Craving a taste of Malaysia's vibrant street food culture? This Malaysian chicken satay is calling your name! Imagine juicy, succulent, marinated chicken skewers paired with a creamy peanut sauce that'll make your mouth water. And guess what? You don't even need a grill to cook these beauties. Perfect for any occasion, this easy-to-make satay will have you feeling like a culinary rockstar. Let’s bring a little piece of Malaysia into your kitchen tonight!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Growing up in Malaysia, eating satay with my family was one of my favorite memories. Now, living in a small town in Spain with no good Asian restaurants nearby, I find myself making my own version of Malaysian chicken satay to dip in my satay sauce to keep the memories alive. I've been perfecting the recipe, and I believe you'll love it!
Authentic—These chicken skewers boast just the right blend of spices, delightful aroma, and perfect charred grill marks. The signature flavor of slightly sweet marinated chicken mixed with wonderful aromatics is simply amazing. The chicken is succulent and tender, making it the best Malaysian chicken satay.
No grill is needed—Not everyone has time to go outside and fire up their grill, so I've tested this recipe in an air fryer and in a pan, and it worked beautifully!
Versatile—This recipe works not only for chicken but for beef and pork also. How convenient is that, right?
Ingredients For This Recipe
Chicken—Use chicken thighs as they're juicier and won't get dry. Chicken breasts are doable but not as flavorful, and they tend to get dry in this high-heat type of cooking. This recipe also works for beef! I recommend using flank steak if making it with beef.
Lemongrass—Amazing Malaysian chicken satay should always contain lemongrass as it's the essential flavor of satay and Southeast Asian dishes like my Vietnamese beef noodle salad and quick curry laksa. Lemongrass can be easily found in the fresh or frozen sections of Asian grocery stores.
Ginger and galangal—They're the common duo in Southeast Asian recipes, like my beef rendang and slow-cooker chicken rendang. They bring a peppery and earthy tone to the dish. Galangal is usually in the frozen section of any Asian grocery store.
Spices—The flavors of turmeric, coriander, fennel, and cumin powder combine to create the essence of this Malaysian chicken satay recipe, complimenting each other as the satay spice mix. I highly recommend using this combination as it's difficult to substitute any of them, for the unique flavor that each one gives.
Coconut sugar—It adds depth to the flavor, like in my Asian mochi (ondeh-ondeh) and helps to give our Malaysian chicken satay those caramelized charred marks. Brown sugar also works well.
See the recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Blend aromatics. Add onion, garlic, lemongrass, galangal, and ginger into a chopper and blend into a paste.
Step 2: Marinade the chicken. Add the blended paste, coconut sugar, oil, salt, turmeric, coriander, fennel, and cumin powder into a container. Mix well. Add the chicken pieces and mix everything together. Chill in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Step 3: Prepare the chicken. Soak the wooden skewers in water for 10 minutes. Weave the chicken pieces through the skewers.
Step 4: Cook. You can cook the chicken satay in an air-fryer, oven, and pan. I've written the detailed instructions below. My favourite way is cooking the chicken for 15 minutes in a preheated air-fryer, flipping them at minute 10.
Various Ways To Cook Chicken Satay
While summer barbecues are a great annual tradition, I realize that not everyone wants to grill every time they crave satay. Here are some ways to cook chicken satay in the kitchen without needing to grill outdoors.
I want to point out that you don't have to put the chicken on skewers to make delicious Malaysian chicken satay. You can cook the chicken thighs whole or in smaller pieces, and it will still taste amazing!
An air-fryer or oven: Using the Air-fry function, preheat the air-fryer to 400ºF (20ºC), or 430ºF (220ºC) for an oven. Place the satay, spray with some oil, and cook for 15 minutes. Flip them at minute 10.
An air fryer with grill: Using the Grill function, preheat the air fryer to 360ºF (180ºC). Place the satay, spray with oil, and cook for 10 minutes. Flip them halfway through.
A pan with whole chicken thighs: Heat a pan on medium-high heat with a bit of oil. Place the chicken in, and cook for 8-10 minutes, flipping them halfway through.
A pan with chicken pieces: Heat a pan on medium-high heat with a bit of oil. Place the chicken pieces in, and cook for 6-8 minutes, flipping them halfway through.
Recipe Expert Tips
If you're going to make this Malaysian chicken satay recipe, make sure to follow these top tips!
- Use chicken thighs. You'll get a more flavorful and juicy satay compared to chicken breasts.
- Soak the wooden skewers. This will prevent them from getting burnt in the cooking process. 10 minutes in the water is enough.
- Marinade. Give time for the spice blend to infuse into the chicken, to create delicious succulent satays. A minimum of 4 hours should do it, preferably overnight.
- Wear gloves. I like to wear gloves when handing the chicken in the marinade as they tend to stain my fingers, due to the turmeric powder.
- Doable without skewers. You can cook the chicken thighs whole or in smaller pieces without the skewers. Whole chicken thighs take a few minutes longer naturally. The chicken satay will still taste fantastic!
- It is doable without a grill. You can cook this Malaysian chicken satay in an air-fryer, oven, or pan. They'll still have beautiful charred marks with succulent meat! Refer to my detailed instructions above.
