Satay Ayam
If you've got boneless chicken thighs, roasted peanuts and shallots, you're most of the way to this Indonesian chicken: about 65 minutes of cooking across 6 steps. You'll find the full ingredient list (with a scaler to change the servings), 6 steps of method, substitutions, and ideas for what to serve alongside.
You'll mainly reach for oven and grill / broiler. At medium difficulty across 6 steps, it's manageable with a little attention.
What you'll need
Shopping list (6)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
π Unit converter
How to make it
- Soak the bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes, then cut the chicken thighs into 2 cm cubes and toss with 2 tbsp sweet soy sauce, half the minced garlic, the coriander and a pinch of salt; marinate at least 30 minutes.
- For the peanut sauce, blend the roasted peanuts with the remaining garlic, shallots and chiles, then fry the paste in oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes until fragrant.
- Add about 250 ml water, the remaining sweet soy sauce, palm sugar and lime juice to the peanut paste and simmer 8 to 10 minutes until thick and pourable, seasoning with salt to taste.
- Thread the marinated chicken snugly onto the soaked skewers, leaving a little space at each end for turning, and discard any leftover raw marinade.
- Grill the skewers over hot charcoal or a ridged pan for 3 to 4 minutes per side, basting with a little oil, until lightly charred and cooked through to 74 C with no pink in the center.
- Arrange the satay on a platter, spoon over some warm peanut sauce and serve the rest alongside with extra lime wedges and steamed rice or compressed rice cakes.
You'll use: Oven Β· Grill / broiler Β· Frying pan / skillet Β· Pan Β· Saucepan
Ingredient substitutions
- Soy Sauce
- tamari (gluten-free) Β· coconut aminos
- Shallots
- Β½ small onion + a little garlic
- Lime
- lemon
What to serve with Satay Ayam
- Bakso Beef
- Bubur Ayam Breakfast
- Dadar Gulung Dessert
- Gado-Gado Side
Tips & common questions
How long does Satay Ayam take to make?
About 65 minutes from start to finish β an estimate based on the 6 steps and 12 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of soy sauce?
Try tamari (gluten-free). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes β use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.
Related recipes
Satay Ayam is an original Indonesian recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Pedagang Sate "satay seller".jpg by Randynovianr, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top β how we source recipes.