Grilled Chicken Thigh Satay with Peanut Dipping Sauce
Satay is a Southeast Asian staple and easy to prepare on the grill. Marinated strips of chicken are skewered and quickly grilled then served with peanut dipping sauce. They can be an addition to your grilling meal or a full meal themselves. The chicken is moist, succulent, flavorful and the dipping sauce is heavenly.
Servings 16 skewers and 1 1/4 cup peanut sauce
Calories 186kcal
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds boneless , skinless Chicken Thighs
- 20 bamboo skewers (makes approximately 16 skewers so allowing for a few extras)
Ingredients for the Marinade:
- 1 tablespoon Fish Sauce
- 3 tablespoons Lime Juice
- 1 teaspoon Lemongrass Powder
- 1 tablespoon peeled minced Ginger
- 4 cloves Garlic , peeled and diced
- ¾ cups Unsweetened Coconut Milk (1/2 of a 14 ounce can)
- 1 tablespoon Light Brown Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Red Curry Paste
- 1 tablespoon Shallot , diced
Ingredients for Peanut Dipping Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil (or canola, sunflower, safflower; something light in flavor)
- 1 large Shallot , diced
- 1 large Garlic Cloves , diced
- ¼ cup smooth Peanut Butter (note: use a peanut butter which has peanuts as the only ingredient)
- 1 teaspoon Fish Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Lime Juice
- 1 tablespoon Red Curry Paste
- 1 tablespoon Light Brown Sugar
- ¾ cups Unsweetened Coconut Milk (1/2 of a 14 ounce can)
Instructions
Instructions for preparing and marinating the chicken:
- Open chicken thighs and cut 1 inch wide strips lengthwise (this is actually cutting across the thigh as the longest direction is across the thigh when it is boned). This yields approximately 3 strips per thigh depending on the size of the thighs.
- In a gallon plastic zipper bag or a storage container with a lid, add all marinade ingredients. If using a plastic bag, close bag, shake and massage any solid ingredients from outside the bag to fully mix the marinade ingredients together. If using a container, add all ingredients, close the lid and shake vigorously to combine ingredients.
- Add the chicken strips, toss to coat and seal (if using a bag squeeze out as much air as possible before sealing). Place in the container or chicken in the refrigerator and marinate a minimum of 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
Instructions for making Peanut Dipping Sauce (may be made the day before):
- In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When it begins to shimmer, add the shallot and garlic and saute until the shallot becomes limp and translucent (approximately 2 minutes).
- Lower the heat to medium-low and add the remaining ingredients. Stirring constantly, allow the mixture to simmer for 2 minutes until thick and creamy.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Note: the sauce is best served at room temperature or slightly warmed so if the sauce is made ahead, allow it to warm or pop it in the microwave to bring it to room temperature before serving.
Instructions for making satay skewers:
- Soak bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes prior to grilling. I put them in a roasting dish that is large enough to fit their length and cover them completely with water.
- Thread the skewers with two strips of the marinated chicken lengthwise. Do not jam the chicken strips together or it will affect the grilling time; allow them to spread almost to their full length on the skewer.
Grilling the Satay:
- Preheat a gas grill to medium high (between 375-425 degrees). Once the grill has reached temperature, clean and oil the grill and turn off outside burners leaving the inner burners on high to maintain the heat (this helps the bamboo skewers from burning when grilling).
- Place the satay skewers on the grill with the chicken over the active burners and the end of the bamboo skewers over the inactive side burners. Close the grill and cook for 4 minutes.
- Flip the skewers (using tongs if needed) and cook an additional 4 minutes on the opposite side.
- Remove from grill and allow them to rest a few minutes before serving.
Notes
The bulk of the total time is due to an estimated 24 hours for marinating the chicken.
Nutrition
Calories: 186kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 178mg | Potassium: 365mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 295IU | Vitamin C: 2.3mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 0.9mg