Authentic Thai Chicken Satay Recipes
When I first heard about satay chicken I was surprised that it was a chicken dish, not a fish one. Satay, which literally means “dipping meat,” is typically prepared with beef, pork or chicken and served either raw or cooked. The ingredients are seasoned with hot sauce before being immersed in water to seal the flavor and tenderize the meat.
Thai chicken satay is cooked in a spicy coconut flavored sauce that is often mixed with ginger and garlic. Other popular ingredients in chicken satay recipes include tomatoes, onions, garlic, and a Thai red chili paste. The ingredients are typically prepared together a day or two before cooking to allow time for the flavors to meld properly. Raw chicken dipped in the spicy sauce is often served as a starter to a meal, although it is also frequently found as part of a full meal when cooking authentic thai chicken recipes. Typically, chicken satay is served alone or in a dish of marinade called “payas.”
There are many variations of the traditional Thai chicken satay. The traditional recipe uses thin slices of chicken marinated in peanut sauce and then wrapped in banana leaves. The resulting chicken is then grilled until crisp, often leaving the grill marks on the outside. Other versions of the Thai chicken recipe replace the oil with peanut sauce and then cook the chicken using indirect heat in a copper pot.
One version of the chicken satay recipe that I love to prepare is marinated and then cooked in a spicy coconut broth with onion, bell pepper, cilantro and a bit of chili paste. Although the ingredients are the same, the resulting dish has a slightly different flavor when cooked. The sweetness of the broth is intensified by the pepper and the onions. It is a delicious dish that is healthy too.
To make the authentic Thai chicken satay sauce you will need: Chicken – cut up one fourth of a pound of chicken into chunks of about 2 inches in size. Red bell pepper – add several pieces to your marinade. Cilantro – finely chop this herb. Ginger – a piece or two of this grated ginger.
When you have all these ingredients ready to go, simply marinate the chicken in the prepared marinade for at least an hour, depending on the time you have available. Set your timer to an hour and then cook your chicken in the marinade mixture for the same amount of time. When it is done, just stir fry the ingredients together until the sauce coats the pieces of chicken. Serve your Thai chicken satay sauce with your favorite noodles and enjoy.