Grilled Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

Hello and welcome! Grilling season is here and today I have a simple recipe perfect for summer grilling. Chicken Satay is often served in restaurants as an appetizer; but today we are going to make a meal of it with coconut rice, fresh mango, and cucumber slices. Served together on a tray garnished with red onion slices, Serrano chiles, cilantro, chopped peanuts and crushed red pepper. Are you ready? Let’s get to it! It’s Grilled Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce.

Chicken Marinade

I have just under two pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs that I have cut into roughly 1-inch pieces. Place the chicken pieces in a zipper lock bag or in a rectangular, flat food storage container. Now we will make the marinade.

In a large measuring cup or bowl, mix together 1 cup of unsweetened coconut milk, one tablespoon of soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon each ground coriander and cumin, and ground ginger. Pour the marinade over the chicken pieces and mix to coat the chicken in the marinade, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.

Reserve the leftover coconut milk for the coconut rice. Store in an airtight container overnight in the fridge if you’re marinating the chicken overnight. I let my batch marinate overnight.

Coconut Rice

Get your rice going just before you prepare the skewers. I make my coconut rice very simply. I have 1 cup of jasmine rice. Rinse the rice in a mesh strainer. Then just split the amount of water called for according to the package directions with coconut milk. Use the leftover coconut milk we saved from the marinade. If it’s not quite enough coconut milk, we will crack open another can for the peanut sauce; so you can open it now and use some coconut milk from that can to make up the difference.

Assembling the Chicken Skewers

If you are using wooden skewers, let them soak in water in 30 minutes before using. I have stainless steel, flat skewers. Thread the chicken pieces onto the skewers, leaving an inch or two on each end for easy turning on the grill. Sprinkle the skewered chicken with a pinch or two of kosher salt.

Set up your grill with an indirect-heat side. We will cook the chicken skewers through over indirect heat, then put them over the fire at the end to get some nice charring and color. Place the skewers on the indirect heat side of the grill and cook with the lid closed for about 20-30 minutes, turning the skewers halfway through. When the chicken is cooked through and has a little color, transfer them to the direct heat side. Let them develop some more color and char, about 2 minutes each side.

Peanut Sauce

While the chicken is on the grill, make the peanut sauce. We have creamy natural peanut butter, fish sauce, soy sauce, ground coriander, crushed red pepper, brown sugar and just under 1 cup of coconut milk. At the end of cooking the sauce we will add the juice of 1 lime.

In a saucepan over medium heat combine all ingredients but the lime juice. Stir to mix well and let the sauce come up to a simmer. Adjust the heat to maintain a simmer, but not boil.

The sauce will be thin at first, but as it simmers and you stir, it will emulsify and begin to thicken. Simmer and stir until the sauce thickens a bit, about 4 minutes or so. Cut the heat and stir in the lime juice. Set the pan aside to cool.

How to Serve

You can serve Grilled Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce however you like, with whatever you like. I opted to present the meal on a sheet tray; with all of the components mingling together. It makes an easy, appetizing presentation and cuts down on serving dishes and clean up. I am using the middle size of this 3-sheet tray set.

Pour the peanut sauce into a small bowl and set on the tray. Remove the chicken from the skewers and pile the chicken on one quarter of the tray. Spoon the coconut rice alongside the chicken.

Then fill in the top area with your chosen veggies and/or fruit. I went for mango and sliced cucumber. Mango Sticky rice is a popular dessert in Thailand and while I haven’t made a traditional version of it, the flavors are all there. The sweet, cool mango is a nice compliment to the whole savory dish and goes beautifully with the coconut rice.

Once you have all the main components in place, sprinkle the rice and chicken with chopped roasted peanuts, sliced Serrano or Thai chiles and cilantro. Place several fresh red onion slices on the chicken. Sprinkle the whole dish with crushed red pepper. I have crushed Aleppo pepper; its granules are finer, so it’s not as spicy as red pepper flakes. You can top the peanut sauce with more chopped peanuts, if you like.

This tray of Grilled Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce, coconut rice, mango and cucumber slices was a perfect summer dinner to graze on while we watched the baseball game out on the screen porch. Just place some plates, flatware and a serving spoon and serve yourself. Thank you so much for joining me today. I do hope you give this recipe a try. If you do, let me know how it goes for you! Want to try another grilled dish perfect for summer grazing? Try Vietnamese Pork Patties.

