Thai Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Bamboo or metal skewers (at least 8 inches)
• •Grill, grill pan, or broiler
• •Small saucepan for peanut sauce
• •Large mixing bowl for marinating
• •Long-handled tongs

Instructions

1. 1

   Slice the chicken

   Trim any visible fat from chicken thighs and slice each thigh lengthwise into strips about one inch wide and four inches long. You want pieces that will thread onto skewers and cook evenly. Thighs are essential here because the fat within the meat keeps satay juicy even over high heat. Breasts turn stringy and dry.

   Partially frozen chicken (about 20 minutes in the freezer) slices more cleanly if you're having trouble getting even strips.
2. 2

   Build the marinade

   Whisk together the coconut milk, curry paste, fish sauce, palm sugar, vegetable oil, garlic, turmeric, coriander, cumin, and white pepper in a large bowl. The mixture should be smooth and aromatic, a golden slurry that smells faintly of curry and sweetness. The coconut milk provides fat to keep the meat moist while the sugars will caramelize into those lacquered edges that make satay irresistible.

3. 3

   Marinate the chicken

   Add chicken strips to the marinade, tossing to coat each piece thoroughly. Cover with plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface and refrigerate for at least two hours, or overnight for deeper flavor. The coconut milk acts as a tenderizer, breaking down proteins while infusing the meat with spice.

   Overnight marination transforms the texture completely. If you can plan ahead, the difference is worth the wait.
4. 4

   Prepare the peanut sauce

   Combine the peanut butter, coconut milk, curry paste, tamarind paste, fish sauce, palm sugar, and water in a small saucepan. Set over medium-low heat and whisk constantly until the mixture comes together into a smooth, pourable sauce, about five minutes. The sauce will thicken as it heats; add more water by the tablespoon if needed to reach a consistency that coats a spoon but drips off readily.

   Tamarind provides the sour backbone that makes peanut sauce addictive. If you cannot find it, substitute two tablespoons fresh lime juice plus one teaspoon brown sugar, though the flavor will be brighter and less complex.
5. 5

   Taste and adjust sauce

   Remove sauce from heat and taste carefully. It should balance salty, sweet, sour, and savory in equal measure. Adjust with more fish sauce for depth, more sugar for sweetness, or more tamarind for tang. Let cool to room temperature. The sauce will thicken as it sits; thin with warm water before serving if needed.

6. 6

   Make the cucumber relish

   Whisk together rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a bowl until sugar dissolves completely. Add cucumber slices, shallots, and sliced chili. Toss to combine and let sit at room temperature for at least fifteen minutes. This quick pickle, called ajad, provides the acidic crunch that cuts through the richness of the satay and sauce. Just before serving, stir in the cilantro.

7. 7

   Skewer the chicken

   Remove chicken from marinade, letting excess drip off. Thread each strip onto a soaked bamboo skewer, weaving it accordion-style through the meat so the chicken lies relatively flat. Leave about three inches of bare skewer as a handle. The threading keeps meat secure over heat and creates more surface area for caramelization.

8. 8

   Preheat the grill

   Heat a grill (charcoal preferred, gas acceptable) to high heat, around 450°F. Clean grates thoroughly and oil them by dipping a wad of paper towels in vegetable oil and rubbing across the hot grates using long tongs. This prevents sticking and creates better grill marks.

   No grill? A cast iron grill pan over high heat works beautifully. You can also use the broiler set to high, positioning skewers about four inches from the element.
9. 9

   Grill the satay

   Lay skewers across the grill grates perpendicular to the bars. Let them cook undisturbed for three to four minutes until the undersides develop dark grill marks and release easily from the grates. Flip and cook another two to three minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the edges are caramelized, almost charred in spots. The sugars in the marinade will blacken; this is correct and delicious.

10. 10

    Rest and serve

    Transfer skewers to a platter and let rest for two minutes. Sprinkle peanut sauce with chopped peanuts and serve alongside the satay with cucumber relish and lime wedges. Instruct your guests to dip, squeeze lime, and eat with abandon. Provide plenty of napkins. This is not tidy food, nor should it be.

Chef Tips

• •Thai red curry paste varies wildly by brand. Mae Ploy and Maesri are reliable supermarket options with good heat and depth. Start with the amount listed and adjust to your preference.
• •Fish sauce is the secret weapon of Southeast Asian cooking. It smells assertive straight from the bottle but mellows into savory depth when cooked. Do not substitute soy sauce; the flavor profile will shift entirely. Any Asian grocery carries it, and it lasts forever in the refrigerator.
• •Palm sugar adds a caramel complexity that brown sugar approximates but cannot match. Seek it out at Asian markets where it's sold in hard discs or soft tubs. Grate the hard variety on a microplane.
• •For larger gatherings, double the recipe. The math is simple: one skewer per guest if serving multiple appetizers, two to three skewers per guest if satay is the star attraction.
• •Flat metal skewers conduct heat into the meat and prevent spinning when you flip. Worth the small investment if you make satay regularly.

Advance Preparation

• •Chicken can marinate for up to 24 hours ahead, improving in flavor and tenderness. Keep covered and refrigerated.
• •Peanut sauce can be made three days ahead and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature and thin with warm water before serving.
• •Cucumber relish can be prepared (without cilantro) up to four hours ahead. Add cilantro just before serving to keep it bright.
• •Skewers can be threaded up to four hours before grilling and kept refrigerated on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before grilling.
• •Grilled satay can hold in a 200°F oven for up to 30 minutes, though fresh from the grill is always preferable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 160g)