Marinated grilled or baked chicken satay turned into a complete meal with rice, fresh vegetables, and Thai peanut sauce! Chicken is marinated in soy sauce, garlic, ginger, honey, and sriracha for the perfect sweet, savory, tangy balance of flavors.
Fellow chicken satay lovers, I’m here with a double whammy! These easy chicken satay bowls feature the classic Southeast Asian dish in the form of a complete meal for a feel-good dinner.
Chicken thighs are marinated in a combination of sweet, savory, and tangy ingredients, then grilled to smoky charred perfection. Served over a bed of rice with fresh veggies, avocado, and peanut sauce, this hearty dinner recipe is just as nourishing as it is flavorful!
Want to take it up a notch? Make my Coconut Lime Rice to make it extra special!
Chicken Satay Ingredients:
Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs: The star of the show! This recipe calls for two pounds, which is enough to feed four people generously.
Liquid Aminos or Soy Sauce: Responsible for that rich umami flavor, we need low-sodium soy sauce, tamari, or liquid aminos. Coconut aminos work too.
Fresh Lime Juice: Providing a sour tang to add nuance to the flavor profile, a little fresh lime juice brings a refreshing element. Rice vinegar works great too.
Honey: Sweetness to complement the salty and sour flavors. Swap it out for pure maple syrup or brown sugar if you’d like.
Sriracha: A hint of spice to round out the flavor profile.
Fresh Ginger and Fresh Garlic Cloves: Both ingredients add huge blasts of flavor, which chicken satay is known for. Don’t skip either one!
Fish Sauce: Brings rich umami flavor and some saltiness to really make the marinade pop.
Peanut Sauce Ingredients:
Full-Fat Canned Coconut Milk: Bringing silky smooth creamy texture to the peanut sauce, coconut milk adds rich coconut flavor and is the backbone for the luxurious sauce.
Unsweetened Natural Peanut Butter: Creamy peanut butter is responsible for the big peanut flavor. Add more if you’d like!
Honey: A natural sweetener to kick up the flavor and give the sauce a decadent vibe. Increase or decrease the amount to taste.
Liquid Aminos or Soy Sauce: For a little salty umami flavor.
Fresh Ginger: Because we know how to party! Ginger gives a gentle kick of natural spice.
Recipe Customizations:
- Double or triple the satay sauce to use as sauce for the bowls if you aren’t into peanut sauce.
- Add sriracha to the peanut sauce for spicy peanut sauce.
- Some people marinate the chicken in coconut milk, curry powder, or Thai red curry paste. Feel free to do so if that sounds great to you!
How to Make Chicken Satay:
Mix the marinade ingredients together in a small bowl. Marinate the chicken for at least one hour, ideally overnight, in a large zip lock bag or a sealed container.
When you’re ready to cook the chicken, thread the chicken pieces onto metal skewers.
Grilling Instructions:
Preheat a gas grill to 400 degrees F, or fire up the coals for a charcoal grill. Grill chicken skewers for 2 minutes per side. Move them to a cooler part of the grill to continue cooking and flipping every few minutes, until the chicken thighs reach an internal temperature of 170 degrees.
Baking Instructions:
Turn your oven on the high broil setting and transfer the chicken satay skewers to a large rimmed baking sheet. Broil for 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and reaches your desired level of golden brown crisp.
Serving Suggestions:
Once cool enough to handle, remove the cooked chicken from the skewers. Serve over jasmine rice with grated carrots, halved cherry tomatoes, avocado, fresh cilantro, a drizzle of peanut sauce, and sesame seeds. I also enjoy serving this healthy meal with lime wedges to drizzle fresh lime juice over everything.
You can also serve chicken satay right off the kabob with your choice of side dishes. I recommend Asian Cucumber Salad, Quick Pickled Vegetables, and Ginger Turmeric Aromatic Rice or Coconut Rice.
