Dinner tonight is Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce! These tender grilled chicken skewers are served with a creamy peanut sauce you’ll want to eat by the spoonful! (Gluten-free, dairy-free with paleo & Whole30 options!)
Hi, I’m Emily, and I like easy, yummy dinners.
Right now, it’s hot-as-blazes, so I don’t feel much like heating up the house with a long roasting time or standing at the stove stirring something fussy for an hour. (Give me a month or two, and I’ll be ALL about long, slow, cozy meals when the weather cools down!)
But so long as the heat persists, quick, easy, DELICIOUS meals are the name of the game over here. This easy Chicken Satay recipe is just that kind of meal!
Simply marinated chicken skewers are grilled (it only takes a few minutes per side!), then served with a quick and easy creamy peanut sauce that you might find yourself slurping by the spoonful.
Add a little cucumber salad and some rice or cauliflower rice on the side, and you’ve got an easy, delicious dinner that didn’t take a lot of heat or fuss. WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER! Best of all, they’re made with simple, delicious ingredients. Let’s take a look…
Simple Ingredients To Start
One thing I love about this gluten-free chicken satay recipe? SIMPLE INGREDIENTS. My Thai chicken satay marinade is SUPER flavorful and uses delicious, easy ingredients. Here’s what’s in mine:
- WOODEN SKEWERS. You’ll need 10-12 (6-inch) wooden skewers or bamboo skewers. (I’m sure you could use metal skewers if you have them!)
- CHICKEN BREAST OR CHICKEN TENDERS. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are great for chicken satay and easy to dice. (You can totally swap in chicken thighs, if you prefer.)
- COCONUT MILK. This creamy base makes for tender, delicious chicken. I use the full-fat canned coconut milk. (Most of it will be discarded after marinating, so it won’t add a significant caloric load to the recipe.)
- LIME JUICE, TAMARI, PURE MAPLE SYRUP. We balance out the flavors here with some tartness/acidity (lime juice) a bit of salty & umami (tamari) and sweetness (a tiny bit of pure maple syrup). The combination is terrific with coconut milk + the other seasonings.
- GARLIC & GINGER. I love the frozen, pre-minced kind. There aren’t any additives, and you just pop out a cube when you need one. (Look for it in the freezer section! It’ll change your life!)
- MILD YELLOW CURRY POWDER. Some recipes use curry powder, some use curry paste, some use a combination. In mine, I use mild yellow curry powder. We’re using 1 tsp. for the whole marinade, so the flavor will definitely be present but not overpowering. If you’d like a stronger curry flavor, you can definitely increase the amount.
- EASY PEANUT SAUCE, FOR DIPPING. I really love my Thai peanut sauce recipe. It’s the perfect blend of savory, salty, and sweet. Such a nice complement to the flavors in the grilled chicken satay! You’ll need natural peanut butter, coconut milk or water, pure maple syrup, and gluten-free tamari or coconut aminos.
ARE THERE PALEO & WHOLE30 OPTIONS? YES! This grilled chicken satay recipe is paleo & Whole30 friendly. For paleo, you’ll simply swap cashews/cashew butter for the peanuts/peanut butter and coconut aminos in place of the gluten free tamari. For Whole30, you’ll also omit the maple syrup.
How To Make Gluten Free Chicken Satay, Step By Step
As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below!
Make The Peanut Sauce
- Combine. In a small bowl or Mason jar, combine peanut butter, 3 Tbsp. coconut milk, the tamari, the pure maple syrup, and the lime juice.
- Blend. Use an immersion blender to blend the sauce until completely smooth, adding more coconut milk as needed, if you prefer thinner sauce.
- Set Aside Or Chill. Cover the peanut sauce and set aside while you cook your chicken. If making the peanut sauce in advance, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 1 week.
Make The Chicken Satay
- Soak The Skewers. To start, soak the wooden skewers in a bowl or dish with water. (That way, they won’t burn or scorch later!)
- Marinate The Chicken. If you haven’t already, dice the chicken into 1-inch cubes and place in a shallow container. Cover with coconut milk, lime juice, tamari, garlic, ginger, pure maple syrup, and curry powder. Gently stir to coat the chicken evenly. Cover and marinate at least 30 minutes up to 8 hours in advance. (If not cooking after 30 minutes, chill the chicken in the refrigerator to marinate until you’re ready.)
