Learn how to make low-carb, keto chicken satay skewers with spicy peanut sauce. The meat is marinated with a mix of spices and Asian sauce, grilled to tender and juicy and served with a delicious peanut dipping sauce. Healthy, gluten-free, sugar-free satay recipe!
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What Is Satay?
Satay is a Southeast Asian food consisting of small pieces of meat, chicken or fish cooked on a stick – usually grilled – and served with a spicy peanut sauce. By spicy, I mean spiced, not hot!
You might have heard of Malaysian, Thai or Indonesian satay and there are regional variations to the recipe: what meat is used, how thick it’s cut, how savoury or sweet the marinade and the peanut sauce are, how thick or thin the dipping sauce is, and the spice level. One thing is the same for all – satay is delicious, especially made with chicken.
Keto Chicken Satay Skewers
Traditional chicken satay will use sugar or another sweetener both in the marinade and the peanut sauce. This keto recipe is made with sugar-free sweetener and is dairy-free and gluten-free friendly. It’s like a healthy chicken satay!
You can make keto chicken satay as skewers or grill marinated pieces of meat as they are. I like to marinade the chicken for at least 2-3 hours (I often get it prepared in the morning before work) but even 20 minutes will work.
Grilled satay chicken can be served as finger food or appetizer or as a main protein dish with a side of rice or noodles, cauliflower rice, cucumber salad or any other vegetable dish you like.
How To Make Keto Chicken Satay
You will find the full recipe with ingredients and nutritional breakdown in the recipe card below. Here are some handy step-by-step photos of how to make chicken satay skewers and the peanut dipping sauce.
Satay Chicken Skewers
Step 1. Cut the chicken thighs into bite-size pieces/rectangular or square pieces. Season with curry powder, garlic powder, white pepper and a little salt. Rub all over and add to a bowl.
Step 2. Gather ingredients for the rest of the marinade: lime juice or rice wine vinegar, fish sauce, gluten-free soy sauce (e.g. Tamari or coconut aminos) and olive oil. If using bamboo sticks for grilling the skewers, soak them in some cold water for a few minutes (to prevent burning).
Step 3. Drizzle with the remaining marinade ingredients and mix through to coat evenly. Leave to marinate for at least 10-15 minutes (can be done ahead of time and left in the fridge). Once marinated, thread the chicken pieces onto bamboo or metal skewers.
Keto Peanut Sauce
Step 4. Prepare the peanut sauce. You can use a food processor or a blender to blend the sauce ingredients until smooth. Alternatively, melt the peanut butter in a microwave or over hot water. Combine with the remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth. Taste for salt/sweet/acidity balance. You may need to add a little more sweetener or lime juice or salt/fish sauce. Should be sweet but not too much.
Grilling The Skewers
Step 5. Heat up a grill pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil, and spread it around the pan. When the oil is hot, add the chicken skewers and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side, until cooked through. You can do the same on an outdoor grill or barbecue.
Place the cooked skewers on a platter with peanut sauce, garnish crushed peanuts, red chilli, coriander and lime wedges. You can serve it with shaved cucumber salad on the side.
What To Serve With Chicken Satay
Grilled chicken satay can be served as the main protein dish or as an appetizer or finger food, especially if done as skewers. As with most Asian dishes, satay chicken pairs beautifully with steamed rice or coconut rice or noodles. To keep it keto-friendly, I like to serve these with a simple cucumber salad with some coconut cauliflower rice on the side.
You can also make an Asian-style coleslaw salad or a quick stir-fry of broccoli and zucchini or any other vegetables you have on hand.
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Ingredients
For the chicken satay skewers
- 500 g chicken thighs boneless and skinless, cut into bite-size pieces (1 lb.)
- 1 tablespoon mild curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon lime juice or rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce e.g. Tamari or coconut aminos
- 2 tablespoons olive oil coconut oil or avocado oil
- Short Bamboo sticks soak in cold water for 5 minutes
For the peanut sauce:
- 1 teaspoon grated or minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1/2 cup unsweetened peanut butter crunchy or not crunchy is fine
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 2 teaspoons sugar-free sweetener Natvia or something similar, equivalent to 2 teaspoons of regular sugar
- 2 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon lime juice or rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup water
To serve/garnish:
- 2 tablespoons peanuts roasted and finely chopped
- Lime wedges
- Coriander/cilantro
- Red chilli sliced or thinly sliced red onion/spring onions
- Optional: make a shaved cucumber salad or a few shaved cucumber ribbons to serve on the plate
Instructions
- Cut the chicken thighs into bite-size pieces/rectangular or square pieces. Season with curry powder, garlic powder, white pepper and a little salt. Rub all over and add to a bowl. Drizzle with the remaining marinade ingredients and mix through to coat evenly. Leave to marinate for at least 10-15 minutes (can be done ahead of time and left in the fridge).
- Prepare the peanut sauce. You can use a food processor or a blender to blend the sauce ingredients until smooth. Alternatively. melt the peanut butter in a microwave or over hot water. Combine with the remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth. Taste for salt/sweet/acidity balance. You may need to add a little more sweetener or lime juice or salt/fish sauce. Should be sweet but not too much.
- Thread the chicken pieces onto bamboo or metal skewers.
- Heat up a grill pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil, and spread it around the pan.
- When the oil is hot, add the chicken skewers and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side until cooked through.
- Place the cooked skewers on a platter with peanut sauce, then garnish with crushed peanuts, red chilli, coriander, and lime wedges. You can also have some shaved cucumber salad on the platter.
This easy, flavorful and perfect chicken satay is going to be a big hit in my house.
My friends are coming over this weekend. I think I could make this recipe then. It looks amazing!
Every bite does indeed look amazing! All of the flavors are incredible. And I love these vibrant colors.
Absolutely love satay so I can’t wait to try this version. It looks so creamy and delicious. Thanks for sharing.
It is so good and tasted.
Thank you very much for the recipe – made it for a potluck dinner and it was a huge success. Bonus points for being keto friendly so my husband could also enjoy.