Make your own homemade chicken satay, a popular Southeast Asian street food (and restaurant appetizer here in the US!), at home with a delicious marinade! Put it on the grill and it’s ready in a few minutes.
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Marinated meat grilled over hot coals, called satays in Southeast Asia, has an irresistibly addictive combination of sweetness, spiciness, acidity and spice.
However, you don’t have to take a long flight to enjoy these tasty bites. You can recreate a version in your own backyard on your grill – whether it’s gas or charcoal.
What is satay?
“Satay” refers to the skewers of meat that spend time in a salty, sweet and spicy marinade before being grilled. This marinade usually contains fish sauce, palm or brown sugar, fresh ginger, and lime juice or rice vinegar. There’s also a bit of spiciness from sriracha or hot chili sauce.
Marinating time is an hour or two, or up to overnight, giving you a head start on a party if you want.
satay sauce, on the other hand, throw in those succulent morsels when they’re grilled. The most popular of these are Peanuts with Lime Juice, Sriracha, and Hoisin Sauce, which I’ve recreated below.
The dipping sauce can give you a head start as it keeps in the fridge for 3 to 4 days without any problem. If you have leftover sauce, stir it into rice, smear it on sandwiches, add it to a salad dressing, or toss it with your favorite Asian noodles.
What are the ingredients for satay?
Many satays contain a combination of shallots, galangal, lemongrass, fenugreek, coriander, kaffir lime leaves, coconut milk, and turmeric. In order not to send you on an exhausting shopping spree, I’ve adapted this recipe to use ingredients that are easier to find on this continent but still have a similar flavor profile.
While these satays may not taste exactly like a street stall offered on the other side of the world, they will be good. And you won’t be able to eat just one.
The best meat for satay
Virtually any type of meat can be used – pork, steak and chicken are obvious alternatives. Even mussels and shrimp can be used!
Chicken is the easiest meat to start with because it’s so readily available. You can choose to use chicken breasts (white meat) or thighs (dark meat), depending on your preference. Cut the meat into strips and marinate.
Satay skewers on the grill
In Asia, many street stalls use hot coals from wood fires, but both gas and charcoal grills produce the same results.
Grilling is short, so the coals or gas grill temperature should be very hot. There is nothing more!
What if I don’t have a grill?
A broiler, which I contend is the least-used appliance in your kitchen, is a great option if you don’t have an outdoor grill.
Place the skewers on a grill pan or nonstick-lined baking sheet and place an oven rack near the grill element. Watch carefully and turn when the meat is browned on one side, usually after 3 to 4 minutes depending on the heat of your grill and the distance between the meat and the heating element.
A cast-iron stovetop griddle will also work – set over high heat, oil the “grates” and cook until browned and cooked through.
More skewers and kebabs!
- Vietnamese style sticky chicken skewers
- Beef kebabs
- Greek Lemon Chicken Skewers with Tzatziki Sauce
- Korean beef skewers
- Salmon Teriyaki Skewers with Pineapple
Grilled chicken satay with peanut sauce
ingredients
For the chicken
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1/2 Cup Brown sugar
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1/4 Cup unseasoned rice vinegar
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1/4 Cup lime juice
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1/4 Cup fish sauce
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2 tablespoon Sriracha
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2 tablespoon peeled off fresh gingerfinely chopped
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1 1/2 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts or legcut into strips 1 1/2 inches wide
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vegetable oilfor the grill
For the peanut dipping sauce
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1 tablespoon vegetable oil
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1 bunch spring onionsfinely chopped, including part of the green part
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3 tablespoon chunky peanut butterpreferably natural and sugar-free
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3 tablespoon Hoisin sauce
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1 tablespoon Srirachaor to taste
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1/4 Cup lime juice
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1/3 to 1/2 Cup water
Serve
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Cooked rice
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cut cucumbers
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Fresh hot greens such Thai basil or arugula
method
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Soaking the bamboo skewers:
If using bamboo skewers, soak them in warm water for 30 minutes.
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Marinate Chicken:
In a bowl large enough for the chicken, whisk together the brown sugar, vinegar, lime juice, fish sauce, sriracha, and ginger. Add the chicken strips and toss to coat.
Cover and marinate for at least 1 hour or overnight. You can also marinate them in a resealable gallon-size plastic bag to save fridge space if you prefer.
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Make the Dipping Sauce:
Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the scallions and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 30 seconds. Stir in peanut butter, hoisin sauce, sriracha, lime juice, and 1/3 cup water.
Cook, stirring with a whisk, until the peanut butter in the sauce melts and the sauce is incorporated. Add more water, one tablespoon at a time, until the sauce is the consistency of cream. Taste and add additional hoisin, sriracha, or lime juice to taste.
Transfer to a bowl to serve, or allow to cool, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to a week.
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Prepare skewers:
Thread 1 to 2 slices of the marinated chicken onto each skewer. Place them on a baking sheet.
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Prepare the grill:
For charcoal grills: Light a chimney full of coals and when covered with ash, spread them evenly. Allow the grill grates to heat up for 5 minutes. Using tongs, dip a folded paper towel in oil and liberally oil the grates.
For a gas grill: Preheat the grill on high for about 20 minutes. Using tongs, dip a folded paper towel in oil and liberally oil the grates.
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Grill chicken:
Grill the chicken, about 3 minutes per side, or until browned on both sides and chicken is cooked through. Place on a platter and let rest 5 minutes before serving.
Serve as an appetizer with the dipping sauce, or with rice or pickles and veggies at a meal.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 219 | calories |
| 11g | Fat |
| 19g | carbohydrates |
| 12g | protein |
