Asian Kitchen: Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce, Onions, and Cucumber
Asian Kitchen is a Tablecrafter series on cooking dishes inspired by the different regional cuisines in Asia.
Satay, a dish made up of seasoned, skewered, and grilled meat, might have had indeterminate origins, but it has intensely grown in popularity worldwide. The consensus is that it originated in Java, Indonesia, where it enjoys the status of being the country’s national dish.
One of the most popular myths that hound it maintains that satay automatically means “peanut sauce” — false. Satay refers to any grilled and skewered meat with various sauces, not necessarily peanut in origin. This misconception can be credited to the popularity of chicken satay (called “Sate Madura” in Indonesia), so much so that “satay” in modern fusion cuisine almost always identify with peanut sauce.
The strongest tastes in Chicken Satay should be sweet and salty. You can modify the recipe to taste, and even add extra chili for a more flavorful and spicy serving.
Recipe: Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce, Onions, and Cucumber
Yield: 4 servings
Time: 1 hour (15 min for prep / 15 min for cooking / 30 min for marinating)
Complete Ingredients
Chicken Satay
• 3 whole chicken breasts, skinless fillets
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 2 tsp peanut butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1 cucumber, peeled and sliced for garnishing
• 1 red onion, sliced thinly for garnishing
• Wooden skewers, presoaked in water for 30 minutes
Peanut Sauce
• 2 tbsp peanut butter, no sugar added
• ⅓ cup coconut milk
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp lime juice
• 1 bird’s eye chili, finely minced
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
Procedure: Chicken Satay
- Cut the chicken fillets into thin bite-size strips.
- Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and add the chicken. Toss to coat thoroughly. Cover and allow it to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight.
- Thread the chicken pieces through the skewers.
- Over a hot grill, cook the chicken for about three minutes on each side. Serve with peanut sauce, cucumbers, and onions.
Procedure: Peanut Sauce
- Put all the ingredients except the lime into a small saucepot.
- Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, continue to cook for five minutes and turn off the heat.
- Stir in the lime juice. Serve with the chicken.
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