Fun story, for quite a few years my mom would say satay when she meant sauté because she thought it sounded more refined. Being the daughter I am, I looked into it more. It turns out that chicken satay is not the same and sauté — Duh. Satay is a skewered meat from southeast Asia, similar to what we call kabobs here. But from me trying to prove a point to my mom, I started making chicken satay and it is seriously good. This recipe for chicken satay bowls has become a staple at home.
I make these first by marinating the chicken in a mixture of coconut milk, spices, chopped onion, and garlic. It’s best to marinate for several hours at least, but because there is no acid in the marinade, it can be done overnight. When I set the chicken to marinate, I also soak my skewers in water to waterlog them, just so I do not forget this step.
The peanut sauce is my favorite part. It is a mixture of peanut butter with fish sauce for some extra flavor and lime juice for a bit of tang. Whatever you do, do not sniff the fish sauce or you will be in for a nose full! I use sriracha here for spice but you can adjust the amounts based on your preference. Personally, I do not like things spicy, so feel free to add more sriracha if you like.
When it’s time for dinner, things come together quickly. I skewer the meat, make the salad, and then make the dipping sauce. Then it’s time to grill the meat. I use my indoor grill pan but you can grill them on an outdoor grill or even cook them in the oven if you like. I finish it off with some microwaved rice (such an easy shortcut!) and chopped peanuts– then you are all done!
Let me know what you guys think!.
