Chicken Satay with an Easy Peanut Sauce
Tender, juicy chicken marinated in an unbelievable peanut sauce and broiled to perfection.
Yield: servings
Equipment
- medium mixing bowl with lid or plastic wrap to cover
- whisk
- Small bowl with lid or plastic wrap to cover
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Tongs or large wooden spoon
- bamboo skewers
- Shallow baking dish or baking pan, just large enough to hold skewers
- neutral-flavored cooking spray
- large baking sheet
Ingredients
For the Peanut Sauce
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup unsweetened, full-fat coconut milk from a can, stirred well
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce or low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 packed tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger or 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3 cloves garlic peeled, chopped
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes more or less to taste
For the Chicken
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs approximately 4 medium chicken thighs
Serving Suggestions (All Optional)
- crushed peanuts
- chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
For the Peanut Sauce
- Add ½ cup creamy peanut butter, 1 cup unsweetened, full-fat coconut milk, 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 2 packed tablespoons dark brown sugar, 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger, 3 cloves garlic, and ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes to medium mixing bowl. Whisk vigorously until ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Transfer 1 cup of prepared sauce to small bowl and cover with lid or plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator and chill until ready to serve.
- Set medium mixing bowl with remaining sauce aside.
For the Chicken Thighs
- Place 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs on cutting board. Trim chicken thighs as needed, then slice chicken thighs into bite-size pieces, approximately 1-inch cubed.
- Transfer bite-size pieces of chicken to medium mixing bowl with remaining peanut sauce. Toss or stir chicken to coat all pieces with sauce.
- Once chicken pieces are fully coated in peanut sauce, cover bowl with lid or plastic wrap, then place bowl in refrigerator. Refrigerate chicken in peanut sauce at least 1 hour, and no more than 8 hours. Note: while chicken marinates, toss or stir chicken in marinade at least once if marinating 1 hour and more if marinating longer.
For the Chicken Satay
- 30 minutes prior to removing chicken from refrigerator, fill shallow baking dish with warm water. Place bamboo skewers in dish. If needed, place bowl or plate on top of skewers to keep skewers fully submerged. Let skewers soak 30 minutes before using.
- After marinating chicken for desired length of time, lightly spray baking sheet with neutral cooking spray and set baking sheet aside. Remove bowl from refrigerator and uncover.
- Carefully thread marinated chicken pieces onto soaked bamboo skewers, approximately 5 to 7 pieces per skewer depending on size of chicken pieces. Place filled skewer on baking sheet and repeat until all chicken pieces have been skewered.
- When all chicken pieces have been threaded onto skewers, adjust oven racks as needed so that baking sheet will sit approximately 6 to 8 inches below heating element. Turn on broiler and let preheat at least 5 minutes. Note: if your broiler has multiple heat settings, set temperature to HIGH.
- Once broiler has preheated, place baking sheet on rack beneath heating element. Broil chicken 2 to 3 minutes, then carefully remove baking sheet and flip skewers over.
- Return baking sheet to oven and broil chicken 3 to 4 minutes more, or until chicken is golden and cooked through.
- Once chicken is cooked through, carefully remove baking sheet from oven. If desired, sprinkle crushed peanuts onto chicken for additional texture. Set baking sheet aside and let chicken rest 3 to 5 minutes.
- After chicken has rested for desired amount of time, transfer skewers to serving platter or plates. Sprinkle chopped fresh cilantro over skewers and serve immediately with reserved peanut sauce.
Notes
- Peanut Butter: I recommend using a creamy peanut butter made with only peanuts, or with peanuts and salt. Additional ingredients aren't necessary and can alter the flavor of the peanut sauce.
- Coconut Milk: Use unsweetened, full-fat coconut milk from a can, not a carton. Carton coconut milk will be too thin and liquidy, and sweetened coconut milk will make your peanut sauce much too sweet.
- Leftovers: Refrigerate leftover chicken satay in airtight container up to 3 days. Refrigerate leftover peanut sauce in separate airtight container up to 4 days.
- To Reheat: Let chicken satay come to room temperature, then reheat in oven preheated to 350° Fahrenheit until chicken is warmed through.
Nutrition
Serving Size: 1 serving with peanut sauce | Calories: 400cal | Protein: 36g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 144mg | Sodium: 652mg | Potassium: 661mg | Total Carbs: 7g | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Net Carbs: 4g | Vitamin A: 89IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 3mg