These Thai Satay Chicken skewers are loaded with so much flavour and couldn’t be easier to make!
Back at it again with another authentic Thai recipe by my Thai stepmother, On. Like all the other Thai recipes I’ve uploaded, this is simple to make and only uses store-bought ingredients. Follow me…
Thai Satay Chicken
I have so many fond memories of eating satay chicken skewers in Thailand, but I also have so many of growing up eating them at home too. The ingredient list is actually pretty small for this chicken itself – here’s what you’ll need:
- Chicken – I recommend dicing it into pieces that are fairly small, just so the outside can nicely char with the inside still cooking right through.
- Coconut Milk – This is mainly used for the sauce, but adding some in the marinade helps keep the chicken nice and juicy.
- Oil – Helps prevent the chicken from burning as it fries.
- Soy Sauce – This seasons the chicken with a salty flavour.
- Oyster Sauce – Adds a little more flavour to the marinade.
- Sugar – Adds sweetness to the marinade to balance out the spices. The sugar also caramelises as the chicken cooks.
- Spices – All you need is curry powder, ground coriander and ground turmeric.
Recipe Tip
I highly recommend using boneless skinless chicken thigh over breast. It’s fattier and more flavoursome and is much less prone to drying out.
Once you’ve combined the chicken and marinade, you only need to let it marinate for 1 hour. From there, you can go ahead and thread the chicken onto skewers.
Cooking the skewers
I like to use a griddle pan, just to get those nice char lines, but realistically, you can use any pan. Just use one that’s fairly non-stick (the chicken might stick a little). One thing On likes to do is to brush the cooked side of the skewers with coconut milk as they fry, just so they stay nice and juicy.
Recipe Tip
It’s always a good idea to wear gloves when handeling the chicken, just because turmeric is a very powerful dye and can temporarily stain your nails.
Process shots: add the marinade and chicken to a bowl (photo 1), mix then marinate (photo 2), thread onto skewers (photo 3), add to pan (photo 4), fry then turn and baste (photo 5), turn then baste again (photo 6).
Thai Satay Sauce
The chicken is delicious by itself, but the sauce is what really takes things through the roof. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Massaman Paste – This adds bags of flavour to the sauce. You’ll find it in most supermarkets, with better quality pastes being in Asian stores.
- Oil – This is to fry the paste.
- Tamarind Paste – This adds sourness to the sauce. You’ll find this in most supermarkets.
- Sugar – This balances out the spice and sourness.
- Peanuts – I highly recommend toasting them before you crush them, but you can just crush them right away (use a mortar and pestle or food processor).
- Coconut Milk – This is the backbone of the sauce.
When it comes to making the sauce, it’s pretty quick, so you can make it right after the skewers are done, or even while they’re cooking. Just a few tips to help along the way:
- Fry the paste – Frying the massaman will help release the flavours. This is an important step, so don’t skip it.
- Balance the flavours – Different brands of massaman paste will have different levels of spice, and different tamarind pastes will also differ in how sour they are. You can easily balance these out with more sugar or coconut milk if needed.
- Consistency – The sauce will thicken quite quickly and will thicken more as it rests, so just add a dash of water or milk to thin it out if needed. To thicken more, just continue simmering.
Process shots: heat oil (photo 1), add paste (photo 2), fry (photo 3), add milk, tamarind and sugar (photo 4), simmer then add peanuts (photo 5), stir to combine (photo 6).
How to serve Thai Satay Chicken Skewers
Once the sauce has thickened, just pour it into a serving dish and get dunking! These are perfect for an appetiser/starter or even for lunch!
Traditionally, you’d serve with slices of toast and a Thai-style dip (the same one I use in the Thai Pork Toast). But just skewers + sauce is absolutely fine.
Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for these Thai satay chicken skewers shall we?!
How to make Thai Satay Chicken Skewers (Full Recipe & Video)
Thai Satay Chicken Skewers
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Equipment
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Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
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Large Mixing Bowl & Cling Film (for marinating chicken)
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Gloves (for handeling chicken – optional)
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12x Skewers (see notes)
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Griddle Pan or Frying Pan & Tongs (for frying skewers)
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Brush (for basting skewers)
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Pestle & Mortar or Food Processor (for crushing peanuts)
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Medium Sized Pot & Wooden Spoon (for sauce)
Ingredients
Satay Chicken
- 600g / 1.3lb boneless skinless Chicken Thighs, diced into small bite-sized pieces (approx 2.5cm/1")
- 3 tbsp full-fat Coconut Milk (see notes)
- 2 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Veg Oil
- 1 tbsp Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 tbsp Oyster Sauce
- 2 tsp Curry Powder
- 1 tsp EACH: Ground Coriander, Turmeric
Sauce
- 1 cup / 240ml full-fat Coconut Milk, save the remainder in the can for basting
- 100g / 3.5oz Unsalted Peanuts, toasted then finely crushed
- 30g / 1oz / 2 tbsp Massaman Paste (see notes)
- 2 tbsp Granulated Sugar, or to taste
- 2 tbsp Tamarind Paste (see notes)
- 1/2 tbsp Veg Oil
Instructions
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In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the satay chicken ingredients until everything is evenly distributed and the chicken is fully coated. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 1 hour.
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Now is a good time to soak your skewers in water if they are bamboo/wooden. You can also dry toast the peanuts in a pan over medium heat until lightly charred, then finely crush in a pestle and mortar or food processor.
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Once the chicken has marinated, thread it onto the skewers, ensuring you leave a gap at both ends. Add a drizzle of oil to a large pan over medium heat. Working in batches and topping up with oil in between, add the skewers to the pan and fry for 3-4 mins each side, or until lightly charred on the outside and piping hot through the centre (safe internal temp 74C/165F). I like to baste the cooked side of the skewers in coconut milk, just to keep them juicy. Also, just be careful the chicken doesn't stick to the pan (you can keep peeking to check).
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For the sauce, place a medium-sized pot over low-medium heat, then add the oil. Add the massaman paste and fry for 30 seconds or so until fragrant (be careful it doesn't burn). Add the coconut milk, tamarind and sugar and keep on a gentle simmer for a few minutes, or until it starts to thicken. Stir in the crushed peanuts, then remove from the heat. You can continue simmering to thicken if needed, but keep in mind the sauce will thicken more as it rests.
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Pour the sauce into a small serving bowl, stack the skewers, then tuck in and enjoy!
Video
Notes
b) Coconut Milk – Some brands are more watery than others (i.e. a ring of firm coconut at the top of the can with the coconut water underneath). As such, I recommend pouring it all into a jug and giving it a good whisk to combine everything.
c) Massaman Paste – Try and use a good quality paste. You’ll find this in most supermarkets, but higher quality pastes will be at an Asian store. They will differ in spice levels, but just add in more milk/sugar if you find it a little too spicy.
d) Tamarind – You’ll find tamarind paste at most supermarkets. They do tend to differ a bit with how sour they are, so just balance out with more sugar if it’s too sour.
e) Serving – Traditionally you serve these alongside some slices of toast and a clear dipping sauce, the same one I use for my Thai Pork Toast. However, you can just serve the skewers with the sauce if you’d prefer.
f) Calories – Whole recipe divided by 4 (assuming all the sauce is consumed).
Nutrition
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