THAI-INSPIRED CHICKEN SATAY WITH CREAMY PEANUT SAUCE
on Jul 27, 2025
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Marinated chicken cubes get grilled perfection and served with the most delicious Thai-inspired ginger and garlic peanut sauce. It’s easy, full of flavor, and perfect for a quick weeknight dinner.
This Thai-inspired Chicken Satay with Creamy Peanut Sauce is a delicious upgrade to a weeknight classic: chicken and rice.
The chicken is marinated in a mix of red curry paste and tamari, then cooked until juicy and golden brown.
For a more classic presentation, the pieces can be skewered before grilling, but skipping the skewers makes the process even easier and family friendly.
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But one thing you cannot skip is the creamy, subtly sweet, and spicy peanut sauce. The flavors of ginger, garlic, honey, tamari, and freshly squeezed lime pair so well with creamy peanut butter.
Serve this with rice, cucumber, or a quick slaw for a meal that’s flavorful, healthy, and easy to pull together. Enjoy!
Key Ingredients for Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
It may look like there are a lot of ingredients, but several of them are used in both the chicken marinade and the sauce. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs work equally well in this recipe. You’ll want to cube them into bite-sized chunks, ensuring they are about the same size for even cooking time.
- Nut Milk: Plain, unsweetened nut milk, such as almond or cashew milk, acts as a good base for the chicken marinade.
- Tamari: This soy sauce alternative adds a lot of flavor to the chicken and also helps tenderize the meat as it sits. For the peanut sauce, tamari provides a savory, salty note.
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Pin It- Fish Sauce: Salty, savory, with a strong umami flavor, fish sauce gives the marinade a distinct flavor.
- Red Curry Paste: Bold curry paste can be your secret weapon when it comes to making Thai-inspired dishes.
- Honey: A bit of sweetness to mellow out the spicy flavor of the curry paste and powder in the marinade and to complement the peanut butter in the sauce.
- Yellow Curry Powder: Milder than red curry paste, yellow curry powder has a warmer taste and enriches the marinade.
- Lime: Freshly squeezed lime is a key component for Thai dishes. It’s used to tenderize the chicken, lighten up the peanut sauce, and act as a final garnish for serving.
- Ginger and Garlic: Fresh ginger and garlic give the peanut sauce a pop of flavor.
- Creamy Peanut Butter: Use your favorite creamy peanut butter. I’m a fan of @picspeanutbutter.
- Chicken Bone Broth: A bit of broth will help thin out the sauce. You could also use water, but broth is the more flavorful option.
- Garnishes: A bit of cilantro, some dry-roasted peanuts, and a few lime wedges take this dish to the next level.
How to Make Thai Chicken Satay
Prep and cook the Chicken Skewers
Combine the nut milk, tamari, fish sauce, curry paste, yellow curry powder, honey, and lime juice, and marinate the chicken for 1 to 2 hours. You can marinate them overnight for maximum flavor.
While the chicken is marinating, soak 8 to 10 bamboo skewers in warm water. (Note, you can skip this step if you’re short on time. The chicken tastes just as good!
When ready to cook, thread 4 to 5 pieces of chicken onto each skewer.
Heat a grill pan, stainless steel skillet, or cast iron pan over medium-high high and spray or drizzle with avocado oil. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes on both sides of the skewers.
Make the Peanut Sauce
While the chicken is cooking, start making the peanut sauce by heating avocado oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Add the ginger, garlic, and red curry paste and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.
Whisk in vinegar, honey, tamari, peanut butter, fish sauce, and lime juice and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.
Add bone broth to thin to the desired consistency.
Serve
Serve the chicken skewers and peanut sauce with chopped cilantro, peanuts, and a squeeze of fresh lime. Enjoy!
More Asian-Inspired Recipes You’ll Love:
- Sheet Pan Cashew Chicken
- Spicy Tuna Sushi-Inspired Bowl
- Gluten-Free Orange Chicken (Copycat Panda Express)
- Asian-Inspired Ginger Honey Ground Chicken Bowls
- Honey Ginger Glazed Salmon
CHICKEN SATAY WITH CREAMY PEANUT SAUCE
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite-sized chunks
- ¼ cup plain unsweetened nut milk
- 2 tablespoons tamari
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon red curry paste
- ½ teaspoon yellow curry powder
- 2 teaspoons honey
- ½ lime, juiced (save the other half for the peanut sauce)
Peanut Sauge:
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- ½ inch piece of fresh ginger, grated or minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-3 tablespoons honey (depending on your preference)
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons tamari
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce (optional)
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons red curry paste
- ½ lime, juiced
- Up to ½ cup chicken bone broth to thin (or water)
For Serving:
- Cilantro
- Dry-roasted peanuts
- Lime wedges
Instructions
Prep and cook the Chicken Skewers:
- Combine the nut milk, tamari, fish sauce, curry paste, yellow curry powder, honey, and lime juice and marinate the chicken for 1 to 2 hours (or up to overnight).
- While the chicken is marinating, soak 8 to 10 bamboo skewers in warm water.
- When ready to cook, thread 4 to 5 pieces of chicken onto each skewer.
- Heat a grill pan, stainless steel skillet, or cast iron pan over medium-high high and spray or drizzle with avocado oil. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes on both sides of the skewers.
Make the Peanut Sauce:
- While the chicken is cooking, start making the peanut sauce by heating avocado oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the ginger, garlic, and red curry paste and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Whisk in vinegar, honey, tamari, peanut butter, fish sauce, and lime juice and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add bone broth to thin to the desired consistency.
Serve:
- Serve the chicken skewers and peanut sauce with chopped cilantro, peanuts, and a squeeze of fresh lime. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
