Chicken Satay with Sweet and Spicy Sauce is an Indonesian dish that I simply can’t get enough of! I am willing to bet this gorgeous grilled chicken will become a staple in your house too.
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Skewers of Chicken Satay with Sweet and Spicy Sauce on a white plate surrounded by lime wedges

What Is Satay? 

Satay is marinated/grilled meat served on skewers and more often than not accompanied by peanut sauce (BUT I will offer you more options). This satay is incredibly tender and delicious all by itself but holy cow, when you drizzle on that sauce, the yum factor quadruples!

The Marinade:

This marinade makes the already tender chicken thighs even more tender. I use coconut milk, herbs and spices, and a secret weapon in Indonesian and Asian cooking…fish sauce! Just to be clear, fish sauce does not make your chicken taste like fish! It’s just a great way to add salty flavor to dishes without the sodium. And don’t hesitate to buy fish sauce thinking you’ll only use it in this recipe. You can use it in my One Pan Thai Chicken or these fall off the bone tender Asian Ribs!

Chicken Satay with Sweet and Spicy Sauce garnished with lime and cilantro

Skewers of Chicken Satay with Sweet and Spicy Sauce on a white plate surrounded by lime wedges and cilantro

The Sauce: Peanut, Cashew or Almond. It’s Up To you!

Peanut sauce is the traditional choice for satay. But I love offering options, so for this sweet and spicy sauce I offer a variety nut butters: peanut, cashew, or almond butter. When blended with honey, apple cider vinegar, sriracha, lime juice and a hint of ginger, these simple nut butters are turned into a thick and flavorful sauce…trust me, you’ll want to drink it! You can whisk this sauce together, or use a mini food processor (only $39!)

Skewers of Chicken Satay being drizzled with Sweet and Spicy Peanut Sauce

What To Serve with Satay:

And in case you were wondering what to serve as a side, I usually serve satay with rice and steamed broccoli or  my Spring Roll Spaghetti Bowl. Both the satay and the spring roll spaghetti use the same sweet and spicy sauce, so two birds, one stone!

 
 

 

The Recipe: Chicken Satay with Sweet and Spicy Sauce 

Tips and what you need:  sriracha sauce and fish sauce.

Skewers of Chicken Satay with Sweet and Spicy Sauce
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
12 mins
resting time
3 hrs
Total Time
3 hrs 27 mins
 

A delicious, tender, chicken satay served with a sweet and spicy nut butter sauce

Course: dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: indonesian
Keyword: chicken satay, grilled chicken
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
Chicken and marinade:
  • 1/3 cup coconut milk
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce (or coconut aminos if you avoid soy)
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons yellow curry powder
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1/8 teaspoon dried ginger
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil
  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 1" cubes
  • lime wedges and cilantro (optional, for garnish)
Sweet and Spicy Sauce
  • 3 tablespoons unsweetened peanut, almond, or cashew butter
  • 3 tablespoons olive or avocado oil
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • 1-2 teaspoons sriracha (depending on how much heat you like)
  • 1  teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 clove garlic, grated
Instructions
Be sure to allow 3-12 hours for chicken to marinate.
For Chicken:
  1. Place all marinade ingredients in a bowl and whisk. Add chicken and stir, cover and allow to marinate in the fridge for 3-12 hours. When ready, spray grill and preheat to 400 degrees. When grill is at temperature, add skewers cooking 6-7 minutes each side (total of 12-14 minutes) Serve with sauce and garnishes if desired.

For sauce:
  1. Place all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk or add to a mini food processor and process until smooth.

  2. Drizzle over grilled chicken satay.

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