Sate Ayam (Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce)
Small pieces of chicken marinated in sweet soy sauce and garlic, threaded on skewers and grilled until sticky and charred. Served with a rich, sweet and spicy peanut sauce, sliced shallots and rice.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Marinate the chicken
Mix the chicken with the , crushed garlic, ground coriander and oil in a bowl. Cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water now so they don't burn on the grill.
- 700g chicken
- 4 tbsp
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp oil
- as needed skewers (if wooden)
✅ Done when: chicken is fully coated and has marinated at least 30 minutes
Make the peanut sauce
Blend the peanuts, shallots, garlic and chilies (1 for mild, 2 for spicy) with 60ml of the water into a rough paste. Transfer to a medium saucepan (about 20cm) and add the remaining 190ml water, , and salt.
- 150g peanuts
- 2 shallots
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1–2 chilies
- 250ml water
- 1 tbsp
- 2 tbsp
- ½ tsp salt
✅ Done when: paste is roughly blended with no large chunks left
Cook the sauce
Bring the sauce to a gentle bubble over medium heat and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring often so it doesn't stick, until thick. Stir in the lime juice; add a splash of water if it gets too thick.
- all the sauce from step 2
- 1 tbsp lime juice
✅ Done when: sauce coats the back of a spoon and no longer looks watery
Thread the skewers
Thread 4–5 pieces of marinated chicken onto each skewer, pushing them close together.
- 700g the marinated chicken from step 1
- as needed skewers
✅ Done when: all the chicken is threaded onto the skewers
Grill
Heat a grill, barbecue or grill pan until very hot. Cook the skewers for 8–10 minutes, turning every 2 minutes and brushing with the leftover marinade halfway through, until cooked through and lightly charred at the edges.
- all the skewered chicken from step 4
- any remaining leftover marinade from step 1
✅ Done when: chicken reaches 74°C/165°F and is lightly charred at the edges
Serve
Pour the peanut sauce over the satay, or serve it in a bowl for dipping. Serve with sliced shallots, cucumber and steamed rice.
- all the peanut sauce from step 3
- to serve shallots, cucumber and rice
Marinate the chicken
Mix the chicken with the , crushed garlic, ground coriander and oil in a bowl. Cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water now so they don't burn on the grill.
- 700g chicken
- 4 tbsp
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp oil
- as needed skewers (if wooden)
✅ Done when: chicken is fully coated and has marinated at least 30 minutes
Make the peanut sauce
Blend the peanuts, shallots, garlic and chilies (1 for mild, 2 for spicy) with 60ml of the water into a rough paste. Transfer to a medium saucepan (about 20cm) and add the remaining 190ml water, , and salt.
- 150g peanuts
- 2 shallots
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1–2 chilies
- 250ml water
- 1 tbsp
- 2 tbsp
- ½ tsp salt
✅ Done when: paste is roughly blended with no large chunks left
Cook the sauce
Bring the sauce to a gentle bubble over medium heat and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring often so it doesn't stick, until thick. Stir in the lime juice; add a splash of water if it gets too thick.
- all the sauce from step 2
- 1 tbsp lime juice
✅ Done when: sauce coats the back of a spoon and no longer looks watery
Thread the skewers
Thread 4–5 pieces of marinated chicken onto each skewer, pushing them close together.
- 700g the marinated chicken from step 1
- as needed skewers
✅ Done when: all the chicken is threaded onto the skewers
Grill
Heat a grill, barbecue or grill pan until very hot. Cook the skewers for 8–10 minutes, turning every 2 minutes and brushing with the leftover marinade halfway through, until cooked through and lightly charred at the edges.
- all the skewered chicken from step 4
- any remaining leftover marinade from step 1
✅ Done when: chicken reaches 74°C/165°F and is lightly charred at the edges
Serve
Pour the peanut sauce over the satay, or serve it in a bowl for dipping. Serve with sliced shallots, cucumber and steamed rice.
- all the peanut sauce from step 3
- to serve shallots, cucumber and rice
The Story Behind the Dish
Satay is thought to have started on Java, perhaps inspired by the kebabs of Indian and Arab traders. Indonesian cooks made the pieces small, grilled them over charcoal and added sweet soy sauce and peanut sauce.
Today satay is sold from smoky street grills all over Indonesia, and there are dozens of regional styles made with chicken, goat, beef, fish or rabbit.
⭐ Why It's Famous
Smoky grilled meat and creamy, sweet peanut sauce together are loved all over the world.
💡 Fun Fact
Madura island off Java is so famous for its chicken satay that sate Madura sellers can be found in almost every Indonesian city.
Java, Indonesia
-7.26°S, 112.75°E
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