- Skewer The Chicken. When you’re ready to cook, remove skewers from the water and slide 4-5 cubes of the marinated meat onto each skewer, packing them in fairly tightly. (You can place them slightly off center in an alternating pattern–so one piece is slightly to the left and the next is slightly to the right–to pack them in a bit tighter if desired.) Leave 2-3 inches of room at the end of the skewer to use as a handle when grilling. Discard the remaining chicken marinade.
- Grill Chicken. Preheat a grill or grill pan and cook chicken skewers over medium to medium-high heat 3-5 minutes per side, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. If using a grill pan, I recommend using a grill press or heat proof plate to pack the chicken down a bit tighter. Place cooked satay skewers on a clean plate and repeat until all chicken is cooked.
- Garnish & Serve. Sprinkle chicken with crushed peanuts, fresh cilantro, and red pepper flakes or chili slices, as desired. Serve with satay peanut sauce.
Tips For Cooking Evenly
To get the most evenly cooked chicken satay…
- WATCH THE SIZE. Do try to keep your chicken dice pretty consistent with about 1″ cubes. The more evenly sized it is, the more evenly it’ll cook.
- CONSIDER A PRESS. With my grill pan, I also like using this little grill press on top, since I can add pressure to the bottom end of the chicken skewer, since gravity sometimes pulls the top end down a bit further. (If you don’t have one, you can use a pair of metal tongs to press the bottom chicken down a bit for the heat.)
Make It A Meal: What To Serve On The Side
So what do you serve with chicken satay? Along with the peanut sauce for dipping, our favorite side dishes for chicken satay are:
- Thai Cucumber Salad. I love the crunchy, fresh cucumbers and tangy marinade together!
- Rice. I love serving these Thai chicken skewers on a bed of rice. Fluffy jasmine or basmati rice, coconut rice, or even cauliflower rice for a low-carb option.
- Thai Peanut Slaw. Keep the peanut sauce flavors going with this crunchy asian slaw. It’s DELICIOUS with the chicken satay!
- Fresh Fruit. Round out your meal with something light and fresh, like fresh pineapple, mango, or watermelon. (Not traditional, but definitely refreshing!)
FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Chicken Satay
SOAK YOUR SKEWERS. If you’re using wooden skewers, you’ll want to soak them in water which will keep them from charring/burning. I recommend at least 30 minutes, up to several hours if you can. I like the 6″ size for chicken satay.
USING A GRILL PAN. A grill pan is a GREAT tool for the kitchen. Mine is made from cast iron, so it retains and distributes heat beautifully. It can get those lovely sear marks and I can keep an eye on it inside, which means I don’t need to fuss about grilling outside or what the weather is. I love it! (PS – Here’s a great tutorial for maintaining cast iron if you need it!)
TRICK FOR THE BEST PEANUT SAUCE. I highly recommend natural peanut butter, with just peanuts (or just peanuts and salt). The texture will be thinner and more runny, which is perfect for peanut sauce.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tell me all about it! Leave a star rating below when you try our Gluten-Free Chicken Satay recipe. I can’t wait to hear how it goes!
Grilled Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
For the Grilled Chicken Satay:
- 10-12 6″ wooden skewers
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken tenders or chicken breast, cut into 1" cubes
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 Tablespoon gluten-free tamari can sub coconut aminos or soy sauce
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon finely minced fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup or brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon yellow curry powder
- To garnish: 1-2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro crushed peanuts, lime wedges
For the Peanut Sauce*
- 1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter just peanuts or peanuts & salt
- 3-5 Tablespoons coconut milk
- 2 Tablespoons gluten free tamari can sub. coconut aminos or soy sauce
- 1-2 Tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice or rice vinegar
Instructions
Make the Peanut Sauce:
- Combine. In a small bowl or Mason jar, combine peanut butter, 3 Tbsp. coconut milk, the tamari, the pure maple syrup, and the lime juice.
- Blend. Use an immersion blender to blend the sauce until completely smooth, adding more coconut milk as needed, if you prefer thinner sauce.
