Thai Chicken Satay with Peanut Dipping Sauce

An easy appetizer or make it a main dish! I grilled them outside but these simple chicken skewers can be made indoors too! Thai-style chicken satay served along side my slightly sweet and slightly spicy peanut dipping sauce.

Chicken-on-a-stick, friends. On a STICCCCCK. Ya dig?

Is it me or is this the only way to make Friday even better? Anything on a stick is usually delicious but I have got to say, the hubby RAVED about my simple chicken satay and honestly, they were worthy!

This is LIFE. Simple, easy food that’s worth raving about.

Here’s the thing. Do you really need me to go on about how i’m just short of being obsessed with these chicken skewers? Because you know I can and will. But let me save my breath and just know that I wouldn’t steer you wrong when it comes to making super flavorful meals that are light on the waistline and kid friendly.

With that said, this peanut dipping sauce is dyna-mite. The first time I used them was for my vietnamese spring rolls. Kids, I almost could not believe that this was something I made. Holy moly!

Let’s jump right into the recipe as there are a couple thing you need to know.

1. this is easy! I mean so so so easy. Toss-a-few-ingredients-in-a-bag-and-let-boneless-skinless-chicken-strips-hang-out-and-do-their-thing-for-a-while easy.
2. chicken satay aka chicken on a stick aka the kids will love it
3. flavorful. I mean like serious, serious flavor. As in it’s a party for your whole mouth- so good that you kinda wanna get up and dance – lick the plate clean kind of flavorful.
4. see numbers 1-3

The main ingredients for this recipe are lemongrass paste, ginger, garlic, red onions, fish sauce, brown sugar, and soy sauce. There are also a few spices like, turmeric, cumin, and coriander.

I used lemongrass and ginger paste that I get from the refrigerated section of the grocery store, think the brand is Gourmet Garden. It’s easier than finding whole lemongrass but either will do. Also, minced garlic in a jar is my most favoritest thing ever. ? The hubby and I are garlic fiends (him more than me) but this stuff saves soo much time. I can’t believe i’m about to say this, but I buy the large tubs of it Costco. ???

And a few words about the fish sauce. DON’T SMELL IT. Seriously don’t. If you’ve never made Thai food before, this little ingredient is a wonder! It flavors everything so nicely but whatever you do, don’t take a whiff of the stuff when it’s in it’s purest form in the bottle.

Trust me, you WILL be sorry. Speaking from major experience here.

Moving along.

I let the chicken satay mixture marinate for 3-12 hours. The chicken becomes so flavorful and it requires just a quick 5-7 minutes on the grill. Also! If you don’t have a grill you can easily make these in a cast iron skillet indoors. Just prepare the chicken satay on skewers and drizzle a small amount of oil in the skillet before cooking. It may take a few additional minutes and you’l have to rotate it but as long as you get to enjoy chicken satay, right?

And here’s a tip! If you’re grilling these outdoors and using wooden skewers, let the skewers soak in water for at least 1 and up to 12 hours in advance. The sticks don’t burn and disintegrate as quickly if they are wet.

And now for the dipping sauce! It’s simple I promise. All you need is a little peanut butter, minced garlic, ginger paste (or grated), soy sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, toasted sesame oil, and sriracha. Mix it all up in a bowl. The peanut butter can be a little tough to stir so I like to add 1-2 tablespoons of hot water to help the mixture blend together a little better. This also helps the brown sugar dissolve. You can make the peanut dipping sauce up to 2 days in advance if you’d like. And i’ve used it as salad dressing too and it’s perfect, in every way.

And here’s a tip for my friends with a peanut allergy, swap the peanut butter out with cashew butter. It’s just as good.

This kind of chicken satay recipe is exactly what the weekend is all about. Get together with your significant other and make chicken on a stick with the most addicting sauce you’ve ever tasted. It’s easy to make and requires minimal hands on time. Or better yet, email them the recipe and have them make it for you?

Option #2, definitely. You need chicken on a stick STAT.

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Yield: 14-18 skewers

Thai Chicken Satay with Peanut Dipping Sauce

An easy appetizer or make it a main dish! I grilled them outside but these simple chicken skewers can be made indoors too! Thai-style chicken satay served along side my slightly sweet and slightly spicy peanut dipping sauce.

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Ingredients

Chicken Satay:

• Wooden Skewers
• 1 ½ - 2lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced lengthwise
• ⅓ cup cilantro, roughly chopped
• ½ shallot (or ¼ red onion)
• 4 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon ginger (paste or grated)
• 2 tablespoons EACH lemongrass paste (see note) AND fish sauce
• 3 tablespoons oil
• ¼ cup EACH brown sugar AND soy sauce (use GF tamari if GF)
• ½ teaspoon EACH cumin powder AND turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander

Peanut Dipping Sauce:

• ½ cup creamy peanut butter (see note)
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon ginger paste (I used Gourmet Garden)
• 2 tablespoons EACH: soy sauce AND brown sugar (or more to taste)
• 1 lime juiced (about 2-3 tablespoons)
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon sriracha or samba oelek

Instructions

1. CHICKEN SATAY: In a blender, combine all the ingredients except the chicken. Pulse the blender until the shallot, cilantro, and garlic break down into a sauce like consistency. Add the chicken strips into a gallon-sized zip-top bag and pour the prepared marinade over the chicken. Zip the bag and squish to coat the chicken evenly. Place the zip-top bag on a plate and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and ideally overnight.
2. PEANUT DIPPING SAUCE: Add all the ingredients for the peanut dipping sauce in a medium bowl and use a whisk to combine. If your peanut sauce is thick, you can add in 1 tablespoon of hot water at a time to help thin it to desired consistency. I only needed 1 tablespoon for this. Top with crushed peanuts if desired.
3. CHICKEN SATAY CONTINUED: When you're ready to grill, preheat the grill on medium high for 5-10 minutes and oil the grates. Meanwhile, remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and place the chicken (like an accordion) on skewers. Pierce the chicken with the skewer and zig-zag the chicken through the skewers making sure to secure both ends on the stick. Place the chicken on the hot grill, cover and cook for 4-7 minutes, flipping half way through. The chicken is cooked through when it is slightly firm to the touch or registers 165ºF on a thermometer. Remove, the chicken and serve immediately with the peanut dipping sauce.

Notes

• I sliced my chicken lengthwise into about strips that were 1 inch in width.
• If you don't have an outdoor grill, this can be made in a grill pan, an electric grill, or cast iron skillet indoors as well. Be sure to oil the pan and you may need to cook the chicken for longer than what's written in the original recipe. Chicken is done when it is firm to the touch.
• And here’s a tip! If you’re grilling these outdoors and using wooden skewers, let the skewers soak in water for at least 1 and up to 12 hours in advance. The sticks don’t burn and disintegrate as quickly if they are wet.
  

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*Please note: the nutritional facts calculated are an estimate based on the ingredients i’ve used. If you’d like a more accurate count, please calculate them using the ingredients/brands you’ve used to prepare the recipe. The nutritional facts for chicken satay are on the left and are for each skewer. The nutritional facts on the right are for the peanut dipping sauce, each serving is about 2 tablespoons.

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