Thai Chicken Satay & Healthy Peanut Sauce
Who doesn’t love a good peanut sauce. I could eat anything if I could dunk it in this peanut sauce. The good news is this version is a healthy at home version that is easy to make. Best of all you can customize it to your preference, if you like it sweeter or spicier.
I was also reminiscing about BBQ season and wanted to have some skewers and was curious if I could bake them in the oven. I tested it out and it worked out great. You don’t get the crisp of the BBQ (which means it’s healthier for you) but if you want that BBQ crisp you can totally make these on an indoor grill or you can also sear them in a pan beforehand, but I didn’t bother. Either way the chicken is tender, juicy and delicious to dunk in that yummy peanut sauce.
The key is to marinade the chicken overnight, it really helps make the chicken more tender and flavourful. This ingredient list looks a bit long but half of it is repeated ingredients for the peanut sauce. You should have most of these things in your spice cabinet and if you don’t you should stock up, spices are the best way to take your cooking up a notch.
So now go and enjoy your Thai street food at home!
Ingredients
- 2 – 3 chicken breasts, cubed or in strips
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tsp of grated ginger root
- 2 tsp of olive oil
- 1 tsp of toasted sesame seed oil
- Juice of half a lime + zest of a lime
- 1 tbsp of light tamari/soy sauce
- 2 tbsp of coconut cream (from a can)
- 1/4 tsp of coriander powder
- 1/4 tsp of cumin powder
- 1/8 tsp of turmeric powder
- 1/8 tsp of cayenne pepper
- 1/8 tsp of ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp of sea salt
- 1 tsp of coconut sugar
- 1 tbsp of chopped cilantro leaves
- 3 tbsp of natural creamy peanut butter
- 1 tbsp of light tamari/soy sauce
- 1 tbsp of lime juice
- 1 1/2 tsp of maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp of grated ginger
- 2 tbsp of coconut milk (can)
- 1/2 tsp of chili oil or sriracha
- Sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Season the chicken breasts with sea salt and pepper and set aside.
- Make the marinade by combining the garlic, tsp of ginger root, olive oil, sesame seed oil, juice of half a lime + zest, 1 tbsp of tamari, 2 tbsp of coconut cream, spices (coriander, cumin, turmeric, cayenne, black pepper, sea salt), coconut sugar and cilantro leaves. Lightly whisk to combine everything.
- Add the chicken to the marinade and let it sit for a few hours or overnight.
- You can cook these on a grill or in the oven. When you are ready to cook the chicken, preheat the grill or the oven to 375 F. Add the chicken to skewers, about 5 – 6 pieces per skewer. If you are using bamboo skewers make sure to soak them in water for 30 minutes before.
- If you are grilling, grill until cooked for 12- 15 minutes. If you are using the oven, place the skewers on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cook for 15 – 18 minutes flipping halfway through. If you want them a bit crispier you could broil them for the last 2 – 3 minutes or sear them on a pan before placing them in the oven.
- While the chicken is cooking you can make your peanut sauce. In a bowl combine the remaining ingredients listed at the bottom of the list. Peanut butter, 1 tbsp of tamari, 1 tbsp of lime juice, maple syrup, ginger, chili oil and 2 tbsp of coconut milk (use the leftovers from the can you opened for the marinade, stir it up so that you mix the coconut water and cream together.) Whisk until smooth, taste test and add sea salt if required. If you like it spicier add more chili oil or sriracha. If you like a thinner sauce you can add a bit more coconut milk to it.
- Remove the chicken skewers and serve with the peanut satay sauce.
