Thai Satay with Peanut Dipping Sauce and Cucumber Salad

Thai satay is a popular dish in Thailand that consists of skewered and grilled meat, typically chicken or pork, that is marinated in a flavorful mixture of coconut milk and spices. After marinating, the meat is threaded onto bamboo skewers and grilled over charcoal until cooked and slightly charred. Satay is a popular street food in Thailand, often sold by street vendors as a quick and delicious snack that is easy to eat while you walk.

During my first trip back to Thailand with my family in 2017, the first street vendor we encountered was selling pork satay. They were 10 Baht per skewer (about $.30) We purchased five, one for each of us. They came right off of the vendor’s charcoal grill and were so good, we went back for five more. This was my first experience with Thai street food. How could something SO good be so inexpensive and available everywhere you walked? I was immediately hooked!

Satay is also commonly served as an appetizer in Thai restaurants around the world. In a seated restaurant setting, Thai satay is typically served with a creamy peanut sauce on the side for dipping. Another common accompaniment is fresh cucumber salad to balance out the richness of the meat and peanut sauce.

Making Thai Satay

With a few shortcuts such as using prepared curry powder and paste, making Thai Satay at home is much easier than you would think. The most time consuming step is skewering the meat. Since the meat is sliced thin, cooking goes fast. The skewers can be broiled in the oven on a baking sheet, however, the high sugar content of the marinade can create a lot of smoke. If possible, grill your Satay outside where there is good ventilation. Bonus if you have a charcoal grill for that authentic charred taste.

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Thai Satay

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Marinating Time30 minutes mins

Equipment

• 10-15 Bamboo Skewers Soak skewers for 1-2 hours before using. This will help prevent the exposed ends from buring.

Ingredients

Satay

• ½ cup coconut milk reserve rest of the can for peanut sauce
• 3 tbsp brown sugar palm sugar alternatively can be used but is more difficult to disolve
• 1 tbsp yellow curry powder
• ¼ cup fish sauce
• 1 lb chicken thigh, breast or pork tenderloin cut into bite size pieces

Instructions

• In large bowl mix together all ingredients for marinade.
• Marinade meat for 30 minutes.
• Weave each strip of chicken or pork onto skewer.
• Broil/grill for 5 minutes each side

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Peanut Dipping Sauce

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 1 cup coconut milk
• ½ cup peanut butter natural if possible
• 1-2 tbsp fish sauce more if using natural peanut butter
• 1-2 tbsp palm sugar more if using natural peanut butter
• 1 tbsp white or rice vinegar
• 1-2 tbsp red curry paste adjust to desired spice level
• 2 tbsp crushed peanuts garnish

Instructions

• Stir all ingredients except for peanuts over medium heat until well combined. Note that if you are using natural peanut butter, you may more fish fish sauce and sugar since natural peanut butter does not contain additional salt and sugar. Start with 1 tbsp of each an adjust as needed.
• Taste to make sure flavors are balanced. Add more fish sauce, sugar, vinegar or curry paste as needed.
• If peanut sauce is too thick, add more coconut milk.
• Transfer to serving dish and top with crushed peanuts for garnish.

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Cucumber Salad Side “Ajaad”

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 1 cucumber quartered and sliced
• 1 shallot or small red onion thinly sliced
• ¼ cup white vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp cilantro chopped
• 1 tbsp chili flakes more if you like it spicy

Instructions

• Dissolve sugar in vinegar
• Combine all ingredients. Refrigerate for 30 min to let flavors develop.