How To Serve, Store, And Freeze
Serve—This delicious chicken satay is a perfect match with my Malaysian satay sauce! The satays are usually served with rice cakes, sliced cucumbers, and red onions. The flavors and textures create a refreshing and complementary contrast that enhances the whole experience of enjoying Malaysian chicken satay!
Store—Keep both marinated and cooked satays in an air-tight container, in the fridge. Raw marinated chicken lasts up to 2-3 days. Cooked satays last up to 5 days.
Freezing raw satays—Place them on a tray lined with parchment paper, making sure they are not touching each other. Then, fast-freeze them for 1 hour. Once they are solidly frozen, transfer them to an air-tight container and put them back in the freezer for up to 3 months. Cook them directly from frozen, without thawing, preferably in an air-fryer or oven. You can refer to my detailed instructions above, and remember to add a few minutes to the cooking time.
Freezing cooked satays—Place them on a tray lined with parchment paper, making sure they are not touching each other. Then, fast-freeze them for 1 hour. Once they are solidly frozen, transfer them to an air-tight container and put them back in the freezer for up to 6 months. Thaw in the fridge, and reheat them in the microwave, without the skewers, or in an air-fryer or a pan.
Recipe FAQs
I highly recommend using chicken thighs as they're more flavorful and won't get dry for this type of high-heat cooking. However, chicken breasts work, too. This Malaysian chicken satay recipe also works for beef and pork!
Yes, definitely! I love to marinate the chicken one day before cooking it, and you can do it even two or three days earlier. I don't recommend marinating longer than that, as the marinate will start drawing out the liquid from the chicken, making its texture less desirable.
There are various easy ways to cook them! My favorite way is using an air fryer, but you can also cook them in the oven or in a pan. You can also choose not to use skewers! Check out my detailed instructions for each way above.
Did you try this Malaysian Chicken Satay?
Please leave us ★★★★★ ratings and feedback below in the comment section. We'd love to know how it went, what you liked, or if there's anything we can improve. Share and tag us on Instagram; we'd like to see your creation.
Thank you! -Bea and Marco
Watch How To Make It
📖 Recipe
Malaysian Chicken Satay
Ingredients
Paste
- 1 red onion , cut into chunks
- 6 garlic cloves
- 1 lemongrass , white part only, sliced
- 2 inches galangal , sliced
- 2 inches ginger , sliced
Spices
- 2 tablespoon coriander powder
- 1 tablespoon fennel powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin powder
- 3 tablespoon coconut sugar
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
Main
- 2 lb (900 g) skinless boneless chicken thighs , cut into 1½-inch cubes
Instructions
Marinade
- Add all the paste ingredients (onion, garlic, lemongrass, galangal, and ginger) to a chopper, and blend into a fine texture.
- Pour into a big container together with all the spices ingredients (coconut sugar, oil, salt, turmeric, coriander, fennel, and cumin powder). Mix well. Add in the chicken pieces and mix everything until the chicken is well coated with the marinade.
- Cover with a cling film and chill in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Prepare The Chicken
- Soak the wooden skewers in water for 10 minutes. Weave the chicken pieces through the skewers. Let the chicken come to room temperature before cooking.
Cook In Air-Fryer Or Oven
- Using the Air-fry function, preheat the air-fryer to 400ºF (20ºC), or 430ºF (220ºC) for an oven. Place the satay, spray with some oil, and cook for 15 minutes. Flip them at minute 10.
- Using the Grill function, preheat the air fryer to 360ºF (180ºC). Place the satay, spray with oil, and cook for 10 minutes. Flip them halfway through.
Cook In A Pan
- Heat a pan on medium-high heat with a bit of oil. Place the chicken in, and cook for 8-10 minutes for whole chicken thighs, and 6-8 minutes for chicken pieces, flipping them halfway through.
Notes
- Use chicken thighs. You'll get a more flavorful and juicy satay compared to chicken breasts.
- Soak the wooden skewers. This will prevent them from getting burnt in the cooking process. 10 minutes in the water is enough.
- Marinade. Give time for the spice blend to infuse into the chicken, to create delicious succulent satays. A minimum of 4 hours should do it, preferably overnight.
- Doable without skewers. You can cook the chicken thighs whole or in smaller pieces without the skewers. Whole chicken thighs take a few minutes longer naturally. The chicken satay will still taste fantastic!
- It is doable without a grill. You can cook this Malaysian chicken satay in an air-fryer, oven, or pan. They'll still have beautiful charred marks with succulent meat!
Nutrition Facts
The nutrition facts provided are an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Originally published on Apr 23, 2021. Updated with improved text, recipe, and pictures on Jul 7, 2024.
Nielle says
I saw this in your IG and it looks so delicious!
I will make this to go with the peanut sauce this weekend.
I will let you know how it went.
Thanks for sharing!!
Bea & Marco says
Hey, that's awesome! Yes, do let me know how it goes. Thank you, Nielle!
Alex says
The recipe looks amazing. Where is the peanut sauce recipe? The link doesn't work. Thank you in advance.
Bea says
Hi Alex! I'm currently working on an improved recipe for the peanut sauce and will release it soon (a couple of weeks or so). So do check in 🙂