Home
Premium
Chicken satay

Chicken satay with peanut sauce

Chicken satay

Name: Chicken satay
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 400g chicken thigh cut into bite-sized chunks (about 3cm cubes); vegetable oil for brushing; peanut sauce to serve (see below); 125g shallots peeled and roughly chopped; 6 garlic cloves roughly chopped; 2 fresh long red chillies; 3cm piece of galangal peeled; 50g gula melaka palm sugar shaved, or use 3½ tbsp dark brown soft sugar; 2 tbsp ground coriander; 1 tbsp ground cumin; 4 tbsp light soy sauce; 6 tbsp kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)

Julie Lin

Save recipe

Serves 10 - 12

Easy

Prep: 45 mins

Cook: 10 mins

plus at least 3 hrs marinating

A star rating of 5 out of 5.0 ratingsRate

loading...

Using a charcoal grill is key for that proper smoky edge, and chicken thigh is a must. You need that bit of fattiness to keep the meat juicy and tender as it chars

Low fat

Skip to ingredients

Alternatives

Complete the dish

Showing items 1 to 3 of 3

Peanut sauce

A star rating of 0 out of 5.0 ratings

Barbecued prawns with chilli, lime & coriander butter

A star rating of 3.3 out of 5.4 ratings

App onlyEasy yogurt flatbreads. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A star rating of 4.3 out of 5.11 ratings

To me, Malaysian satay is the world’s greatest meat-on-a-stick moment. The charcoal grill is key for that proper smoky edge, and chicken thigh is a must. You need that bit
of fattiness to keep the meat juicy and tender as it chars.

Ingredients

Nutrition

Units:

MetricUS

400g chicken thigh

cut into bite-sized chunks (about 3cm cubes)
vegetable oil

for brushing
peanut sauce

to serve (see below)

For the paste

125g shallots

peeled and roughly chopped
6 garlic cloves

roughly chopped
2 fresh long red chillies
3cm piece of galangal

peeled

For the marinade

50g gula melaka palm sugar

shaved, or use 3½ tbsp dark brown soft sugar
2 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp ground cumin
4 tbsp light soy sauce
6 tbsp kecap manis

(sweet soy sauce)

Keep the screen awake with cook mode on the Good Food app.

Nutrition: Per serving (12)

kcal85
fat2g
saturates0g
carbs8g
sugars7g
fibre1g
protein9g
salt1.77g

Method

step 1

For the paste, put all the ingredients in a food processor or blender with 1½ tsp salt and blitz until smooth.
step 2

For the marinade, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, mixing thoroughly. Once combined, stir the paste into the marinade.
step 3

Add the chicken to the marinade and stir to coat. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 3 hrs, or ideally overnight. Meanwhile, put 10-12 wooden skewers in a tray filled with water and leave to soak for at least 1 hr or up to overnight (this will keep them from burning).
step 4

Once the chicken has marinated, thread the pieces onto the skewers, dividing them equally between the skewers. Cook the skewers on a hot barbecue for 2 mins on each side until well-seared and cooked through. Or, do this in a cast-iron pan over a high heat. Serve immediately with peanut sauce alongside.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, July 2025

Comments, questions and tips

Rate this recipe

What is your star rating out of 5?1 star out of 52 stars out of 53 stars out of 54 stars out of 55 stars out of 5

Choose the type of message you'd like to post

CommentQuestionTip

Overall rating

A star rating of 5 out of 5.0 ratings

Get 3 months of Good Food All Access

Get 3 months of Good Food All Access for just £6. Find triple-tested recipes that take the stress out of deciding what to cook, spend less time planning, and more time enjoying the season.

Subscribe now