Chicken satay
Experience the flavours of Thai street food with our easy chicken satay recipe! Juicy chicken and sweet pineapple chunks soak up peanut butter, ginger, and lime marinade before sizzling on the grill until golden and tempting. We serve them with fluffy rice, peanut sauce, sweet chilli sauce, and a simple mix of cucumber and red onion. So, fire up the grill and get those skewers going!
Ingredients
Satay marinade and sauce
|
Coarse peanut butter
|
4 tbsp |
|---|---|
|
Soy sauce
|
100 ml |
|
Fresh ginger, finely grated
|
1 tbsp |
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Lime juice, freshly squeezed
|
4 tbsp |
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Liquid honey
|
1 tbsp |
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Rapeseed oil
|
2 tsp |
|
Creme fraiche
|
200 ml |
Chicken satay
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Cleaned chicken fillets (about 400 g)
|
4 |
|---|---|
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Fresh pineapple (about 500 g)
|
½ |
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Bamboo skewers, small (about 20 cm long)
|
12 |
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Coarse salt
|
¾ tsp |
To serve
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Cucumber, cut into cubes
|
1 |
|---|---|
|
Red onion, cut into thin strips
|
1 |
|
Sweet chilli sauce
|
100 ml |
|
Parboiled loose rice, cooked
|
300 ml |
Instructions
Satay marinade and sauce
Chicken satay
To serve
Recommended information
Serving suggestion
Marinate the chicken as long as possible
The chicken benefits from a long marinating time, allowing it to absorb as much flavour as possible. Leave it for at least 2 hours, but if you have time, leave it in the fridge overnight. This gives the marinade time to work its way into the meat, making it more tender and tastier when grilled.
Go for natural peanut butter
Go for natural coarse peanut butter made only from peanuts, with no added sugar or oil, as it gives the sauce a purer, more intense peanut flavour. Natural peanut butter also blends better into the marinade and sauce, making it the best choice for this recipe.
Soak your skewers
Give your bamboo skewers a good soak for at least an hour before loading them up with chicken and pineapple. This keeps them from burning on the grill and helps them stay intact during cooking. Once soaked, shake off the extra water, and they are good to go.
FAQ: Questions about chicken satay
Before you grab the peanut butter and skewers, take a look at our answers to frequently asked questions about chicken satay.
Is chicken satay considered a spicy dish?
No, chicken satay is not usually spicy. The marinade and sauce focus on nutty, tangy, and slightly sweet flavours rather than heat. However, you can easily add some heat to it by adding chopped chilli or a dash of chilli sauce to the marinade.
Can I prepare chicken satay in advance?
Yes, you can prepare chicken satay ahead of time, and there are two ways to go about it. The best option is to marinate the chicken beforehand and keep it in the fridge for up to 24 hours. This lets the flavours soak in and keeps the chicken tender. Keep the pineapple chopped and the skewers soaked, then assemble everything just before cooking. If you have already grilled the skewers, let them cool, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat them in a pan or oven at 180 °C until warmed through.
Nutritional values
Nutritional value, per
1877 Kcal
| Fibre | 10.8 gram fibers |
| Protein | 143.3 gram |
| Carbohydrates | 86.6 gram |
| Fat | 106.6 gram |
Other recipes
Prepare easy chicken satay with pineapple for dinner
Our recipe for chicken satay is super easy to pull off, and even with a few elements to prepare, you will be plating up in only 35 minutes! While the skewers sizzle away, there is plenty of time to cook the rice, toss together a quick salad, and get the sauces ready.
The chicken satay skewers are made up of juicy, savoury chicken and sweet pineapple. The chicken soaks up the marinade made from peanut butter, soy sauce, ginger, and lime. The result is small cubes of meat boasting warm spice, a citrusy zing, and great umami depth. As the pineapple pieces grill, they develop an irresistible caramelised crust, adding sweet harmony to the skewers.
Chicken satay is not the only easy dinner worth adding to your weekly menu! Chicken pasta salad is fresh and filling, Greek meatballs are juicy and full of flavour, and Vietnamese spring rolls keep things light and crisp.
With creamy peanut dipping sauce
Every chicken satay skewer needs a good dip. In our recipe, we turn the chicken marinade into a silky-smooth dipping sauce by stirring in fraiche. This gives it a rich, velvety consistency while introducing a slightly tangy undertone.
The deep peanut butter works together with the fraiche to create a creamy and nutty sauce. To maintain its Asian origin, we have kept classic ingredients like fresh ginger, lime juice, honey, and soy sauce.
All these elements create a sauce that is everything you would want in one – it is rich, salty, tangy, sweet, and textured, thanks to the crunchy peanut butter. It is so magnetic that you might find yourself taste-testing straight from the bowl before the skewers are ready.
Paired with delicious sides
We serve our chicken satay skewers with fluffy rice, sweet chilli sauce, and a crisp cucumber and red onion salad. The rice keeps things classic, giving you a neutral base to go with all the bold flavours on the plate.
Sweet chilli sauce contributes a sticky sweetness with a mild heat, working well with the caramelised pineapple on the skewers and the nutty, savoury satay. The salad is cool and crunchy, exactly what you need to keep everything fresh. The cucumbers are refreshing and light, while the red onion has that sweet-punchy bite.
Thai street food at home
Satay started out as Indonesian street food, but it did not take long before Thailand made it its own. Walk through the streets of Bangkok, and you will find vendors grilling up smoky, golden skewers, the air thick with the scent of sizzling meat, warm spices, and nutty marinades. In Thailand, chicken satays are typically served with a creamy peanut sauce for dipping and a side of tangy cucumber relish.
You might not have a street cart, but that does not mean you cannot enjoy those bold, addictive flavours at home. Grab a grill pan, get those skewers sizzling, and let the mix of peanut, soy, ginger, and lime fill your kitchen with the spirit of Thai street food.
Make your own version
The marinade is a great place to start personalising these delicious chicken satay skewers. Swap the lime juice for tamarind paste, which has a sweet-sour punch with a deep, jammy richness. Crushed coriander seeds work their way through the marinade, layering in a floral earthiness. If you are after some heat, finely chopped red chilli steps up with a sharp, fiery warmth.
Vegetables fit right in, soaking up the smoky heat while bringing their own twist to the skewers. Red peppers soften slightly, holding onto their natural sweetness, while the delicate courgettes turn tender and juicy with a little char.
