These Chicken satay skewers are marinated in coconut milk, curry paste and oyster sauce, then quickly grilled on the barbecue, cooked in a frying pan or baked in the oven. Tender and aromatic, they are served with a delicious homemade Thai peanut satay sauce,prepared with lemongrass, nam prik pao and coconut milk.
This recipe comes from Nah, our former Thai cook. She used to prepare these little skewers whenever we hosted an evening at our dive centre in Thailand. They are perfect as an appetiser, a starter or for a barbecue, served with cucumber relish and peanut sauce.
What Are Satay Skewers?
“Satay” refers to small skewers of marinated, grilled meat. Contrary to popular belief, the term does not refer solely to the peanut sauce often served with them.
Originally from Indonesia, this dish later spread to Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, where it has become a street-food classic. Chicken satay skewers also feature on the menus of many Thai hotel restaurants, usually served as a starter or appetiser. On the streets and at local markets, satay skewers are made with chicken, pork or beef and may be served with or without peanut sauce.
Nah’s Authentic Thai Satay Recipe
Here is Nah’s original Chicken satay skewers recipe. She was our Thai cook when we ran our dive centre and prepared wonderful meals for us every day. These skewers were one of the special treats she would make whenever we hosted an evening.
Her simple marinade infuses the chicken with flavour and keeps it tender while cooking. The peanut sauce is optional, but it turns these little skewers into a real crowd-pleaser.
How Do You Keep Satay Chicken Tender?
Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for at least one hour. If you have time, prepare it the day before so that the flavours of the curry, coconut milk and oyster sauce can penetrate the meat more deeply.
For tender skewers that cook quickly, cut the chicken breast fillets into thin strips rather than cubes. You can flatten them slightly with the flat side of a large knife before adding them to the marinade.
I also sometimes use boneless chicken thighs cut into pieces. Both versions are equally delicious.
Nah would usually prepare a large batch of chicken and freeze half of it directly in the marinade. She would then simply leave it to thaw in the refrigerator before threading the chicken onto the skewers.
💡 Prepare Them in Advance
The chicken can be left to marinate overnight. You can also freeze it raw in the marinade, then allow it to thaw slowly in the refrigerator before threading it onto the skewers. Alternatively, assemble the skewers with the marinated chicken and freeze them before cooking. They will then be ready to go straight onto the barbecue when you need them.
How Do You Make Satay Sauce Without Peanut Butter?
Nah’s satay sauce is made with real peanuts rather than peanut butter. Ideally, choose raw, unroasted and unsalted peanuts, then toast them until golden before blending. This intensifies their flavour and gives the sauce a slightly coarse texture.
If you cannot find raw peanuts, use ready-roasted ones, but make sure they are unsalted. In that case, there is no need to fry them in oil.
When I am really short on time, I sometimes use a ready-made peanut sauce. Blue Elephant peanut sauce is widely available and quite good, although slightly too sweet for my taste. I add a few drops of lime juice before serving it.
Cette version de la sauce aux cacahuètes de Nah est très différente des recettes de sauce satay que l’on trouve généralement en ligne. Je l’aime beaucoup, car elle est fraîche et pleine d’umami. Les sauces aux cacahuètes préparées avec du curry sont souvent assez lourdes et un peu trop sucrées à mon goût.
Cooking on the Barbecue, in a Frying Pan or in the Oven
These little skewers are delicious whichever cooking method you choose.
On the barbecue: Cook for around 2 minutes on each side if the chicken is cut into thin strips, or 4 minutes on each side if using pieces of chicken thigh.
In a frying pan: Cook over medium-high heat, turning regularly. Allow around 2 minutes on each side for thin strips, or 4–5 minutes on each side for pieces of chicken thigh.
In the oven: Place under a preheated grill for 5 minutes, watching carefully and turning halfway through. Allow a little longer for chicken thigh skewers.
Cooking times may vary depending on the thickness of the pieces. The chicken should be completely cooked through, with no pink meat remaining.
🌿 Au Pays des Piments’ Tip
If you cook the skewers on the barbecue or under the oven grill, soak the bamboo or wooden skewers in cold water for one hour before assembling them. This will help prevent the skewers from catching fire during cooking.
What to Serve with Chicken Satay Skewers
In Thailand, satay skewers are often served with peanut sauce and a small sweet-and-sour cucumber relish called ajat. It is made with cucumber, shallots and chillies in a lightly sweetened vinegar dressing. ajat. Elle est préparée avec du concombre, des échalotes, du piment et un assaisonnement vinaigré légèrement sucré.
You can also serve these skewers with jasmine rice, sticky rice, a crunchy salad or simply a few slices of fresh cucumber. In smaller portions, they are perfect as an appetiser or as part of a buffet. To turn them into a complete meal, serve more skewers per person and add rice and vegetables.
More Skewer Recipes
Frequently Asked Questions About Chicken Satay
Chicken breast works very well if it is sliced thinly and cooked quickly. For even juicier skewers, you can use boneless chicken thighs.
Reheat it gently in a small saucepan. If it has thickened in the refrigerator, add a little coconut milk or water and stir until it reaches your desired consistency.
Yes. Raw chicken can be frozen directly in its marinade. Allow it to thaw in the refrigerator, then cook it immediately. Cooked skewers can also be frozen, but they will be noticeably less tender once reheated.
