This air fryer chicken satay is paired with a spicy peanut sauce that you'll be tempted to eat straight from the bowl, with a spoon! The flavors of the marinade and dipping sauce will transport you straight to your favorite Thai & Indonesian restaurants, without leaving your kitchen! The best part is this chicken comes together in the air fryer, in 10 minutes!
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👩🏽🍳Why This Recipe Works
Bursting with bright and bold flavors! The chicken marinade and peanut sauce are packed with the perfect balance of savory, sweet and zesty flavors. There is nothing boring about this chicken. Marinated in a mix of coconut milk, lime, curry powder, with the right amount of salt from soy sauce. The flavors are completely balanced! For another bursting with flavor sauce, you'll definitely want to try my Korean gochujang-glazed meatballs!
Quick cooking! Chicken satay is generally made with chicken breasts cut into thin strips. Paired with the powerful heat of the air fryer, the chicken cooks in 10 minutes and is still juicy and delicious! Make these a meal with some simple chilli garlic noodles, and you're set!
Restaurant-quality appetizer! If you like ordering chicken satay at your favorite Thai, Malaysian or Indonesian restaurants, you'll love this recipe! This chicken is restaurant quality, yet so easy to make! For a restaurant quality main, pair this chicken satay with this authentic chicken pad thai.
🥘Ingredients
- Boneless, skinless chicken breast: White meat has a good amount of substance and surface area, when made into satay. It is also the traditional cut of chicken used for this recipe.
- Coconut milk: I recommend using unsweetened coconut milk for this marinade, as you can control the balance of flavor on your own. Sweetened coconut milk can be overpowering.
- Ginger powder: I like to keep ginger powder in my pantry, as it adds a similar amount of punch that fresh ginger adds to recipes, while keeping fresh for a longer period of time.
- Fresh lime: You will want the zest and juice, so fresh lime is ideal.
- Brown sugar: Brown sugar provides the necessary balance of flavours between salty and spicy. Brown sugar has molasses in it, so it adds a layer of caramelization and sweetness that is slightly different than white sugar.
- Curry powder: Curry powder is mix of different spices. You can choose to use hot curry powder [madras curry powder] or regular curry powder depending on your spice tolerance.
A full list of ingredients with measurements is located on the recipe card, below.
📖Substitutions
- Crunchy peanut butter: You can use smooth peanut butter if that is what you generally buy. Add in some chopped peanuts for extra crunch and texture!
- Sriracha: Use your favorite chilli sauce if you do not specifically have sriracha on hand.
- Brown sugar: Feel free to use honey.
- Chicken breasts: In a pinch or depending on your preference, you can use chicken thighs, too.
- Ginger powder: Fresh, grated ginger will work in place of ginger powder.
🔪Variations
- Grilled: These chicken satays will be delicious on the barbecue or on a grill pan.
- Skewered: Traditionally, satay is skewered. If you are opting for bamboo skewers, be sure to soak them in water for at least one hour to prevent them from burning.
⏲️ Step-by-Step Instructions
Prep Work Before Cooking
Collecting all your ingredients - This will make cooking so much easier. Gather all the spices you will need, and keep them nearby.
Cut the chicken breast into lengthwise strips. Place the chicken flat on a cutting board, and pound flat with a meat mallet or any heavy object you can use to pound the chicken. [photos 1&2]
Mix together the ingredients for the chicken marinade. Add the chicken, and let sit for 30 minutes. [photo 3]
Using tongs, drain off the excess chicken marinade and place the chicken in an air fryer basket. Spray the top lightly with cooking spray, and air fry for 10-12 minutes. If you are using skewers, thread the chicken onto the bamboo skewers before air frying.
In a mixing bowl, mix together the peanut sauce and set aside, while the chicken is cooking. [photo 4]
💭 Expert Tip
Do not overcrowd the air fryer basket! To best mimic a grill or grill pan, do not overcrowd the air fryer basket. This will allow the air to circulate and let the chicken get a nice char.
🍽 Make Ahead & Storage
Make Ahead Instructions
- The chicken can be marinated 1-2 days in advance. Keep in an airtight container, in the fridge.
- Make the peanut sauce 2-3 days in advance, and store in the fridge. Bring to room temperature before serving, and thin with a little bit of hot water if you find it has solidified in the fridge.
Storing Leftovers
- This chicken keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days in an airtight container.
- Reheat in the oven, or in the air fryer covered with foil to prevent them from getting dry.
⭐ Recipe FAQs
I do not recommend freezing this chicken. The coconut milk marinade will not be at its best, when frozen. Because the chicken cooks so quickly, it is best made fresh.
While chicken satay is delicious, you can also use beef or pork instead. I recommend using the same preparation method, by cutting the meat into strips and pounding it flat.
📝More Chicken Recipes
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Air Fryer Chicken Satay {with Spicy Peanut Sauce}
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Chicken breast - boneless, skinless
- ½ cup Coconut milk
- 4 cloves Garlic - minced
- 1 tablespoon Ground ginger
- 1 Lime - juiced, zested
- 2 tablespoon Brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Curry powder
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric
- 2 tablespoon Soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Fish sauce
- 1 tbsp Sriracha
Peanut Sauce
- 2 tablespoon Crunchy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon Sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon Oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon Fish sauce
- 2 teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce
- 2 teaspoon Brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon Hot water
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Cut the chicken breast into lengthwise strips. Place the chicken flat on a cutting board, and pound flat with a meat mallet or any heavy object you can use to pound the chicken.
- Marinate: Mix together the ingredients for the chicken marinade. Add the chicken, and let sit for 30 minutes.
- Air fry: Using tongs, drain off the excess chicken marinade and place the chicken in an air fryer basket. Spray the top lightly with cooking spray, and air fry for 10-12 minutes.
- Prepare the peanut sauce: In a mixing bowl, mix together the peanut sauce and set aside.
✱Recipe Notes
- Do not overcrowd the air fryer basket! To best mimic a grill or grill pan, do not overcrowd the air fryer basket. This will allow the air to circulate and let the chicken get a nice char.
- Adjust the hot water in the sauce, according to the consistency you like for the peanut sauce.
Lola says
If I could give this peanut sauce 10 stars, I would.... soooo good!
Sunena Anand says
Couldn't agree more, Lola! 🙂