It was sometime in middle school, while watching the O.C., that I became obsessed with Thai food. On the show, the Cohen family always ordered Pad Thai for takeout. That summer in between middle school and high school, I made my mom and dad order so much Thai takeout and consumed a ton of Pad Thai (back when I could eat just carbs and no vegetables with no problem). One night when I was out for dinner with my dad, he observed that all I ever ate was Pad Thai and could I at least branch out and try something else on the menu? Alright fine. So I did and immediately fell in love with Chicken Satay with peanut dipping sauce, among many other Thai dishes.
What is Chicken Satay?
“Satay” is a Southeast Asian dish that consists of seasoned meat that is skewered and grilled. In Thai cuisine, the Satay is generally served with a peanut sauce. The peanut sauce has to be one of my all time favorite sauces because pretty much anything with peanut butter in it makes me drool. So, this grain bowl recipe has chicken satay with peanut sauce.
It’s so good…now let’s make it into a grain bowl.
Key Ingredients
- Thai Red Curry Paste I use Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste
- Galangal or ginger if galangal cannot be found
- Coriander Seeds
- Cumin Seeds
- Coconut Milk full fat
- Peanut Butter– IMPORTANT get that smooth, peanut-only ingredient peanut butter (with no added oils or sugars)
- Palm Sugar or Coconut Sugar
- Fish Sauce
- Vegetables I used cabbage, carrots, cucumbers
- The Grain– brown rice, quinoa, farro, any other grain of your choice
- Fresh Limes for that added brightness and acidity to the dish
- Crushed Peanuts because they are NOM
- Fresh Herbs like mint or Thai basil (or regular if you cannot find Thai)
Tips for making chicken satay
The prep
- You can use small strips of chicken, like chicken tenders, or cube the meat and use 1-2 inch chunks
- Marinate your chicken for at least 30 minutes (or overnight if possible) in the marinade
- If using wooden or bamboo skewers, let soak at least 20 minutes in water before using
To Grill
- Skew the meat with your soaked wooden skewers or metal skewers
- You can grill using an outdoor grill or a grill pan
- Heat the grill or grill pan to medium high heat
- Cook the skewers about 4-5 minutes each side or until internal temperature is 165 degrees Fahrenheit
To Bake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
- Place chicken skewers on a greased or lined baking sheet
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165 degrees Fahrenheit
Chicken Satay Grain Bowl
Ingredients
Chicken Satay
- 1.5 pound Chicken Breast cut into 2-inch strips
- 1 cup Coconut Milk from a 13.5 ounce can, full fat
- 1 clove Garlic minced
- 1/2 inch Ginger peeled and minced
- 1 Tablespoon Thai Red Curry Paste
- 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Coriander Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- Skewers wooden or metal
Peanut Sauce
- 1/4 cup Peanut Butter all natural, smooth and creamy with peanuts as only ingredient
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
- 1/4 cup Coconut Milk from 13.5 ounce can, full fat
- 1 teaspoon Thai Red Curry Paste
- 1 Tablespoon Lime Juice
- 2 teaspoons Fish Sauce
- 2 teaspoons Palm or Coconut Sugar
- Crushed Peanuts for garnish
Chicken Satay Grain Bowl
- 1 cup Brown Rice cooked
- 1 Cucumber sliced
- 2 Large Carrots peeled and sliced
- 1 head Red Cabbage shredded
- Chicken Satay Skewers (see recipe above)
- Peanut Sauce (see recipe above)
- Fresh Herbs like mint or basil
- Limes cut into wedges
- Crushed Peanuts for garnish
Instructions
Chicken Satay
- Cut your chicken breast into two-inch wide strips.
- Mix the coconut milk, garlic, ginger, red curry paste, turmeric, cumin, coriander, and salt into a bowl/bag. Place the chicken strips into the marinade and let sit for at least 30 minutes (or a few hours to overnight if you want to maximize the flavor).
- Once meat is done marinating, skewer each strip onto a wooden or metal skewer. **
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees if baking or preheat your grill/grill pan to medium high if grilling.
- If baking, place the chicken skewers on a greased and lined baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- If grilling, slightly grease the grill with oil and grill the chicken strips on each side for about 4-5 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Once finished, place skewers on top of the grain bowl and drizzle with peanut sauce and crushed peanuts.
Peanut Sauce
- Place all of the ingredients, except for the crushed peanuts, into a food processor.
- Blend until the sauce mixture is smooth. Adjust mixture according to your preferences- if you'd like it to be thinner, add more coconut milk or water.
- Place sauce into a bowl and garnish with crushed peanuts.
Chicken Satay Grain Bowl
- Cook the cup of brown rice according to the package instructions.
- Prepare all of the vegetables by peeling and slicing the cucumbers, carrots, and red cabbage.
- Evenly distribute the brown rice and vegetables into four bowls. Top with chicken satay skewers and herbs. Drizzle the bowls with the peanut sauce and garnish with the crushed peanuts and lime wedges.
- Serve and enjoy!
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