Malaysian Cuisine

Chicken Satay (Satay Ayam)

Name: Chicken Satay (Satay Ayam)
Prep time: 50 minutes (plus 6 hours marinating)
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 7 hours
Yield: 24 skewers (6 servings)
Ingredients: 1 kg boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2 cm cubes; 2 stalks lemongrass, white parts only, thinly sliced; 6 small shallots (about 90 g), peeled and roughly chopped; 2 cloves garlic, peeled; 2 tsp ground turmeric; 1 tsp ground coriander; 1 tsp chili powder (optional, adjust to taste); 1/2 tbsp fine salt, or to taste; 2 tbsp sugar or honey; 3 tbsp neutral oil (such as peanut or sunflower); 200 g roasted unsalted peanuts; 3 tbsp neutral oil; 4 small shallots (about 60 g), finely chopped; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 stalk lemongrass, white part only, finely minced; 1 tsp chili powder or 2 dried red chilies, soaked and blended; 1 tsp ground coriander; 1/2 tsp ground cumin; 120 ml coconut milk; 120 ml water; 1 tbsp tamarind paste, dissolved in 2 tbsp warm water; 2 tbsp palm sugar or light brown sugar; 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste; 1 cucumber, cut into chunks; 1 small red onion, cut into wedges; 24 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for at least 2 hours; null oil for basting (see tip below about lemongrass basting)

Charcoal-grilled lemongrass and turmeric chicken skewers with peanut dipping sauce

malaysianchickensataygrilledstreet-foodskewerspeanut-saucelemongrassturmericgluten-free-adaptablehalal

Jump to Recipe

Satay ayam is one of the defining street foods of Malaysia. Walk through any night market in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, or Melaka and you will find vendors fanning rows of skewers over narrow charcoal troughs, the smoke carrying the scent of lemongrass and toasted spice across the entire street. The best satay is always simple in concept but layered in execution: small pieces of chicken threaded tightly onto bamboo sticks, marinated in a fragrant paste of lemongrass, shallots, turmeric, and coriander, then grilled fast and hot until the edges caramelize and the fat renders into something deeply savory.

What sets Malaysian satay apart from its Thai and Indonesian cousins is the balance of the marinade. Where Thai versions lean toward coconut milk and curry powder, Malaysian satay relies on the aromatic punch of fresh lemongrass and the earthy warmth of turmeric, supported by shallots and just enough sugar to encourage charring on the grill. The peanut sauce served alongside is equally important. It is not the thick, sweet peanut butter dip common in Western adaptations but rather a coarsely ground sauce with real roasted peanuts, a touch of tamarind for acidity, and a quiet heat from dried chilies.

The ritual of eating satay is part of its appeal. You pull skewers from a shared plate, dip them into the peanut sauce, and follow each bite with a piece of cool cucumber or a thin slice of raw onion. It pairs naturally with nasi lemak for a fuller meal, and shares a family resemblance with other Southeast Asian grilled traditions like gai yang and bun cha. Once you have made satay at home over real coals, the aroma alone will make it a regular part of your cooking.

At a Glance

Yield

24 skewers (6 servings)

Prep

50 minutes (plus 6 hours marinating)

Cook

10 minutes

Total

7 hours

Difficulty

Easy

Ingredients

24 skewers (6 servings)

2¼ lbboneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2 cm cubes
2 stalkslemongrass, white parts only, thinly sliced
6small shallots (about 90 g), peeled and roughly chopped
2 clovesgarlic, peeled
2 tspground turmeric
1 tspground coriander
1 tspchili powder (optional, adjust to taste)
1/2 tbspfine salt, or to taste
2 tbspsugar or honey
3 tbspneutral oil (such as peanut or sunflower)
¾ cuproasted unsalted peanuts
3 tbspneutral oil
4small shallots (about 60 g), finely chopped
2 clovesgarlic, minced
1 stalklemongrass, white part only, finely minced
1 tspchili powder or 2 dried red chilies, soaked and blended
1 tspground coriander
1/2 tspground cumin
½ cupcoconut milk
½ cupwater
1 tbsptamarind paste, dissolved in 2 tbsp warm water
2 tbsppalm sugar or light brown sugar
1/2 tspsalt, or to taste
1cucumber, cut into chunks
1small red onion, cut into wedges
24bamboo skewers, soaked in water for at least 2 hours
—oil for basting (see tip below about lemongrass basting)

