Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce Recipe

Chicken breast: The main protein for the dish, cut into strips for easy grilling.

Soy sauce: Adds a salty, umami flavor to the marinade and sauce.

Lime juice: Provides a fresh, tangy flavor that balances the sweetness and richness of the dish.

Brown sugar: Adds a touch of sweetness to both the marinade and the peanut sauce.

Garlic: Minced garlic adds a pungent, aromatic flavor to the marinade and sauce.

Peanut butter: The base for the peanut sauce, providing a creamy and nutty flavor.

Coconut milk: Adds a rich, creamy texture to the peanut sauce, balancing the flavors.

To ensure the chicken skewers cook evenly, cut the chicken breast into uniform strips. When marinating, make sure each piece is well-coated with the soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, and garlic mixture. For the peanut sauce, stir continuously while cooking over low heat to prevent the peanut butter from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan.

• chicken breast - Substitute with turkey breast: Turkey breast has a similar texture and flavor profile, making it a suitable alternative for chicken in this dish.

• soy sauce - Substitute with tamari: Tamari is a gluten-free alternative to soy sauce with a similar umami flavor.

• lime juice - Substitute with lemon juice: Lemon juice provides a similar acidity and citrus flavor to lime juice.

• brown sugar - Substitute with honey: Honey adds sweetness and a slight floral note, making it a good alternative to brown sugar.

• garlic - Substitute with shallots: Shallots offer a milder, sweeter flavor compared to garlic, which can complement the dish well.

• peanut butter - Substitute with almond butter: Almond butter has a similar creamy texture and nutty flavor, making it a good alternative to peanut butter.

• coconut milk - Substitute with almond milk: Almond milk provides a similar creamy consistency, though it has a slightly different flavor profile.

• soy sauce - Substitute with coconut aminos: Coconut aminos is a soy-free alternative that offers a similar salty and umami flavor.

• lime juice - Substitute with apple cider vinegar: Apple cider vinegar provides a similar tangy acidity, though with a slightly different flavor.

• brown sugar - Substitute with maple syrup: Maple syrup adds sweetness and a unique flavor that can complement the dish.

• garlic - Substitute with ginger: Ginger provides a different but complementary flavor, adding a bit of spice and warmth to the dish.

• Allow the chicken skewers to cool completely before storing. This prevents condensation, which can make the chicken soggy.
• Place the cooled chicken skewers in an airtight container or wrap them tightly with plastic wrap. This helps maintain their moisture and flavor.
• Store the peanut sauce separately in a sealed container. This ensures that the sauce doesn't make the chicken soggy.
• Refrigerate both the chicken skewers and peanut sauce for up to 3 days. This keeps them fresh and ready to reheat.
• For freezing, place the chicken skewers on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Freeze until solid to prevent them from sticking together.
• Transfer the frozen chicken skewers to a freezer-safe bag or container. Label with the date to keep track of freshness.
• Freeze the peanut sauce in a separate container. Leave some space at the top as the sauce may expand when frozen.
• Thaw the chicken skewers and peanut sauce in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
• Reheat the chicken skewers on a grill or in an oven preheated to 350°F (175°C) until warmed through. This helps retain their grilled flavor.
• Warm the peanut sauce in a saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally until smooth and heated through. This ensures the sauce is ready to serve.

• Oven Method: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Place the chicken skewers on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover them loosely with aluminum foil to prevent drying out. Heat for about 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is warmed through. For the peanut sauce, transfer it to an oven-safe dish, cover with foil, and heat alongside the chicken for the same duration.

• Stovetop Method: For the chicken skewers, heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add a small amount of olive oil or coconut oil. Place the skewers in the skillet and cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side until heated through. For the peanut sauce, pour it into a small saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring occasionally until it’s warm and smooth.

• Microwave Method: Place the chicken skewers on a microwave-safe plate. Cover them with a damp paper towel to keep them moist. Microwave on medium power for 1-2 minutes, checking halfway through to ensure they don’t overcook. For the peanut sauce, transfer it to a microwave-safe bowl and heat on medium power for 30-second intervals, stirring in between until it’s warm.

• Air Fryer Method: Preheat your air fryer to 350°F (175°C). Place the chicken skewers in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Heat for about 5-7 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through to ensure even heating. For the peanut sauce, you can heat it separately on the stovetop or microwave as described above.

• Sous Vide Method: If you have a sous vide machine, set it to 140°F (60°C). Place the chicken skewers in a vacuum-sealed bag or a resealable bag using the water displacement method. Submerge the bag in the water bath and heat for about 30 minutes. For the peanut sauce, you can heat it separately on the stovetop or microwave as described above.

• Mixing bowl: Use this to combine the soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, and minced garlic for marinating the chicken.

• Skewers: These are essential for threading the marinated chicken strips.

• Grill: Preheat this to medium-high heat for cooking the chicken skewers.

• Saucepan: Use this to combine and heat the peanut butter, coconut milk, soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, and minced garlic for the peanut sauce.

• Tongs: Handy for turning the chicken skewers on the grill.

• Measuring spoons: Necessary for accurately measuring the soy sauce, lime juice, and brown sugar.

• Knife: Essential for cutting the chicken breast into strips and mincing the garlic.

• Cutting board: Use this as a surface for cutting the chicken and garlic.

• Whisk: Useful for mixing the peanut sauce ingredients until smooth.

• Serving platter: Perfect for presenting the grilled chicken skewers with the peanut sauce on the side.

Marinate in advance: Prepare the chicken marinade the night before and let the chicken strips soak up the flavors overnight.

Use pre-minced garlic: Save time by using store-bought minced garlic instead of mincing fresh cloves.

Batch cook the sauce: Make a larger batch of peanut sauce and store it in the fridge for up to a week.

Pre-thread skewers: Thread the chicken onto skewers ahead of time and store them in the fridge until ready to grill.

Use a grill pan: If you don’t have an outdoor grill, use a grill pan on your stovetop to save setup time.