Take care and be well, xo Kelly

Key Equipment

Print Recipe

Grilled Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading...

Dinner, Main Course – Thai-inspired

By Kelly Djalali – Serves: 2

Prep Time: 30 Minutes (plus 30 minutes to overnight marinate) – Cooking Time: ~35 Minutes – Total Time: ~1 Hour (plus 30 minutes to overnight marinate)

A straight forward recipe for marinated Grilled Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce; served on a sheet tray with coconut rice, mango and cucumber.

Ingredients

• Chicken Marinade
• 2 lbs. Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup Unsweetened Coconut Milk
• 1 tbsp. Soy Sauce
• 1/2 tsp. Ground Coriander
• 1/2 tsp. Ground Cumin
• 1/2 tsp. Ground Ginger
• Sprinkling of Kosher Salt on Chicken Pieces once skewered, just before grilling
• Coconut Rice
• 1 cup Jasmine Rice, rinsed and cooked to package directions with 1/2 the amount of water swapped with Coconut Milk
• Peanut Sauce
• 3 heaping tbsp. Smooth Peanut Butter
• 1 cup Coconut Milk
• 1 tbsp. Soy Sauce
• 1 tbsp. Fish Sauce
• 1 tbsp. Brown Sugar
• 1/2 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
• 1/2 tsp. Ground Coriander
• Juice of 1 Lime
• To Serve
• Sliced Cucumber
• Sliced Mango
• Chopped Roasted Peanuts
• Chopped Cilantro
• Sliced Red Onions
• Sliced Serrano or Thai Chile
• Crushed Red Pepper

Instructions

Chicken Marinade

1

Place the chicken pieces in a zipper lock bag or in a rectangular, flat food storage container.

2

In a large measuring cup mix together unsweetened coconut milk, soy sauce, ground coriander, cumin, and ground ginger. Pour the marinade over the chicken pieces and mix to coat the chicken in the marinade, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.

3

Reserve the leftover coconut milk for the coconut rice. Store in an airtight container overnight in the fridge if you're marinating the chicken overnight.

Coconut Rice

4

Get your rice going just before you prepare the skewers. 1 cup of jasmine rice, rinsed in a mesh strainer. Split the amount of water called for according to the package directions with coconut milk. Use the leftover coconut milk we saved from the marinade. If it's not quite enough coconut milk, we will crack open another can for the peanut sauce; so you can open it now and use some coconut milk from that can to make up the difference.

Chicken Skewers

5

If you are using wooden skewers, let them soak in water in 30 minutes before using.

6

Thread the chicken pieces onto the skewers, leaving an inch or two on each end for easy turning on the grill. Sprinkle the skewered chicken with a pinch or two of kosher salt.

7

Set up your grill with an indirect-heat side. Place the skewers on the indirect heat side of the grill and cook with the lid closed for about 20-30 minutes, turning the skewers halfway through. When the chicken is cooked through and has a little color, transfer them to the direct heat side. Let them develop more color and char, about 2 minutes each side.

Peanut Sauce

8

In a saucepan over medium heat combine all ingredients but the lime juice. Stir to mix well and let the sauce come up to a simmer. Adjust the heat to maintain a simmer, but not boil.

9

The sauce will be thin at first, but as it simmers and you stir, it will emulsify and begin to thicken. Simmer and stir until the sauce thickens a bit, about 4 minutes or so. Cut the heat and stir in the lime juice. Set the pan aside to cool.

To Serve

10

Pour the peanut sauce into a small bowl and set on the tray. Remove the chicken from the skewers and pile the chicken on one quarter of the tray. Spoon the coconut rice alongside the chicken.

11

Then fill in the top area with your chosen veggies and/or fruit.

12

Once you have all the main components in place, sprinkle the rice and chicken with chopped roasted peanuts, sliced Serrano or Thai chiles and cilantro. Place several fresh red onion slices on the chicken. Sprinkle the whole dish with crushed red pepper.

This post may contain affiliate links; when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission on qualifying items.