Method

1
Bruise the lemongrass stalks by pressing down on them firmly with the flat side of a knife or a pestle. This splits the fibrous layers and releases the aromatic oils trapped inside. Slice them thinly before adding to the food processor.
2
Place the sliced lemongrass, shallots, garlic, turmeric, coriander, chili powder, salt, sugar, and oil in a food processor. Blend until a smooth paste forms, scraping down the sides as needed. If the mixture is too dry to move freely, add a splash of water, no more than a tablespoon at a time. You want a paste with the consistency of wet sand, not a liquid.
3
Place the chicken cubes in a large bowl. Pour the marinade over the chicken and mix thoroughly so every piece is coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours. Overnight is better. The longer the chicken sits in the marinade, the deeper the lemongrass and turmeric flavor penetrates.
4
While the chicken marinates, prepare the peanut sauce. Pulse the roasted peanuts in a food processor until you have a coarse, uneven texture with some fine powder and some visible chunks. Do not process to a smooth butter. Set aside.
5
Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften and turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, minced lemongrass, chili powder, coriander, and cumin. Stir constantly for 1 minute until the spices bloom and the raw smell fades. The mixture should smell warm, fragrant, and slightly toasty.
6
Add the ground peanuts, coconut milk, water, tamarind liquid, palm sugar, and salt. Stir well and bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens to a consistency that coats the back of a spoon. It will continue to thicken as it cools. Taste and adjust the balance of salt, sugar, and tamarind. The sauce should be savory first, with a mild sweetness and a gentle sour note at the finish. Set aside.
7
When ready to grill, thread 3 to 4 pieces of chicken tightly onto each soaked bamboo skewer. Press the pieces firmly against each other so there are no gaps. Gaps cause the edges to curl and dry out while the center stays undercooked.
8
Prepare a charcoal grill for direct, high heat, or preheat a gas grill to high. You want the grate hot enough that a drop of water sizzles and evaporates immediately. If using a grill pan or broiler, preheat on the highest setting.
9
Lay the skewers across the grill grate. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on the first side without moving them. The chicken should release easily from the grate when it is ready to flip. If it sticks, give it another 30 seconds. Baste the top side with oil while the bottom cooks.
10
Flip the skewers and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes on the second side, basting again. The surface should show deep golden-brown patches with some blackened spots at the edges where the sugar has caramelized. The chicken is done when the juices run clear and the internal temperature reaches 74C (165F). Remove from the grill immediately.
11
Arrange the skewers on a serving plate with the peanut sauce in a bowl alongside. Add the cucumber chunks and red onion wedges to the plate. Serve hot.

Key Ingredient Benefits

Turmeric: The golden color of satay comes primarily from turmeric, which contains curcumin, a polyphenol that has been widely studied for anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties in laboratory and clinical settings. Culinary amounts are modest compared to supplemental doses, but the presence of piperine from black pepper or fat from oil and coconut milk may improve absorption. In traditional Malay and Ayurvedic practice, turmeric is considered warming and supportive of digestion.

Lemongrass: The lower white portion of the stalk contains the highest concentration of citral, the compound responsible for its bright citrus aroma. In Southeast Asian folk medicine, lemongrass tea is used as a calming digestive aid. Laboratory studies have explored citral for antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activity, though culinary amounts are well below therapeutic thresholds.

Peanuts: A good source of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, plant-based protein, magnesium, phosphorus, and vitamin E. Roasting develops flavor through Maillard reactions but does not significantly alter the nutritional profile. Peanut allergy is a serious concern; see Substitutions for alternatives.

Coriander: The ground seeds have a warm, citrusy flavor distinct from fresh cilantro leaves. The dominant aromatic compound, linalool, is shared with lavender and has been traditionally associated with digestive comfort and calming properties in herbalism across South and Southeast Asia.

Coconut milk: Provides medium-chain triglycerides, a type of saturated fat that is metabolized differently from long-chain fats. In the peanut sauce, the fat content helps carry flavor compounds and gives the sauce its characteristic richness. Full-fat coconut milk produces the best results here.

Why This Works

The marinade is built around two principles: flavor penetration and surface browning. Cutting the chicken into small, uniform cubes maximizes the surface area exposed to the spice paste, allowing the lemongrass, turmeric, and shallot to reach the center of each piece during the long marinating time. The sugar in the marinade is not there primarily for sweetness. It provides the fuel for Maillard reactions and caramelization on the grill, creating the characteristic charred, lacquered crust that defines good satay.

Threading the chicken tightly on the skewers serves a structural purpose. With the pieces pressed against each other, the exposed surface area on the grill is controlled. The outer faces get intense direct heat while the touching faces stay moist and essentially steam in their own juices. This is why satay stays juicy despite being cooked over very high heat for a short time.

