Thai Chicken Satay – I Wash You Dry

This Thai Chicken Satay recipe is made with a savory marinade, then grilled to perfection and served with a delicious spicy Thai peanut sauce. 

Simple ingredients come together to make this satay chicken, which goes perfectly with Easy Vegetable Lo Mein or Classic Asian Ramen Salad.

This is truly tasty grilled chicken with a Thai peanut sauce recipe that will make you come back for more! 

Thai Chicken Satay

Chicken Satay is tender pieces of chicken marinated in peanut butter, coconut milk, lime, brown sugar, and soy sauce, then grilled to perfection. 

It’s served with a delicious Thai peanut sauce that is tangy and spicy. 

What Does Satay Mean?

The word “satay” means a Southeast Asian dish containing small pieces of meat that is grilled on a skewer and served with a spiced sauce that usually contains peanuts.

Chicken is a very common meat to satay, but you can also use thin slices of beef. 

Ingredients Needed

Here’s the basic list of ingredients you’ll need in order to make Thai Chicken Satay and the delicious peanut sauce. As always, you can find the full list of ingredients located in the printable recipe card below.

• Chicken – tenderloin
• Peanut Butter – creamy
• Coconut Milk – not coconut water! 
• Brown Sugar
• Soy Sauce
• Lime – zest and juice
• Salt
• Hoisin Sauce
• Sriracha
• Water – for peanut dipping sauce

How To Make Thai Chicken Satay

This recipe is a favorite because of the simple Asian chicken marinade and quick cooking time. The marinade can even be made ahead!

Make Marinade 

In a medium bowl combine the creamy peanut butter, coconut milk, brown sugar, soy sauce, lime juice, lime zest and salt. Stir until smooth.  

Marinate Chicken

Place the chicken tenderloins in a gallon zip close bag. Then pour the marinade into the bag over the chicken. Seal it up and let marinate in the fridge for 2-4 hours, more time for maximum flavor! 

Prepare For Grilling

Once the chicken is finished marinating, soak the wooden skewers in water for ten minutes. Thread chicken onto the wooden skewers.

PRO TIP: Soaking the skewers may seem like more work, but it is necessary to help prevent them from burning on the grill! Do not skip it! 

Cook The Chicken

Heat grill to medium. Grill for 3-4 minutes on each side or until internal temp reaches 165 degrees F.

Make The Dipping Sauce

Place the peanut butter in a small dish and heat in the microwave for 10-15 seconds to soften. Add the hoisin sauce, sriracha, lime juice, and 1 Tablespoon of water. Stir until combined. Add more water to thin sauce as needed.

To Serve

Garnish chicken with chopped cilantro and serve hot with the peanut dipping sauce.

Can You Make This Ahead?

Yes! You can follow the recipe as directed to prepare the raw chicken and marinade in a zip-close bag, then refrigerate for 1 day or freeze for up to 3 months before using.

Just make sure to thaw completely before grilling! 

Tips And Variations

• Crunchy peanut butter is amazing in place of the creamy peanut butter in this recipe for a little bit of crunch in your Thai peanut sauce. 
• Chicken tenderloin is used because they are more tender and flavorful than chicken breast, but you may also cut chicken breasts into strips. 
• Add more or less sriracha sauce to make this dish more or less spicy! 
• Not grilling season? No worries! You can easily prepare this chicken on an electric grill as well!

More Asian Chicken Recipes

Looking for more easy Asian chicken recipes for dinner?  I have you covered! Here are a few of our favorites to try…

I know you’ll love this amazing Satay Chicken! I can’t wait for you to try it.