Grilled to Perfection: The Magic of Easy Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

Chicken satay is a delightful dish originating from Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. It’s typically made with marinated, skewered, and grilled chicken, served with a flavorful dipping sauce. What makes chicken satay so appealing is its perfect balance of flavors and textures. The tender, juicy chicken, infused with the marinade’s savory and aromatic spices, pairs wonderfully with the slightly charred exterior from grilling. It’s a dish that offers a harmonious blend of sweet, salty, and tangy flavors, often enhanced with the smokiness from the grill.

As for the simple peanut sauce, it’s a quintessential component of chicken satay, elevating the dish to new heights. The sauce’s creamy texture and rich nuttiness provide a perfect contrast to the grilled chicken, adding depth and complexity to every bite. What’s great about a simple peanut sauce is its versatility; it can be customized to suit individual preferences by adjusting the level of sweetness, saltiness, and spiciness. Whether used as a dipping sauce, a marinade, or drizzled over noodles or vegetables, peanut sauce adds a deliciously indulgent touch to any dish.

DIY Peanut Butter

Did you know you can make delicious, pure peanut butter at home in minutes? Take three cups raw peanuts, toast them in the oven until warm and fragrant, then take them for a spin in your food processor or blender, scraping down frequently until creamy. Add a little honey or salt to taste. Tada!

Here’s a great no-cook recipe for peanut sauce. It comes together in mere minutes making it perfect for weeknights. This recipe makes one cup of sauce that’s sufficient for the satay recipe below but easily doubles if you want more for coating noodles or veggies.

SIMPLE PEANUT SAUCE

What You’ll Need:

½ cup peanut butter – chunky or creamy

¼ cup + 2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 ½ teaspoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar or white vinegar

Optional – add heat to taste – cayenne pepper, chili garlic sauce, hot pepper sauce, or siracha

Other optional (but highly recommended!)  ingredients – 1 to 2 teaspoons minced garlic and/or ginger

Here’s How:

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Stir until smooth. There may come a moment when you wail “Curse you, Patti Diamond!” because it looks like a curdled mess. Keep stirring, I promise it’ll get lusciously creamy. Add heat to taste, if desired. Rest for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors marry. Use as a dipping sauce for chicken satay or veggies or noodles, or chips or spoons or fingers.

QUICK CHICKEN SATAY

Yield: approximately 24 skewers

What You’ll Need:

Bamboo or metal skewers

2 ½ to 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs

½ cup teriyaki sauce

2 teaspoons olive or vegetable oil

Optional garnish – green onion and/or cilantro

Optional – cooked noodles or rice for serving

Here’s How:

Soak bamboo skewers in water for 20 minutes before using.

Slice chicken into thin strips (I got six strips from each thigh). Set aside. Make marinade by mixing teriyaki sauce, vegetable oil in a bowl. Place chicken in bowl with marinade making sure all the chicken is covered. Marinate for at least 30 minutes or even better – overnight.

Thread the strips of chicken, filling the skewers halfway. This allows for a “handle” to turn the skewers as they cook.

To cook, either grill on your BBQ, indoor grill, or under the broiler. These cook quickly so keep your eye on them. Depending on how thick or thin you sliced your chicken they will take between 5 and 15 minutes to cook.

Serve with peanut sauce garnished with green onion and/or cilantro.

Serve with noodles or rice, if desired.

 

If the idea of threading chicken on skewers doesn’t appeal to you, you can simply sauté marinated chicken pieces in vegetable oil and serve over rice or noodles topped with peanut sauce.

Overall, chicken satay and simple peanut sauce are a match made in culinary heaven. Together, they create a flavor experience that’s both comforting and exotic, making them a beloved favorite among food enthusiasts worldwide.

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