Malaysian Chicken Satay

Hand-held skewers of tender Malaysian Satay, served with a nutty Peanut Sauce bring an exotic flair to your summer BBQ.

We love gathering together with family and friends for a great meal, and once the weather warms up, you’ll always find us outside chillin’ around the grill. There’s something about the smell of grill smoke that puts everyone in a fantastic mood. While we do love a good burger or brat cookout, most of the time we try to mix things up a bit for our guests.

When deciding what to prepare we always keep two things in mind. First, most of the prep needs to be able to be done ahead of time. (We want to be able to enjoy lounging around with our guests!) Second, food needs to be easy to eat. A big, juicy steak is great, but if you’re standing around with a drink in one hand, you don’t want to have to mess with a knife and fork. Particularly if that drink is a chilled glass of Gallo Family Vineyards wine!

When Gallo Family invited us to share one of our favorite backyard BBQ dishes and pairings for today’s Sunday Supper, we knew it needed to be something that was easy to enjoy with a glass of wine in hand. Our tender and flavorful Chicken Satay skewers were the perfect fit.

Where Did Satay Come From?

Satay is a dish of slightly confused origins. Is it Thai? Indonesian? Malaysian? Many countries in southeastern Asia claim it as their own. Despite the many claims, it is most commonly believed that it was in Java, Indonesia that satay developed from the Indian kebab, brought over by Muslim traders. From there, it spread to many other Southeast Asian countries.

Regional Variations Of Satay

Indonesian satay tends to be a bit sweeter than other varieties due to the use of ginger and sweetener in both the marinade and the peanut sauce. But, don’t get tied down. Satay is the national dish of Indonesia, and there are more variations within the country than you could count!

Thai satay is distinct in its use of coconut milk as a part of the marinade and as a part of the peanut sauce, giving it a smooth and creamy texture. Thai satay is commonly made of chicken or pork and served with a pickled cucumber salad called achat.

Malaysian satay is typically chicken or beef and is served with a thick peanut sauce, chopped red onion, cucumber, and little squares of compressed rice known as ketupat.

Our Malaysian Satay Recipe

The satay recipe we are sharing today falls most closely in the Malaysian style. Shallots, lemongrass, ginger, and soy sauce are key components of the marinade, which infuses the thin strips of chicken with a warm and robust flavor.

We served our satay with Gallo Family Vineyards Chardonnay. The Chardonnay is a fruit-forward, slightly acidic wine that balances the robust flavors of the satay and peanut sauce. The slight acidity of the wine works perfectly to cleanse your palate after each intensely flavorful bite, preparing you to dive into another skewer. If red wine is more your style, try Gallo Family’s Pinot Noir for an easy-sipping wine that pairs well with the combination of flavors in the satay.

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Malaysian Chicken Satay

Hand-held skewers of tender Malaysian Satay, served with a nutty Peanut Sauce bring an exotic flair to your summer BBQ.

Yield: 8 skewers

Prep Time1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Cook Time7 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 22 minutes mins

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Asian

Servings: 2 - 3 people

Calories: 247kcal

Author: Sarah | Curious Cuisiniere

Ingredients

For the Marinade

• 1 stalk lemongrass (just the white section)
• 1 shallot
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp oil
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp ground coriander seeds
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

For the Chicken

• 1 lb chicken breast
• 8 grilling skewers (soaked in water for 10-15 minutes)
• Peanut sauce for serving (see recipe below)
• Red onion and cucumber to serve

Instructions

For the Marinade

• Coarsely chop the lemongrass stalk and shallot. Place them in your food processor along with the other marinade ingredients. Process until a thick paste forms.
• Slice the chicken breasts into long strips, roughly ¼ inch thick. Place the chicken strips in a zip-lock bag. Add the marinade and knead it into the chicken breast until well coated. Marinate the chicken for at least one hour, up to 24 hours (refrigerated).

Grilling the Satay

• Preheat your grill to medium high (400F if you have a thermometer, or you should be able to hold your hand a few inches over the grill grates for 5-7 seconds).
• While the grill preheats, thread the marinated chicken strips on the skewers. Grill the chicken skewers for 3-4 minutes on the first side, until the meat begins to turn opaque and develops some grill marks. Flip the skewers and grill for an additional 2-3 minutes on the second side, until the chicken is cooked through.
• Remove the skewers from the grill. Serve warm with cucumber and red onion, peanut sauce, and Jasmine rice.

Nutrition

Serving: 2g | Calories: 247kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 37.7g | Fat: 7.6g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 585mg | Fiber: 0.6g | Sugar: 3.6g

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Malaysian Peanut Sauce

This is a nutty and fragrant, chunky peanut sauce that you will want to eat with a spoon!

Yield: 1 1/2 c sauce

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time15 minutes mins

Course: Sauce

Cuisine: Asian

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 229kcal

Author: Sarah | Curious Cuisiniere

Ingredients

• 1 stalk lemongrass
• 1 shallot
• 1 inch fresh ginger or 2 tsp dry, ground ginger
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 ½ c shelled peanuts (dry roasted)
• 1 c water
• 1 ½ Tbsp soy sauce
• ½ Tbsp brown sugar

Instructions

• Place lemongrass, shallot, ginger, garlic, and cayenne into the bowl of your food processor. Pulse until finely chopped.
• Heat ½ tsp oil in a saute pan and add vegetable puree to the hot oil. Sauté until fragrant over medium heat, 2-3 minutes.
• Place the peanuts in the bowl of your food processor and process until finely chopped. Add the peanuts to the onion mixture in the pan and sauté until lightly toasted, 1-2 minutes.
• Add the water, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Mix well. Bring the mixture to a simmer and simmer over medium heat until thickened to your desired consistency, 3-5 minutes.
• Serve warm or refrigerated until needed and serve chilled or at room temperature.

Notes

While the calorie count here may look high, check the serving size on your favorite jarred peanut sauce. Typically, the serving size ranges from 2 tsp to 2 Tbsp. We're giving you a 1/4 c serving, because you'll want to eat this sauce with a spoon. Trust us.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 229kcal | Carbohydrates: 8.5g | Protein: 10.7g | Fat: 18.1g | Saturated Fat: 2.6g | Sodium: 234mg | Fiber: 2.7g | Sugar: 2.1g

Sarah - Curious Cuisiniere

Sarah is one of Curious Cuisiniere’s founding duo. Her love for cultural cuisines was instilled early by her French Canadian Grandmother. Her experience in the kitchen and in recipe development comes from years working in professional kitchens. She has traveled extensively and enjoys bringing the flavors of her travels back to create easy-to-make recipes.

www.curiouscuisiniere.com/about/