
Chicken satay with peanut sauce
Golden, turmeric-marinated chicken strips charred under the broiler, no skewers needed, with coconut rice and a rich peanut sauce.
- 55 min total
- 30 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 4
- About $2.80 a serving
- 810 calories
- Good the next day
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free

Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1 can coconut milk, divided
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp fish sauce, divided
- 1½ lb boneless chicken thighs, cut into long strips
- 1½ cups jasmine rice
- ⅓ cup peanut butter
- 1 tbsp Thai red curry paste
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 cucumber, sliced (optional)
- ¼ cup cilantro, leaves (optional)
From your pantry
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tbsp brown sugar, divided
- 1½ cups water
- ½ tsp salt
Each serving has about 810 calories, 47 g protein, 73 g carbs and 38 g fat, and costs about $2.80 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No coconut milk? Light coconut milk works.
- No boneless chicken thighs? Chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins work.
- No jasmine rice? Long-grain white rice or basmati rice works.
- No limes? Lemons work.
- No cucumbers? English cucumbers or mini cucumbers work.
- No cilantro? Fresh parsley works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
¼ cup of the coconut milk with the curry powder, turmeric, coriander, garlic, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of fish sauce in a bowl. Add the chicken, cover, and it in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Marinate. Marinating means letting food sit in a flavorful liquid, called a marinade, before you cook it. Always marinate in the fridge, and never reuse marinade from raw meat unless you boil it first.
How you’ll know: The food is coated all over, sealed in a bag or covered dish, and chilling in the fridge.
Timer: 20 min
Food safety: Wash your hands, the board and the knife with hot soapy water after touching raw meat, and don’t rinse raw chicken in the sink.
the rice and put it in a medium with ⅔ cup of the coconut milk, the water and the salt. Bring it over high heat.
Rinse. Rinsing means running cold water over rice or canned beans in a strainer while you swish them around. It washes off loose starch and can liquid, so rice cooks up fluffy and beans taste clean.
How you’ll know: The water running out goes from cloudy to mostly clear; it doesn’t have to be perfect.
Saucepan. A saucepan is a pot with tall, straight sides and one long handle. It’s for things that need depth, like rice, sauces or a few boiled eggs.
How you’ll know: The food fills it about halfway, leaving room to bubble without spilling over.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
High heat
once, cover, turn the heat to low and cook 15 minutes. Take it off the heat and keep the lid on.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Low heatTimer: 15 min
Dolly’s tip: Coconut rice can stick on the bottom. A crusty layer is normal, just don’t scrape it into the bowls.Heat the with a rack about 6 inches below it. Line a with foil and spread the chicken strips on it flat, in one layer.
Broil. Broiling means cooking under the oven’s top heating element, with strong heat from above. It browns and crisps the top in minutes, and it can burn fast, so stay close.
How you’ll know: The top bubbles and spots golden brown; check every minute and pull it before it blackens.
Sheet pan. A sheet pan is a flat metal baking tray with a low rim all the way around. The rim catches juices, and the wide surface lets food spread out and brown.
How you’ll know: Everything fits in one layer with a little space between the pieces.
5 to 6 minutes, until at the edges.
Broil. Broiling means cooking under the oven’s top heating element, with strong heat from above. It browns and crisps the top in minutes, and it can burn fast, so stay close.
How you’ll know: The top bubbles and spots golden brown; check every minute and pull it before it blackens.
Char. Charring means cooking over very high heat until some spots turn black. Those dark spots add a smoky, slightly bitter flavor that balances sweet or rich food.
How you’ll know: You see black spots and blisters in places, while most of the surface keeps its own color.
Timer: 5 min 30 sec
Flip the strips and 3 to 4 minutes more, until the biggest one reads 165°F.
Broil. Broiling means cooking under the oven’s top heating element, with strong heat from above. It browns and crisps the top in minutes, and it can burn fast, so stay close.
How you’ll know: The top bubbles and spots golden brown; check every minute and pull it before it blackens.
Timer: 3 min 30 sec
Food safety: Chicken and turkey are done at 165°F in the thickest part. A thermometer is the only sure check. Without one, cut into the thickest piece: it should be white all the way through, with no pink.
Meanwhile, the peanut butter, the rest of the coconut milk, the curry paste, lime juice and the remaining sugar and fish sauce in a small over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until smooth and thick.
Whisk. Whisking means beating quickly with a whisk or a fork to blend things together. It smooths out lumps and mixes eggs, oil or sauces evenly.
How you’ll know: It all looks one even color and texture, with no streaks or lumps.
Saucepan. A saucepan is a pot with tall, straight sides and one long handle. It’s for things that need depth, like rice, sauces or a few boiled eggs.
How you’ll know: The food fills it about halfway, leaving room to bubble without spilling over.
Low heatTimer: 3 min 30 sec
Serve the chicken with the coconut rice, peanut sauce, cucumber slices and cilantro.

Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
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