No. This version is aromatic but only mildly spicy. You can adjust the amount of nam prik pao to suit your taste. Mild, non-spicy nam prik pao is also available.
Chicken Satay Skewers with Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
- 500 g chicken breast fillets
- 30 bamboo skewers
Pour la marinade :
- 1 tbsp of curry powder
- 5 cl of coconut milk
- 1 tsp chicken stock powder
- 1 tbsp of oyster sauce
- 1 tsp of sugar
For the sauce:
- 100 g of peanuts unsalted, unroasted peanuts
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 shallot
- 1 stalk of lemongrass finely sliced
- 2 dl of coconut milk
- 1 tbsp of ground turmeric
- 1 tsp of chilli jam (nam prik pao)
- 1 tbsp dried shrimp
- 1/2 tsp of shrimp paste
- 1 tbsp of fish sauce
For the Cucumber Ajat
- 3 to 4 small Thai cucumbers
- 1 shallot
- 1 red sweet chili or a piece of red bell pepper
- salt
- 5 cl of white vinegar
- 25 g of brown sugar
Instructions
Marinate the Chicken
- Mix all the marinade ingredients together.
- Cut the chicken breast fillets into thin slices. I used small chicken fillets and sliced them in half horizontally.
- Flatten the chicken slices with the flat side of a knife blade until they are thin and even.
- Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or preferably overnight.
Prepare the Peanut Sauce
- If using unroasted peanuts, fry them in a little oil until golden brown.
- Place them in a food processor and grind finely. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Place the garlic, shallot, lemongrass and 50 ml of coconut milk in the food processor and blend into a smooth paste. Transfer the mixture to a frying pan and heat gently.
- Add the Thai chilli jam (nam prik pao), turmeric, remaining coconut milk and ground peanuts. Cook over medium heat until the sauce has reduced by half, stirring regularly.
- Grind the dried shrimp into a powder in the food processor.
- Towards the end of cooking, add the shrimp paste, fish sauce and ground dried shrimp. Taste and adjust the seasoning with a little salt and/or sugar.
- Cook for 1 more minute, then leave to cool.
Prepare the Cucumber Ajat
- Wash the cucumbers thoroughly, cut them in half lengthways, then slice them into 5 mm-thick pieces. Place them in a bowl with the shallot and mild red chilli, both very thinly sliced.Add ¼ teaspoon of salt and mix well. Leave to drain for 30 minutes.
- Heat the vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan until the sugar has completely dissolved. Leave to cool.
- Once the cucumbers have released their excess water, pour the cooled vinegar mixture over them. Mix well and refrigerate the ajat until ready to serve.
Cook the Skewers
- If necessary, use a paper towel to remove any excess marinade from the chicken. Thread the meat onto the bamboo skewers.
- Cook in a hot frying pan with a little oil, on the barbecue or under a preheated oven grill. Brown the chicken for a few minutes on each side. Serve with the peanut sauce and cucumber ajat.
Notes
English 
Français
Bonjour
j ai effectue de multiples séjours en Asie , j’adore la cuisine de tous ces pays , et ta recette de poulet satay est juste parfaite !
aussi bon que la bas , avec toutes les saveurs
merci !
Merci beaucoup pour ton message 😀
J’espère que les autres recettes te plairont tout autant 😉
Bonne continuation et bon voyage !
Kris
Ce doit être tout bonnement succulent! 🙂
C’est effectivement pas mauvais du tout 😉
Ho, qu’elle chance d’habiter ce beau pays ! J’en rêve… Et comme tes plats me donne faim ! Je vais essayer de faire le pouler dès demain. Merci pour ces belles photos. Tu explques hyper bien, c’est Top !
Bonjour Graziella,
Bienvenue au pays des piments ! Merci pour ton sympathique message. Dis-moi ce que tu as pensé de ce poulet 😉
Bonne journée et à tout bientôt.
Kris
Superbe recette
Les brochettes sont excellentes et la sauce est incroyable.
Merci pour ta recette et merci à Nah 😉
Bonjour Thomas,
Généralement les recettes de sauce satay incluent du curry rouge. Je ne sais pas pour quelle raison Nah n’en mettait pas, mais on adore sa sauce ainsi. Donc voilà 😆.
Je lui dirai qu’elle a fait des adeptes en Europe, elle en sera heureuse✨.
Tout cela me fait penser que je n’ai pas encore publié sa recette de chou farci à la sauce au piment doux qui est une vraie dinguerie. Il va falloir y remédier.
Très belle semaine à toi et un grand merci pour ton message.
Kris
Bonsoir gentille Amie
Ces brochettes sont parfaites, et j’ai apprécié la sauce. Les saveurs se complètent
Grand Merci et bises Chris 06
Oh, tu as essayé la recette 🙂 Cool !
Des fois je fais juste la viande marinée grillée car le goût de cette marinade me plait bien.
Contente que cela te plaise 🙂
C’est mieux que la papaye verte ?
miam..délicieux :p c’est pleind e saveurs!!
Merci beaucoup, je suis contente que cela te plaise.
N’hésites pas à m’envoyer une photo si tu les prépares 🙂
A tout bientôt.
Kris