The peanut sauce gains its depth from the layering of cooked aromatics with the raw nuttiness of coarsely ground peanuts. Blooming the spices in oil before adding the peanuts extracts fat-soluble flavor compounds that water-based cooking cannot access. The tamarind provides acidity that brightens the richness of the coconut milk and peanuts, preventing the sauce from tasting flat or heavy.

Basting with oil during grilling keeps the surface moist and promotes even browning. Using a bruised lemongrass stalk as a basting brush, as many Malaysian cooks do, adds a final layer of lemongrass fragrance that coats the finished skewers.

Substitutions & Variations

Protein: Beef (use sirloin or rump, sliced against the grain), lamb leg, or firm tofu all work with the same marinade. Beef and lamb benefit from slightly longer marinating, up to 12 hours. Tofu should be pressed, cubed, and marinated for at least 2 hours.

Peanut allergy: Replace the peanuts with roasted cashews or sunflower seeds in both the sauce and garnish. The flavor will shift but the texture and richness will remain similar.

Lemongrass: If fresh lemongrass is not available, use 1 tablespoon of frozen sliced lemongrass or 2 teaspoons of lemongrass paste from a tube per stalk. Add a strip of lemon zest to supplement the aroma.

Spice level: Omit the chili powder entirely for a mild version. For more heat, add 1 to 2 bird's eye chilies to the marinade paste or stir sambal oelek into the finished peanut sauce.

Oven method: Arrange skewers on a wire rack set over a lined sheet pan. Bake at 220C (425F) for 12 to 15 minutes, turning once halfway through. Finish under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes per side to develop char. Watch closely, as the sugar in the marinade burns quickly.

Air fryer: Preheat to 200C (400F). Cook skewers in a single layer for 10 to 12 minutes, turning halfway. The result is crisp and well-browned but lacks smoke flavor.

Satay curry variation: For a saucy one-pot version inspired by Malaysian-style satay curry, brown the marinated chicken pieces in a skillet, then simmer them in a sauce made from the peanut sauce thinned with coconut milk and chicken stock. Add makrut lime leaves and a stalk of bruised lemongrass. Serve over jasmine rice.

Indonesian style (sate ayam Madura): Replace the shallots in the marinade with a paste of candlenuts (kemiri) and add kecap manis to the marinade for a sweeter, darker glaze. Serve with a thinner, more chili-forward peanut sauce and lontong (compressed rice cakes).

Serving Suggestions

The traditional Malaysian way to eat satay is with ketupat (compressed rice cakes), cucumber chunks, and raw red onion wedges, everything dipped generously in peanut sauce. If making ketupat feels like a stretch, plain steamed jasmine rice or even a simple nasi impit (compressed rice made by packing leftover rice into a container and refrigerating overnight, then slicing into cubes) fills the same role.

For a Malaysian-themed dinner, pair satay with nasi lemak as the centerpiece and chicken rendang for a richer, slower-cooked contrast. The dry spice crust of rendang and the charred sweetness of satay complement each other without overlapping.

Satay also works beautifully as part of a broader Southeast Asian spread. Set it alongside gado-gado for a vegetable-forward counterpoint that shares the peanut sauce connection, or next to ayam percik, the coconut-and-chili-basted grilled chicken from the east coast of Malaysia, for a two-style grill comparison.

For a cross-regional grill night, offer satay together with gai yang and bun cha. Three different traditions, three different marinades, all built around the same idea of seasoned meat over coals. Let guests taste them side by side and discover how lemongrass, fish sauce, and spice pastes behave differently across borders.

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerator: Store cooked satay skewers in a sealed container for up to 3 days. Keep the peanut sauce in a separate container. The sauce will thicken as it chills; thin it with a splash of warm water or coconut milk when reheating.

Freezer: Wrap uncooked, marinated skewers tightly in aluminum foil or place them in a single layer in a freezer bag with parchment between layers to prevent sticking. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before grilling. Cooked skewers can also be frozen for up to 1 month, though the texture is best when grilled fresh.

Reheating: For the best texture, reheat cooked skewers on a hot grill or in a grill pan over medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes per side, just until warmed through and the surface re-crisps. Alternatively, place on a rack over a sheet pan in a 190C (375F) oven for 6 to 8 minutes. Microwaving works in a pinch but will soften the charred exterior.

Peanut sauce: Keeps refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 2 months. Reheat gently in a saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently and adding water as needed to restore the original consistency.

Marinade: The raw marinade (before contact with chicken) can be prepared up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated, making weeknight satay practical if you plan ahead.