Storage Tips:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Use leftover chicken satay in a big green salad with fresh leafy greens, avocado, tomato, sunflower seeds, feta cheese, and your choice of dressing.
- Store leftover peanut sauce in a sealed jar for up to 2 weeks. Use it on your favorite homemade Asian foods. Peanut sauce thickens as it sits, so add a small splash of water before stirring and using leftovers.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Is chicken satay spicy?
This recipe as written has a medium spice level, on account of the sriracha. Feel free to decrease the amount of sriracha or omit it altogether. For me, a little spice is a hallmark feature of authentic chicken satay, so I am biased to leave it in.
Can I use chicken breast instead of thighs?
Chicken breasts work great for chicken satay too! Keep close watch on chicken breasts to avoid overcooking. Cook chicken breasts to 165 degrees F.
Can I use bamboo skewers?
Yes! If you don’t have metal skewers, simply soak your wooden skewers in water for 20 minutes prior to threading the chicken. Just note that in spite of soaking, the wood will likely still burn a little.
And that’s it! The next time you’re craving the ultimate dinner, enjoy this hearty main dish.
If you’re into big bowls of food, also try out these reader favorites!
More Bowl Recipes:
- Crispy Bang Bang Salmon Bites Bowls
- Korean BBQ Chicken Rice Bowls
- Soy-Ginger Ground Turkey Bowls
- Sesame Garlic Steak Bites Bowls
- Moo Shu Chicken Bowls
Enjoy the array of delicious flavors this chicken satay recipe offers!
Chicken Satay Bowls
Ingredients
Chicken Satay:
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- ¼ cup liquid aminos or low-sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 2 Tbsp sriracha
- 1 Tbsp fresh ginger peeled and grated
- 2 tsp fish sauce
- 3 cloves garlic
Peanut Sauce:
- ½ cup full-fat canned coconut milk
- 3 Tbsp unsweetened creamy peanut butter
- 1 Tbsp liquid aminos or soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp honey or pure maple syrup
- 2 tsp fresh ginger peeled and grated
For the Bowls:
- 4 to 6 cups white rice or brown rice
- 1 to 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 3 cups grated carrots
- 2 ripe avocados
- 1 to 2 Tbsp sesame seeds optional
Instructions
- Mix together the ingredients for the peanut sauce in a small bowl until well-combined. If your coconut milk is chunky and difficult to stir, consider heating up the ingredients on the stove top to coax them to melt together. Refrigerate sauce in a sealed jar in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the satay marinade ingredients (liquid aminos, lime juice, honey, sriracha, ginger, fish sauce, and garlic).
- Cut the chicken into 1-inch thick strips and transfer to a large zip lock bag or a sealable container. Pour in the marinade and stir everything around until the chicken pieces are coated with marinade. Seal the container (or zip lock) and marinate for at least 1 hour, ideally 24 hours.
- When you’re ready to cook, take the marinated chicken out of the refrigerator, and thread it onto metal skewers as though you are making shish kabobs.
Grilling Instructions:
- Preheat the grill to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a wire brush to brush off any remaining food from the last grilling session from the grill grates. Spray grill grates with cooking spray.
- Grill over direct heat for 2 minutes per side. Move skewers to a cooler part of the grill and continue grilling and flipping until the chicken is cooked through.
Baking Instructions:
- Place your oven on the high broil setting.
- Transfer the chicken satay skewers to a large baking sheet. Broil on the shelf that is third from the top for 10 minutes. Check for doneness and continue broiling is need be.
- Chicken thighs are cooked through once it reaches an internal temperature of 170 degrees Fahrenheit. Insert a digital thermometer into a thicker piece of chicken to get an accurate read.
Serve Chicken Satay:
- Once cool enough to handle, slide the cooked chicken off of the skewers and serve them with your choice of side dishes. Or, do as I do and make a bowl with white rice, grated carrots, cherry tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, a drizzle of peanut sauce, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
