the recipe and we still had leftover sauce for 4 people. That was a-Okay with me because I finished it off with veggies throughout the day.
If you are thinking about making this recipe, go for it! It it’s super yummy and I highly recommend the fresh Viennese rice wrap spring rolls to go with it. They are a lot easier to make than they sound. My husband is a super picky eater and he put this in his top 3 meals.
I’m so happy you loved it April, thanks so much!
The skewers are amazing! I made some on Friday for company (everyone loved them) and then made another batch on Monday, yum! Though the peanut sauce recipe looks good, I had already made a big batch that we’re trying to finish up. Next time I’ll try your peanut sauce. Thank you for the great recipe!
Could I make this on an electric skillet??
Hi Anu, yes you can! Enjoy – N x
Hi Nagi your photo of this Thai chicken got my attention looks delish, can’t wait to try!
You’ll love it Donna! – N x
I’ve been making satay for 20 years, but this instantly replaced my go-to recipe. I’m making it for the 3rd time tonight – it’s become a family fave, and imho even better than most restaurant satays (which I sometimes find a little bland). I used Lee Kum Kee Premium Dark Soy Sauce, but I also noticed a Healthy Boy Black Soy Sauce at the market – black soy is different than dark soy, right?
Woah what a great compliment! Black and dark soy are the same thing – its darker than regular soy and slightly sweeter – N x
Good to know, thanks! What’s your favorite brand of black soy?
Awesome recipe! The peanut sauce tasted JUST like it does in Thailand! Quick note, I love salt, and I think it could use HALF the salt. Then it would be perfect 😍
Hi Sierra, I’m so glad you enjoyed it- you can always just reduce the salt if you prefer 🙂
Awesomely tasty, just like our local Thai. Easy to make, will be on the regular menu from now on. Yum Yum Yum.
That’s great to hear Matt!
Hi, i am making this now. I have a function next weekend. Can i bbq up the skewers and freeze then defrost and reheat next weekend? Love you recipes!
Hi Carmen, I would prep the sauce and skewers (freeze) then thaw overnight and cook the chicken on the day – N x
Yu-u-u-u-ummmmm! Brilliant, easy, divine – as usual. Thanks so much Nagi – a national home-cooking treasure. Master Chef next year?? (Had it ready to ad a picture but too silly to work out how to do it – better just EAT it!).
Don’t waste time photographing just devour!! 😂
I found your site just last week and have since cooked two recipes…and loved them! Tonight, we had this dish (with a few variations due to having 3 year-old twins eating), and everyone LOVED it. This is the first satay I’ve attempted at home, and the last satay recipe I will ever need. Thank you Nagi!
That’s the best compliment ever! I’m so glad you loved it Sonya!