Easy Thai Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

Name: Thai Chicken Satay
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast (or chicken thighs cubed into bite sized pieces); 1/2 cup coconut milk; 3 cloves garlic (minced); 2 teaspoons ginger (minced); 1 tablespoon fish sauce; 1 tablespoon red curry paste; 3 tablespoons light brown sugar; 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce; 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric; 1/2 teaspoon cumin; 1 tablespoon cilantro (chopped); wooden bamboo skewers (soaked in water for 30 minutes); cilantro for garnish (if desired); lime wedges for garnish (if desired); peanut dipping sauce (recipe below); 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter; 3 cloves garlic (minced); 1 teaspoon ginger (minced); 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce; 1 tablespoon light brown sugar; 1 whole lime (juiced); 1 teaspoon sesame oil; 1 teaspoon red curry paste; 1 teaspoon sriracha; 2 tablespoons water

Kelley Simmons

Updated March 28, 2024
4.70 from 10 votes
20 comments

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Easy Thai Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce marinated overnight and grilled to perfection. Served with an amazing peanut dipping sauce, this quick and easy recipe makes a great appetizer or dinner. Perfect for a crowd, they take less than 10 minutes to cook through!

If you’re throwing a bbq or grilling for a crowd, try my Grilled Steak Kebobs, and my reader’s favorite Grilled Chicken Caprese is sure to be a hit!

Thai Satay Chicken skewers, garnished with cilantro, next to peanut sauce with lime wedges on white table

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Simple Chicken Satay Skewers

If you’ve never made Thai Chicken Satay Skewers at home before you are missing out! This recipe uses boneless chicken breast (or chicken thighs) marinated in coconut milk, fish sauce, and curry paste then grilled. The chicken has so much flavor and is extremely tender. Best of all it’s served with a creamy peanut dipping sauce. The peanut sauce is sweet with a hint of spice.

This Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce recipe is perfect for grilling in nice weather! You can prep the chicken the night before and then just thread it on the skewers and grill them. They take 10 minutes maximum to cook all the way through, so quick and easy! You can serve these Peanut Chicken Skewers as an appetizer or as a main dish with extra sauce and salad on the side.

Best of all, this is a family-friendly recipe! Who doesn’t love eating food off of a stick? Kids especially love nibbling on these sweet, peanutty chicken sticks!

Ingredients for Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

Chicken: I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe as I had some on hand, but boneless, skinless chicken thighs would be great in this recipe as well!
Coconut Milk: Rich and creamy, coconut milk brings a subtle nuttiness to these Thai chicken skewers.
Fish Sauce: Fish sauce is a popular ingredient used in Asian cuisine. Made with anchovies, it’s fermented and adds saltiness and umami to this satay dish.
Soy Sauce: I added low sodium soy sauce because the fish sauce is also salty. If you only have regular, you can cut it with a little water to reduce the sodium.
Curry Paste: Red Thai curry paste is absolutely delicious, and I just love using it as a part of a marinade for meat dishes. You can usually find it in the international aisle in large grocery stores, in a local Asian grocery store, or online.
Herbs & Spices: Cumin, turmeric, ginger, and garlic are also in the marinade to add more flavor, color, and nutrition. These herbs and spices are loaded with anti-inflammatories. They’re so good for you!
Sugar: A little light brown sugar balances out these chicken satay skewers perfectly. It complements the slight spice from the red curry paste and levels out the sodium in the soy sauce and fish sauce.

How to make Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

Prepare the marinade: Add all of the ingredients to a large Ziploc bag. Toss to coat and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Turn on the grill and skewer the chicken: When you are ready to eat, preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Thread the chicken pieces onto the skewers. To keep the wooden skewers from burning I soak them in water for 30 minutes to an hour before using them.

Grill: Place on the grill and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side.

Serve: Serve with peanut dipping sauce, lime wedges, and extra cilantro for garnish if desired.

Thai Chicken Satay skewers, garnished with cilantro, next to peanut sauce with lime wedges on white dish

thai chicken satay marinade

For this Thai Peanut Sauce recipe, all you have to do is add all of the ingredients to a food processor and pulse until everything is combined. Alternatively, you can mix in a medium bowl with a whisk until combined. Set aside until ready to serve.

Peanut butter: I like to use creamy peanut butter to keep the Thai peanut sauce smooth, however, crunchy peanut butter (blended a little) adds texture if you prefer crunchy!
Garlic and ginger: Two classic Asian ingredients, I use fresh ginger and garlic to really pack in as much flavor as possible.
Soy Sauce: Just like with the skewers, I added low sodium soy sauce to reduce the saltiness. You can cut regular soy sauce with a little water if that’s what you have on hand.
Sugar: Light brown sugar adds sweetness and a hint of a caramel flavor.
Lime Juice: Lime juice brings this sauce a little acidity and balances out both the sweetness and the saltiness.
Sesame Oil: Toasted sesame oil is nutty in flavor and delicious in Asian cuisine.
Red Curry Paste: This paste is so tasty and can be used in so many dishes like these Thai Red Curry Meatballs and this Thai Coconut Soup! You can usually find it in the international aisle in large grocery stores, in a local Asian grocery store, or online.
Sriracha: I like to double the amount to make it extra spicy!

What to serve with thai satay chicken

Cilantro Lime rice or cauliflower rice to make it low carb!
Japanese Cucumber Salad
Rainbow Vegetable Noodle Stir-Fry
Serve alongside Thai Coconut Soup to make it a meal!

Tips for Success

Prepare the chicken ahead of time. The chicken satay with peanut sauce can be made the night before. Simply marinate the chicken in a Ziploc bag in the fridge overnight, and then whip up the peanut sauce and store it in an airtight container in the fridge as well.
Soak the skewers in water for about 30 minutes before threading the chicken to avoid the skewers burning.
Preheat the grill before placing the chicken on. The chicken will sear slightly and cook quicker.
Don’t overcook the chicken. Chicken breast dries out easily, so make sure you don’t leave it cooking on the grill for too long.

Thai Chicken Satay skewers, garnished with cilantro, next to peanut sauce with lime wedges on white table

Here are more delicious grilled chicken recipes to try!

Kelley Simmons

With over 15 years of culinary experience, Kelley has worked in various restaurants over the years and graduated from culinary school back in 2009. Since 2014, she has been sharing her family's favorite recipes with over 1 million people every month!

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Comments

Gary

November 3, 2023

Due to inclement weather, I ended up cooking them in the oven at 425° for about 20 minutes. They were incredible.
- Reply
Dawn

June 11, 2023

5000 ingredients and overnight marinade…where is the easy part?
- Reply