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Sate Ayam (Indonesian Chicken Satay)

Sate ayam is the smoky, sweet chicken satay you smell before you see at every Indonesian night market — skewers of marinated chicken grilled over coals and served swimming in peanut sauce.

The marinade is mostly kecap manis, which caramelises beautifully on the grill, while the peanut sauce is rich, gently spicy and dangerously good. Together they're an unbeatable combination.

You don't need a charcoal grill to get great results at home — a barbecue or a hot grill pan works a treat. Thread the skewers ahead of time and dinner is 15 minutes of sizzling away.

Servings
4
Prep Time
25
mins
Cook Time
15
mins
Ingredients
13
Total Time
40
mins

Pantry bits

Coconut milk
Coconut milk
Kecap Manis (Indonesian Sweet Soy Sauce)
Kecap Manis (Indonesian Sweet Soy Sauce)
Sambal Oelek
Sambal Oelek

Ingredients

  • 1kg chicken thigh fillets, cut into 2cm pieces
  • 3 tbsp kecap manis, plus extra for basting
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 200g crunchy peanut butter
  • 1 tbsp kecap manis, extra (for the sauce)
  • 1 garlic clove, extra, crushed
  • 1 tsp sambal oelek (or 1-2 chopped red chillies)
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 250ml coconut milk
  • Sliced cucumber and red onion, to serve

Instructions

  1. If using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes so they don't burn.
  2. Combine the chicken with the kecap manis, oil, garlic, coriander and turmeric in a bowl. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight in the fridge if you're organised.
  3. For the peanut sauce, combine the peanut butter, extra kecap manis, extra garlic, sambal oelek, lime juice and coconut milk in a small saucepan. Warm over low heat, stirring, for 5 minutes until smooth, adding a splash of water to reach a spoonable consistency.
  4. Thread the chicken onto skewers, packing the pieces snugly so they stay juicy.
  5. Heat a barbecue or grill pan to medium-high. Cook the skewers for 10-12 minutes, turning every few minutes and basting with extra kecap manis, until charred at the edges and cooked through.
  6. Rest the skewers for a couple of minutes, then pile onto a platter.
  7. Spoon over some of the warm peanut sauce, serve the rest alongside, and add the cucumber and red onion. Steamed rice or lontong (rice cakes) round it out nicely.

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