Looking for the satay ayam recipe for an Indonesian dinner at home? Discover how to cook this specialty made with marinated chicken skewers, coated in peanuts! Ingredients, preparation of the marinade and satay sauce, follow us on a culinary journey through Asia!

The satay ayam recipe: ingredients and preparation

In Indonesian gastronomy, the "satay sauce" (also called saté or bumbu kacang sauce) is a peanut-based condiment that accompanies a wide variety of dishes. The word satay also refers to a peanut skewer – while the following word specifies what kind of meat it is. For example, satay padang and satay ayam mean "beef skewer" and "chicken skewer."

The satay is a staple of theIndonesian archipelago! You'll find it both on the menus of Bali restaurants and in street food – from food carts, beaches, and market stalls, etc.

Easy to eat, these charcoal-grilled skewers also owe their success to their quick preparation! Here's how to make them…

1. Ingredients and equipment

The quantities presented here are for 20 skewers

Ingredients for the marinade

● 400 g of chicken

● 3 tablespoons honey

● 2 tablespoons sweet soy sauce

● 1 teaspoon salt

● 1 tablespoon sugar

● 1 tablespoon oil

● 2 teaspoons ground ginger

● 1 tablespoon ground turmeric

● 1 tablespoon coriander seeds

● 2 garlic cloves

● 2 shallots

● 1 onion

● 2 lemongrass stalks

● chili pepper (optional)

● 1 lime (optional)

● 1 glass of water

Ingredients for the satay sauce

● 150 g peanuts

● 5 tablespoons peanut butter

● 1 glass of water

Equipment

● 20 skewers

● 2 bowls

● 1 blender

● 1 oven or a BBQ

2. Preparing the marinade

1. Cut the chicken into small cubes,
2. In a bowl, mix the chicken pieces and 3 tablespoons of honey. Set aside.
3. In a skillet, brown the garlic, onion, and shallots.
4. During cooking, add the spices (ginger, turmeric, coriander), the lemongrass stalks and a glass of water (+ chili pepper, if desired).
5. Once cooking is complete: remove the lemongrass stalks and blend everything together.
6. Retrieve the bowl, then mix the blended preparation with the meat pieces. Add 2 tablespoons of sweet soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of sugar.
7. Mix again, and let marinate in the fridge for 3 hours.

In the meantime, prepare the satay sauce!

3. Preparing the peanut sauce

1. Blend the 150 g of peanuts,
2. Melt the 5 tablespoons of peanut butter over low heat, and add a glass of water.
3. Add the peanut fragments. Mix.
4. Pour the preparation into a second bowl.

4. Making the skewers

● Turn on the oven or barbecue.

● Take the marinated chicken out of the fridge.

● Thread the marinated chicken pieces onto the skewers.

● Brush each skewer with satay sauce.

● Cook the skewers (approximately 2 minutes on each side).

● If you like, squeeze a few drops of lime onto the skewer when serving!

If you have any satay sauce left after finishing your chicken skewers, take advantage to cook satay udang – shrimp skewers with peanut sauce (very popular on the island of Java). A secret? Satay sauce also makes an excellent salad dressing!

Frequently asked questions

What does satay sauce taste like?

Satay sauce is primarily made from peanuts (butter or whole peanuts). Additional ingredients can vary depending on recipes (coriander, chili pepper, soy sauce, ginger, etc.) and nuance its flavor. However, regardless of the recipe, satay sauce always maintains its characteristic peanut flavor!

What is the composition of satay?

In Indonésie, satay refers to a skewer (of chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, etc.) coated with satay sauce. To make these skewers, the meat or seafood must first be soaked for several hours in a spiced marinade (based on lime, shallots, lemongrass and various spices), then brushed with satay sauce during cooking.