Chicken Satay Skewers with Peanut Sauce
Jul 03, 2018, Updated Jun 10, 2025
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Perfectly spiced grilled chicken skewers soaked in a coconut milk and peanut butter marinade, then grilled and served with a delicious peanut butter dipping sauce.
If you’ve ever craved Thai takeout but didn’t feel like leaving the house (or paying the delivery fee) this Grilled Chicken Satay recipe is your answer! It’s super easy to make at home with just a handful of pantry staples like peanut butter, coconut milk, and lime juice.
I first fell in love with Thai food during a month-long trip to Australia (go figure!) and chicken satay was the dish that did it for me. Since then, I’ve been making this simplified, family-friendly version that’s just as bold in flavor but way more approachable.
Why You Should Make This Grilled Chicken Satay
- Big flavor, simple ingredients – The peanut-lime marinade packs a punch without requiring hard-to-find ingredients.
- Faster than takeout – Using chicken tenders means no chopping, and they cook in minutes on the grill or stovetop.
- Great for beginners and kids – It’s a gentle intro to Thai flavors, and you can easily adjust the spice level.
- Fun to eat – Everything tastes better on a skewer, especially when served with creamy peanut sauce and maybe a side of rice or chicken lettuce wraps.
How To Make Grilled Chicken Satay
- Make the marinade: In a large bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, coconut milk, fish sauce, lime juice + zest, garlic, ginger, cumin, curry powder, and red pepper flakes.
- Set some aside: Reserve half of the marinade for serving.
- Marinate the chicken: Add chicken tenders to the bowl (or a zip-top bag) and coat well. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 3 hours.
- Preheat your grill: Set it to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grates.
- Skewer the chicken: Thread marinated tenders onto soaked wooden skewers.
- Grill: Cook skewers for about 5 minutes per side, or until chicken is nicely charred and cooked through.
- Serve: Garnish with green onions and crushed peanuts. Serve with the reserved sauce and cucumber salad.
Recipe Tips
- Use chicken tenders – They’re quick to cook and easy to thread onto skewers, which saves you time and effort.
- Marinate ahead – Let the chicken soak up that peanut-lime-coconut flavor for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours for maximum tenderness.
- Soak the skewers – If you’re using wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes so they don’t burn on the grill.
- Don’t skip the basting – Reserve a little marinade (before adding the raw chicken) to brush on during grilling for extra flavor and moisture.
- Stovetop option – If you don’t have a grill, a cast iron skillet or grill pan works just as well indoors.
What To Serve With Chicken Satay
When deciding what to serve with chicken satay, you have to make this Asian cucumber salad. The cool, crisp freshness of cucumbers is so perfect with the bold, nutty flavors of the grilled chicken satay, and it’s a combo I never skip. I also love pairing it with my Thai rice recipe, a spicy, one-pot side dish made with toasted peanuts, fresh basil, and Thai chilies. This trio makes the ultimate Thai-inspired dinner at home.
More Summer Recipes
- Chicken Skewers with Cucumber-Garlic Yogurt Sauce
- Beer and Sweet Honey BBQ Sauce Chicken Skewers
- Asian Beef Skewers
- Grilled Chicken Thighs with Brown Sugar Glaze
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Chicken Satay Skewers with Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Creamy Natural Peanut Butter
- 1/2 cup light Coconut Milk,, stirred
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 limes,, juiced and zested
- 4 cloves garlic,, minced
- 1-inch piece fresh ginger,, peeled and minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon, OR to taste, crushed red pepper
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken tenders
- wooden skewers, soaked in water
- sliced green onions,, for garnish (optional)
- crushed peanuts,, for garnish (optional)
- Cucumber Salad,, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine peanut butter, coconut milk, fish sauce, lime juice, lime zest, garlic, minced ginger, cumin, curry, and crushed red pepper; whisk to combine.
- Remove half of the marinade and reserve.
- Add the chicken tenders to the large bowl (or in a ziploc bag together with the marinade) and toss to coat.
- Set in the fridge for 30 minutes, or up to 3 ours to marinate.
- Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
- Thread the chicken tenders onto the skewers.
- Brush grill grates with oil and place chicken skewers on the grill.
- Cook for 5 minutes on each side, or until chicken is charred and cooked through.
- Remove from grill and garnish with sliced green onions and peanuts.
- Serve with the reserved satay sauce and a cucumber salad.
Notes
- If preparing the chicken satay skewers in the oven, preheat oven to 450F, place the skewers on a large baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, flip the skewers, and continue to bake for another 5 minutes or until cooked through.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
These look and sound outstanding, so flavorful!
These sound delicious! Dangerously good…
I love all these flavors. Perfect for weekend cookouts.
This looks soooo delicious!
I have never attempted to make satay skewers, not sure why! These look so good! Pinning for later 🙂
great Thai flavors, great thinking and especially with skewers for summer bbq, nice change from the typical bbq stuff, so thank you
Gorgeous skewers.