Chicken Satay
🍲 Slow Cooker Option
Ingredients For the Marinade
500 grams chicken or turkey (boneless, skinless thighs. Can also use chicken breast)
2 teaspoons oil for frying (peanut, groundnut, sunflower, or coconut oil)
4 tablespoons coconut milk (from a 400ml can)
1 tablespoon fish sauce for marinade
1 1/4 tablespoons Thai red curry paste (optional)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
pinch of salt, if needed
Ingredients for the Peanut Sauce
1⅓ cup coconut milk (the rest of the 400ml can)
85 grams peanut butter (I prefer crunchy, but can also use smooth)
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste (optional)
1/2 tablespoon tamarind puree (optional)
Pinch of salt, if needed
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 small red onion, chopped
2 red chillies, de-seeded and finely chopped
1 – 2 tablespoons lime juice (Can substitute lemon)
2 heaping tablespoons chopped fresh coriander, plus extra, to serve
Finely grated zest of ½ lime (optional)
Lime wedges to garnish (optional)
Directions for the Marinade
In a large bowl, combine the 4 tablespoons coconut milk, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 ¼ tablespoons Thai red curry paste (if using), 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and pinch of salt. Add in the chicken and stir well to coat. Cover and marinade in the fridge for 10 – 30 minutes.
When ready to cook, heat the oil in a large pot and fry the chicken until browned and cooked through. Remove from heat, cover, and keep warm.
Directions for the Peanut Sauce
In the now-empty pot, add a bit more oil if needed and fry the onions until soft. Add the red chillies and garlic, and fry for a minute or two.
Pour in the rest of the can of coconut milk, and add the peanut butter, soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar, Thai red curry paste (if using), and tamarind purée (if using).
Bring to a gentle boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes or so until thickened.
Remove from heat, stir in the lime zest and juice. Either return the chicken to the sauce or serve the chicken with the sauce alongside, as you prefer. Garnish with the coriander and lime wedges (if using) and enjoy.
My Notes
If you want to leave out the onion or garlic, or red chilli peppers or red curry paste or fresh limes, don’t worry about it. This freezes well. I’ve also made the sauce separately and had it poured over oven-baked chicken legs.
Slow Cooker Option
Last time I made this, I doubled the recipe except for the coconut milk, and used 1kg of pork cubes instead of chicken. I seared the meat and sautéed the onions and garlic, then placed all the other ingredients except for the coconut milk in my slowcooker with 400ml of vegetable stock. Cooked on High for 3 hours, then added a 400ml can of coconut milk and cooked on High for another hour (with the slowcooker lid held open slightly with chopsticks) to help the sauce thicken up. This version made 10 single portions.
