Chicken or Veggie Satay & Peanut Dipping Sauce

Ever since I can remember, chicken satay was a fave of mine.  It’s that sauce!  That deliciously sweet, gingery, smooth, nutty sauce.  I swear I would eat it with a spoon I could.  It’s so good over rice, meat, as a salad dressing, or as a dipping sauce for spring rolls and sliced veggies.  What isn’t it good on really?  And who doesn’t LOVE finger foods?!  (You can imagine how nuts I went in Thailand last summer… satay sauce mania!)

So when I offered to make a feast for a girlfriend’s daughter’s Sweet 16th earlier this summer- and caught wind she had an affinity for Thai food- I knew just what to make.  I created a meal to go… chicken and veggie satay (to please the vegetarians in the house) with this peanut dipping sauce, fresh spring rolls, tom kha soup, and a Asian-style salad that I could easily pack up and finish at their place.  

It made my day to get to feed so many… and to recreate one of my childhood faves for her.  It’s so easy to show love through food, and to relive memories as we eat.  Food is so nostalgic.  I love that about it.

If you’re wanting a veggie-packed option, you could really use so many things.  I kept it simple with just some mushrooms, sliced zucchini, and yellow onion.  Some other tasty options would be mixed bell peppers, squash, eggplant, asparagus, or even some romanesco or cauliflower.  The fun of skewering is you can really throw on whatever you have on hand.

Did I mention this goes great with tom kha?  See my fave recipe HERE. 

If you’re not a peanut-doer, I’d suggest using almond butter instead. It will change the flavor slightly- so you may want to adjust the salt and sweet levels as you go- but it’s still tasty!

Many peanut sauces call for fish sauce… you could totally add some in if you’d like.  I don’t typically- I like it to be edible to all my veggie friends too- if you want to though, just reduce the tamari a tad as both it and fish sauce are quite salty. 

My favorite thing about this recipe?  Alllll of the leftover peanut sauce!!  The stuff will last you days, and can be used in endless ways!  There is just no such thing as too much peanut sauce.  And no one can convince me otherwise. 😉

serves a crowd of five or six

INGREDIENTS

1 lb boneless/skinless chicken breasts or mixed veggies such as mushrooms, onions, and zucchini

 

Satay Marinade…

15 oz full-fat coconut milk

1 tsp fresh grated ginger

1 tsp minced crushed garlic

1 tbsp curry powder

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/2 tsp salt

optional: sprinkle ground turmeric to make that color pop

 

Peanut Sauce…

makes leftovers- ’cause this stuff is fab on so many things!

1 lb peanut butter (or almond butter, if preferred)

2 tsp fresh grated ginger

1 tsp minced garlic

1/4 cup low-sodium tamari (or coconut aminos)

1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk

3 tbsp honey (I like raw)

2 tsp red curry paste (like this one)

1 tsp rice vinegar

1 tbsp fresh lime juice

1 1/2 cups hot water

DIRECTIONS

For the marinade…

Combine all marinade ingredients in a food processor

Combine until smooth

Slice chicken into long thin pieces- try to keep an even thickness throughout for even cooking

Of using veggie, prep those for skewering

Drench in marinade… refrigerate for at least 1 hour, up to 24 for super flavor

Same goes for veggies…

Soak wooden skewers, if using, in water for at least 10 minutes to prevent burning

Skewer chicken and/or veggies

Preheat grill to high or oven to 425 degrees

Grill on high for a few minutes on each side, until done…

Or cook in oven for approx 10-12 minutes, until cooked

Crank on broil to brown for last couple of minutes, if desired

For the peanut sauce…

Fresh ginger and garlic are key… nothing beats fresh

Add all ingredients to a pot over medium heat…

Stir continuously as it thickens…

Taste and adjust as wanted- add more honey for a sweeter sauce, more coco milk for creamier, etc.

Once it’s how you like it, remove from heat

Pour into a small bowl to serve, refrigerate the remaining sauce to use later…

Need ideas for how to use leftovers?  Drizzle over soba noodle or green salad, use with
lettuce wraps for a fun Asian-style twist, or use a dip for fresh spring rolls!

Serve up chicken or veggies with sauce, sprinkle with fresh cilantro, and devour!

Want to pin it for another day?