Easy Chicken Satay With Peanut Sauce Recipe
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Apr 2, 2022 • 2 min read
Learn how to make classic Indonesian chicken skewers, plus a peanut dipping sauce.
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What Is Chicken Satay?
Satay is an Indonesian dish made by grilling skewered meat. Sate ayam (chicken satay) is one of the most popular versions—so popular that it's become a favorite in other Southeast Asian countries, including Malaysia and Thailand. Chicken satay is traditionally grilled outdoors, but you can also make it inside using a grill pan.
What Does Chicken Satay Taste Like?
When grilled, chicken satay has a pleasantly smoky flavor. Indonesian chicken satay is flavored with kecap manis, a syrupy soy sauce that gives satay a salty-sweet flavor. Thai chicken satay is often seasoned with a flavor-packed marinade of fish sauce, turmeric, and lemongrass and garnished with fresh herbs like cilantro that give it a bright, citrusy flavor.
How to Serve Chicken Satay
Chicken satay skewers are typically served as an appetizer with sambal kacang (peanut sauce) and cucumber salad. It's also delicious served over jasmine rice. Peanut sauce is so commonly served with satay that it's often called “satay sauce.” In Indonesia, however, peanut sauce is served with a variety of foods, including salads and fried rice. It's almost always made with deep-fried peanuts—never creamy peanut butter.
Indonesian Chicken Satay Recipe
makes
24 skewersprep time
30 mintotal time
40 mincook time
10 minIngredients
For the chicken:
For the peanut sauce:
- 1
About 30 minutes before you plan to cook, soak 24 bamboo skewers in water.
- 2
Make the marinade. In a large bowl, combine kecap manis, lime juice, and coconut oil. Add chicken pieces and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate, marinating chicken while you prepare the dipping sauce.
- 3
Fry the peanuts. In a small saucepan over high heat, bring ⅔ cup peanut oil to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Add peanuts and deep-fry, stirring continuously, until deep mahogany brown, about 4 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.
- 4
Heat a small skillet over medium heat with 2 tablespoons oil and sauté garlic and chile pepper until fragrant and slightly softened, about 3 minutes.
- 5
In the bowl of a food processor, combine fried peanuts with garlic and chile pepper mixture, kecap manis, tamarind paste, and salt. Pulse to form a coarse paste, then slowly add water, continuing to pulse until sauce reaches desired consistency.
- 6
Thread the skewers. Add 3–4 pieces of marinated chicken to each wooden skewer.
- 7
Meanwhile, prepare an outdoor grill with coals or heat a stove-top cast iron grill pan over medium-high heat, lightly oiling the grates if necessary.
- 8
Grill the skewers, turning occasionally, until lightly charred and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Serve hot with peanut sauce.
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