- Set Aside Or Chill. Cover the peanut sauce and set aside while you cook your chicken. If making the peanut sauce in advance, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 1 week.
Make The Grilled Chicken Satay:
- Soak The Skewers. To start, soak the wooden skewers in a bowl or dish with water. (That way, they won’t burn or scorch later!)
- Marinate The Chicken. If you haven’t already, dice the chicken into 1-inch cubes and place in a shallow container. Cover with coconut milk, lime juice, tamari, garlic, ginger, pure maple syrup, and curry powder. Gently stir to coat the chicken evenly. Cover and marinate at least 30 minutes up to 8 hours in advance. (If not cooking after 30 minutes, chill the chicken in the refrigerator to marinate until you’re ready.)
- Skewer The Chicken. When you’re ready to cook, remove skewers from the water and slide 4-5 cubes of chicken onto each skewer, packing them in fairly tightly. (You can place the chicken pieces slightly off center in an alternating pattern–so one piece is slightly to the left and the next is slightly to the right–to pack them in a bit tighter, if desired.) Leave 2-3 inches of room at the end of the skewer to use as a handle when grilling. Discard the remaining chicken marinade.
- Grill Chicken. Preheat a grill or grill pan (oil the pan or grill grates as needed!) and cook chicken skewers over medium to medium-high heat 3-5 minutes per side, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. If using a grill pan, I recommend using a grill press or heat proof plate to pack the chicken down a bit tighter. Place cooked chicken satay skewers on a clean plate and repeat until all chicken is cooked.
- Garnish & Serve. Sprinkle chicken with crushed peanuts, fresh cilantro, and red pepper flakes or chili slices, as desired. Serve with peanut dipping sauce & lime wedges.
Notes
- *FOR A PALEO VERSION, you can make this with cashew butter instead of peanut butter. Use coconut aminos in place of the tamari. For a Whole30 version, make these same adjustments and omit the pure maple syrup.
- VARIATIONS. If desired, you can substitute a small dollop of Thai red curry paste instead of the curry powder. Or, try adding a splash of fish sauce!
- CONSIDER A PRESS. With my grill pan, I also like using this little grill press on top, since I can add pressure to the bottom end of the chicken skewer, since gravity sometimes pulls the top end down a bit further. (If you don’t have one, you can use a pair of metal tongs to press the bottom chicken down a bit for the heat.)
PEANUT SAUCE TIPS:
- Natural peanut butter (just peanuts or peanuts & salt) works MUCH better than commercial peanut butter spread (like JIF or Skippy).
- Blending. An immersion blender is the easiest way to blend the sauce, but you can also use a food processor or blender instead. Whisking also works, but it will take MUCH longer for the sauce to come together.
- Serving Tip. Peanut sauce thickens when chilled, so I recommend pulling it out to come to room temperature before serving. You can also gently microwave in 5-10 second increments to loosen it up, or stir in a drizzle of HOT water.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are an estimate only and will vary based on brands and amounts used.
Find it Online:
https://www.onelovelylife.com/chicken-satay-with-peanut-sauce/Originally shared August 2019. Fully updated June 2024.
5 stars! We love this recipe. It made it into our regular rotation. We don’t go through nearly the amount of peanut sauce that the recipe makes so we have frozen leftovers in a few separate baggies that take up very little space in the freezer and it thaws and serves well and makes this tasty recipe even easier the next time.
Yum! Love that thanks for sharing!
This is a fun addition to the dinner rotation!
Delicious!! I made it as directed except only had crunchy peanut butter on hand, which still worked beautifully. I only had time to marinate the chicken for 30 minutes but it still turned out tender and so flavourful. Making them again tonight for our first dinner party since Covid restrictions loosened.
I’m so glad they were a hit! Hope they were a win at your dinner party!!!
I am loving your videos!!! May I ask what software you use to edit them?
Rebecca – Thank you! I use iMovie (free) and Premiere Pro 🙂
This looks so good! I’m a sucker for anything Asian, so we’ll totally have to make this soon!
I hope you love it! I love the flavor combination!
We made this tonight. Our seven year old said it was so good that she felt like her brain couldn’t think when she took a bite!❤❤❤
Lindsay – I’m SO HAPPY to hear that!!! IT sounds like something my daughter would say!